Tripod lost in post - What would you do?

ziggy©

ziggy©

Messages
1,940
Name
Dini
Edit My Images
Yes
I bought a Tripod (055xProb + 804RC2 head + strap) from ebay. The auction was a buy it now auction type so i just bought it and paid using paypal.

The seller decided to send the items separately which is fair enough. First i received the 804RC2 head, then the strap but the tripod never arrived. The tripod head + strap i received are in mint condition just as he described on the listing.

Having spoken to the Seller who has about 600 feedback and all 100%, i think its a genuine case of Royal mail messing up. The problem i have now is that he is saying that he can only raise a claim with royal mail after 15 days which is sometime next week.

The seller has suggested that if Royal mail decide not to pay up he will have to either ask me to return the head + strap and he would give me a full refund (most likely minus postage costs) or he might just decide to give me a partial refund which is something i am happy with but this will only happen if royal mail rejects the claim.

To be fair to him he has always kept me up to date and he responds to emails immediately. (I even spoke to him on the phone) What worries me though is that the process for claiming from Royal mail might take another few weeks which would mean that i can no longer put in a claim through paypal if the seller decides to change his mind when Royal mail rejects the claim.

It has been two weeks now since i purchased the item and have not made a claim with paypal as i dont really want to be unfair to him as he has been very honest so far. I would usually claim via paypal but if the guy seems honest it does kind of put you in a difficult situation. If i put in a claim via paypal it will be unfair to him if i wait for a bit longer i might loose out in the end.

As of now i have decided to just trust him and wait it out but something in me is telling me this might be a mistake. Any advice as to what i should do?

ps. What is the time limit allowed for making a claim with paypal?
 
Last edited:
Whilst he it appears he is being honest and upfront, the point is he has the money and you don't have all the goods. It is true he can't claim from Royal Mail yet, but he should be able to return the money now as he has had it. He himself will be reimbursed at a later date by the Royal Mail, so I would ask for a refund now, politely pointing out these facts, offering to assist in his claim. Was it sent insured post.
 
According to him he paid extra for enhanced Compensation on a standard 2nd class postage. Presumabely this is why i had to sign for both the head and the strap.
 
ziggy©;3795061 said:
According to him he paid extra for enhanced Compensation on a standard 2nd class postage. Presumabely this is why i had to sign for both the head and the strap.
Click to expand...

Surely that is just second class recorded delivery. That's the only way of getting any compensation for second class that I know of unless they have changed things since I had a post office.

I think Paypal give you something like 30 days to get a claim in although you can still file a dispute and drag it out for a month if you want before letting Paypal get properly involved. Just freezes the money in his account while you are waiting and if it gets sorted in the meantime you can just close the dispute.
 
Forget the royal mail part, you must lodge an Ebay claim. You can always explain why to the seller but if you leave it too long you could lose the option.

None of the reason why you didn't get your item is down to you so just be polite but cover your own back.
 
:plusone: for the comments above.

I've sold loads on eBay but it's the sellers problem :shrug:

Suggest a fair price for the head n strap & ask for a refund for the tripod if that's what you want. If he won't do this inside the timescales to allow you to complain to PP & eBay, then you MUST lodge a complaint or you will end up waiting for your goods & or money back :shrug:

Good luck.
 
get a full refund- send him back the head + strap only after you receive you payment

Thats what I'd do- without predjudice of course :thumbs:

Les ;)
 
Sounds like he used standard parcels to me, the heaviest you can send 2nd class ordinary post is 1kg and daresay your tripod weighed more than that

If he paid for enhanced compensation that would payout up to that limit which is likely to be £100

Lodge the Ebay claim, explain that you have to and don't be surprised if the package turns up, sometimes drop into a black hole to suddenly reappear after a few weeks
 
"enhanced Compensation on a standard 2nd class postage"

No such thing! Only on Recorded Delivery can this be done, or standard parcel delivery. If you dont sign for packages, orange label, then theres no insurance. There is only proof of posting on standard 1st or 2nd class.

Get a claim in now, keep all the emails etc the seller sent you.
Partial or full refund? up to you, but tell the buyer that you only want to protect yourself and he can claim the money when RM cough up.
 
Last edited:
Thank you all for the responses. I knew i was making a mistake i just needed someone to talk me out of it.

I will mail him later today asking for a partial refund so that i can buy the tripod from somewhere. If he refuses then i will just make a claim with paypal.
 
When did you receive the other parts of the order?

The seller is 100% right about waiting for 15 days for Royal Mail to claim, this is because they say it can take 15 days for your parcel to arrive. If the seller gives you a refund now, you could end up with both the tripod and the money. My advice would be to log the issue with eBay to have it recorded, but I can't see any progress until after 15 days since posting.
 
Hi Guys,

I emailed the seller and he is happy to offer me a partial refund which i thought he would as he seemed genuine enough. I have not raised this with Ebay/Paypal yet as i would prefer that we sort it amongst ourselves if possible. The problem we are having now is we are disagreeing on the amount he should refund.

I paid £130 for a 055xprob + 804RC2 + tripod strap. He asked me what i thought was a reasonable amount he should offer me for the lost tripod. I thought there fairest option is to suggest to him that he can pay me the average price of the tripod by looking at how much the last few used ones have sold on Ebay.

Here is the email i sent him

Hi xxxx

It is quite difficult to know how much the tripod would have sold. I think the fairest option is to go with the average price based on what they have been selling on Ebay. I had a look at the last few that have been sold and these are the prices and the average price. I dont know which model the strap is as there are two types
i.e. the junior and the standard one i cant check now as i am at work. I have included the links to the completed items as well.


804RC2 Tripod Head
====================

33 + 5 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-804..._Tripods_Heads_Stablisers&hash=item19c69494bc
47 + 4.4 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-804..._Tripods_Heads_Stablisers&hash=item2eb5e63e1b
31 + 8.50 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-MN-..._Tripods_Heads_Stablisers&hash=item4aabff880d
35 + 5 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-Tri..._Tripods_Heads_Stablisers&hash=item1c1c69627c
36 + 3 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MANFROTTO-BAS..._Tripods_Heads_Stablisers&hash=item4cf7dfc19e
43 + 5 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MANFROTTO-804..._Tripods_Heads_Stablisers&hash=item2c5d6e6386
31 + 10 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-tri..._Tripods_Heads_Stablisers&hash=item4cf7bb8a7b

Average price is £41

804RC2 Tripod Head
====================

90 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-055...54?pt=UK_Tripods_Monopods&hash=item415b2c8af6
85 + 7 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-055...48?pt=UK_Tripods_Monopods&hash=item20ba6f6e2c
75 + 15 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-055...56?pt=UK_Tripods_Monopods&hash=item19c68cf260

Average price is £90.6


Strap
============
Junior
3.99 + 2.50 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-390...hotography_Flash_Adapters&hash=item3cb919f5e6

Standard
10 + 2.95 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-Tri...75?pt=UK_Tripods_Monopods&hash=item53e8098a8f
6.50 + 2.50 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Manfrotto-Carry-Strap-/140566112745?pt=UK_Tripods_Monopods&hash=item20ba64a9e9

I am happy with the average price shown above for the tripod and the total of all the averages almost matches with how much i paid for all three.

Regards
Dini
Click to expand...


He responsded with two emails

Hi Dini
Thank you for all the information, but I think that you and I are on diferent wave lengths, As you purchased a second hand tripod, head and pro strap for £125-00 I could hardly be expected to reimburse you with an average cost of a new one being more than the total initial cost of three items. Also you must realise that Royal Mail will not pay out for a new replacement, they will pay me what I have lost based on the ebay and paypal invoices submited to them.If I was to reimburse you the new average cost of the tripod you will then in fact have a £23 strap and a £65 head for about £9.
xxxx.
Click to expand...


Look Dini, with respect to yourself here, Firstly if you look at my seller information you will find that I am not responsible for the loss or damage of items posted, secondly a settlement should not be made untill all avenues have been concluded with the courier (Royal Mail), Thirdly you will find that in the eyes of the courier it is thr recipient who is at a loss and not the sender, so and reimbersements made By Royal Mail will be made to you, so if I reimburse you and Royal Mail do so, I am left with the task of requesting the monies back from you. Now I am sticking my neck out here to help you, but please do not assume it is my responsibility.
xxxx.
Click to expand...


He is saying that it cost me £125 whereas i paid £130 including postage. I dont understand why he thinks i quoted prices for a new tripod because the links i included are for used ones. To be honest i dont understand what he means on that second sentence(The one about a new one not being more than the total initial cost of three items.) And how did he calculate those figures of £65 and £9.

I was dissapointed in the second email as he is trying to claim that it is my responsibility. Do you guys think those prices i quoted are unfair? I am thinking of suggesting to him that i return him the head+strap and he just refund me what i paid for them but i am worried that he might refuse to refund the postage which could cost me even more as i will have to pay for the cost of sending them back.
 
After reading his emails to you I think the only course of action is to send him back the head and strap and get a full refund from him. Save yourself a lot of hassle. :thumbs:
 
hmmmm.. this is interesting. I just recieved another email from him. I have not even responded to the last two that he sent yesterday. It looks like i need to raise this with Ebay and Paypal now.

Hi Dini.
Many thoughts have gone through my mind since yuou have suggested that I refund you for the tripod based on average ebay sales rather than a proportionate rebate based on the purchased item, and your request to have a refund before the Royal mail investigation is concluded has caused doubts in my mind, although I prefere to trust you, I do not know you and as far as I know you could have received the tripod and are now trying to claim money.
Based on my doubts I contacted Ebay, assuring them that I have all the proof of purchase and postage, but indicating that you are now in a hurry to receive a refund prior to Royal Mail investigations, Ebay have advised me not to pay any refunds untill this investigation is complete.
Click to expand...

I must admit that i am dissapointed that he now suspects that i might have received the tripod. I should have listened to you guys and just raised this with Ebay/Paypal the moment it started.
 
Last edited:
If he did not send it by some sort of recordable delivery then the blame lies totally with him and he should reimburse you as soon as possible.

He may have proof of postage but he does not have proof of delivery. He has no right accusing you if he did not send it using a method where it can be tracked.

And ask for a full refund and send the strap/head back. Much easier and you at-least know you're getting a fair refund.

Don't worry if he kicks up a fuss though. Paypal/ebay always side with the buyer in these cases as its the sellers responsibility.
 
Last edited:
ziggy© said:
hmmmm.. this is interesting. I just recieved another email from him. I have not even responded to the last two that he sent yesterday. It looks like i need to raise this with Ebay and Paypal now.

I must admit that i am dissapointed that he now suspects that i might have received the tripod. I should have listened to you guys and just raised this with Ebay/Paypal the moment it started.
Click to expand...

That's what the dispute sysyem is for. The seller seems to acting in a very reasonable manner imho .
 
this is the problem when sellers scrimp on postage... its the sellers responsibility to get the item to you ' proof of delivery ' means nothing... they need a tracking number - end of.. if you open a dispute - with ebay (as well as paypal) they will offer the seller a choice - to send a tracking number OR refund the item - simples... if the seller puts a clame for the lost item to the royal mail - then thats there choice but dont let him pass this on to you !
 
I tried to open a dispute with Paypal as well but it comes up with an error.

We're sorry there's a problem with your purchase. You already opened a case regarding this item. Please go to the eBay Resolution Centre to review the program details for information on what to do next.
Click to expand...

Does this mean the dispute i raised with Ebay covers paypal as well so i dont have to do anything with paypal?
 
Hi,

Before jumping to any conclusions, I feel for you here, it's very frustrating when this type of thing happens.

Did the seller offer any options for postage?

Ebay will side with the buyer in this case though as they put the onus on the seller to prove you have received the item and even then will still side with the buyer.
A friend of mine has suffered from this in the past, sold a high end car stereo for £450 on ebay. The buyer claimed he did not receive it even though it was sent recorded delivery and a signature was obtained at the buyers address. My friends brother lived around 30 miles from the buyer, took a trip there and took a photo of the buyers car with the stereo installed and still ebay sided with the buyer!

I'd return the head and strap (recorded delivery) and claim a full refund, it'll be easier in the long run.

Paul.
 
ziggy© said:
By suspecting that i could have received the tripod?
Click to expand...

It's perfectly natural behavior... he doesn't know you and a lot of scams are carried out by the buyers.
 
PaulF said:
Hi,

Before jumping to any conclusions, I feel for you here, it's very frustrating when this type of thing happens.

Did the seller offer any options for postage?

Ebay will side with the buyer in this case though as they put the onus on the seller to prove you have received the item and even then will still side with the buyer.
A friend of mine has suffered from this in the past, sold a high end car stereo for £450 on ebay. The buyer claimed he did not receive it even though it was sent recorded delivery and a signature was obtained at the buyers address. My friends brother lived around 30 miles from the buyer, took a trip there and took a photo of the buyers car with the stereo installed and still ebay sided with the buyer!

I'd return the head and strap (recorded delivery) and claim a full refund, it'll be easier in the long run.

Paul.
Click to expand...

No he didnt offer any option for postage. Do you think i should send them back now or should i wait for Ebay to decide when i should send them back.
 
Basically after a few days (not sure how long for item not recieved...) you'll be able to escalate your claim with Ebay, they'll then I think give the seller a chance to show proof of delivery (not posting!) - if he can't, they'll refund you.


Actually did you open a not received, or significantly not as described? I'm just thinking, if he sent the bit you have got via recorded and has a signature, you may have to then do not as described (as you haven't got it all)

In that case, ebay will tell you to send it back (tracked - if you don't get a sig you don't get your money back, so really special delivery to be sure as recorded doesn't always track) and you'll be refunded.


Either way, refunds will be for all your original costs, including the original postage, but they can't force him to refund you the postage back.
 
What he said :agree:






Well that arrow don't work when it's the first post on a new page..................
 
They are talking rubbish about contacting ebay. The only thing they do is lodge a non payment claim, they haven't done that.

There has been no contact from ebay to you about their supposed problem which ebay would have done, they won't put nything to dispute unless they have both sides of the story.

Once you lodge and ebay dispute it will automatically lodge it with paypal as they are one and the same company.
 
ChrisH said:
They are talking rubbish about contacting ebay. The only thing they do is lodge a non payment claim, they haven't done that.

There has been no contact from ebay to you about their supposed problem which ebay would have done, they won't put nything to dispute unless they have both sides of the story.

Once you lodge and ebay dispute it will automatically lodge it with paypal as they are one and the same company.
Click to expand...

Well he told me that eBay advised him not to pay until the royal mail has investigated the issue. I have make opened a dispute with ebay so hopefully it will be sorted.
 
littlemonster said:
Basically after a few days (not sure how long for item not recieved...) you'll be able to escalate your claim with Ebay, they'll then I think give the seller a chance to show proof of delivery (not posting!) - if he can't, they'll refund you.

Actually did you open a not received, or significantly not as described? I'm just thinking, if he sent the bit you have got via recorded and has a signature, you may have to then do not as described (as you haven't got it all)

In that case, ebay will tell you to send it back (tracked - if you don't get a sig you don't get your money back, so really special delivery to be sure as recorded doesn't always track) and you'll be refunded.

Either way, refunds will be for all your original costs, including the original postage, but they can't force him to refund you the postage back.
Click to expand...

If I do have to send it back I will definately send it recorded signed for so that it can be tracked.
 
Last edited:
Looks like it is sorted now. After a lot of arguing, the seller has agreed to refund £80 and will refund an additional £10 if royal mail compensate him for the lost tripod.

I will have to send the tripod back if it does arrive. Seems like a fair conclusion.
 
Have you been down to your local sorting office? My mate had an issue with parcels not turning up, went down to his local office and mentioned this, within 2 hours the parcel had arrived.

Move forward 2 weeks and the replacement parcel (sent out as belief was that 1st parcel was lost) still hadn't arrived, back down the office and a chat with the manager, he admitted that due to lack of staff and current staff not wanting to do overtime, they had a backlog of parcels they were unable to deliver. Just incase you live in Sleaford, this could be the problem.

Wise move starting the eBay option, although you like to trust people, this was set up as not all sellers are honest. I even Sk sellers now if they will send by special delivery as it's a safer option.
 
Reidy36 said:
Have you been down to your local sorting office? My mate had an issue with parcels not turning up, went down to his local office and mentioned this, within 2 hours the parcel had arrived.

Move forward 2 weeks and the replacement parcel (sent out as belief was that 1st parcel was lost) still hadn't arrived, back down the office and a chat with the manager, he admitted that due to lack of staff and current staff not wanting to do overtime, they had a backlog of parcels they were unable to deliver. Just incase you live in Sleaford, this could be the problem.

Wise move starting the eBay option, although you like to trust people, this was set up as not all sellers are honest. I even Sk sellers now if they will send by special delivery as it's a safer option.
Click to expand...

No i have not been to the local sorting office. I have to collect something from them next week so i will ask them just in case. I doubt without any kind of reference number they might be able to help but it is worth a try.
 
My mate didn't have a reference number as due to the weight of the parcel it was sent 2nd class, the 2nd parcel was half the weight (half initial order) and that was sat there also.
 
Reidy36 said:
Have you been down to your local sorting office? My mate had an issue with parcels not turning up, went down to his local office and mentioned this, within 2 hours the parcel had arrived.

Move forward 2 weeks and the replacement parcel (sent out as belief was that 1st parcel was lost) still hadn't arrived, back down the office and a chat with the manager, he admitted that due to lack of staff and current staff not wanting to do overtime, they had a backlog of parcels they were unable to deliver. Just incase you live in Sleaford, this could be the problem.

Wise move starting the eBay option, although you like to trust people, this was set up as not all sellers are honest. I even Sk sellers now if they will send by special delivery as it's a safer option.
Click to expand...

Well I was at the sorting office and I asked about it. They found the tripod!

He just had a quick look and came back with it!

Given that the seller has refunded me £80, i have two options. Return the tripod and keep the money or refund him the money and keep tripod.

I am leaning towards keeping the tripod and refunding him the money because if I send back the tripod I will have to pay the postage meaning that the tripod I buy to replace it will cost me £90. I.e the whole package would have cost me £140.

What do you guys think?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top