Lost Package Protection

When carrier says delivered, but customer says they didn't receive it.

[pdivi]

We ship USPS with delivery confirmation, and UPS signature not required. Avg. order value is $80. Once in a while we get a claim where a customer says they never received a shipment, though UPS or USPS tracking has it as delivered (to the correct address).

We have been simply addressing these claims on a case-by-case basis, re-shipping product with signature required in most cases. But I'd like to establish some hard rules.

Two questions:
1. does a merchant have any hope of fighting a chargeback with just carrier delivery confirmation (no signature)?
2. what practices do you have in place that you have found to be helpful in these cases?

[Tonearm]

I'd like to know more about this too.

[ytswy]

I don't think you've got much of a hope without a signature.

Even with a signature, when faced with a customer who flat out claims they didn't receive the product there's not a lot you can do really - all you have is a scribble.

[pshea]

I have had chargebacks reversed after presenting delivery documentation. Not with American Express, of course. You can contact the postmaster of the delivering PO; he/she will likely speak to the carrier who made the delivery and offer you further information about the package. I have done this several times in the past and have always found the folks at the local PO very helpful.

[dartman]

The first thing you want to do confirm that you shipped to the correct address. If so then file a claim with the carrier. We go thru this from time to time. UPS says delivered. Customers claims no delivery. This is usually the case when the UPS driver leaves a package at the customers' door and it gets legs or our shipping clerk entered an incorrect address and thats where UPS delivered.

These situations can usually be resolved without chargebacks coming into play by good communications with the customer. Unfortunately there's always that 1 customer out of 100 that will be a jerk and immediately go crying to the cc company.
.

[gameinfinity]

If it is a paypal payment and the shipping address is confirmed (which means it is under seller protection), then you most likely will be ok with just a delivery confirmation. I believe paypal requires you to provide signature proof if the merchandise value is over $250.