 Item not received so it's MY fault?
Hello,
I sold an item on Ebay and shipped it with USPS Media Mail to Saipan over a month ago and since it also said United States in the address, I thought it was a U.S. Territory (I don't ship international) so I created my shipping label (which comes with a tracking number) on Paypal and dropped it at the post office. About three weeks later, the buyer messages me saying that they didn't receive their item yet. I kept checking the tracking number everyday in the USPS site and it isn't even being updated! I did find out somewhere that it could take 3-6 weeks for the item to get there...  I am also surprised by this because I don't even think international shipments are this slow. But anyways, now since they STILL have not received their item, they have opened a case in Paypal and I am told by Paypal if the useless tracking number doesn't update, I lose MY money and they get a refund!!! This is just disgusting, and isn't fair. I just need to know where the package is, I mean I should at least get that back... I even tried calling the post offices in the zip codes where the item was last processed according to the tracking number but no one even answered. I already had two cases filed with USPS due to non receipt of the item, but still nothing. Since i wasn't getting any help, I called my local USPS office and asked them about the package. To my surprise, they asked me if I had a customs form filled out????? Now, why would I even need that?!!!! Isn't Saipan considered domestic? And how in the world was I supposed to know this? I did ship to Puerto Rico before and I didn't need any kind of forms and the buyer received their item with no problems. I mean Isn't this USPS's fault? What gives Paypal the right to hold my money and then take it from me. There isn't even a single point in "communicating with the buyer to resolve the issue" is there? Now I would like to know where would my package possibly be? Could it be lost? If so, because I have no insurance I can never get it back? Or would it take even longer them to receive their item?
In cases of issues like this, should i always purchase insurance? Would this even protect me from losing my money completely?
I am also wondering why the case was opened through Paypal and not Ebay because I remember when I had a case of "item not as described" on Ebay teh buyer got a refund FROM Ebay and NOT me at least.
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