Buyer hasn't picked up parcel from post office
Hi. I’m a casual seller, in that I’ve only sold a couple of items through Amazon. I recently had a buyer purchase a set of books from me. The buyer wasn’t in when the delivery was made, and according to the Post Office website the parcel has been sat at his local collection office for nine days now. The signature is from someone in the collection office. My customer paid over £40 for the books, so I’m surprised that he hasn’t gone to collect them in that time.
What’s the etiquette/procedure surrounding these types of scenario? Do I phone the post office and ask them to confirm whether a card was posted through the buyer’s door? Do I contact the customer directly (a ‘courtesy e-mail’) and remind him that the parcel is waiting for him at his local collection office? Do I ask Amazon to do so? Or do I wait for him to file a claim for non-delivery and then object on the grounds that he just hasn’t bothered to pick the parcel up?
I did search for this topic in the forums and in Amazon’s Q&As, but it doesn’t appear to be covered. Any tips welcome.
Buyer hasn't picked up parcel from post office
Hi. I’m a casual seller, in that I’ve only sold a couple of items through Amazon. I recently had a buyer purchase a set of books from me. The buyer wasn’t in when the delivery was made, and according to the Post Office website the parcel has been sat at his local collection office for nine days now. The signature is from someone in the collection office. My customer paid over £40 for the books, so I’m surprised that he hasn’t gone to collect them in that time.
What’s the etiquette/procedure surrounding these types of scenario? Do I phone the post office and ask them to confirm whether a card was posted through the buyer’s door? Do I contact the customer directly (a ‘courtesy e-mail’) and remind him that the parcel is waiting for him at his local collection office? Do I ask Amazon to do so? Or do I wait for him to file a claim for non-delivery and then object on the grounds that he just hasn’t bothered to pick the parcel up?
I did search for this topic in the forums and in Amazon’s Q&As, but it doesn’t appear to be covered. Any tips welcome.
39 replies
Seller_EJIX7rqDNQJi2
At this point, I think it’s very likely the buyer won’t collect his package. Even if you send him a message through the buyer-seller messaging system, you may not receive a response in case they opted out, which is very common.
Will the carrier return the shipment back to you or do you have an option to request it back? Because if the order is already past it’s EDD range, the buyer will be able to open an A-Z claim and get a full refund.
Seller_0YSr0fQMg8zi4
From what I see in the conditions, restocking fees are possible, and the buyer would have to go to the post office (literally opposite his house) and pick it up to return it, with return postage being at his own expense.
The guidelines on contacting customers seem pretty strict.
Seller_DROodOAYHftnc
As long as you have put your own return address on the parcel it will eventually come back to you.
I had a book that was sent expedited, the buyer paying an extra £8 for postage - possibly not thinking that he would have to be at home to receive it - it was never collected and it was eventually returned to me by RM.
Despite several messages to him, even offering to pay for standard delivery if he still wanted it - I never had any response.
Seller_bhSWqoVh7Pn98
All Sellers action differently, so this is what we would do:
(1) Email the Buyer via Amazon email, choose ‘other’ as the reason (if you are on the new Beta message system)
Explain that their item has had an attempted delivery and to either collect from his RM depot, or to rearrange delivery.
Provide a link: https://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redelivery/book
If they ignore, so no replying to you, after 2 days, I tend to book for them, and then email again showing the arranged delivery date.
==
Amazon say you cannot phone the Buyer only the courier can do that (I know lots feel it is good Customer Service to phone anyway, but you are not allowed to unless the Buyer requests you to phone him).
You can also provide your phone number to the Buyer, so they can phone you to run through anything.
==
You cannot charge a restocking fee and if not as new, then as he would not have received them, damage would not be by the Buyer.
Charge to return to you is a grey area. Amazon Seller Support have said it can count as Buyer Remorse, so the postage cost to return to you can be charged and deducted from a refund (they would expect that to be the Royal Mail published price to post that size parcel). It all depends on who is reviewing though if an A-Z Claim etc (and they can add bad feedback of course that tends not to be removed, although you can get that anyway if they consider no delivery, etc).
Amazon fees etc are all at a loss for you as well.
Seller_eQHVZA2mxkNR6
If something has been in the post office and you sent it signed for, it should be returned after a week. Always put a return address on the outside, although in some cases they will open the parcel to look for return addresses. Best I’ve had yet is a parcel returned from Argentina after two years.
Seller_0YSr0fQMg8zi4
I’ve sent him a polite e-mail pointing out that the parcel has been waiting at the post office/collection point since 20 June. Hopefully he’ll reply. Thanks for your advice, all.
Seller_KQwXr5kY5oIPO
most have already replied with advice which is good to follow. your customer may not have realised there was a delivery, Royal Mails little red “sorry we missed you” card is not always given to the recipient especially if it is a vehicle delivery rather than a foot postman. RM will only hold a parcel for 18 days at a depot before returning to sender.
Seller_0YSr0fQMg8zi4
Sorry to hear that, musicfab1.
I’m quite encouraged to read the A-Z guarantee conditions:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201889410
Criterion one must be fulfilled, namely the buyer must have contacted the seller through his/her account (a reasonable interpretation of that criterion being that the buyer must have made some effort to resolve the situation before involving Amazon). If I get nothing but silence from the buyer (which is the case so far), then he won’t have satisfied that criterion, ergo won’t be able to claim under the A-Z guarantee.
Seller_NoMNQDGnEW5Bx
I had a buyer pay for expedited delivery then wasn’t in so missed the delivery and then missed Easter. Because they were Easter cards, they then left me negative feedback which Amazon refused to remove.
Seller_FvPdaQ2KTpRfK
Over the years I have had 3 instances of books being returned ‘not called for’. In 2 of these cases I never heard from the buyer. I did not make or offer a refund as this would result in a loss to me (postage costs). In the 3rd case the buyer did eventually request a refund which I made in full - so made a loss on this one but in profit overall.
