squinkle99
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posted on February 2, 2001 04:26:29 AM new
How does everyone here respond to winning bidders who want to pick up their items in person at your home?
We do not post this as an option in our auctions, but we have occasionally had winning bidders ask us if they can do this. In some cases it was to save on shipping $. But, in cases where we offer to pay all shipping, I think it is to save shipping time.
Plus I wonder about safety issues and convenience issues for the seller. As sellers, my spouse and I both have jobs outside the home. So, we have our Ebaying down to a routine with little time for interruption. What do y'all think is reasonable?
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deby0
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posted on February 2, 2001 04:41:31 AM new
I have had bidders before ask if they can pick up the item at my home too. And I say NO!!! I just do not want someone coming into my house. I have even had people ask if we can meet at the local mall and take care of business that way. Well still, I say NO! I just think it would look like I am doing a deal of somekind that way. LOL Call me crazy. I know there are some people who would not mind a person coming to there home...but everyone is different and I just would not want to allow someone to do ebay business this way. And I agree that your timeframe and the way you do your ebaytime should be on your schedule. Hopefully others will post there thoughts too. Have a great day!!!
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cix
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posted on February 2, 2001 05:01:51 AM new
As long as the buyer shows up with CASH to pay for the items they won I see no problem at all having anyone pick up their items at my home.
I am not going to go out of my way to meet anyone anywhere (unless they want to meet me at the Post office I go to to ship out items), but I will not go out of my way.
I can completely understand someone wanting to save on shipping especially if they are fairly close to just drive up and pick up their items.
I have had ebayers come to my home and pick up items and I too have gone to others homes to pick up my items and I have never had a problem with this at all.
If you are on a timeframe, you can ask for the persons phone number and arrange a specific time to pick up so that it is convenient for you to have them come by at a certain time and ONLY at that certain time. I have done this several times.
Most Stalkers and Killers don't hang out on ebay and bid on auctions, so there is not too much to worry about.
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Meya
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posted on February 2, 2001 05:08:09 AM new
There are quite a few reasons why you should probably not allow a buyer to come to your home. One of the biggest is the liability issue. Unless you have a storefront, you don't have the necessary insurance in case a "customer" is hurt on your property. In this sue happy day and age, I wouldn't risk it for that reason alone. There could be local or state zoning laws concerning "customers" coming to your house as well.
Of course the obvious personal safety issues need to be considered as well. While it is not highly likely, someone could conceivably "case" your home, especially if you are a known seller of antiques or the like. It's better to be safe, and perhaps overly cautious, than sorry.
I'm not paranoid, but I do read the paper and watch the news.
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retrolink
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posted on February 2, 2001 05:37:05 AM new
the one time I did it the woman had a arguement with me because I made her pay 60 cents worth of sales tax. Just do not do it unless its a large piece of furniture or something. Everyone is nuts out there trust me I have a brick and morter store and a week ago someone threatened to kill me because her order was delayed. Just do not let them come to your house and thats it!
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mballai
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posted on February 2, 2001 06:02:53 AM new
I had someone ask for this recently-my answer was no--it was not a big or expensive item.
I personally have no problem if someone were to pick up something costly. I used to do that when I sold things in the classifieds. However I absolutely do not recommend this to any women.
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mayfair
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posted on February 2, 2001 06:14:51 AM new
I don't allow ebay buyers to come to my home, but I have met them at the post office. I've done this 3 times (if I recall correctly) and it's been no problem.
I have to go to the post office anyway so I don't find it that much of an inconvenience.
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lovepotions
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posted on February 2, 2001 06:16:10 AM new
It depends on what you are selling. If it is a book....then that is just weird.
I once sold a queensize mattress set on Ebay.
Yeah right was I going to pay UPS to ship it. In my add it limited buyers to x amount of miles from my home. I delivered it personally.
I once sold an oak daybed to a lady who happened to live in my town. She wanted to come over to look at it before she paid. That is pretty reasonable in my opinion because it would be unreasonable to expect someone to pay 100's of dollars for a piece furniture based on a picture on an auction site.
That is why ebay set up regional auctions for larger stuff.
http://www.lovepotions.net
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jrb3
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posted on February 2, 2001 07:33:08 AM new
NEVER NEVER NEVER DO THIS
I Live in New Orleans in a popular area of the city and receive this request at least twice a week.
7 of the 10 times I agreed I had problems.
I have had buyers ask to...
*Look around my apartment for stuff they want!
Renegotiate price.
Set appointments for pick up 3 times and still never show.
Not to mention try paying by check when they pick it up.
This is a huge waste of time.
As for safety I'd be very careful, I'm a 25yo male so that was not a concern.
But the nerve some of these people had was insulting at best.
Joe B
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artsnflies
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posted on February 2, 2001 07:39:12 AM new
On our e-commerce web site we've had a few local customers want to come by and pick up the items and in one case ask us to drop it off on the weekend. We strongly discourage it but a sale is a sale.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/artsnflies/
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sharkbaby
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posted on February 2, 2001 07:42:14 AM new
I can't imagine for a minute giving out my home address! I once sold something to a guy who lived in my town & he wanted to pick it up. I have no problem with saving the customer money by not shipping. However, I agreed to meet him at my mailing address, a private mail box place that I work at part time. Everyone was happy and I still had my privacy.
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upriver
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posted on February 2, 2001 08:17:41 AM new
Unless you have your home business properly registered as a legitimate business & set up to see customers in a business style environment, then answer should be NO, NEVER, I JUST DON'T DO THAT.
Easy to meet at some neutral place known to both of you if the bidder is a local person, if you want to do that.
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bigred66
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posted on February 2, 2001 08:43:36 AM new
I for one have had no problem with someone wanting to come to my house to pick up an item. I figure this has happened about 4 times, one of which was with a repeat buyer. Every person that has done this has been a pleasure to meet in person. What I won't do is meet someone at a place that is more convenient for them. They can either pay the shipping or come to my house. It's kind of nice to see who you are doing business with. 
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Greengate
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posted on February 2, 2001 09:10:12 AM new
DO NOT ALLOW BUYERS TO COME TO YOUR HOME.
This is a dangerous practice for all the reason listed above. If you are a women it is even more dangerous. We would all love to feel good about the customers we trade with but there are a few loose cannons out there and it only takes one to create problems. I think if a local customer wants to save shipping you should foot the bill for the delivery unless you own a store front. Also your terms for shipping should be stated in your auction clearly. It will never hurt your business if you act in a business like manner, friendly, with terms of sale consistent with good business practice. Giving out your phone number is another mistake. Try sleeping when the mystery caller rings you at 2 am with his idea of a good time. Try dealing with the drunk who calls you six times in one day. And if you don't want to be caught in your bathrobe at 6am Sunday morning by a friendly stranger looking to see if you have another widget like the one you sold last week, then keep your phone and address private, conduct your business by email or surface mail. Consider the internet your store front and conduct your business through the store front.
If you are looking to make friends there are other venues to do that in and other ways to make contacts.
I speak from 25 years of experience dealing with sales and customers. It is no reflection on you if you use the words "SORRY, NO".
Greengate
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godzillatemple
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posted on February 2, 2001 09:32:37 AM new
Well, I have been asked this twice as a seller. Since I give out my mailing address to my buyers in the first place, I'm sure what I'm risking by having them meet me at my house. Of course, I'm not a "pretty young thing", so I'm not worried about being attacked or anything like that.
The first time somebody asked to pick up an item at my house, we agreed to actually meet at a park a block away from where I live. This was for some used videotapes I was selling, and after we met he asked if I had any other tapes I was thinking of selling. Turnes out I had a few more he was interested in, and we ended up going back to my place anyway so i could sell them to him on the spot.
The second time, the buyer was actually somebody who lived just down the street from me! Again, I figured he would know where I lived anyway if he really wanted to break in, so this time I had him stop by the house. This guy was buying a pocket watch from me, and we ended up chatting about our respective collections for quite awhile. He has since bought a couple additional watches from me, and we have even car-pooled together to a watch convention.
Barry
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The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
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toolhound
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posted on February 2, 2001 09:42:53 AM new
I let 2 bidders come to my house. The first showed up with a check and I do not even take checks. The second was more interested in where I buy my items than picking up what he had purchased.
Now if they want to pick up an item I have them meet me at a local flea market. I sell there on the weekends and have sold everyone that has met me there at least 1 extra item. I also tell them up front Cash Only.
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nickyb
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posted on February 2, 2001 10:17:05 AM new
I have had 3 local people want to pick up items at my home. 2 of them I delivered the items to their homes when I was in the neighborhood, the third turned out to be an old friend that I had not seen in years. He came by, picked up his stuff, and we had a nice chat. Saved them all quite a bit in postage. I don't really like people I don't know coming by my house, for one reason, my house is always such a mess.
Nick, the damdude
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wbbell
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posted on February 2, 2001 10:43:15 AM new
This is a sticky issue to me. Honestly, they do have my home address (in the EOA email) and we're also in the phone book. So if they were psycho/stalkers, it's not like we've successfully hidden from them.
I have had a few people come to my house with no problems. Then I started feeling really weird about it and I can't really put my finger on why. I guess after reading all the stories about internet chat room meeting turning horrible when they met FTF. Now I tell people I will meet them at the post office at 7:00 am during the week (which is when I go by there). No one's yet taken me up on this offer.
What I've never understood are the ones who live 30+ miles away but want to make the drive to my house to save that 3 dollars in postage!!
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gravid
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posted on February 2, 2001 10:46:24 AM new
Never. I will deliver in my metro area if it is a fair sized amount of money.
Maybe eBay is not a place where criminals hang out but you can have that one in ten thousand who is a nut. They may be casing the place to come back and rip you off. They may flap their mouth and someone else do it.
Once you have had a home invasion your attitude will change.
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HJW
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posted on February 2, 2001 12:07:56 PM new
Somebody mentioned that picking up a book
might be weird...Well, I just had a book
picked up.
It seemed a little awkward. I'm not used to doing business in my home. I invited the
fellow in and then he stood there talking
about Ebay. I wondered if I should ask him
to have a seat or a cup of coffee.
To make a long story short, I prefer to
send a package!
Helen
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quickdraw29
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posted on February 2, 2001 04:42:50 PM new
I've had someone come to my home once, and another time the person went to my wife's place of work to pick up the item. But I think it's bad practice to mix your private life with business. Also, as much as possible I try to avoid it because they're trying to save a couple bucks and it would cost me in more time and energy to make this happen, like when a lady wanted me to drive across town to bring the item to her work. That would cost me a few bucks just on gas.
One guy (who had high FB) wanted to get together to meet, and I said no I don't do that. He ended up never paying, I neg'd him, he neg'd me. Next time I will tell the person it'll be five bucks extra for meet & pick up.
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vinniegambini
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posted on February 2, 2001 05:52:54 PM new
I actually met someone from e-bay at a Metro station near me where there were tons of people around. I had cash and the the seller had the items. It took 10 minutes and everything tuned out perfect.
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bluepaloma
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posted on February 2, 2001 06:07:01 PM new
With the volume I do (300-400 pieces/week), I handle everything the same and that means USPS. I can't conceive of having someone "come over" and pick up something. My schedule is very tight when I'm working and when I'm not working, I'M NOT WORKING!
I get this request once or twice a week and kindly respond that I just simply can't work it into my schedule.
But get this, last week a buyer emails saying he lives in the area etc. and I send him my stock response. I don't get an email back from him. About a half hour later, I'm getting out of the shower and getting ready to go to the post office when I hear a knock at the door. It's the buyer! I just told him (without opening the door) that I was dripping wet and running to the post office and that what he did was very uncool.
Some people...
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oranthal
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posted on February 2, 2001 06:33:22 PM new
[ edited by oranthal on Feb 2, 2001 06:38 PM ]
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oranthal
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posted on February 2, 2001 06:33:23 PM new
I've had buyers of large heavy electronic items meet me in public places to save the shipping charge. The way I look at it, it saves me the hassle of packing it up and the chance that the USPS might break the item. I also never go alone and have my partner stake out the location, find a concealed location, and digitally video tape the transaction.
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marlenedz
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posted on February 2, 2001 07:13:04 PM new
I let two people come and pick up books. I just left it in the door and they left me money.
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amy
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posted on February 2, 2001 07:58:35 PM new
I have had about 10 customers pick up their items at my home...I don't mind it at all. Last one ended up buying more once she got to my house.
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sharkbaby
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posted on February 2, 2001 09:53:10 PM new
oranthal: You are certainly prepared! Very impressive!
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taz8057
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posted on February 2, 2001 09:59:47 PM new
Why worry about people coming to your house. It is not so bad.
The only bad thing is that blinking banner for "FREE AIRLINE TICKETS" tonight. I hate that ad. I can't stand the blinking.
-Trey
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brigette
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posted on February 2, 2001 11:15:46 PM new
My suggestion would be to spend the extra money and get a PO Box. This way the buyer will not know your exact location or exactly how close you live to them. If they live near your post office and would like to meet you there, then I would tell then that your PO is near your husbands and/or your job and it is easier to have your mail delivered closer to your work than it is to your local PO Office since your local post office is in the opposite direction.
What I am saying if someone sees they have the same local Post Office as you. They may assume you are near by and still may push to come by and pick it up. That's when I would tell them that PO is actually near your job or your husbands and not in your hometown and you pick up your mail after you get off work as that PO is closer and more convenient than the one in your own local town.
but then again a simple "no" would be easier and that it is not wise to meet people that you do not know and ask them if they would let a person come to their house if a seller wanted to pick it up. (my guess is that they would say "no" also.)
If they live close by... mail the item 1st class or parcel post.
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