Buyer provides wrong address, is it seller's fault?

[oatmeal]

I'm curious about this situation. The buyer purchases an item from me.
I ship the item out to the buyer with the shipping address provided to me.
5 weeks later the buyer is wondering where his item is. He rewrites his
shipping address in the message and I notice the zip code is different.

Now, if he were to open a case claiming non-received item, would I have a
case to win it citing he provided an incomplete or incorrect shipping address?
It's still incorrect on his account as I can see it now. I told him to change it
so no other seller might have the same problem later on.

You see, this is why buyers also need to have a performance rating. If there was such
a thing, I would have been saved by seeing that many other sellers in the past
probably ran into the same problem with this buyer who has an incorrect shipping address
and then claims he never got it (no wonder he didn't get it, he's giving out the wrong
address to everyone).

Now it's possible that a minor zip code error might not actually affect the delivery. Postal
services might be able to correct it themselves seeing that the street and city address don't
match up with the zip code and decide to correct it. I don't know if they do such a thing.

So anyways, just wondering what would happen here? Would ebay side with me or would
the buyer still get his refund for non-received item and I get a seller defect?

Thanks.

 

[Wilson Grant Fisk]

I would think you would win the case. At least I would hope you would.

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

My Florida ID has a different city than where I live but the correct zip code.

Not sure how that actually happened but it did and it came to me in the mail.

So it seems the US Post Office uses the zip code as opposed to the city when processing mail. Maybe there is something on the official post office website that would back you up should there be an issue.

 

[Deadlock99]

Ebay and Paypal seller protection usually covers you if you send it to the address that was provided at checkout. So if that address was wrong and the item doesn't arrive then you should be covered if the buyer opens a claim for not received.

I have fixed addresses before for buyers when i have noticed errors in the address when arranging shipping but guess that could have left me open to claims as i then sent it to a different address than on the checkout ,even if it was only very slight difference.

 

[mabooz]

no its not ur fault, good luck, you prob gonna win

 

[LosPollos]

As long as you have tracking and used the address in paypal then you should be good, unless they file a chargeback, or the item is returned to you or show undelivered. Then you're fucked. What shipper did you use? You can probably call and get the zip code amended, or they might adjust it themselves. The item could also be waiting at his local post office or depot so check that too.

 

[davids355]

My Florida ID has a different city than where I live but the correct zip code.

Not sure how that actually happened but it did and it came to me in the mail.

So it seems the US Post Office uses the zip code as opposed to the city when processing mail. Maybe there is something on the official post office website that would back you up should there be an issue.

similar in the UK with postcodes - we normally put just the house number and postcode for the return address and that’s sufficient.

About your question op, I agree you should win that case - especially as you have written proof. And of course you could not be expected to know the buyer had provided you with incorrect delivery info.

 

[Deleted member 720373]

It's still incorrect on his account as I can see it now. I told him to change it

Screenshot it, keep all email/private communication so that if the buyer decided to change the address now you still have evidence it was incorrect at the time.

 

[HoNeYBiRD]

You should won the case if it escalates to that and the buyer needs to pay for reshipping, if he/she still wants the product. Any other outcome is unacceptable. If you get a negative feedback because of this, you need to appeal. You need to call their appeal dept. a few times (not to be confused with their resolution center) and they will remove the defect eventually.

 

[Entrepreneur0508]

You should win that case - especially as you have written proof. but i think you will get negative feedback from buyer

 

[ATMcard]

Its oviously buyer fault want to see how they handle it.

 

[Wing081]

you should win the case. and if buyer gives u a negative feedback, i think you can ask ebay to remove it if its related to them not receiving the product.. or atleat you should try

 

[allouttabubblegum]

Does the address not come up as "confirmed"? Surely the buyers fault anyway.

 

[Mr.Chicken]

If it was the fault on behalf of the buyer then you won’t be liable for any compensation mate!
it’s just that you should have proof for his wrong

 

[ilovetobun69]

My Florida ID has a different city than where I live but the correct zip code.

Not sure how that actually happened but it did and it came to me in the mail.

So it seems the US Post Office uses the zip code as opposed to the city when processing mail. Maybe there is something on the official post office website that would back you up should there be an issue.

I know at ups they made me look at zip and last 3 digits of the address. They probably noticed the name .

 

[Jiung]

Technically it is the buyers case but in my case when i entered the wrong address, the company sent me a new one for free to a new ONE, increasing customer loyalty.