NOPE! Don’t send it!

Reply to the buyer with an image capture of the signature, then direct the buyer to open an AtoZ as per Amazon policies.

DO IT IN THIS ORDER
This way the AtoZ people see the signature

You seem to have an issue, the customer is claiming that they paid you but never got what they paid for. You need to either send another item, or refund them. However, as mail theft and fraud are Federal crimes, you might first have a brief chat and specifically file a report with your Postmaster. Then you might want to consider quickly running your options by an attorney.

Amazon (or the card issuer) sooner or later is going to force you to refund, so you should probably be pre-emptive.

Thanks to the COVID touchless fad, in 2020 and 2021 signature confirmation isn’t what it used to be. Which is why there isn’t a ID required signature service. Amazon recommending signature service for high dollar and at risk areas etc. should be taken not as Amazon is going to protect/cover Sellers that use signature confirmation, but more of an acknowledgment of what Sellers already knew. That some customers aren’t exactly honest. And it signature confirmation apparently reduces INR (that is it keeps the most timid of felons in check) by 35% if I recall correctly.

Chargebacks are completely different, and seem to be determined to have value only when the signature acquired by the carrier is submitted and the signature closely matches the customers signature the issuer has on file.

Seems very odd to me that you send $2.5k item with no insurance. But ok.

You have a signature. You download it and send it to the buyer. This should stop the buyer but it also allows Amazon to see that that you received a signature.

This should win an A2Z claim and maybe the first round of a chargeback.

I’m not sure buying insurance in this case would matter because insurance company would just look that it was delivered and say they’re off the hook…

The_Sawle_Mill, I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying?
What are the chances Amazon will eat this?

Kind of a crazy end to the story, turns out the buyer had surveillance footage of the mail carrier bringing the box in, then somebody signing for it, then them walking back out the door with it. So I called the local post office and an actual human answered the phone and was able to find the box and they’re going to redeliver it… I love cameras…

Thanks everybody for your suggestions and help!

It does and it brings up the question of the economic value at the end of the year of buying insurance… When I look at the percentage of shipments that get lost it’s very small and so I’ve been self insuring figuring that all my insurance premiums would exceed the losses… I’m torn on this because it’s hard to take that lump when it happens.