posted on January 5, 2003 10:18:52 AM new
I received a message through "ask seller a question" last night. The id looked familiar. So I checked my emails from a few weeks ago and it was the same person who emailed me during the holidays about a certain toy I was selling at the time. The SAME toy I relisted. Must not have a life. This person emailed me for days with questions on the item, ending with "Gee, I live close to you. Where did you buy this?"
Last night's email was asking if I took personal checks. I replied very early in the evening that I did not take personal checks. 5 minutes before the auction closed, I see a bid by this same person on the auction and an email from this person waiting me saying that the child just bid on the item and can I make an exception and take the personal check. I immediately canceled the bid and blacklisted this person and then replied that I do NOT take personal checks and had canceled their bid so there was no need to worry .
Problem avoided by being infront of the computer JUST before the auction ended WHEW!!
posted on January 5, 2003 11:01:24 AM new
Now you just have to hope that the bidder won't use or create another ID and mess with your auctions. They're not all Gomer Pyle types of bidders.
posted on January 5, 2003 11:05:56 AM new
It does pay to watch as the auctions close. I was interested in an item, but no shipping info was provided. Sent the seller a message asking for a quote on shipping. 2 days later, still no response, so I sent another message stating "I would like to bid on this item, but will not until I receive a price on shipping".
Finally a day later get a response. Shipping no more than $10.00.
So I bid on the item, last night, 30 minites before the auction closed I get another email from the seller. Shipping on this item by USPS will be $30.00 plus a $5.00 packaging fee.
WHAT?
Sent a reply, in your first email you state shipping to be >$10.00.
Now you say it will be $35.00. No way. Your TOS did not state there would be an additional packaging fee.
If I do not receive a response within the next 5 minutes, I will cancel my bid.
No response within 5 minutes, so I cancel my bid.
This was a new seller of less than 1 month & I guess they thought they could pull a fast one.
posted on January 5, 2003 11:22:06 AM new
Good Job Paloma. You get the star for the day. I have decided even if I want an item and there is no S/H charge in the TOS I will not bid. Ebay is big enough that someone will put the same item on again so I can wait. I would not give the time of the day to someone who won't list everything in their auction. Yks with a shipping charge and packaging charge like that it must have been a car....Does USPS even have those expensive shipping charges? Cleaned my eBay room yesterday and now I can't find the USPS information.
Since bear canceled the bid, bear couldn't leave any feedback.
I don't think the seller was pulling a fast one. Maybe, but I would think the seller would have waited until after the auction ended then emailed the higher shipping cost.
It may have been a "correction" email lacking communication in that respect.
posted on January 5, 2003 05:26:54 PM new
I don't think the seller was pulling a fast since they were new. When the seller gave the $10 quote it may have been a bad wild guess. It was good that bear1949 retracted their bid in time. Any time you bid from a new seller you must be extra careful, especially with shippng quotes. Bear1949 was extra careful and the caution paid off.
Neither seller or bidder can leave a feedback when a bidder retracts a bid.
posted on January 5, 2003 05:31:23 PM new
Libra63 "I have decided even if I want an item and there is no S/H charge in the TOS I will not bid."
Shipping seems to be the most difficult part of Ebay. Our items are usually one of a kind and will range from 1 pound to 20+. Some are more breakable than others and require double boxing. Than if it is 1-2 pounds, USPS is fine, unless they want insurance. I have been USPS'ing on line so I won't have to wait in lines. Then if they want insurance, I sometimes self insure ($50 or less items).
Prepackage and they want more pics of this or that.
How about some ideas. If item weighs a pound , add a pound for box and padding. It it weighs 3-5 pounds, add 2.
posted on January 5, 2003 05:50:20 PM new
I have seen so many sellers make horrible s/h mistakes with very lightweight items.
If an auction item weighs under one pound with packaging it can go anywhere in the US via First Class Mail at a small rate or Priority Mail at the same rate. There is no reason to put a very stupid sounding "shipping price depends on your zip code" clause for these items. I realise that the clause is probably used for every item they sell but make two shipping TOS's .. one for lightweight items and one for items over a pound.
I see many items that are selling very inexpensive and very lightweight and the seller says "$3.95 for Priority Mail". Why? It can go First Class Mail for a few cents in a super inexpensive bubble mailer? Is the stupid free PM box worth losing sales because the s/h is $2 higher than it has to be?
posted on January 5, 2003 06:23:01 PM new
I got tired of the how much is shipping e mails for a certain thing I sell many of so
I state right in the auction the total. (I don't ask them if they want insurance or how they want it,,it's one way, the cheapest,UPS. (some idiots selling the same thing say post office,,,,the post office rate is the same as the price of the thing they bought.
Anyway,,,, other point is,,,,,where do you get a crytal ball for the other things you sell one of? Who knows where in the world it will end up? I sure as heck don't and I mention nothing of the cost in the auction....I get minimal,,,,, How much is shipping e mails and send it for a fair rate once I do know their address....Sometimes I send them the post office rate and the ups rate. their choice. I ask them or tell them of no other options. I just do it! pp. dc. priority,(which I never! use any more)If it will break I figure in the insurance if it won't D.C. is good enough,it protects ME!
Why break all that postage down to them as we have seen here at a/w it just leads to problems....Send them the rate,,If they don't like it, ask them how they want it sent cheaper.....I ain't dropping off any insurance or d.c. NO WAY!!! No one has ever ask me to because I never broke it down...ups is $6.95,,,,,,postal people want $10.62.......Which one and send the total. Thanks...
posted on January 5, 2003 07:21:09 PM new
I was wondering about that too. Maybe she got the seller to cancel her bid for her since she couldn't retract the bid in the last 12 hours.
