Dishonest Amazon seller?

[Quattro Pete]

Here is the story. 2.5 weeks ago I order an item from an Amazon seller. Seller supposedly ships the item via USPS and I am provided with the receipt/tracking number. The USPS status shows only "Electronic Shipping Info Received" and stays like this for close to two weeks.

I finally contact the seller to ask what's up. A day passes, and then they respond that they tried to track the package and nobody can locate it, and USPS doesn't know where it is. So the seller says they've re-shipped it since the USPS probably lost it.

However, right after I contact the seller, I see renewed activity on this old tracking/receipt number on USPS website - "Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility".

I ask the seller for the tracking number of the supposed re-shipment. She gives me the old tracking number and says the tracking number was reissued. Yeah right... I highly doubt USPS would immediately re-issue the same tracking number for a package that supposedly just recently got lost.

Here is what I think happened. The seller printed a USPS label for the original shipment, but never actually took it to the post office to mail it. When I contacted them after 2 weeks, they realized it and then finally mailed it. There was never any "re-shipment". Do you think I'm right on this?

I don't want to call them out on this because the item is of very little value and it's not like I urgently needed it. But it's kind of off-putting that they'd blame their own mistake on somebody else, hoping I wouldn't notice. I would much prefer they just admitted their mistake - we're all human after all.

 

[CivicFan]

Stuff happens.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete


Here is what I think happened. The seller printed a USPS label for the original shipment, but never actually took it to the post office to mail it. When I contacted them after 2 weeks, they realized it and then finally mailed it. There was never any "re-shipment". Do you think I'm right on this?



I'm 99% sure you are correct. I think they're B-S'ing you. They forgot to ship it and didn't realize it until you emailed them. If it's a cheap item and you do end up getting it, I would let it go. But, you could note the bad service in an Amazon review.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

Here is what I think happened. The seller printed a USPS label for the original shipment, but never actually took it to the post office to mail it. When I contacted them after 2 weeks, they realized it and then finally mailed it. There was never any "re-shipment". Do you think I'm right on this?



Yes. The "electronic shipping information received" status implies much more intent and involvement on the seller's part than there actually is. Generating a mailing label involves only a few keystrokes - it is easy to do that and forget the rest. That is almost certainly what happened. As to being dishonest (not planning to ship)? Hard to say.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
As to being dishonest (not planning to ship)? Hard to say.

What I meant by them being dishonest is that they tried to blame it on USPS as opposed to admitting that they just forgot to mail it in the first place.

I don't doubt that they were planning to ship it. They probably made an honest mistake, but they were dishonest about communicating what actually happened. Anyway, this is too trivial to spend time on...

 

[ARCOgraphite]

E commerce has been very scary for me. Dont expect good results consistently and youll be O.K., sadly. I had nasty blood boiling incidents occur when selling/buying on EBAY, E.G.; buyers blackmailing me unless I lowered the final selling price ("Im just a poor student"); Sellers not shipping big ticket items in a timely fashion even after constant prodding, etc.
I recentlyread about a famous audio journalist buying LP's thru Amazon and he kept receiving ruined records due to the packer/shipper "folding" the item into the box. Happened Over and over again. Insane!

 

[mpvue]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Anyway, this is too trivial to spend time on...

exactly. I'd give the guy a break, we all forget stuff and they are just trying to save face by blaming an impersonal government entity than facing up to it.
I think a lot of these sellers are just some dude in his garage trying to make a living, doing the packing/emailing/shipping all himself. give 'em a break.

 

[SuperDave456]

I used to be a glorified Mail boy while working as the only systems administrator for a small company.

I got in a bunch of trouble around Christmas because USPS's website for tracking wasn't taking the tracking numbers on the receipts that I came back from USPS with.

I tried to keep a log of it, but in 2005 your package could be delivered to your home a week before data was posted on your package online.

Most of what I took to the Post Office was 3-day or Overnight mail. $30 in shipping for each package was pretty typical. This wasn't snail mail.

I'm pretty sure you are correct in your analysis of the situation.

However I have to warn you guys now. If you want something for Christmas, and you can only find it online, order it soon.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
they are just trying to save face by blaming an impersonal government entity than facing up to it.

Yup. Since all the email exchanges are tracked by Amazon, they're probably worried about potentially getting dinged by Amazon itself. I will let it slide.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

Here is what I think happened. The seller printed a USPS label for the original shipment, but never actually took it to the post office to mail it. When I contacted them after 2 weeks, they realized it and then finally mailed it. There was never any "re-shipment". Do you think I'm right on this?



That's definitely what happened.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Here is what I think happened. The seller printed a USPS label for the original shipment, but never actually took it to the post office to mail it. When I contacted them after 2 weeks, they realized it and then finally mailed it. There was never any "re-shipment". Do you think I'm right on this?


Yes, this is what happened.