Hi All,

I bought 5 kits from a fellow hobbyist on another forum. Paid by Paypal and he shipped it with a tracking number on March 5th from the east coast. It arrived in Oakland, California on March 8th and been sent to my zip code but there is no movement since then. Tracking on USPS website still shows "in-transit, delayed".

I called USPS twice trying to trace it down and was advised to file a claim. I contacted the seller asking to file claim for me. As a receiver, I can't do that . He refuses to assist and said he spent so much time to pack them and shipped them out.

I am stuck here and don't know what are my options now ? Package lost by USPS and I can't file a claim to recover my cost. Has anyone been thru in a similar case and what would you do ? Thank you in advance.

Thanh Huynh.

You can file a claim with PayPal that the goods were never received and the seller is not willing to cooperate. Maybe let the seller know you are doing it, as it may change his mind on filing a claim with USPS.

You're protected by PayPal.Initiate a claim with them,then the seller will have to file a claim with USPS if he wants his money back.PayPal will ask you to wait a period of time to make sure,just don't let it ride too long.All you need is the proof that USPS failed to deliver.I had the same thing happen as a seller last Sept .Package got to within a few miles of delivery and dropped off the map.Had to reimburse buyer,and then file a claim with USPS(which is a waste of time)Good news is,6 weeks after I initiated a claim with USPS,the package magically shows up,and the fellow was honest enough to make things right.Best of luck,I'm quite sure your seller didn't intend to burn you.

Mike

Unless you paid for extra insurance even if the Seller makes a "lost goods" claim, which he should by the way, then depending on what you paid for them a claim may not cover the replacement cost of the items anyway.

Getting your money refunded via Paypal is your easiest and best bet.

Basically, log into your Paypal account, go to the resolution centre and make a claim. The seller provided proof of shipment via the tracking number and subsequent details but not delivery so Paypal should refund you and bill the seller. It is then up to him to get his money back from the post/courier.

Thank you all for the replies. I will contact Paypal for assistance.
Thanh Huynh

I am still stuck back on the fact that the seller refuses to help you..is selling something that big of a hassle to box up and ship out...

Hope the box was insured. If it wasn't, the PO will never honor a full claim on it. You'll be able to get all your money back through Paypal, but without insurance to cover the whole amount I believe the seller will only be able to get $50 on the claim.

As someone else mentioned, there's always a chance the box will appear very late, or even be returned to the sender after a couple months (I've had both happen).

I don't think he insured the package. Only the standard $50 is applied to it. I did let him know about i was planning to file a dispute with Paypal and this is his reply to me.

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"For my part, I spent a substantial amount to send the kits, have obvious proof that they were sent, and don't propose to spend more time and effort in dealing with the Postal Service until further tracking information is available.

If you claim goods not received, I'll refer Paypal to the tracking information. I shipped the items and will take the position that I thereby discharged any duty I might have in this transaction, at least pending some proof that USPS is not going to deliver the package."

Unfortunately for him PayPal will bill him for the cost of the transaction unless he can prove the items was received at the other end, which means it is the sellers responsibility to contact USPS and resolve the issue whether he likes it or not.

Was the purchase done on eBay or was it a private transaction with you using paypal to pay ?
If it was an ebay transaction and you did not received the goods PayPal will refund your cost . He has a tracking number to prove to PayPal that he sent the goods but his responsibility does not end until you get the goods or a refund of your money . The post office might return the goods to him or he can file a claim with the post office and get some money back . You could ask the post office to put a tracer on it since you have the tracking numbers .

This doesn't matter. As long as the payment was processed for "goods", Paypal has their own protection policy that covers the sale.

I called USPS twice. They issued a case number and called me when they have information. Two weeks went by and still nothing. I visited my local post office and talked to the supervisor. He said they are still waiting to hear back from Oakland post office since the last known transfer happened there. He suggested to file a claim but as the receiver, I can't file it. Thank you all for the info. I will contact Paypal to file a dispute tomorrow.