posted on February 26, 2001 01:13:47 PM new
I've kind of laid off from selling on Ebay lately. It was always a small, side job for me but now I am 8 months pregnant and not emotionally or physically willing to deal with the mess anymore. I listed just a couple things last weekend and got one doozy of a buyer.
I sent her the EOA e-mail last night (from Ebud). This morning I get back an apparent form e-mail from her stating her terms. I wish I would've forwarded the mail here to my office so I could share the exact words, but something like:
Payment will be made by personal check or Paypal. The item would best be delivered by FedEx Ground, UPS, or Parcel Post Insured, in that order. I do not want or prefer priority mail be used. I expect you to pack the items well to prevent breakage.
It went on, but that was the jist of it.
Well, my TOS clearly states "US buyers to pay Priority shipping...." Normally I do quote the exact price but this was something weird of my mom's that I did not expect to sell so I didn't want to mess with packing it up. Not to start this debate again, but I use the free Priority supplies. When I sold more, I had other supplies too but had to clean out my office--I couldn't take it anymore! If she would've just asked nicely I probably would've gone to try to find another box and re-pack the items, but her terms really turned me off! She has been on Ebay about 7 months and her feedback is only 25. I just found the whole thing pretty balsy!!!
posted on February 26, 2001 01:33:11 PM new
stick to your terms. if you have to go as far as saying you will ship ups and then ship it priority(as long as the costs are covered)....you listed your terms, they should be followed by both of you......i say to heck with her and do it your way.....don't leave feedback until she does just incase you get a neg, a neg that would be uncalled for by the way. if she never leaves FB so be it, you can live without her FB ..........i am sick and tired of those who can't follow terms and i use the same principle as above when needed.........the days of taking it high and hard are over!
posted on February 26, 2001 02:15:28 PM new
After reading several pages in two threads from buyers complaining about honoring sellers' terms, I must say (also) stick to your guns. For the life of me, but there seem to be customers with nothing better to do than weasel around with sellers. Great pastime, but I'm too busy to play games. The auction terms are plainly stated in the ad. Anything else is unacceptable. If a buyer has special requirements, they should clear it with the seller before bidding. Don't back down.
posted on February 26, 2001 02:38:02 PM new
I say stick to your terms as well. It is different if a buyer asks before bidding or if they don't and they are super nice about it after then that is different. I don't think I would say I was mailing ups if I wasn't though. Just be honest with her (and mention that you are very pregnant and hope that she understands that you cannot accomidate (sic) special shipping at this time. I've had 3 kids myself so I know how hard that last month is....
Hang in there and best of luck and health to you.
posted on February 26, 2001 02:54:04 PM new
whinecooler,
Would you please explain why you are asking if the this person is from Canada and why you chose to mispell it? The reason I ask is that this simple statement you have made could be insulting to a large group of Canadians that enjoy AuctionWatch and I'm sure your explanation would be appreciated.
posted on February 26, 2001 03:04:21 PM new
By all means stick to your stated shipping terms and don't give it another thought.
But as an aside, buyers do know what works best for them as far as delivery if given an option. Some people have the mailmen from hades who delivery their packages into the nearest bush. I appreciated it when my buyers/sellers email me tips of common mistakes which could be avoided in delivery of their item or payment, Like: address must contain the word street or it won't be delivered etc. or I prefer USPS because it will be held safely at the post office for my pickup unlike UPS.
So perhaps it was not an order just a helpful suggestion.
posted on February 26, 2001 03:07:08 PM new
Sellers....it is good to remind buyers that this is NOT Burger King. They get it the way that it is stated in the listing or they do not get it at all.
Well, whinecooler, might be having a bad day, they might be referring to another thread, they may be making a koke....a poor one [and at THAT only in the eyes of the beholder].
Why does a moderator need to stoop to the level of those that they moderate? You are here to referee, not to play 20 questions.
Why is the moderator talking in riddles? Can't they go find a nice thread to close? Don't they have enough to do? Geez! this place is getting to be a PIT...Neck.
posted on February 26, 2001 03:20:16 PM new
Joice.
Because there is another thread on this board where a Canadian thinks he should be able to dictate shipping rates and can't seem to understand why shipping and handling is always more than the actual shipping charged by the PO.
It just seems some lame.
***********************************
The more PEOPLE I meet.........
posted on February 26, 2001 03:26:36 PM new
Oh Whinecootie----Canadians know better than to ask for Fed-Ex---they get a $30.00 brokerage fee added on to the customs bill---but I suppose you just don't know it all, even though you are apparently trying to appear that way.
posted on February 26, 2001 03:32:09 PM new
I have had people send me instructions outlining in excruciating detail what carrier to use, how to pack, and even what
packing materials to use.
I send a reply that states, "Thank you for your message." Nothing else. Then I send
the stuff the way I always do. I refuse to engage these people in a debate or try to
accommodate them. I have found that it doesn't matter what you do or don't do
because it won't be right and there is always something else. I don't make myself nuts
over these people or waste my time.
Sometime I wonder what it must be like to live with people like this!
posted on February 26, 2001 03:54:32 PM new
May I suggest (with wicked grin on my face) that you tell her that UPS will be fine, and that the ahipping and handling charge will be $5 over the actual UPS fee? And don't forget to add "PS-Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it." ROFLMAO
posted on February 27, 2001 06:58:23 PM new
Okay, now I am getting mad. Now 36 hours after I e-mail her telling her that my auctions state Priority shipping she is saying:
Since your terms are that the buyer is responsible for "priority shipping and insurance", I requested priority service through alternative carriers. (Meaning UPS or FedEx)
Now is that just stupid and nit-picky or what? When someone says "Priority shipping and insurance" don't you think Priority mail from the USPS? I mean UPS or FedEx does not offer anything called specifically "priority mail". This is just ridiculous....and why sellers TOS are getting longer and longer!
As I said, I am pregnant and hormonal and had one sh*tty day and just get home at 9pm to this crap. I can understand if she doesn't like to receive via USPS, but I don't like to ship via UPS for various reasons and I do not have a FedEx drop station near me. I do have an ample supply of Priority Mail boxes and an Estamps machine that will do postage so I only have to go drop off a box at the P.O.
I'm trying to write a non-emotional reply to her. Should I just tell her take it or leave it??
Gina
<not GinaD on Ebay>
[ edited by GinaD on Feb 27, 2001 07:01 PM ]
posted on February 27, 2001 07:05:45 PM new
Hi Gina,
I would just not email her any more, and just ship it Priority Mail like you were going to do anyways. Sounds like she's just twisting your words around to give you a hard time. With people like that you're better off not arguing with them - I'd ship it out the way I had planned, and put in a nice little "thank you!" note with her package. Chances are you'll never hear from her again.
posted on February 27, 2001 07:10:20 PM new
Gina, since you stated in your auction terms that you ship Priority (and EVERYONE knows that means USPS), perhaps you could tell her that you are willing to ship FedEx or UPS, for an extra fee to cover the purchase of a non-Priority Mail box, and the pickup fee to have the item picked up by FedEx or UPS. Perhaps whe will be more amenable to your stated shipping method if she knows that will have to pay extra to ship it her way.
posted on February 27, 2001 07:15:34 PM new
Hi Gina,
Have a nice cup of herbal tea and don't worry for one more minute about this pain in the neck woman!
I might tell her something like what you just wrote:
According to my established business practices, I do not use UPS, and FedEx is unavailable to me in my area. I am unable to negotiate this with you on this matter. I would love for you to receive your item, but if my shipping method as stated in my auction terms is unacceptable to you, I will be happy to consider this auction void and re-list the item.
I know your hormones are probably making you want to reach through your computer and strangle her, but a calm and detached email is your best bet. Good luck to you!!!!
posted on February 27, 2001 07:32:19 PM new
I buy & sell on Ebay... And have worked at the Post Office. I know for a fact that shipping Priority does NOT mean it will get there sooner. Maybe by 2 days at most.
I ship books via media, other stuff according to weight (due to post office rules) whether its first or priority, UNLESS the buyer requests priority.
This really should be the buyers choice. Any online site you go to normally gives you the options.
With the increase in postal rates, I know I don't want to pay them anymore than I have to. If this means you have to go hunt for a box, then DO IT. I do frequently and don't see that it should be a problem...
I would tell your buyer that as stated in your TOS, you ship USPS priority. You do this because you're not near a UPS or FedEX dropoff, HOWEVER if she would like to pay the additional amount, you'll be happy to accommodate her special request and have the item packaged and picked up at Mailboxes Etc.
Under no circumstances let her off the hook. This will lead her to believe that if she has a case of buyer's remorse on some future auction all she'll have to do is quibble about the shipping to be released from her obligation.
posted on February 27, 2001 07:48:27 PM newescandyo: With all due respect, I think the alternatives the buyer is requesting will actually cost more than Priority Mail (though, please correct me if I'm wrong) so saving money doesn't seem to be the motivating factor here. And, to go hunting for a box when you are 8 months pregnant IS a big deal (I've had 5 kids and know). The point is that the terms were stated in the auction and the buyer bid without checking this stuff out with Gina beforehand. Gina is geared up to send the item via Priority Mail. Generally, I would agree that if the buyer pays for shipping they should have some choice in the matter, but in this case, Gina has good reasons for not being able to offer UPS or FedEx as an alternative if you read what she has written on the subject.
Gina: I think the reply that Martiniswiller drafted is a good way to go. Don't waste any more time on this person. Send her an e-mail along those lines and stand ready to cancel the transaction. No more back and forth. Blast the money & blast the potential negative. Life is too short and you have to focus on getting ready for the baby. Good luck to you!
posted on February 27, 2001 10:04:06 PM new
This must be dingy buyer week or something!
I had a buyer say she has proof from ebay that she did NOT bid the winning bid amount and she will mail me the proof because she doesn't know how to email it.
She claims she only bid HALF of the final bid...
AFter emailing back and forth I've realized this is a SCAM...she wins the bid and then claims she only bid half that amount. Wonder how many people believe her since these are low end items?
The 2nd winning bidder wanted me to combine shipping on stickers. Now I ADMIT I pad the s/h on these stickers by about a $1 per small lot of about 5+pages. This lady was the only bidder and bid the last few seconds(snipe?)and of course I lost money in the deal.
So she emails me that she is disabled..cancer...grandchildren...yada yada yada...could I combine shipping? I check her feedback and she has bid on 47 sticker sets in the last month!
So I tell her NO...I didn't state in my auction I would combine shipping and she should have asked prior to shipping.
She emails back in a huff that she will NOT pay for them...I'd better not leave her negative feed !! She will send me $1.50 which is TWICE my listing fees for the 2 auctions she won. (total auction with shipping was only $5.50!)...
She says more but it isn't worth bringing up.
Is it a full moon or something?
Carole
[ edited by IMLDS2 on Feb 27, 2001 10:14 PM ]
posted on February 28, 2001 04:11:04 AM new
This buyer should abide by your auction terms because the auction is over. However, she should have emailed you BEFORE the end of auction to ask about changing shipping terms. I always do this when I see a seller who ships by Priority only. Priority is the biggest ripoff in the shipping business!! You DO NOT get what you pay for with this service. I just received one of those little Priority letter things a buyer used to get his payment to me very fast ... and it took 7 Days (I bet a First Class letter would have been delivered faster). If the seller won't ship any other way than Priority I just click right on out of that auction as I won't be a part of this Postal Service ripoff.
posted on February 28, 2001 04:40:59 AM new
I know my reaction is in the minority - but even though we are not a brick and mortar store, we do have an obligation as a seller to provide some level of customer service!
Granted, buyers SHOULD email prior to the auction end with their concerns - but most do not.
I am just glad, given eBay's influx of tons of sellers and tons of similar merchandise, that my customers purchase from me!
In my humble opinion, some appreciation of customer's purchasers might result in repeated sales.
I can see the frustration that other sellers face but in the big picture, as long as they pay and they get their item -- what does it matter?
posted on February 28, 2001 05:37:10 AM new
Gina, you absolutely have the right to stick to your original TOS. I am having toubles with 50% of my bidders this week regarding shipping and payment. Very different types of items in very diffferent price ranges, but same wackiness. More stress in this week's listings than the previous six months combined. Is there some new buyer's "how-to" manual out there that instructs people how to wheedle and demand until they get what they want? Please don't misunderstand. I am a very customer-focused seller, and usually bend way over to take care of special requests. However, not when the requests come in the form of demands and after the end of auction. One example? Buyer wins 2 articles of clothing. I email for address so that I can combine and figure cheaper shipping (as a favor to her). Her response to price quote? "Ok, I'll PayPal that amount less $1.10 because I don't want insurance. Just stick it in a Priority box and it will be fine." So, I have to quickly write to tell her not to do it. I insure through U-Pic, so the $1.10 actually shorts me part of the actual bid price and not ust the insurance. I also patiently explain that all items are shipped insured (and the ad reflects this) and that I will not deviate rom my stated policy. I've had too much lost, misrouted, etc. by the USPS. Color me grumpy, but I've been on eBay for over three years and this new "empowered/agressive" buyer attitude is making me want to quit. I don't have time to quibble with people over a few pennies or dollars eveytime I sell an item under $10. However, neither do I want to let buyers dictate the terms after sale, because that sets a precedent all my fellow sellers have to live with. And for the person who claimed that Priority mail is not what you pay for, perhaps they don't realize that on many items, (over 1 lb) the price difference between Priority and Parcel is negligible and will not even cover the cost of a box.
Ok, I'm off to drink coffee and grumble under my breath now.
posted on February 28, 2001 05:50:36 AM new
I know exactly how you feel, I had the same experience with buyers telling me what to do when it is very plain and simply written within the auction...hate that! I also had a buyer email at least 12 times..yelling in the email to leave feedback, that was very frustrating, It was at Christmas time and I was getting to it. This was like a day after the auction...brutal! Hang in there and good luck with you little one!
posted on February 28, 2001 06:10:02 AM new
Thanks to almost everyone for their help and advice. I appreciate it. Using a couple of your suggestions, I e-mailed her back and at 4am she PayPal'd me the money! So now we just have to pray it gets to her in one piece!
misscandle, thanks for coming to my defense. I was too exhausted last night to come back and say anything myself. And we all complain that the buyers can't read!
Again, normally I am very flexible but for numerous reasons this is not a good time. As I said I had laid off selling knowing that, but I didn't think putting on a couple of $10-$15 items with a clear TOS would cause this much trouble. My mistake! In fact, in 3 years I've only had one buyer that was worse....I know I've been lucky though!
antiquealley I know ALL about customer service in my RL job. BUT, there are also some things that can't be changed here. I would go out of my way to please any RL customer....heck, I even went to the drug store and bought diarrhea medicine for one old lady once--no lie! But I am not about to go digging through dumpsters for a box, spend a good hour at the UPS counter at the grocery store trying to explain to them how it all works (seriously, my 4 year old gets it better than these girls!) and just generally waste my time (which I don't have any of at the moment) for $15. I have never had a repeat customer because I sell just a various amount of odds and ends. I have had many, many happy customers and I even had one person tell me I was the nicest person he'd ever "met"! I had just done things to make sure he was pleased...nothing extrordinary!
posted on February 28, 2001 06:10:21 AM new
as a "real-store" retailer as well as an auction-fiend, i must say that the customer is ALWAYS right--and i don't have a problem in the world with accomodating them--however i do NOTHING for FREE! I say do it their way, but since i pay someone $5 per box to do my packaging (they wouldn't expect ME to do that, would they--i am not a professional box-packer and it would appear that professionalism is called for!), AND since they are requesting personalized service they surely must be expecting to pay an additional HANDLING fee--but of course! send them an invoice--and don't skimp! customers who demand the BEST must know that they also must PAY! (then use the handling fee to go out to lunch and have a double while you're telling your friends about the witch!--HAHAHA!)
posted on February 28, 2001 06:12:52 AM new
There must be something in the air because I had my share of bitchy bidders this week. My question is: if the bidder does not stick to the terms you listed, can you cancel the sale? I had one woman try to tell me that my item is too much money and she isn't going to pay. Another woman isn't going to pay me sales tax. I do not want to waste my time with people who can't follow the rules.
