As I continue to sell, I've learned from some mistakes. Specifically, for this guide, I recall that I have shipped items without any form of tracking or delivery notification. Doing so didn't help me or my buyers, and I regret using supposedly simpler methods like USPS Priority pre-paid envelopes, for example.

Well, I just happened to have some of those pre-paid priority envelopes laying around and decided to use one in the scenario below. I should've printed the postage via Paypal because electronic delivery notification is provided for .14 cents extra (or free when shipping Priority Mail).

My silly scenario: Recently, I sold a brand new shirt I didn't want (it was a crummy gift). Well, it seems my buyer didn't want it either, because he never took delivery. The post office was kind enough to mark the package with notification dates of their attempts to deliver, but I had none of that information when the buyer filed a dispute claim against me in Paypal. He filed the dispute before he even contacted me! I had no idea there was a problem and I didn't even care about the money (it was only $5.04 for the transaction and $4.05 was USPS Priority Mail costs)! I issued an immediate refund but the buyer didn't want to talk to me at all. His cold shoulder treatment earned him a block from any of my future auctions. Anyway, two weeks later, I received the t-shirt in the mail (return-to-sender) and noticed the USPS had done their job, but the buyer did not. Bottom line? Protect yourself as a seller! Fortunately, the buyer never gave me negative feedback, but that is probably because I refunded his entire cost.

Bottom-line: Don't use pre-paid envelopes. The electronic delivery notification is cheap and convenient through Paypal shipping! Now, I can see failed delivery attempts and notify the buyer to pickup the package!