half.com half.ebay.com Shipping Requirment Scam, Internet

(In a nutshell, the buyer chose NOT to pay extra for a tracking number (and therefore a service I would not be reimbursed for) and when I could not provide a tracking number to half.com they debited my account.  The member choose to not have and pay for paying for the piece of mind and security that tracking provides and I had to take the hit when something happend to the book in the mail and I didn't have a tracking number.)

I sold a book on half.com just like I have done 39 times before this.  The buyer chose standard NOT to pay for expedited shipping, that means half.com will reimburse the seller the slowest shipping rate "media mail".  This method does NOT have a tracking number. And the buyer did NOT pay for book tracking service.

The book was mailed off the day after the purchase was made.  A couple of weeks later the buyer states the book had not arrived.  I went into the post office and tried on my end to do everything I could to help the buyer.  I informed the buyer that per half.com's policy I was not required to provide a tracking number because they, the buyer, CHOOSE NOT pay for expedited shipping and that is the only way I would have a tracking number. 

I then got this message:

Dear Ronald,

We're contacting you regarding the following Half.com sale:

Item:  Small Business Management: An Entrepreneur's Guidebook    

Transaction #: 69429599101

Buyer: ctd9900

As a follow-up to our recent email, I'm writing to let you know that we have debited your account for the amount of $59.51, transaction #69429599101. We took this action because you didn't provide us with any tracking information on this package.

If a buyer does not receive an item and the seller can't provide proof of delivery from the shipping carrier, Half.com can either withhold payment or debit your bank account to cover the loss of the item purchased.

Accordingly, we have refunded the buyer for this item and debited your account. You can avoid potential loss in the future by using a trackable shipping method that will provide delivery confirmation.

So you are aware, it is now possible to print USPS and UPS shipping labels for your Half.com sales directly through the Paypal website. Printing shipping labels is free, and you pay only for the cost of shipping. When you print a shipping label through Paypal, you're able to get a delivery confirmation number for a discounted price of 18 cents.

If you're interested in using this feature, you can print a Paypal shipping label by clicking on the "Print Shipping Label" link in your Half.com sales page, or from the "You've made a sale" email.

In summary, based on the information provided, the case was unfortunately not decided in your favor and correspondingly your account was debited. I'd like to thank you for your time and the patience.

Ronald, while addressing your concerns, I noticed that you have a total  of 39 feedback. Thats quite an accomplishment! I wanted to take a second to let you know how much we truly appreciate the amount of business that you have done with us.

Thank you for choosing Half.com.

Sincerely,
Michael A.A.
eBay Customer Support

The shipping policy from the half.com webpage states the difference and requirements when the buyer selects how they want it shipped either standard or expedited below:

Seller Shipping Options and Reimbursement Allowance - Books, Music, Movies, Games and Game Systems

All sellers listing in Half.com's Books, Music or Movies product categories must use, at a minimum, U.S. Postal Service Media Mail to ship orders. When listing in the Game and Game Systems categories, sellers are required to use a minimum of Ground shipping. In addition, all sellers in these product categories have the option of offering an expedited form of shipping as an upgrade. Expedited shipping methods should provide a 1-3 day delivery window from the time of shipping and include some type of tracking ability. If a seller chooses to offer an expedited upgrade, this option will be made available to the buyer in the shopping cart. Examples of expedited service include USPS Priority Mail, Fed Ex Home Delivery, UPS Ground, and Airborne Express Ground Delivery.

In a nutshell, the buyer chose NOT to pay extra for the tracking number (and therefore a service I would not be reimbursed for) and when I could not provide a tracking number to half.com they debited my account.  The member choose to not have and pay for paying for the piece of mind and security that tracking provides and I had to take the hit when something happend to the book in the mail and didn't have a tracking number.