posted on December 29, 2000 03:17:20 PM new
Just curious what others would do with late paying bidders whose payments have not arrived within TOS terms. I have emailed advising them that unless they get payment to me by Jan. 3 since rates will go up Jan. 7 they will have to pay the higher rate. Payment was actually due this week but I'm giving them until the 3rd to keep the current rates. I wasn't sure if I'm supposed to honor the amount quoted in my listing or make them pay the difference since the payments are late and not within my TOS.
posted on December 29, 2000 03:22:33 PM new
Why not charge new rates for everyone but rebate the difference to those who pay on time? If a bidder pays late, they aren't going to pay an additional fee--you were lucky to receive payment at all from them.
posted on December 29, 2000 03:45:37 PM new
I e-mailed all my future deadbeats and advised that payment received after 1/6/01 would be held for the difference in shipping. These guys are all over 2 weeks late, so I doubt I'll see dime one anyway, but I'll be bleeped if I'm PAYING the difference for them to buy from me. My margin is narrow enough as it is.
posted on December 29, 2000 04:00:28 PM new
I did contact one later bidder and just got an email saying they would be mailing payment tomorrow and would include an extra dollar for the increase. It always amazes me how some bidders are so cavalier about getting payment to seller in a timely fashion, and when I am high bidder I can't rest until I know the check is in the mail and I've honored my end of the transaction. Oh wellllllll.......
posted on December 29, 2000 05:30:09 PM new
Harvestmoon: if any of them come in too late, could you email and tell them you'll either wait for the additional postage to arrive, or mail at the parcel post or book rate for their package [assuming their shipping payment covers that?]?
posted on December 29, 2000 07:00:48 PM new
Unfortunately, you could get booted by eBay if you change the terms to the buyer after the fact, REGARDLESS of the reason.
For sure, if in your post you put:
Buyer pays Fixed Amount Shipping and/or:
Buyer Pays $3.20 Priority Mail and/or:
Buyer Pays $3.50 Priority Mail
And now you say they owe you $3.95 or $4.25 (to keep your profit %) they can shoot an email to eBay support and get you suspended for changing your TOS.
The somewhat grey area would be if you put:
Buyer pays Actual Shipping
but never stated in the auction the shipping amount, and NEVER said what the amount was in your EOA notice yet... You might want to send your EOA notice with the new amount if you havn't already. (but who here doesn't state the actual amounts in their post ?)
As soon as you've said it's $3.20 (or whatever) in an email to the buyer, you're stuck at that.
Yea, you can ask the buyer politely if they want to cover the difference (until eBay makes that illegal saying you're avoiding fees or something ) , but in no way can you force them to pay the difference.
I agree with the other person here... You should have posted them with the new rate and then discounted anyone who got payment to you before the 3rd.
I have about 11 slow pays from Nov 7, Nov 24 and Dec 17th (9 from the latest) that I will end up eating 30 cents each due to the new rates--if they ever sent payment that is, otherwise, I'll just eat the 25 cent listing fee and the time it took to send out 6 followup emails to each before I neg/fcv them.
posted on December 29, 2000 07:05:21 PM new
Harvestmoon...
I believe any obligations you may have to honor shipping rates goes out the window when you have a slow-paying bidder. You lose time (money) waiting for them to get up off the couch and send payment (and often a check). If it could be done, you deserve to collect a "patience" fee in addition to the extra shipping charges they owe.
posted on December 29, 2000 07:09:03 PM new
It would seem to me that as long as post mark shows Jan 6, midnight, there should be no demand for more shipping money.
I put in my last listings that any bids placed after January 7 would reflect the new rates. I was going to go up to Jan 15, then decided against it. I want to be nice, but also fair...to myself...
********************
posted on December 29, 2000 11:34:26 PM new
For All My auction listed since mid november have the new shipping rates figured in to it in the form of fixed or flat rate shipping.
Discount and rebate days are over for me I been selling on online auction over a year but 8 and 1/2 Months 24/7 on ebay which incressed my selling 200% time spent at this has incressed from 1 hour a day includeing listing packing and sending email to 8 to 9 hours per day 7 days a week in sickness and in health customer dont care if I call in sick or require a personal day and this is still part time for me .
We have paid our last bidder to bid our items my wife bought me a postal scale and restocked all are packing materals to get things back on track over the months of November & December on top of takeing care of christmas for the family as an earily Xmas gift Also to help give her some Idea of my costs to run these auctions and I signed up to print my own postage.
Then we sat Down and Agreed that paying buyers $500 in the last 8 month to bust are buts to do this thing wasn't much fun.
Anyway I have been Getting many sales here daily lately and NO complaints on the new shipping policys yet or the priceing structure for which I am glad as I was told if I make one more deal or dicker shipping rates any more the next thing up for bid on ebay will be me and my computer
Any how for all interested the rate that was set is like this keeping in mind all shipping will be parcel post or frist class inless other services are requirered the buyer pays extra for includeing priority.
these are fixed or flat rates Not actual postage near all are materals are new at time news print makes better packing for some items and most boxes custom made to fit when needed which is 99% of the time for what I have to auction most are cardboard starts out as flat sheets rarely use the free boxes from the PO never the right sixe to light weight for heavy items more of a pain then any thing.
.80 for for 1oz to 2 oz add .45 for each addition oz up to 12oz.
13oz to 24oz $3.95
then Add $1.25 per each addtional pound.
Buyer can Add $1.00 extra if they perfer or need priority shipping to have there item in 2 or 3 days but we are finding that most packages go priority any way as the cost differnce is .06 to .08 over parcel post.
Insurance is recomened as part of our refund policy but not required to hold down cost.
) , but in no way can you force them to pay the difference.
