posted on April 17, 2001 09:30:05 PM new
I just got an e-mail from a buyer who sent me a money order via certified mail. I received it on the 9th. My terms of auctions state I only ship on Saturdays. I just got an e-mail from this buyer saying they did everything I required of them and they still don't have the item. I mailed it from the east coast on the 11th. It is going to California first class. I was told "I have proof you received the money order." I was told if I don't e-mail the buyer within 24 hours, eBay will be notified.
Is it okay to e-mail a seller like that when you pay for first class shipping and don't receive it in one week from them recieving the payment, esp. when it is stated that I only ship on Saturdays?
I gave her the phone number of the post office I mailed from, the number of the transaction, and the name of the mail lady who waited on me (they know me). But a 24 hour time limit to respond to e-mail before I'm turned into Safe Harbor? Give me a break. I have almost 1000 feedback and no negs.
How should I have handled it? I also sent a copy of my reply to this bidder to Safeharbor. Did I do the right thing? I pride myself in customer service, and I'm about to bawl over this. (Just the straw that broke the camel's back this week. My father is not doing well after an amputation, and my mother just had a total knee replacement.)
I know I sound like a deadbeat, but I've been keeping up with my ebay stuff, going to the post office three times a week (the Saturday thing is to cover my behind in case we get a bad snowstorm or other emergency comes up.)
How would YOU have handled it?
By the way, the item was under $10 WITH shipping.
[ edited by jenndiggy1 on Apr 17, 2001 09:32 PM ]
posted on April 17, 2001 09:47:34 PM new
jenndiggy1,
First, I'm terribly sorry to hear about your parent's illness & the emotional toll it has to be taking on your entire family. I hope things will start to look better for all of you soon & that you will be given the strength you need to see you through this family crisis.
Secondly, if you want to bawl, you just bawl away, hon. BUT, do NOT bawl because of this customer. Do not empower her with the ability to take your needed strength away from what matters & that is family.
I would just continue to remain strictly professional & distant when dealing any further with this customer. Treat her like any other customer & ignore the threats & childish behavior on her part.
Heck, if she turns you into SafeHarbor, by the time they respond, the stupid package will most likely already be in her hands!
posted on April 17, 2001 09:50:40 PM new
SHe did NOT want insurance on it, so there is no way for me to prove she got it. Can she get me in trouble with Safeharbor since I can't prove she got the *#(* $8 item?
posted on April 17, 2001 09:52:54 PM new
Too often, someone like this has been burned before on an auction or its their first one.
My advise is to be gentle and simply reassure the buyer.
Remind them of the Saturday ship in your auction terms. Even give them a link to the auction.
Let them know that you are following through with the terms of the auction and thank them for following through with theirs.
Close by clearly stating that you're a reliable seller, as evidenced by your feedback history.
That should stall them from calling the cops for a week!
posted on April 17, 2001 09:55:37 PM new
This person does have under a 10 feedback. I coulnd't believe someone sent a payment via registered mail. That is the first time in my over 1300 sales that someone did that. (I've had it sent priority before but never REGISTERED!)
Mailing on HER end was more than the item itself.
I just don't want a neg as close as I am to 1000 with no negs. (By the way, I have left negs for people, but was lucky enough never to get negged back.)
posted on April 17, 2001 09:55:47 PM new
Sorry to hear about all this, Jenn. The buyer is being rude, in my opinion. You should answer back, though, in unemotional, factual terms.
"I mailed your item on April 11, 2001 from such-and-such P.O. In my experience, first class mail can take longer than 5 business days to go coast-to-coast. The post office will not begin to trace the package until 30 days after mailing, so at this point I am powerless to do anything except suggest that we give it a few more days."
Something like that, anyway. Chances are the item will show up in a day or two. To freak within a week (hey, that rhymes) is unreasonable. Especially since last week a lot of people were mailing in tax returns.
Shake it off, and don't let this person control or affect your emotions during this vulnerable time. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Edited to add: I agree with Ecom & Eventer. They were faster on the reply than I, but what they wrote is right on!
posted on April 17, 2001 09:59:37 PM new
You shipped the item promptly according to your tos.
All the steps you took, except one, were unnecessary, i.e., "I gave her the phone number of the post office I mailed from, the number of the transaction, and the name of the mail lady who waited on me (they know me)." I assume you gave her the tracking "number" or insurance number if over $50 value?
Did you insure, track? If not, I'm smelling possible BF.
posted on April 17, 2001 10:04:52 PM newJendigg1: Your stuck!! It is the sellers responsibility to deliver. You cannot prove she did not get the item; therefore, you must pay up.
When are sellers going to learn that insurance/tracking protects them?
posted on April 17, 2001 10:05:13 PM new
She didn't want to pay for insurance or tracking. The item was under $10, so even had it been insured there wouldn't have been any numbers.
I'm concerned about bad feedback, but mostly that I'll get in trouble with Safe Harbor as they always side with the newbie, at least in my experience.
posted on April 17, 2001 10:07:38 PM new
Doesn't requiring insurance on an item under $10 turn bidders away. Many of my buyers say they buy from me because of my low starting bids and very reasonable shipping rates. I require insurance on some items, but not unless it is over $20.
posted on April 17, 2001 10:08:42 PM new
I understand what you are saying. Tell her there is a customary thirty-day wait for any "lost in the mail claim."
You will have to pay it if doesn't show up. And that will keep you out of trouble with eBay.
Next time use Delivery Confirmation, or be willing to accept the risk.
posted on April 17, 2001 10:10:47 PM new
We sell lots of items under $20. I think the key is not offering insurance but simply quoting it on every auction. We are OK, you should be too.
posted on April 17, 2001 10:11:01 PM new
So I won't get in trouble with ebay over this IF I pay? And can I get in trouble with ebay this soon after shipping?
posted on April 17, 2001 10:13:34 PM new
I'm also mentally picturing the postal worker dropping off the package tommorrow and Miss Rude not telling me and wanting me to pay her for it. Maybe I'm just pessimistic right now, but I'm mentally and physically exhausted -- physically because I'm having to sleep on the floor so I can hear if my mother needs help, and having to get up to help her a couple times a night.
posted on April 17, 2001 10:15:13 PM new
A seller never gets into trouble if they pay. Plus, the person could not file fraud charges with eBay anyway because the bid price was under $25 [I think that's the $]. They certainly would not act in such a short time frame anyway.
posted on April 17, 2001 10:18:05 PM new"I'm also mentally picturing the postal worker dropping off the package tommorrow and Miss Rude not telling me and wanting me to pay her for it."
And that is the worst case senario, you'd have to pay up because it is your responsibility to prove delivery. Just make them pay for it...
posted on April 17, 2001 10:19:00 PM new
Thanks, Morgantown. My experience with Safeharbor has not been very good. At least I can't get in trouble for shipping in two days of recieving payment. Geesh! I think I'm just over-stressed, but I do think this was very rude for the bidder to do. (Why now just ask me when I mailed for crying out loud.)
By the way, I average about 15 auctions a month that end at a final bid of $1, and I hate to require insurance on them. I really feel that would turn bidders away when insurance is more than the item.
posted on April 17, 2001 10:22:32 PM newjenndiggy1
I'm thinking along the same lines as morgantown re: BF...
Payment by RM for a nickel and dime item? I've had lots of buyers stuff cash into an envelope for the 5.00 videos I've sold......I always shipped them PM with DC just to make it look official...*G*
Your options are somewhat limited if the buyer says the item never got there...
If I had your sales record and nothing smelled like fish, I'd just refund the sales price and chalk it up to another lesson at eBay U.....
Could you offer a replacement item if this one is ultimately lost..?
Personally, I wouldn't worry about a shipping related neg...most sellers at your feedback level I deal with on eBay have a few of those in their record..stuff happens...
Good luck and get back to us with an update as necessary...
posted on April 17, 2001 10:24:51 PM new
Jenndigy1:
I commend you for looking after your mom. You are an exceptionally fine person. I'm praying for you both. If I can help you in any way with your auctions, email me at [email protected].
posted on April 17, 2001 10:26:42 PM new
It was an out of print craft pattern, and I'm sure I could never find another identical one. I sell many out of print craft patterns, and most buyers of them are the nicest people you'd ever want to deal with (I got out of the selling mainly Christian items because I hate dealing with people who bid on Christian stuff.) I figure I am for bad feedback, but I guess the registerd mail should have been a tip off I should eat my profits on this item (which weren't much), and pay for priority.
posted on April 18, 2001 12:09:43 AM new
I used to sell Christian stuff, too. But the people who won were notoriously bad payers (not necessarily bad prayers!).
posted on April 18, 2001 01:48:20 AM new
hey there JENNYDIG!!
There are bigger things in life to fret over and this is DEFINETELY not one of them. Come on, 1000!!!!!!!!!! FEEDBACKS with no negs what are you worried about. This person is obviously a little out to lunch and not very experienced in the EBAY community, which by the way I love...ahhh!!
Some of you Ebayer's have been some of the most amazing people I have ever met, if the world was like Ebayer's, it would almost be a perfect world...........HONEST!!
posted on April 18, 2001 03:28:16 AM newjenndiggy: First off, let me say that with your feedback, one little negative isn't going to hurt you much especially if you reply with the facts. I, too, am approaching the 1000 feedback territory (970+ as of this morning) and just recently suffered my very first negative. If I hadn't been reading this boards, I might have felt awful, cried, etc. but I replied with the facts and moved on.
I also sold a craft pattern a while back and just recently received an e-mail from my buyer stating that she never received it. It had been about 6 weeks since I shipped it to her with no insurance and no DC. I very politely told her she was SOL but she might check with her post office. Guess what??? Her post office found it. I ship most items like that in flat, cardboard mailers and I guess it wouldn't fit into her mailbox without folding. Her delivery person didn't want to damage it so they (supposedly) left her one of those yellow slips for pick up. They had been holding it for over a month.
posted on April 18, 2001 06:06:52 AM newGood Morning Jenny!
I hope that you're family had an easier night!
2 cents:
I send everything with DC (on me) for piece of mind. Yes, it cuts into my profits, but it lowers my stress and wacko bidder level.
At my PO, my receipt shows the city and zip code when the package is weighed for postage. If you have that, it may help substantiate that it was shipped and get the bidder to back off from saying she never received it when, in fact, she did. If she didn't get it, it will give her some piece of mind and maybe she will calm down a bit.
This is a very emotional time for you. Sleep deprivation doesn't help. Eat well and take care of the people you love. This bidder matters not. All you can do is your best. You have done that! This buyer is only "harassing" you if you choose to let her. DON'T!!!
My thoughts are with you ~
only ZOOMIN here
posted on April 18, 2001 06:07:04 AM new
And also keep in mind, that even if these buyers (who are obviously in the wrong) go
running to momma eBay to "tell on you", nothing is going to happen.
I've had a couple of complaints supposedly
filed on me recently - both were for cancelling an auction when the payment didn't arrive within 10 days (as stated in my auction). I'm yet to hear from Safeharbor about ANY complaints I've had. So don't worry about it...
[ edited by spyked on Apr 18, 2001 06:07 AM ]
posted on April 18, 2001 08:16:36 AM new
Dont sweat the small stuff. You owe them nothing. They refused insurance, too bad. Some people do jump the gun but take it in stride.
I hope they bid on one of the usps auctions, then they will learn real fast. They will not refund if you fail to buy insurance.
Why would they think that their parcel would show up over night is beyond me. One would think that they have never mailed anything in their life.
They must give it more time. Another good reason not to leave feedback first, they are only brave if they can hold you hostage.
posted on April 18, 2001 02:25:33 PM new
Sounds very similar to an incident I had recently. Buyer bought item (also under $10 incl. first class shipping), did not purchase insurance. Less than a week she's upset about not receiving item. I asked her to wait a couple more days and let me know if she hadn't received it by Saturday. Never heard anything more, then Monday morning woke up to emails from this person - they had turned me over to Safe Harbor and left negative feedback (my first ever in two years, I have over 1400 feedback rating, 1500 counting repeat customers). I was upset this person never even gave me a chance in a transaction that was less than a week! Furthermore, their negative scared a new Ebayer who had had a previous bad experience and when she saw she hadn't received her two similar items she left me two negative feedbacks! There are just some people you can't work with, and even though I tried with the first one, she was nasty and uncooperative. The second person was pleasant and we worked things out - I refunded her money, and she returned it to me when her items did show up a day later. I would have considered refunding the first persons money too, but she was so unreasonable and uncooperative that I didn't. Plus I couldn't trust that she would return my money if she did finally receive the item. You'll have to use your own judgement. I was concerned that the negative feedback would hurt my sales, but I responded to it politely, and found that since I already have a high feedback rating, it didn't seem to affect anything. You too have a high feedback rating, with no prior negatives, so I wouldn't worry about it too much, though it is distressing to see on your ratings. I wanted to never get any, but you occasionally get that difficult customer and it can't be helped. Just try to be polite as possible, and show them you are trying to work with them. Majority of people are understanding and reasonable. I, personally as a seller do not insure a package unless the buyer pays for it, especially on an item under $10. (Occasionally I will for a big dollar item). I feel it's their responsibility and they're aware of the risks they're taking. If they don't pay for insurance then they made the choice to take that risk just to save themselves a buck or two. Also, your PO receipt proves you shipped it. (if you receive the kind of receipt that has thier zip code printed on it.) Happy ebaying, and sorry to hear about your family difficulties, Kaye
posted on April 18, 2001 06:01:39 PM new
if someone doesn't put insurance on the item then put delivery confirmation on it, that way you know they got it. better yet, make them pay for DC if they don't want insurance
