Gold jewelry gone: private seller sent registered mail instead of a DHL parcel – what to do? | Members help members

tobiss80 · 2026-05-29T09:28:49.768000Z

Hello everyone,I’d really appreciate some advice on the legal situation and buyer protection.I bought a gold necklace from a private seller Item no.:198375272436. According to the item description, shipping by “DHL Paket” was expressly agreed upon.However, the seller has now sent the necklace on his own initiative as a letter via “Registered Mail – hand-delivery notice.” According to the tracking, the letter is marked as “delivered,” but my mailbox was completely empty. The item is nowhere to be found.As far as I know, the private seller is liable in the event of loss if he unilaterally deviates from the agreed shipping method (§ 447 Abs. 2 BGB). In addition, the postal service completely excludes genuine jewelry over €25 from registered mail in its terms and conditions (valuables). With the agreed DHL parcel, the necklace would have been insured up to €500.I have already contacted the seller privately and asked for a refund. If he digs in his heels: what are my chances with eBay or PayPal buyer protection, since the system for registered mail initially only checks “delivered” automatically? Does anyone here have experience with manual reviews in cases of a shipping-method deviation?Thanks a lot for your help!Tobias

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Gold jewelry gone: private seller sent registered mail instead of a DHL parcel – what to do? | Members help members | eBay Germany