Got a new case or lesson to learn here....

So here's a new one for me.
A buyer germany made the purchase way back in late August.
I shipped using DHL Globalmail (it has tracking but limited).

DHL Globalmail shows it arrived in Germany transit facility on Sept 10.
That's the last update we ever got and it's now Oct 6. He says he didn't receive item.
Again, no phone number was provided so this probably could have been resolved if a phone
number was included in the shipping info.

So I had to do my own investigation. There are 2 possibilities:
1) It's held at customs because the item was seized/restricted or maybe requires more clearance
2) It was handed over to local postal delivery, but they couldn't deliver it or find the address, so it's
just sitting at the local post office all this time.

I did my due diligence and contacted both germany customs and the local post office of his zip code. Neither were ever available to answer my call for 3 days straight, only got some weird automated message. I did, however, reach Germany customs/enquiries via email and they emailed me back saying they couldn't find any information if items were being held for that buyer's name and address (which I supplied to them). It sounds like that means it's not held at customs at all.

The other clue is this: I called DHL Globalmail International and they were able to give me
a Deutsche Post number that appears in their records next to the DHL Globalmail Tracking number.
This sounds to me like it means they have either handed it over to local postal services (Deutsche Post) OR maybe it's just a preparation number they have ready if the item still needs to get cleared by customs?

If anyone has any experience with DHL Globalmail, do you know anything about this? If the DHL Globalmail Cust. Rep, says there's a Deutsche Post number for that tracking number, does that sound like to you it's been cleared by customs and handed over to local delivery service?

We'll see how ebay is going to rule on this case.....to be continued.

I would never send items internationally without full tracking and proof of delivery. If they want the item they pay the extra shipping costs!

Too many things can go wrong. Hope you get it sorted.

Dude you will never get along with this. I mean who from postal office gives a fuck ? really ?

You have learn a lesson right now, only full tracking.....maybe no with proof is the item is not so expensive. I use proof of delivery only at items 100$ +

Be careful next time.

Thanks for the replies. Here's the update on this case. The buyer told me that he said his country's customs had returned the items back (to original shipper) as the item was restricted/banned substance/product in their country. The buyer didn't know, and neither did I.

I'm not sure if who is responsible here for knowing what is allow and not allowed in countries (isn't that on the buyer?), but anyways, not even
sure that matters.

So if the buyer was telling the truth and his customs really did send all the packages back, I should be getting them eventually and he'll get his refund, and this issue will be resolved with satisfactory results and minimal loss (only the profit I lose, but at least I don't lose everything).

However, I asked him if he could tell me if there was a tracking number German customs has for the returned packages. He hasn't replied yet. I told him, I'd refund him only once the packages are confirmed returned first. He doesn't seem to have an issue with that, so that's good news. He does have over 1200 feedbacks at 100% rating so he must be a reasonable and legit buyer.

My only concern is IF the items are not received back, and then he escalates the case so that ebay has to step in and judge the case, what my chances might be that I lose everything (I don't get the items back AND I have to give him all his money back). It's a significant amount.

I'll keep this updated the next time there is new progress on it.