"I sold an item, mailed it out to the person and they said the item wasn't in the package and that they wanted a refund. To make this even more confusing, they said they would take a replacement but they didn't want the same item, they now wanted something different. I feel as if I'm having one being pulled over on me and that they are just trying to get free product. What should I do?"

Answers from Our Readers:

"Unless the product is so ever costly that it's going to break you financially, replace the product." You want to create a Raving Fan, even if you think this person is 'pulling' one over on you. Remember, when polled 85% of people are honest - maybe or maybe not this person is one of the 15% that aren't, but what you really have to ask yourself is, 'Am I going to replace this product and leave a 100% good taste in this person's mouth so they will tell others about me, or am I going to stand my ground, not replace the product and play roulette that this person is in the 15% category?' It's a tough decision, but I would replace the product.

~Sheryl Brown, Heritage Magic
http://www.HeritageMagic.com


“I have had this problem before. The Way to avoid getting "the wool pulled over your eyes", when you send an item out in the mail is: (1.) get yourself as many "certified/return signature requests slips" as possible from the U.S. Postal Service. You may also request tracking of your items at an extra cost. Even without tracking services, you can still get verified confirmation of your delivery, when you send your mail out as "certified mail". With a "return receipt" attached to your "certified mail", you will get a green card back from the post office, with the signature of the person who signs for the item which you mailed out by "certified mail". So if there is any problems, and the person to whom you mailed the item to says "they never received the item", you can prove that you indeed sent the item, and that your not responsible for the lost item. (2.) Also, you may want to get ''postal insurance" for the item, as an extra measure to protect yourself and the customer or person you mailed the item to, should the item mailed becomes lost in transit by the "U.S. Postal service".”

L.E. Austin, Austin Services1 Specialty Gifts
http://www.austinservices1.com

“Was this item insured? If so, contact the shipper and tell them what happened. If the item was not insured, issue a refund less shipping charges. If they want another item, they will have to pay you for that along with the shipping costs. Good Luck!”
Linda Bond, 1-800-PARTYSHop

“When you mail an item, the shipping charges that you incur are based on the weight of the item. That is your proof. When you mailed this package to your customer, it must have cost a certain amount based on the weight. If you had mailed just the box, it would cost a lot less as compared to the box with the item. Your mailing receipt would prove that you mailed the item.”
Sarosh Diwan, SnugRugs Inc. http://www.snugrugs.com
http://www.snugrugs.com

“Those kind of complaints can be quite vexing. If you offer a guarantee on your product, you really should stand by your good name. Unfortunately some people like to cheat the system. You could have three options. Tell them the item was in the package and that you are filing a complaint with the mail service to have it investigated and the mail carrier interviewed to see where it might have gone missing or "fallen out" or two that you would gladly stand behind your guarantee but that replaced items must be of the original design purchased, or to get rid of them, offer a refund and indicate your concern and hint that their shipping concerns suggest they wouldn't be happy with your service again. Better to be rid of people trying to take advantage of you. If your gut instinct tells you you are being fooled, you probably are.”
Kathleen, The Bird’s Nest
http://www.birdsnestgifts.com

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