I learned my lesson today. I had some textbooks that I don’t need, so I listed them for sale on Amazon.com. Two of the books sold, and we shipped the first one via USPS on September 25th. They didn’t pay for tracking, so I didn’t ask for it. They didn’t pay for delivery confirmation so I didn’t ask for it. And I didn’t save the receipt.

I think you know the rest of the story. I started getting e-mails a few weeks ago: Where is my book? I paid you but still have not received it. Etc. Etc. I reassured the buyer it was in the mail, but according to her, she never got it.

This means logically that one of two things happened:
1. The United States Post Office lost my package, or is taking their own sweet time (almost a month now) to deliver it
2. She received the book, and is lying so she can get her money back and have a free book.

While both of these are possible, in the interests of good will I assumed the first to be true, and refunded her money. If I had gotten delivery confirmation, then number 2 would be impossible, since I could prove she received it. If I had saved the receipt, I would have the tracking information so I would be able to tell where it is (hopefully). A month ago I had a $20 book. Then I had $20, and she had the promise of a book. Now she has her $20 back, and I have no book.

Next time I will get delivery confirmation and save the receipt with the tracking information. Because those are for me, not for the buyer.

Live and learn.