How long to keep correspondence

[JGarrison Knives]

I have no complaints about anyone but just curious what you guys do with correspondence with people you have dealings with online. If you were to buy or sell a knife here how long do you keep emails, PMs, copies of MOs, insurance or delivery confirmations? How long is enough time to wait before you get rid of everything? Say you sell a knife, the delivery confirmation or tracking number # says it was delivered but you dont hear back from buyer. Two months later the buyer contacts you saying they never received the knife, what do you say to them if you got rid of stuff already?

 

[HJK]

Technically you might want to save the emails until the transaction is immune from legal question, and that means waiting for the expiry of the limitation period. That depends on the jurisdiction and type of claim. In Ontario that period is usually two years. Common sense would say keep it at least a few months. It should be really easy to store somewhere on your computer, either in a special "mailbox" or folder in your email program or in a file you create for that purpose on your hard drive. A little extra effort can save huge aggravation later.

 

[elkins45]

46 days would be the minimum if they paid by Paypal, since users have 45 days to file a payment dispute.

I don't know how long tracking numbers stay in the online USPS system, but as a general rule I hold stuff until I get positive feedback on iTrader or an email from them. If a couple of weeks have passed and I haven't heard anything I will email something along the lines of "I see that USPS says you received it, so I just want to make sure you're satisfied with it..." I include the tracking number in that email and a screen shot from the USPS website. That almost always prompts a reply email or feedback.