posted on January 21, 2004 05:49:37 PM new
Buyer bids and wins an item. Buyer is in Ohio, I'm in California. Auction description states 3# priority shipping and invites bidders to click on postal site for info on how much shipping would cost.
I send EOA with shipping costs ($8.55 priority, no handling fee). Buyer's e-mail is down for 3 days, finally contacts me. "Is there a way to lower the cost of shipping? I'd rather pay five bucks and have it take 4 - 5 weeks."
Well, no! Parcel post is $6.32 but I would require $1.30 insurance in that case, so her total would be less than a dollar off the priority shipping cost. I tell her the news, offer parcel post with the insurance, and I also tell her there's no such thing as $5 and 4 - 5 weeks from Calif. to Ohio. Waiting to hear her reply.
I have a hunch I'm going to have more problems with this gal. I just want some sympathy for dealing with yet another buyer who doesn't read the description.
___________________________________
"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 21, 2004 06:01:11 PM newI just want some sympathy for dealing with yet another buyer who doesn't read the description.
O.K. you got mine. One just has to love these bidders who want to negotiate shipping costs after the fact.
Its going to get worse with time if you think its bad now.
posted on January 21, 2004 06:04:12 PM new
You definitely have my sympathy...all this time I thought I was getting all these bidders! What REALLY gets me is they act like they have all the power after they win because they THINK they have the leverage of feedback on their side - think again!
__________________________________
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to the people who sleep under the very blanket of freedom I provide, and then question the manner in which I provide it. I'd rather you just said 'thank you' and went on your way." - A Few Good Men
posted on January 21, 2004 06:44:32 PM new
Hi all,
Adele, my sympathies are hereby offered on a silver platter alongside a nice bottle of Two-Buck-Chuck Chardonnay. No, make that Kendall-Jackson!
Seriously, there's no way I know of to send a 3# package that far. Even my fave, FedEx, would be around $6.50. Which would include insurance but still more than your cheapskate wants to pay.
Lucy
P.S. I'm still waiting on my email-non-reading bidder. She's got until midnight plus about 3 minutes and the NPB starts.
I grow old...I grow old...I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. T.S. Eliot
posted on January 21, 2004 08:30:01 PM new
That's why I charge a flat rate shipping based on zone 8 and handling fee. Most of my bidders end up being zone 8 anyway. I no longer put in the auction that items are shipped via priority. It goes Priority, UPS or Parcel depending on the weight, zone and funds collected.
I have only had one NPB moron try to negotiate shipping in the last year.Not bad!
posted on January 21, 2004 09:43:52 PM new
Well, here's the latest. My hunch that she'd be more trouble was correct.
"i am pretty sure that anything with a value of less than $50 comes with
insurance...
please check."
I think I'll ask her to send an e-mail absolving me of any damage to the package if it goes parcel post. Any problems you see with that, my pals?
Sparkz and penguin--you've given me a good laugh tonight.
I hate to sound whiny here! I've had worse buyers, but I haven't had a clueless one like this for quite a while. You all are very comforting.
___________________________________
"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 21, 2004 09:52:43 PM new
You guys have more experience than I, but I have to agree with giftsforall. I tried the "calculate your rate" option for a short period, but it doesn't hold a candle to setting a flat rate based on weight.
We predominantly via USPS Priority mail - and items weigh in at either 8 oz. through to about 4 pounds.
Now, there have been occasions when we've sold items to someone close by and instead of costing my projected $5-6 it only runs $3.90 for a couple of pounds to a neighboring state.... That's why I use Endicia.
Now, we've only had about 300 or so transactions in the last year, but (knock on wood), we haven't had complaints about shipping costs being to high. And, there have been occasions where the shipping cost was very close to the cost of the item they bought - and still no complaint.
We have had about 2-3 non-paying bidders. One right now that just doesn't respond to any communication from us, eBay - Invoices, or another e-mail account. But they're rare - thankfully.
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
posted on January 21, 2004 10:19:50 PM new
You make me feel like a harda$$.
A lady did not bother to update her address on ebay, her checks or eoa notice.
Sooo when the package came back, I made her send me $3 more bux to send it out again. Flat fee.
She gave me a pos!
LOL
~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~
All the monkeys aren't in the zoo,
Every day you meet quite a few,
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are,
You could be swingin' on a star
posted on January 21, 2004 10:20:44 PM new
Roadsmith...You're just going to have to send her an email with options for shipping such as priority and parcel post. I wouldn't mention FedEx Ground as it probably would be prohibitive for you to go to a full service FedEx counter to ship it. Quote her the rates available for shipping from Idlewilde and let her choose. You might want to consider a "mutual agreement" to not complete the transaction instead of having a prolonged hassle with her and recoup your fees and relist it. Remember, it's not very sporting to have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on January 21, 2004 10:31:41 PM new
Sparkz: I've already sent her the options (which did not include Fedex). She says she's "arranged for a transfer of funds from PayPal, which should take 3-4 days" (!), so now I'll see how much she chooses to pay for her shipping. If it's less than what I've requested, I'm going to refund her Paypal and then decide whether to scratch the whole thing or start over with her. (She's a student nurse! Gosh forbid that I should ever be one of her patients.)
___________________________________
"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 22, 2004 04:39:40 AM new
roadsmith
They're coming out of the woodwork it seems! I have sent things overseas for cheaper than it costs to send it here.
While we're on the subject of interesting buyers. . . I finally heard from my NPB after two weeks. Here's the email I got. I need opinions.
I sent this letter to all my open accounts on ebay. Did you receive it?
My bank notified me this morning (January 12, 2004) that a merchant had been robbed and its computer server was stolen. The server contains password protection, credit card names, numbers and expiration dates for all the customers who had done business with that merchant over the past 12 months. This affected over 18,000 customers with my bank. The bank has put a hold on all of those accounts and notified their customers to close their accounts and order new credit cards with new numbers. I, unfortunately, was one of the people who had done business with that merchant, and my credit card account has been compromised. Because of the large number of accounts affected with my bank, it will take approximately 10-20 days for a new credit card number to be issued.
Please let me know how you would like me to handle my e-bay payment to you. I can send a personal check which will possibly take 7-14 days to clear your bank, or I can send payment through Pay Pal as soon as I get a new credit card number. I have full intentions to honor my agreement with you on E-bay. Please notify me as to how you would like to handle payment.
You may verify this information by calling xxxxxx Bank at xxxxxxxxx and ask for their credit card department.
Well, my response was that I don't buy any of it. Since the auction ended, she has paid for other auctions using Paypal. You can use your bank account to pay with Paypal. The dollar amount was under $10. My response to her first paragraph was: No, I didn't get it. Did you get the 5 Emails I sent you? How come it is you get the one that has NPBA FILED plastered in the subject line?
NPBA was filed and on the 26th, I'm filing to get my fees back. The earrings are no longer available so what kind of feedback do you think I should leave? I tempted to leave none at all and letting it go with the FVF filing. I know of at least two other sellers who are doing the same thing.
posted on January 22, 2004 10:01:54 AM new
Cheryl...Don't buy a word of it. It takes less than 30 seconds to cancell a credit card account when the card has been stolen, lost or compromised. It takes another 30 seconds for the bank to open another account and transfer the balance into it. A new card is embossed the next business day and mailed out. If it's an urgent matter, they will overnight the card to you. The credit card fraud department is the fastest acting division in any bank.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on January 22, 2004 05:02:33 PM new
Some people think that a big lie will help them more than either the truth or a small lie. This seller sounds like one of them.
Old saying: "So-and-so would rather climb a tree and tell a lie than stand on the ground and tell the truth."
posted on January 24, 2004 09:52:42 AM new
Japerton and giftsforall;
When i gave the wrong address for a shipment, I paid for the reship.
As stingy as I can be, I don't see how you can quarrell with that concept!
When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
I don't see how you can quarrell with that concept!