Shipped it twice... Never showed... NOW WHAT!?!?

[darthpaully]

I have shipped out over 100 HVFF's all over the world and have never had a shipping problem..... until now....

So a customer in Italy ordered an HVFF form my webstore. After a few weeks I get an email saying it never showed. I do some research and find he had sent me an email after he ordered with a different address. UGGH I think as I realize I sent it to the wrong place. I ask if he could maybe check the other place and track it down-he tells me that the old address is his old work place and that he has been in cintact with the mail person.... still, nothing showed, and nothing came back to me.

Well, OK, my fault- so I send him another HVFF Filmmakers Kit, this time to the updated address. Problem solved right? Well no.

I woke up to an email from the customer saying it still hadn't arrived. It's WAY longer than it should have been, so I'm pretty sure it it's not there then it's not going to get there.

So, what do I do now? My postmaster told me they've always had trouble with packages sent to Italy. I said WHAT? WHY? I am Italian!! Why can I not send a simple package to Italy without problems?!?! So am I supposed to just refund the money and say "sorry, it's just not going to happen?" Seems like the wrong answer

Here's the tricky part (before you ask about tracking info and insurance)- I ship USPS 1st class because it's cheaper by FAR, although you don't get any tracking info internationally. As soon as you step up to something trackable, it's almost $30, which is half the cost of the HVFF!

I suppose I could offer a shipping option in case people want to be able to track their order, but I don't imagine many would want to buy something for $50 or $60 and then pay $30 more to ship it. Would they?

Anyway, this issue has exhausted me so I need YOUR help. I don't know that I want to try shipping it again without having it tracked, but I'm already out 2 full HVFF Filmmakers Kits orders, plus the customers cash so Fed Exing it would just add more cost. This guy has been SO patient, so I want to make tit right...

[Timbit]

If I was buying anything internationally, I'd pay an extra shipping price and have it registered and tracked for my own peace of mind.

[koolpenguin89]

Had issues like this at the used book company I worked for. We also shipped USPS 1st class and international orders were hit or miss. We usually ended up having to find another copy of the lost book and ship it priority international (free tracking). Granted, we were replacing $1 used books, not $60 follow focus'.

Dylan

[darthpaully]

Thanks for the quick response guys. Well, I'm positive it will cost less to rebuild it and ship priority then it would to refund his money, plus he'd actually get what he ordered. I don't think there is any other way to do it.

At this point, I'm not shipping it unless it's insured and trackable. That should cover it, right? This way if it gets lost I will get the cash value?

[Janke]

You know, Italy is notorious for its lax customs officials, delays are always to be expected, with packets stuck in customs for weeks, if not months.

In fact, if you check eBay, many suppliers refuse to ship to Italy for this very reason, others ask recipients to expect long delivery times, even up to 90 days.

[darthpaully]

Italy is notorious for its lax customs officials

This is what my postmaster was referring to then I guess. What a friggin' nightmare.

Janke, do you think I could do any worse by attempting to contact either US or Italian customs and see if either of the packages are in limbo? You said it could take 90 days, well it hasn't been that long yet...

[1]

Darth,

in my shipping experience from the USA, I had trouble with both Italy and the Netherlands; and resorted to ONLY ship FedEx to those destinations.

[Jim E]

You know, Italy is notorious for its lax customs officials, delays are always to be expected, with packets stuck in customs for weeks, if not months.

In fact, if you check eBay, many suppliers refuse to ship to Italy for this very reason, others ask recipients to expect long delivery times, even up to 90 days.

That being the case, I think I'd be wondering if the customer is trying one on. If he's an Italian resident, and if he's ordered things online before, surely he'd be accustomed to extra-long delivery times? Surely he'd give it a bit longer before making a complaint?

Hmmmm.....

.

[HD-tography]

Notify the customer you have more than fulfilled your commitment by shipping out 2 complete orders, and that because HE DID NOT CHOOSE a trackable/insured shipping option he is forced to wait up to 90 days to receive his order. You have done your part IMO, the failure is on the customer's end at this point. Worst case you let PayPal decide if a refund is waranted, but at least make him file a claim. In the end he will likely end up with both items, and if you refund him, that's all out of your pocket.

Additionally, I would recommend excluding Italy from your list of available destinations (effective immediately) and defining your shipping terms to "NOT be responsible for lost or misdirected packages" if the more expensive trackable/insured option is not selected. Place the risk back where it belongs, in the hands of the one paying the bill. These are standard terms of sale everywhere online!

[1]

and if you refund him, that's all out of your pocket.

Yeah, well, that's what good customer service is. I've done it plenty of times. Works out well in the end...

[Jim E]

Yeah, well, that's what good customer service is. I've done it plenty of times. Works out well in the end...

Maybe that's why you're not rich yet, Mal, and have to hang out with us bums!




.

[1]

Maybe that's why you're not rich yet, Mal, and have to hang out with us bums!

Oh, shoot, you might be on to something!

[Almohada]

Damn, that sucks!!!! I say you just wait cause he might end up with 3 of them!

[cgbier]

Darth, you also want to remember that, once a shipment leaves your hands, it is the liability of your shipper and your customer. Any re-shipment you arrange comes from the good of your heart.

Italy? Comes close to Nigeria with their mail service. Use DHL, UPS or FedEx. Anything government in Italy sucks big times - been there, done that.

[Janke]

You said it could take 90 days, well it hasn't been that long yet...

Ask your customer to wait. He might yet get a double shipment...

I once ordered animation materials from Spain. Knowing the "style" of Southern European mail service, I paid for Registered mail. Still, the shipment was lost for weeks, finally found broken and mangled in a corner of a post office somewhere in Barcelona...

[darthpaully]

That being the case, I think I'd be wondering if the customer is trying one on. If he's an Italian resident, and if he's ordered things online before, surely he'd be accustomed to extra-long delivery times? Surely he'd give it a bit longer before making a complaint?

Thing is, this guy has been incredibly patient, and his "complaint" was only that it never showed. His emails have been very nice and, if anything good has come out of this, it's the fact that this customer has been a SAINT! It has been over 2 months since he paid for it and he has been calm the whole time. So, I just feel so bad for the guy and don't really want to read him the rulebook, so to speak. I guess waiting for the full 90 days is my best option.

WOW, I'm kind of shocked at the response regarding mail service to Italy. It's pretty sad that I have to all but "blacklist" orders to Italy. I guess they will have to pay FedEx prices to ship. Ouch.

Thank you all SO much for your input! At least I can update my shipping info to hopefully stop this from happening again.

I'm still curious- If I go asking questions (make some phone calls) that I might get the process moving faster- assuming the packages ARE in customs or limbo still... I can be VERY persuasive/annoying if I need to be. Any thoughts or experiences?

[Janke]

If I go asking questions (make some phone calls) that I might get the process moving faster- assuming the packages ARE in customs or limbo still... I can be VERY persuasive/annoying if I need to be. Any thoughts or experiences?

I think it will be very hard to get hold of a responsible person - the package probably is lying in a huge backlog of other shipments in some Italian customs office...

[cgbier]

The only way to speed up things in Italy is the use of some legal tenders of treasury bonds.
(a 20 deutschmark bill accidentally slipped in between registration and drivers license had always kept me out of trouble on the autostrada).

[Almohada]

You're saying he's been very patient -- seems like he's bought from overseas before and knows what to expect. So, if he's been waiting for 2 months I'm sure one more month wouldn't hurt.

[Jim-in-LA]

I have shipped about 5 packages of books and toys to northern Italy over the past year, USPS, air mail and priority mail, and although delayed, they have never been lost.

[Bif]

Yeah, well, that's what good customer service is. I've done it plenty of times. Works out well in the end...

I agree with 1 here. I'd ship him another FedEx just to try to be sure he gets one (request he return any extras that get delivered). Then all subsequent orders from Italy would be filled only by FedEx with tracking NO EXCEPTIONS with the customer paying for that shipping service.

Bruce Foreman

[HD-tography]

request he return any extras that get delivered

That may just be a very unreasonable request... for example, to ship absolutely anything to Italy from Canada (or anywhere in Europe) it is a minimum $50 shipping charge, with no other options available. Their postal system in Italy may also have the same extortionist type fees.

[Dr. Benway]

I'd ship him another FedEx just to try to be sure he gets one

I'd ship him an empty FedEx box that looks like it has been opened and claim you sent him one. When he emails again I'd tell him to stop handing them out to his friends.

[Jim E]

I'd ship him an empty FedEx box that looks like it has been opened and claim you sent him one. When he emails again I'd tell him to stop handing them out to his friends.

Yep, that's exactly what I was thinking, Doc...


.

[Almohada]

Well guys he is GLADLY paying for them. It's not like he demanded to be sent another. He paid for it.

I wonder if he is a member on here... Hope he didn't read above