Stamp Lost In The Mail, Advice On Next Steps?

I am not seeing packages manhandled like this at all - and I get lots of mail - and I do understand the mechanics of mail processing machinery. Honestly, If I got something re-taped like this, I would refuse it, let it go back to the sender so he could examine it for damage and re-send it. Obviously by accepting a damaged package and opening it, it expanded the he-said/he-said into a larger can of worms.

No offense John
A lot of times it's just in your mailbox and at that point in time it's marked delivered. Monday I received a stamp from APS Exprtising. It was regesterred, in my mailbox. If you have the chance to refuse you are completely correct. Otherwise you are in the same situation as here. It probably doesn't happen a lot, but it happens. When I send somthing with insurance it would never dawn on me to say"I sent it" it's on you now.
Member has been treated poorly.

GMC, No offense taken. What a mess!

Received a image from a buyer with my envelop that had a healthy amount of stamps in it.

The envelop was ripped open, creased, twisted, with black tire marks on the face of the envelop and the cardboard stiffener had black tire marks on it as well.

It looked really bad but the fold in half cardboard stiffener with a stock card inside a glassine were still not damaged.

The buyer wanted me to see how our mailing method worked.

I have had a cover soiled with Milk,
Contents were fine,
but whom orders milk through the mail

In today's market, I would not send anything valuable through USPS. I'd use UPS or Fed-Ex instead. If I REALLY needed a restricted delivery and wanted the recipient's signature upon delivery, I'd use Fed-Ex and pay for their highest level service. The driver cannot just take a photo or sign that it was delivered. He MUST get the recipient's signature or attempt re-delivery another day.

Uboatnut that's probably good advice. I write this with a touch of sorrow,not hubris. The second take away is develope relationships, not just buying selling. We are all on this journey together.

Yup. I just recently sent a four figure set of stamps to a NYC auction firm by Priority Express and requested a signature. They got the package but nobody signed for it. I cannot do that anymore. I need a signature and the USPS is not getting it done. Same goes for Registered mail on top of it taking light years to get where it is going.

Several recent receipts from one seller look like the envelopes have been run over by a hilo. Stamps have been fine but it's only a matter of time. One envelope took 3 months! Must be a bad link somewhere in the chain. If he didn't have such nice stamps I'd leave.

Sometimes (MOST times, I contend) the ENTIRE purpose of selecting Registered Mail with a recipient's signature is done SPECIFICALLY to get the signature. A recipient's signature is often needed for legal/security/whatever reasons that only the shipper and recipient know of. So, although it may seem like a minor matter to the USPS, people pay extra for this service for their own reasons. I get it that the USPS is overwhelmed and that many of their 'new' SOP's are due to COVID, but that doesn't eliminate the public's need for signature-required delivery. The USPS is completely falling apart in front of our eyes and they wonder why they are losing business to UPS/Fed-Ex/DHL/whoever. We can now get our needs satisfied elsewhere. Needs that used to be USPS's bread and butter - if they are now failing on their 'bread and butter' services, why should we embrace them for anything? (PS: We shouldn't.)

Mooter - Well said. If I did not want a signature AND I wanted slow delivery I would just skip the entire phony-baloney exercise and shove my stuff in a First Class Mail envelope. Jeez

Okay, the seller has replied to my report on Feb 18 thru ebay of "Item was not received". I told them I expect a refund as soon as possible. The seller is "offering another option"...




They are sticking to this idea that they should NOT refund me until something happens on their end.

I need your advice quickly on what to do here. I am tempted to accept this option and just get this over with, BUT will I be putting myself in a bad position? We are talking about $90 and popular opinion on this post seems to be that the seller needs to issue immediate refund and then take whatever steps they need to recover their money.

Maybe I should contact the seller and ask why they aren't just doing what a majority of sellers have done in my experience and in the experience of others?

It also seems like issuing negative feedback on this is not meaningful or advised.

It's a shame this happened and there is a lesson in here I believe about practices in shipping. I want to handle this professionally and move on!

I see I have the option on Feb 24 to have ebay step in and help resolve the incident. I am considering this as well.

Pascoe - Just file a claim that you never received the item if you have not already. The seller pointing to ebay is nonsense. It is a shipping claim on his end. He purchased insurance (assumed) and shipping and ebay is not the shipper. Very frustrating and I am sorry that you are dealing with this. I know the feeling.

I agree, let ebay do what it does. The seller either does not understand what he is doing or is intentionally obfuscating the issue; either way you best move is to let ebay handle the claim of "Item was not received".
I am assuming that when you first contacted the seller with the images of the damaged items, you used the ebay messaging system. The ebay messaging system will be what the ebay reps use to understand what has happened. They will see the correspondence and images. I doubt they will push back on you. The seller has a claim ONLY with the USPS (I wish him luck with that).
Don

Hey Pascoe
I know it's easy for me to say what you should do. But if it was me, my response is please process my refund now. If you have not received your refund, on February 24 request eBays assistance in getting your refund.
There's no other way to say it.