Who is responsible?

Having received and sold several packages this week was just wondering;

If a package sent as signed for with a tracking number goes missing who should sort it out?

Davex.

The seller. There's a resposibility to deliver the goods paid for.

Last time I had a problem it was the vendor who had to sort it out, the post office wouldn't talk to me, it had to be him.

Seller .. his goods until the buyer receives them in his/her hands.

Interesting, had an issue a while back where the Buyer was out and RM left a card. Buyer did not collect the package and eventually RM lost it .
Would you say it was still the sellers responsibility?
RM refused responsibility, saying I had probably not put a return address on the package (I had).
I gave a refund anyway, and the package was returned several days later.

Davex.

You can get details from the OFT. The PO are your sub-contractor nothing to do with the buyer.

thats an interesting one...
i always take a photo of the item just before i wrap it in it's final postage packing,to show i have put a return address inside and then take a photo of the package before sending.Once it arrives safely the images are destroyed.

I think i too would have refunded but what a nuisance

I send with tracked packages only, double-boxed and then it's "my" responsibility until they've signed for it. Sure, it costs a little more, but I'd rather it not get lost

Bret

The one I referred to was "signed for", since then I now use special delivery and declare a value. Not sure if this offers any more protection though.

Davex.

It's down to keeping things in proportion I think. If I sell a filter,value £3 let's say, the first class post is fine. If it gets lost, it's no big deal to refund.

If I sell a K20D and it's £450 then it needs Special Delivery and the £21.50 or so that it costs will be cheaper than taking the risk if it goes astray.

I don't charge any more for insuring packages where the value has exceeded expectations. The insurance is entirely for my benefit and I absorb the cost. The reason is that overall shipping costs are quyoted lower and the auctions are more attractive as a consequence. The odd loss on postage can be accepted in return for the higher turnover.

Tracking is great INSIDE the UK.

If it's a package coming too or going out of the country it's useless.

Th RM only tack their own items, goods from, say, Hing Kong, even though sent as tracked 'disappear' from the system once they leave the country of origin.

Signed for seems to be the only way to check an item has arrived, although some postal systems(Italy in particular) seem very dodgy.

My last package to Hong Kong actually showed up on the Royal Mail site as "delivered in Hong Kong" but I'm not sure now what service that was.

I paid for tracking from HK on some films, they were shown as 'left country, check local postal service'

I did.

The post office advised that they were unable to track, no reference number apparently!