Lost Parcel

[chamboid]

A parcel has disappeared after arriving in the UK at Heathrow, it came from State side and was tracked all the way till after the transfer at london vanished. No one had any record of it in the UK what so ever.

Has anyone had this happen to them, and why as the likelyhood of ever seeing the parcel?

Any help greatly appreciated

 

[STEVE S.]

I've had numerous items disappear off of the radar, but ended up being held in "customs hell" for almost a month. Seems to happen more with items going to UK & Germany.

 

[John Lever]

Some tracking only works in the country of origin and ceases once it leaves the border.

 

[robrinay]

It's happened to me twice - on both occasions I got a card from Parcelforce a week later telling me it was at their Rotherham depot (I live in Sheffield), and would be released when I paid duty and their handling fee.

 

[ButteMT61]

Yeah, I HATE buying, but mostly selling leather jackets because of this. TWO jackets I sold in the last six years got "lost". One was eventually pinned on a USPS "manager" who based on the sig's, etc., lifting it.
My hunch is that when you insure the sh*t out of a package, then it's got a big red "TAKE ME" sign on it.
Took me over 6 months to get my money back from the insurance. Insanity. Not to mention countless hours on the phone and in emails.

Another one happened with UPS. They took care of the insurance rather quickly and I don't know what became of it. It's a thing I think about now and wonder if just not insuring it would be better?

 

[Skyhawk]

I have had Jackets damaged as well as having them held up in customs for a month in the UK. Insurance is important because without it, you have no recourse at all if something goes missing or gets damaged. I will no longer send expensive items to the UK without full insurance. If the buyer wants to avoid customs fees, I would advise against a low declaration value due to the fact that you can only insure it for what the declared value is.

 

[chamboid]

Seems like it's gone. Called customs today, and they have absolutely no trace of it, so seemingly no fees to pay. Royal Mail and Parcelforce have no trace. And I didn't ask for it to be undervauled, so it's shouldn't have been. If it's gone I'll get my money back, but a shame as it a very nice 1930'a suit which would have been much nice to have.

I hope it turns up. I feel bad for the seller, she seems like a nice lady who's not quite sure what's happening or why I've opened a claim via eBay.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Seems like it's gone. Called customs today, and they have absolutely no trace of it, so seemingly no fees to pay. Royal Mail and Parcelforce have no trace. And I didn't ask for it to be undervauled, so it's shouldn't have been. If it's gone I'll get my money back, but a shame as it a very nice 1930'a suit which would have been much nice to have.

I hope it turns up. I feel bad for the seller, she seems like a nice lady who's not quite sure what's happening or why I've opened a claim via eBay.

Not picking on you or anything, but opening a case before talking to the seller is jumping the gun a bit and honestly has P'd me off to no end in the past. Bottom line is that you will not lose no matter what, the seller just may have some insight if given a chance, and at the very least deserves a little communication before opening a claim. If she has no clue why you have opened the dispute at this point as you say, then you certainly are acting prematurely. One of my biggest peeves with Ebay is that they promote this kind of thing with their automated system and notes everywhere with only short mention of communicating with the seller. Most sellers are well aware that they will lose out anyway even if it is no fault of theirs, they will usually try to solve the problem WITHOUT! their funds being frozen as if they're gonna pull a fast one on you. BTW, you've got ample time in case they don't.

 

[ausreenactor]

Seems like it's gone. Called customs today, and they have absolutely no trace of it, so seemingly no fees to pay. Royal Mail and Parcelforce have no trace. And I didn't ask for it to be undervauled, so it's shouldn't have been. If it's gone I'll get my money back, but a shame as it a very nice 1930'a suit which would have been much nice to have.

I hope it turns up. I feel bad for the seller, she seems like a nice lady who's not quite sure what's happening or why I've opened a claim via eBay.

Not picking on you or anything, but opening a case before talking to the seller is jumping the gun a bit and honestly has P'd me off to no end in the past. Bottom line is that you will not lose no matter what, the seller just may have some insight if given a chance, and at the very least deserves a little communication before opening a claim. If she has no clue why you have opened the dispute at this point as you say, then you certainly are acting prematurely. One of my biggest peeves with Ebay is that they promote this kind of thing with their automated system and notes everywhere with only short mention of communicating with the seller. Most sellers are well aware that they will lose out anyway even if it is no fault of theirs, they will usually try to solve the problem WITHOUT! their funds being frozen as if they're gonna pull a fast one on you. BTW, you've got ample time in case they don't.

180 day timeline now. Paypal will cover any 'item not received' via eBay. If the seller has an itemised lodgement advice they will have seller protection, provided they adhere to all the bullshit Paypal throw at them. I send everything Registered Post International now. eBay will cover you if the item is lost and even if you get the item and are not satisfied with it. I got an M-41 jacket from a US vendor that moved the lighter Summer Version at the just shy of the retail rate for the normal version. eBay refunded me every dollar. Seller was less than helpful. I am pretty sure he was not out of pocket though.

 

[John Lever]

Seems like it's gone. Called customs today, and they have absolutely no trace of it, so seemingly no fees to pay. Royal Mail and Parcelforce have no trace. And I didn't ask for it to be undervauled, so it's shouldn't have been. If it's gone I'll get my money back, but a shame as it a very nice 1930'a suit which would have been much nice to have.

I hope it turns up. I feel bad for the seller, she seems like a nice lady who's not quite sure what's happening or why I've opened a claim via eBay.

I think you will find that tracking ceased once it left the country of origin.

 

[ADC]

How long is the parcel overdue? Last year I had one delivered late by 2 weeks after I paid customs duty and another arrived over 3 weeks late due to unknown circumstances after it arrived in the country. Things can get slow over Christmas too.

 

[chamboid]

Seems like it's gone. Called customs today, and they have absolutely no trace of it, so seemingly no fees to pay. Royal Mail and Parcelforce have no trace. And I didn't ask for it to be undervauled, so it's shouldn't have been. If it's gone I'll get my money back, but a shame as it a very nice 1930'a suit which would have been much nice to have.

I hope it turns up. I feel bad for the seller, she seems like a nice lady who's not quite sure what's happening or why I've opened a claim via eBay.

Not picking on you or anything, but opening a case before talking to the seller is jumping the gun a bit and honestly has P'd me off to no end in the past. Bottom line is that you will not lose no matter what, the seller just may have some insight if given a chance, and at the very least deserves a little communication before opening a claim. If she has no clue why you have opened the dispute at this point as you say, then you certainly are acting prematurely. One of my biggest peeves with Ebay is that they promote this kind of thing with their automated system and notes everywhere with only short mention of communicating with the seller. Most sellers are well aware that they will lose out anyway even if it is no fault of theirs, they will usually try to solve the problem WITHOUT! their funds being frozen as if they're gonna pull a fast one on you. BTW, you've got ample time in case they don't.

Who said I hadn't spoke to the seller? I've contact the seller for the past two weeks, and seen as the jacket should have first been delivered on the 21.12.14 spoke to her about trying to get some more information.

I spoke to Royal Male who don't have a clue, and Customs in the UK who have no trace of it.

Told the seller this and apologised and opened a case saying 'sorry but I have to do this to be covered it does look like its lost'

 

[chamboid]

Seems like it's gone. Called customs today, and they have absolutely no trace of it, so seemingly no fees to pay. Royal Mail and Parcelforce have no trace. And I didn't ask for it to be undervauled, so it's shouldn't have been. If it's gone I'll get my money back, but a shame as it a very nice 1930'a suit which would have been much nice to have.

I hope it turns up. I feel bad for the seller, she seems like a nice lady who's not quite sure what's happening or why I've opened a claim via eBay.

I think you will find that tracking ceased once it left the country of origins.

Apart from it's a fully tracked parcel and was registered as being handed over in the UK?

After speaking to Royal Mail and customs who have said that parcels that were posted after and even this year have already been delivered from the states to the U.K and that it does seem to have been lost.

Was just wondering if anything similar has happened here and time scales. I imagined things would be slower over Christmas but not this slow with no trace of the parcel at all after arriving here and being marked as handed over.

 

[John Lever]

OK that does sound worrying. Who's system are you using to track it?

 

[chamboid]

Parcel Force has said its Royal Mail, Royal Mail say they have no trace, customs told me parcel force often say what they want, though they should be tracking it.

The customs guy was most surprised and said, if it had charges levied against it then it would be tracked, or if it was being held for some reason of declaration it would be flagged up on his system as well. They all seem to say the tacking no. doesn't exist.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Seems like it's gone. Called customs today, and they have absolutely no trace of it, so seemingly no fees to pay. Royal Mail and Parcelforce have no trace. And I didn't ask for it to be undervauled, so it's shouldn't have been. If it's gone I'll get my money back, but a shame as it a very nice 1930'a suit which would have been much nice to have.

I hope it turns up. I feel bad for the seller, she seems like a nice lady who's not quite sure what's happening or why I've opened a claim via eBay.

Not picking on you or anything, but opening a case before talking to the seller is jumping the gun a bit and honestly has P'd me off to no end in the past. Bottom line is that you will not lose no matter what, the seller just may have some insight if given a chance, and at the very least deserves a little communication before opening a claim. If she has no clue why you have opened the dispute at this point as you say, then you certainly are acting prematurely. One of my biggest peeves with Ebay is that they promote this kind of thing with their automated system and notes everywhere with only short mention of communicating with the seller. Most sellers are well aware that they will lose out anyway even if it is no fault of theirs, they will usually try to solve the problem WITHOUT! their funds being frozen as if they're gonna pull a fast one on you. BTW, you've got ample time in case they don't.

Who said I hadn't spoke to the seller? I've contact the seller for the past two weeks, and seen as the jacket should have first been delivered on the 21.12.14 spoke to her about trying to get some more information.

I spoke to Royal Male who don't have a clue, and Customs in the UK who have no trace of it.

Told the seller this and apologised and opened a case saying 'sorry but I have to do this to be covered it does look like its lost'

"I hope it turns up. I feel bad for the seller, she seems like a nice lady who's not quite sure what's happening or why I've opened a claim via eBay"
It was this statement, reading back I see little mention of communication with the seller, Ebay, or Paypal. So I wondered what she was wondering about, know what I mean? I sure hope Couchy is right and Paypal will cover the seller but there's been no mention of that either. If you or her spoke with Reps over the past two weeks? this should have come up? Yes? So without these key factors it still seems to me that you are holding her responsible for something she has absolutely no control of whatsoever. That is unless you purchased insurance for the item you purchased and she pocketed the money. But as far as I know there is no insurance international unless registered, did you request for it to be registered? It's not that expensive and the only way I'll ship a pricey item overseas. In any event, your apology to her is nothing less than sorry you're getting screwed instead of me at no fault of either. By default only, she may be covered and I hope so.

Not trying to pick a fight with you, just trying to point out how Ebay and Paypal create this kind of thing with buyers. The seller may get lucky as Couchy was explaining, but the Ebay system directs the buyer toward disputes and claims. Maybe they should provide some type of insurance program instead and put responsibility on the buyer to purchase if they don't want to risk it or eat it if they do want to risk it.

This all has me wondering now as I have had items lost in transit overseas but automatically cover all my customers anyway. For the ones who file a dispute, I refunded the money immediately and block them forever. In either case maybe I was cover under seller protection and didn't know it. The purchase of label and tracking through Ebay should suffice as to me completing my part.

 

[chamboid]

I'm still confused as to the point you're trying to make? No I hadn't mentioned it. Because I didn't come here to discuss the seller and our relationship and repertoire over a lost parcel. I came to ask if anyone else has had the experience of a list parcel that vanished at Heathrow.

The seller. Who you obviously have an affinity with seems confused that I want to make sure I get my money back if the item is lost. (That's comon sense. And would anyone else do otherwise?)

But as she said "the Lord answers her prays on these sorts of matters" and she is sure it will turn up. I sadly have less faith after trying to track it down myself.

The reason I started a claim is because it's a record of the parcel not turning up and eBay then has a record of our discourse. There isn't any bad feeling, it's a missing parcel claim.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

I think it's safe to say the problem isn't isolated to Heathrow and your package is gone. And the discussion has evolved into the details of missing packages along with buyer and seller protection. So to answer your only question, no, I haven't had a parcel vanish at Heathrow. To follow the progress of this thread, I have experienced many times over lost packages buying and selling. Ebay is in favor of the buyer most cases and their system railroads them to the dispute process. If a seller is unaware, the system will hold them responsible even if they've completed their part flawlessly. Frozen funds, a ten day process, stress, I've been through it. I'm just saying than many a buyer have followed through with the system unaware of what's actually happening. It was no personal attack on you and my apologies if you took it that way.