Documentation for Package Sent to Buyer in Russia

[Bungled]

John Donahoe

Office of the President

EBay, Inc.

Dear Mr. Donahoe:

I would like to know why Ebay thinks it is acceptable to steal money from me on an item that I sold to a buyer in Russia through Ebay. My item number 170988646872, a Lalique Perfume collectible set, had a winning bid placed on it by soonslon, a relatively new buyer on Ebay with 14 feedback, on February 17, 2013. The buyer paid for the auction on February 21, 2013, and I shipped it the following day via USPS First Class International, LC795129485US, with insurance coverage of $125.00. 

Today, April 2, 2013, I received an email from the buyer, which stated: “I regret to have to put you a negative review, I still have not received your package.- soonslon”.  I immediately wrote back to the buyer: “I have the receipt information, and the box is insured for $125.00. Why would you leave a negative feedback for me? Please check with your postal service. Perhaps it is still in your Customs.  According to the United States Postal Service: Your Item's Status - Your item was processed through our LOS ANGELES, CA 90009 facility on February 25, 2013 at 8:06 am. No further information is available for this item.”

My primary concern this morning was getting a negative feedback for a traceable package that left American shores on February 25, 2013, and is still “in transit” according to the USPS.  I called Ebay at approximately 8:30A today, and spoke with “John” who promptly informed me of two things: 1) Ebay has recently experienced an unusual amount of “Item Not Received” claims from Russian buyers, and 2) the buyer can leave me negative feedback for possible mishandling of the package by the Russian Postal Service.  I have a problem with these points…a) Ebay, at the least, should have posted a disclaimer informing sellers of potential problems with Russian buyers or the Russian Postal Service.  That way, a seller can make an informed decision.  Instead, I sold an expensive item (in my eyes) to a Russian buyer who may have very well received the goods, but wants his money returned, too.  Secondly, there is also possibility that some items going into Russia from the USA are not being delivered at all, but instead pilfered by the authorities. No seller, who provides documentation of shipment and insurance coverage to a foreign country should have their Paypal funds seized by Ebay, and returned to the buyer without a proper investigation. These situations are not black and white, and in this case, with official USPS proof of shipment, I should be given the benefit of the doubt.  At a minimum, the buyer should have to practice due diligence by reaching out to HIS Russian Postal Service, which is far more doable for him rather than assigning that task to the seller who lives in the USA. b) I also take exception with the fact that the buyer can leave negative feedback for me based upon HIS country’s ineffective and flawed postal handling – as John put it, “…the negative feedback will just be the buyer’s opinion.”  In that case, the buyer needs to question and file a claim with the Russian Postal Services, not demand the money back from me.

I have already contacted the USPS International Services, and though I took out insurance on the package, they cannot and will not open a claim on First Class Services, so 1) Ebay has stolen my $90.14, and 2) the buyer is allowed to post negative feedback even though I have proof and documentation that the package left the USA shores in route to Russia on February 25, 2013.  Furthermore, Anthony at the USPS International Services told me that Russia has a problem with the timely delivery of packages, and that it realistically can take 2 to 3 months for delivery. So, what happens now that you’ve refunded my money to the buyer, and he then gets the package in a few weeks? 

How can Ebay logically believe a buyer has control over another country’s postal services?  If this shipment was within the bounds of the USA, I would promptly file a USPS claim and get my money back after Ebay takes my Paypal funds from me and returns it to the buyer. Additionally, during my conversation with John this morning, he asked me to tell the buyer to open an "Item Not Received" claim, and told me to escalate it when I was asked to respond to the claim. I feel so stupid now because I did not realize the implications, nor did I understand, that even though I can prove I shipped the package to Russia, Ebay has now happily seized my hard-earned money and given it back to the buyer. 

In speaking with “Jessie” at Ebay this evening, I was told that the buyer is “absolutely going to get his money back”, and Jessie even had the audacity to task me with tracking the package through the Russian Postal Service over the next few weeks, even though it would far easier for the buyer to navigate his country’s systems.  I have written before about my displeasure with Ebay, and your company’s questionable policies regarding “Buyer Protection.”  What about the Seller????

[disco_y2k]

USPS does not track outside the US

Russia...  Money....

there is no solution, before Nigeria Russia was the scam capital of the world, sorry. dealing with people from Russia is a gamble, maybe try UPS or DHL next time is all i can say. we all learn on the first time 🙂

disco

[Dartaen]

Hey!

First of all, yes, i am from Russia. I hate to say it, but almost all is true. As always peoples do wrong thing and dont look a bit ahead.. I think most problems in this case is Russian Post - yesterday i has read news that 500 tons of parcels are buried at Russian Post warehouses.. Its a shame that parcels to the  arctic stations will be shipped 2-3 times faster then to the not so rural areas of Russia. Also i want to say that there are many peoples who do fair trading and dont frame sellers.

With best wisher, buyer from Russia.

[Erline1612]

Hello,

I am russin and i am upset about this situation. Stupid lazy "not clean at hand" russian post + some thiefs = bad opinion about ALL russian buyers. It is sad but true.

I dont know how to change it :(( 

[antwerpendam]

oh come on, there are jerks all over the world, I am from Moscow Russia, and yesterday I received a package that was sent 12/21/2012, today is 04/10/2013, so what? I know this little trick about Russian Post and Russian Customs, I got used to it, and never complain, nor open any case when I see that the package was sent, it depends on the honesty of both the buyer and the seller, and that is what the feedback is for, is it so difficult to look through it before making any move? is it so hard to write a question in case of doubt? on the other hand, the package that I received yesterday,was supposed to contain knobs for my U.S. made gas stove, but instead I got some stupid anti-theft computer lock, which I did not buy and do not need, there were 2 addresses, and it is clear that the poor seller simply entangled the packages 4 days before Christmas, and the other buyer in Canada got my knobs, so what am I supposed to do, kill him? I did not do anything, because this is an obvious mistake, this happens all the time everywhere. it is not really fair to paint all Russians in black, there is plenty of decent people here, who value the Ebay opportunities, and act according to reality, and the sellers sometimes can be a pain in the rear as well, especially sellers from the UK.

[OrionK]

This is mainly not about Russia or russian postal service. It is about Ebay that has an extremely poor protection of sellers. In the situation when seller does everything absolutely right, ships the item and pays all the fees he or she is still considered guilty! This was one of the reasons I stopped selling on Ebay. I just got tired of people taking advantage of this policy. And trust me, most of my complaints were to the US buyers. Though I also had a very similar experience selling to Russia. I can even add a little spice to the original story of the topic starter:

I am russian myself but living in the US for over 10 years. I used to sell various electronics, laptop motherboards, iphones and parts and so on. Once I sold and iphone to a russian buyer. We communicated in Russian after I learned he speaks the same language. After I shipped the item and it got to russian customs Ebay informed me that transaction was done using a stolen credit card or paypal account and took my money. I immediately contacted my friends in Moscow asking them to find out who the buyer is and it turned out that the address that I shipped to does not even exist. Later someone told me that it is kind of postal/customs mafia - they buy stuff using stolen cards or accounts and they take out packages immediately when they reach customs!!! How can customs officers allow someone to access ALL the lackages coming in? I was shocked! I can't imagine what the security in such a country can be if the OFFICERS are involved in such OBVIOUS cheap crimes!!!

[Justasin]

Hello there. I'm ebay buyer from Russia. I see 2 points in this case. The first point is the seller who has shipped the item certainly didn't deserved a negative feedback. The second point is the seller probably is doing business on the ebay. Every business in every times and everywhere is a tricky thing. It supposed the risk of financial losses. And it isn't the matter of guilt or dishonesty. It just goes this way. The buyer/client/customer should not be concerned of any risks. The businessman should. The buyer have paid for everything. Full amount of money have been asked for the item and for the shipping. What it has to do with russian post? He doesn't care what kind of delivery you use. US post, russian post, Chinese post, UFO or do it in person. It is not of his concern. He didn't hire any post he paid to you. Furthermore the buyer also can't control the post. Why do you suppose he would say "oh poor me, because of the horrible post service I've lost all the money I've transferred to that wonderful guy" and do nothing. I think there is no such a customers. Not in Russia nor somewhere else.The only thing the customer did wrong is the negative feedback and not trying to contact you and discuss that matter. If he will receive the item sometimes and will not pay you again then he will be the thieve. Until this moment it is just a customer who didn't get the service. Not because of you. It is just a **bleep** what has happened. The full refund is the proper thing in this situation. Sincerely.

[funkytots]

  to Justasin

I honestly think that because of such an opinion most of the sellers consider that the easiest way not to deal with the problem (of RUssian Post in particular) - is to cut it in the roots, i.e. to close the delivery to RUssia. There is no attitude from the buyer that can explain why the Seller should suffer financially. By agreeing to T&C of the online shop, you normally sign off the disclaimer that no Seller is responsible for postal F...kups. And if Russian seller is concerned about waiting times or scared of fraud, why dont they just  buy it in their local supermarket instead??? Why because Russian buyer is prepared to save his money on a product he bought abroad they are prepared to punish Foreign Seller - especially in the case provided above - with tracking & insurance available.??? Do you think that life for the foreign seller is full of roses and they just rolling in a butter? People should remain homosapiens and deal with problems not just put the problems of their country onto foreign people who probably have to spend more time and effort to find out how exactly Russian postal service is working. At least just because they (buyers) speak the language.

BUt they are usually either too lazy, or too much in a hurry and cannot spend their "valuable" time reading the news which are all over the russian internet that the postal deliveries are been delayed for months in Russia???

BTW, I personally never had too much trouble because I speak the language and know how to deal with the customers back to Russia. But I also happen to know how some customers are quite happy to get the product and keep the money refunded by Paypal/Ebay, pretending that nothing happened. And how some people could not be even bothered to read the info about how Ebay/Paypal works prior to makeing a purchase and then running around russian forums trying to find help with way too obvious things...

* * * * * * *

I think that Ebay should urgently review the policies for certain destinations - like Russia, at lease by increasing the delivery times to up to 90days (easily) - some people just starting to recieve the Christmas postcards sent way back in 2012 (in October-Novermber!!!) - And ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH RUSSIAN POST & SUBSEQUENT DELIVERIES. EBAY, you should not have waited to do so knowing that the problem exists - and notified Sellers and Buyers by putting disclaimer somewhere on the website.

* * * * * * *

ANd a good advise to Sellers: never send the item unless you got a proper tracking number!!! First class post is not trackable right after the item left your country, so you will never find out wherether its been delivered in real. Or you just happened to be a next victim of fraud.

И просьба к русским людям - прекратите писать чепуху, если вы не можете ясно и грамотно изъясняться на иностранном языке!! или пишите предложения по три слова, в которых можно хоть смысл уловить! И не порите горячку, те. обдумывайте что вы хотите сказать прежде чем написать и отправить. в противном случае "это" невозможно читать, а уж понять - даже рядом не стояло!

[pochtapochta]

I'm russian. Because **bleep**ing russian post, I asked seller to send my purchase not with first class, but with money addition. The seller didn't listen to me. So now I'm confident that in 40 days after making this purchase i should open a dispute
so it is complicated and you can't blame buyers only

[funkytots]

Do you mean you wanted the Seller to upgrade your postal service to the one with the proper tracking facility and were also prepared to pay the extra money for this? and they refused?

Because if you cant explain what you want and the reason why you want this - and if I were a seller, I will not understand what you wanted from what you have written, unless I was aware of the whole situation with the international post - than its hardly likely that the Seller will agree to anything... Im not suprised they refused - they didnt get you!

Communication - is the key. especially in online shopping - when you cannot see each other!