Paypal Dispute?

[P13]

It was an impulse buy (the usual way you get into trouble).

If buying from a UK company you can do a webcheck on www.companieshouse.gov.uk to make sure a) they exist as a real company b) they've been trading for some time. For £2 you can even download their accounts. Use the "Find Company Information" option.

 

[ASchear]

If you get Parcel Post or Priority Mail (but not First Class Mail), USPS most of the time attaches a "label number" to each package. I've used this number before to have them look up the package and see what's up. It's printed on your receipt. At least it is for me. They can't just let things go untracked.

On a side note, I've stopped using USPS for everything but very small items and those considered media. Their standard Parcel Post service is only slightly cheaper than FedEx and has taken weeks to arrive in the past (vs 4 days for FedEx Ground). And on top of that, FedEx ground comes with tracking and is insured up to $100, free. I've also had the contents of two packages destroyed in the past 4 years by USPS. Totally unacceptable the way they treat your stuff.

 

[Gary Huff]

I've found that Parcel Post is usually barely cheaper (or sometimes actually more expensive) than 2 Day Priority.

 

[ASchear]

I agree, but if I'm mailing something for eBay and already exhausting my shipping budget, I see no reason to spend the extra dollar or two on Priority. USPS being slow does not net me bad feedback. And I'd take it to FedEx before I'd ship priority; it would be about the same price and already includes tracking and insurance up to $100. I think my main problem is that I'm so used to getting free shipping through UPS / FedEx from Amazon or B&H, that it pains me to pay the post office what I do in exchange for such abysmal service, at least in my experience.