I'm sure there's a post on this topic, but I can't find it.
The situation
I bought a GEC slipjoint knife from seller (@Kaw10e). I paid $213 Paypal G&S for a "special factory order" knife that sold out quickly (retail $149) and will not be reproduced. GECs sells their knives in a plastic tube. Seller put the tube (and presumably the knife) in a brown USPS bubble envelope and sealed the envelope using its adhesive and nothing more. Seller then mailed the envelope USPS first class with no insurance. I received the envelope with the tube, but no knife (and, for what it's worth, the cap of the tube was missing as well, but I've never had a cap just "fall off" a GEC tube). I work from home and know my mailman, and he handed me the package, so at no point did the package sit unattended at my home. The package was sealed by the adhesive when I received it. After cutting open the envelope and finding only the tube, I tried to unstick the bubble envelope's adhesive and re-stick it, which I was able to do. This leads me to believe that a likely scenario was that someone working for USPS did the same and that's how they took the knife (or, less likely, seller only mailed the tube).
The disagreement
I claim that USPS is acting as an agent for the seller and until USPS drops the package at my door (or, in this case, hands it to me), the responsibility belongs to the seller. Seller claims that he did his job by mailing the item, and will not refund me. Hence we disagree and someone is out $200 (currently, that someone is me). I have filed a complaint with Paypal; I have not contacted USPS about this.
Your thoughts
I'm looking to see what you guys can tell me about the laws, rules, or community norms for this particular situation. Or you're welcome to point me to other posts about a similar situation (I just couldn't find them).
Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.
-Dan
The situation
I bought a GEC slipjoint knife from seller (@Kaw10e). I paid $213 Paypal G&S for a "special factory order" knife that sold out quickly (retail $149) and will not be reproduced. GECs sells their knives in a plastic tube. Seller put the tube (and presumably the knife) in a brown USPS bubble envelope and sealed the envelope using its adhesive and nothing more. Seller then mailed the envelope USPS first class with no insurance. I received the envelope with the tube, but no knife (and, for what it's worth, the cap of the tube was missing as well, but I've never had a cap just "fall off" a GEC tube). I work from home and know my mailman, and he handed me the package, so at no point did the package sit unattended at my home. The package was sealed by the adhesive when I received it. After cutting open the envelope and finding only the tube, I tried to unstick the bubble envelope's adhesive and re-stick it, which I was able to do. This leads me to believe that a likely scenario was that someone working for USPS did the same and that's how they took the knife (or, less likely, seller only mailed the tube).
The disagreement
I claim that USPS is acting as an agent for the seller and until USPS drops the package at my door (or, in this case, hands it to me), the responsibility belongs to the seller. Seller claims that he did his job by mailing the item, and will not refund me. Hence we disagree and someone is out $200 (currently, that someone is me). I have filed a complaint with Paypal; I have not contacted USPS about this.
Your thoughts
I'm looking to see what you guys can tell me about the laws, rules, or community norms for this particular situation. Or you're welcome to point me to other posts about a similar situation (I just couldn't find them).
Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.
-Dan