posted on January 2, 2003 03:19:00 PM new
OK, I goofed.
In OCTOBER I had 2 auctions end for 1 bidder. They paid me, I sent in that was beginning of November. 2 weeks later, I get an email telling me I sent 1 wrong item. YIKES, I goofed. I am in the USA and the customer is in Canada.
OK, I asked, how much in postage to return it. He told me to pay him what he had to pay me ($10 total). I told him that he paid for 2 items to be sent not one. I told him I would pay no more then $5 to return it.
Ok now 6 weeks since the auction closed he emails to say he sent it back. I need to PayPal him $11.45. ABSOLUTLEY NOT!!! I asked several time exact postage, I also told him I would not pay more then $5 US funds.
I would have told him to keep it, or donate it if it cost more then $5 to return.
So, does a 15 oz package ( envelope ) really cost $11.45 the cheapest way to send to USA?
Let me know what you would do in this situtation. The item cost me $3, sold for $10.
posted on January 2, 2003 03:37:40 PM new
I think you are dealing with a currency issue. Canada is 58c on the dollar. Here's a currency exchange web site for the future Candian orders:
If they ship the item back to you they may have to send it through customs and if you are a business it will run you big bucks as it is sent via a customs broker. So I would very strongly suggest that you call this one a loss and ship the correct item.
Making mistakes is part of business. I speak from lots of experience and learned the hard way. Cut your loss and move on to items that give you a better return.
I give my Canadian buyers a bit of a break that I absorb. Everything up there is double what we pay down here and I can still use their business.
posted on January 2, 2003 03:48:31 PM new
Sorry I missed that he already mailed the package. Wait for the package and the cost will be printed on it. He may however used a shipping service so ask him to send you a copy of the shipping bill for your income tax records, look it over and make your decision then.
posted on January 2, 2003 04:00:06 PM new
My two cents.
You are talking American, he is talking Canadian. You shipped the wrong item, so you do need to send the correct one.
At this point you don't know what shipper they used or how it was sent. They may have used the cadillac of shippers while you may have instructed in the Ford Granada style.
Do your part to complete the deal correctly, they get the correct item. Purchase an international money order for the amount in Canadian dollars that they are asking for. It will be quite a bit less than the canadian to american 1 to 1 exchange rate (I think someone said we can buy $1 canadian for .58 american).
Mark whatever loss there is as a business loss. Like you said, oops you messed up. It won't be as bad as you think, but it will be a loss.
As far as 'move on to larger markups' that you were given as advice. It is good advice, but, 200+% MU is a very good markup. If it had cost you $30 and you sold for $100, that same person would probably be applauding you. I just hope you sell a lot of these babies.
posted on January 2, 2003 04:05:39 PM new
I just checked the exchange and he paid you aprox. $15.67 Canadian but it may have been higher on the day of the exchange.
posted on January 2, 2003 04:14:09 PM new
YOU GOOFED BIG TIME!! It is your screw up that is causing the uproar. Swallow your pride, pay him & send him the correct item. Don't blame him, it is part of doing business.
posted on January 2, 2003 10:26:04 PM new
I wouldn't send any money at all until the item arrives, you don't even know if the person really sent it. Seems a bit suspicious to me after all this time.
posted on January 3, 2003 05:34:00 AM new
Look, just because the guy goofed and sent
the wrong item doesn't mean he should have
to pay what appears to be shipping via the
fastest method available. He seemed like
he was willing to cover the shipping, just
using a slower method to reduce his loss.
I had a Canadian buyer who was overcharged
on tariff by the Canadian Government. They
thought my decimal point (.) was a 1 and
charged them for $151.00 instead of $15.00.
The buyer wanted me to pay it. I, of course,
refused (it was around $40.00). Just
because they didn't have the backbone to
fight it when they picked up the package
doesn't mean I'm going to cover them. The
fault was with the tariff agent, not me and
not them. They said they would contact the
tariff department about a refund, and
although I've followed up via e-mail several
times that is, as far as I know, where it
still stands. The buyer told me they would
let me know what happened, but I've still not
heard a word (and it has been months now)...
---
"Cannot say. Saying, I would know. Do not
know, so cannot say". -- Zathras (Babylon 5)
posted on January 3, 2003 05:40:33 AM new
Oh, and on the shipping cost thing... Send
them the $5.00 you told them you would,
along with the correct item. If they can't
follow directions it is their own fault.
Good luck!
---
"Cannot say. Saying, I would know. Do not
know, so cannot say". -- Zathras (Babylon 5)
posted on January 3, 2003 06:31:53 AM new
richierich: You normally seem like a reasonable person so I'm perplexed by this scenario. There's some game-playing going on here and it's not pretty.
I do hope you have shipped him the correct item. Withholding it would be wrong.
There's a lesson here: Don't expect your customers to fix your screwups. I sent a necklace to the wrong customer during the Christmas rush. She never contacted me to say either "Thanks" for this additional piece of jewelry or "You sent me this by mistake". While I'm disappointed, she is certainly well within her rights to keep the piece without saying a word.
posted on January 3, 2003 07:58:54 AM new
It would not cost your bidder this much to sent the item back. There would also be no custom problem with something this low. [dollar amount]
$11.45? Sounds more like they want to recoup the entire shipping cost from your end. Sent them the correct item and write off the other one and be done with it.
posted on January 3, 2003 08:15:02 AM new
Something trai said reminded me. Oh, yeah, it was the "write off" comment.
Do you folks know you can deduct your merchandise losses on your Schedule C (Profit and Loss from Business)? This of course assumes you are reporting your business activities, but it's usually in your best interests to do so.
