Half.com Selling Problem
 

Maybe someone can give me an opinion on this...

In August I sold my PS2 copy of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on half.com (for around $30). I shipped through Media Mail, and the buyer didn't want insurance or confirmation. Later that month, I get an email from him saying he hasn't gotten it yet. I respond with "Media Mail can sometimes take a while, give it some time."

I get an e-mail from Half.com last week saying he still hasn't received it and is requesting a refund. They want me to provide them with a tracking number, as well as the day it was shipped. I respond, "It was shipped on 8/5 thru Media Mail, and no confirmation was requested."

A couple days later I get an email from Half.com again. They say that since I can't provide a tracking number, they are debiting my account for the $30. So basically, I'm screwed out of the money I got for the sale, and the game itself.

Anyone experience anything like this? What can I do besides yell over the phone? Thanks...

Actually it is your responsibility as a seller at Half.com to provide delivery confirmation or insurance, not the buyer. The buyer doesn't have to authorize it or pay extra since they are paying a flat shipping charge. But otherwise you are out of luck if the buyer claims they didn't receive the item and there was no proof of delivery.

There isn't much you can do. Half.com always sides with the buyer unless there is substantial proof that you sent it. Do you at least have a post office receipt from when you sent it? That might help. But it's always a good idea to get delivery confirmation on anything that is higher priced.

Receipt isn't enough- even delivery confirmation isn't enough because it doesn't prove anyone received it. Signed receipt might be enough.

You'll probably loose even then.

You'll lose on this one. A good idea might be to raid all the used videogame joints for a copy of GTA 2 at a price less than what you sold it. This way, you won't be out all $30. All the 50 cent delivery confirmations you could have bought will likely be less than the cost of having to eat the cost of one product. I usually don't buy delivery confirmation except on items sent via media mail, though.

Delivery confirmation still isn't fool proof. In the past few years I sent a few hundred packages with delivery confirmation and had a few that was delivered without indicating it was delivered. I was lucky that my buyer was honest. I've noticed that if the package is sent to a large corporation then chances are they may not get scanned since I think they just dump it in the bin set to go out to that particular location.

If you download and use the USPS shipping assistant software to print labels then delivery confirmation only costs 13 cents for media or first class mail. And with priority mail delivery confirmation is free.

I knew about the free delivery confirmation with Priority, but could you provide a link for information about discounted DC for Media and First Class?