Football Programmes Centre

giorgio · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 201 Location: London

I sold a 1962 ECF programme on eBay back in December. It arrived back with me yesterday having been undelivered. Postage address was in Portugal. My first thought was to check Track and Trace to see what had happened. On it's journey to Portugal, it had stopped in New Zealand, of all places, along the way. It then arrived in Portugal where it was stuck in Customs for a very long time before being returned to me. It is unclear whether delivery was ever attempted.
My next thought was why hasn't the buyer contacted me? I mean, it's been over 5 months. So I thought I'd contact him. I quickly found the Paypal transaction and found the gentleman's eBay user ID. But, even with his user ID, it's not possible to send him an email - you can't search for his purchased items or items for sale anymore. You used to be able to but because of Data Protection that has all stopped. If I could have searched for items he had for sale etc. I could have contacted him.
So I phoned eBay. Maybe they could help. Afraid not - Data Protection obviously - and they couldn't email the buyer on my behalf because they don't even have his contact details - Data Protection!! DP is supposed to protect us but it's not protecting this poor sod in Portugal who's nearly £50 out of pocket.
EBay did say that the buyer could still contact me up to 2 years after the transaction so I phoned Royal Mail who told me to put in a claim for the postage which I am reluctant to do as I am not out of pocket. But if the buyer contacts me in 6 months time, I will be.
I am baffled as to what has happened here. Don't know what I'm supposed to do. Don't really want to try sending the item again without first speaking to the buyer.
The package is still sitting on my cupboard unopened. Don't know what to do with it. Confused

Five and In · Joined: 15 Sep 2015 Posts: 1432 Location: Dawlish, Devon

This is a long shot, but may be worth a try.

Do you still have the original notification from Ebay advising you of the sale in your inbox/deleted folder?

If so, you should be able to contact him from a link in that message.

Personally, I keep all of those notifications in a folder just in case an issue like yours pops up somewhere down the line.

Good luck

giorgio · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 201 Location: London

Hi thanks for the tip but no luck. Those messages do not appear to be saved, none for around purchase date anyway. I had already checked messages to and from the buyer but there are only 15 pages of personal messages and nothing there either. Sad

giorgio · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 201 Location: London

Eureka!! You prompted me to go through my messages again and I've found an email. Not only that - his ID is highlighted and when I click on it, there is the option to contact him. Let's see how we get on. Thanks.

Five and In · Joined: 15 Sep 2015 Posts: 1432 Location: Dawlish, Devon

giorgio wrote:

Eureka!! You prompted me to go through my messages again and I've found an email. Not only that - his ID is highlighted and when I click on it, there is the option to contact him. Let's see how we get on. Thanks.

Excellent news!!

Glad you have found it Ayatollah

grantham · Joined: 20 Mar 2009 Posts: 1062

That programme has seen more of the world than 99% of the people on it over the last 18 months

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Goonerak · Joined: 01 Oct 2011 Posts: 189

Make sure you keep us updated with what happens.

giorgio · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 201 Location: London

I've emailed the buyer. Am resending the item. I did query why he didn't contact me - he stated that he was convinced he had already received it. I don't know how he overlooked that as he's only got four feedbacks, but there you go.
Let's see which continent the programme ends up at this time around. Applying for postage refund from Royal Mail. Only other thing that's just occurred to me is that the buyer will probably have to pay duty on the item now. Hope that doesn't complicate things.

Super Hoopy · Joined: 19 Apr 2021 Posts: 92 Location: London

Might be a silly question but did you also check with the buyer that the address you had for him was correct.
Dont understand the journey to NZ unless there's a dyslexic postman/postperson somewhere along the line..
? Laughing

giorgio · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 201 Location: London

Yes. He gave me the address again which is the same as the one I originally used.

Super Hoopy · Joined: 19 Apr 2021 Posts: 92 Location: London

That is odd then.
At least the item came back to you after its long journey.
Despite franking my mail with a return address, I've only ever had one item come back in all my decade or more of using ebay...

henrytheheart · Joined: 12 Nov 2020 Posts: 12

The post can work in very strange ways. I purchased an item on ebay once, only for the seller to contact me about a week later to say that the item had been returned as 'no such address exists'. I confirmed that the address he had used was correct, he re-posted the item and a couple of days later it arrived. All very strange given that the full postal address was used, I live in a large town with a sorting office and I receive mail most days.