posted on November 25, 2004 06:34:24 PM new
I tried an experiment and listed a few items with a starting price of .99. One widget ended with a bid of $5.50 - I think it's worth considerably more than that so obviously I wasn't too happy about it in the first place.
But it was my stupid idea and so when the Canadian winner e-mails me and asks for shipping price. I gave her the exact air letter parcel post price - no extras for handling.
She e-mailed me late last night asking me to ship it in a bag not a box and ship ground not air. In my auctions I ask international bidders to e-mail me for shipping costs before bidding - but she didn't do this and now wants to change everything.
I realized I was a little sensitive about this so I figured I'd take Thanksgiving off before I sent a reply. She just sent me another e-mail complaining that I hadn't answered her first e-mail and given her the new shipping price.
I feel like saying there is no new price. Not to mention it's a holiday -leave me alone!
Anybody got any constructive ideas about how I should respond?
posted on November 25, 2004 07:58:43 PM new
Your bidder should have emailed you first, however...there is a HUGE difference in price between letter and parcel rate. I honestly find it a lot easier to be flexible with bidders, and I don't think this bidder is making an unreasonable request for a $5.50 item, where the difference in price on a 2 pound item is $5.60 for surface letter and $13.25 for air parcel. Put yourself in their place, and go from there!
posted on November 25, 2004 08:17:22 PM new
This item (in a box) weighs more than 4 pounds and the difference is about $1.50. But the difference in time is 4-10 days versus 4 to 6 weeks.
posted on November 25, 2004 08:29:23 PM new
Then it is an easy answer, tell them that at that weight there is a negligible difference in price, so you will be shipping air parcel. Over 4 pounds, and everything is parcel, not letter.
posted on November 26, 2004 12:01:41 AM new
You might also mention that today is a holiday and you were celebrating with your family rather than hovering over your computer.
____________________
"Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter than to feel bitter. A man's venom poisons himself more than his victim." --Charles Buxton
posted on November 26, 2004 03:03:18 AM new
This is why I ship only to the U.S. and even then I get a few people who think they are going to dictate how a widget is shipped. I am dealing with one now that I sent shipping costs for either Priority Mail or Parcel Post (actual cost, no handling even). She emailed me back and said she was choosing UPS and the check was on the way. I don't ship UPS so I can't wait to see what she sent for shipping!!
posted on November 26, 2004 04:07:20 AM new
Great Subject but how about Annoying Seller?
I saw something I've been wanting for a while - Emailed the seller and wanted to know how much shipping was, no reply. I used BIN and figured how bad could it be? I found out! Got a big fat neg this morning from the seller.
The seller is in the UK. This was for a Goebel Yorkie.
Waited 2 days, didn't get an invoice, went in through Ebay and requested one. Seller sent an invoice for the Yorkie.
1 Goebel Yorkkshire Terrier £30.00
Subtotal: £30.00
Shipping and handling via Royal Mail International Signed-for: £15.00
Total: £45.00
ONE DAY LATER SENT:
1 Goebel Yorrkshire Terrier £30.00
Subtotal: £30.00
Shipping and handling via Royal Mail Airmail: £35.00
Total: £65.00
I emailed him and asked why the 2 invoices and they replied that shipping was more. I emailed back and said it can not possibly cost $65.00 to ship this and he said "Pay up or pay my expences, and the cost of a disrupted ebay auction."
I did tell him I was willing to pay up to $38.00 US to ship it. That was based on 7 or more pounds and I do not think it weighs more than that. His quote was for a 25 pound item!
I thought maybe there had just been a mistake somewhere. I was still debating if I wanted it bad enough to pay that when he negged me this morning. So I reported it to Ebay but haven't left him his 1st big fat neg. I wanted to wait until I calmed down so I didn't sound like a big UK twit like he did.
Oh by the way, I have a friend that lives in the UK and I was waiting to hear from her if I could have it shipped there and she could send it to me, bring it to me, or her mom could bring it back when she goes.
Guess I won't get it now - he'd probably stomp on it and put it in the box.
One funny thing I noticed was when I went to pay via PP that it wouldn't give me the option to change my payment method and use my CC. I thought that was odd.
Did I just misread him? Was it $30.00 ($15UK) to ship slow boat and $65.00 ($35.00UK) to ship Airmail? I have no idea.
"It is only with the heart one sees rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint Exupery
posted on November 26, 2004 05:50:00 AM new
Well, I sent an e-mail (a nice one I think). I told her that unfortunately I didn't have any shipping bags and that there wasn't any change in the shipping price. I mentioned that there wasn't much price difference between the two methods and I did tell her that yesterday was
Thanksgiving. I figured it's possible she wasn't aware of that since Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on a different day.
Now, I'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Glassgirl - sorry about your bad experience that's a ridiculous jump in shipping price.
posted on November 26, 2004 09:42:29 AM new
Like pmelcher, I ship only to USA. I had too many problems with shipping to Canada. Just not worth the trouble.
posted on November 26, 2004 02:03:02 PM new
I do alot of International shipping and I quote Air to all of them unless its a heavy item then I will give them a choice.
I don't usually have any problems.
But with a buyer in Bangkok, Thailand I had big problems she wanted to send me what she felt was good, so emails went back and fourth till I finially said, DON'T BUY IT, CANCEL YOU BID. sHIPPING IS WHAT I STATED, THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE.
I'm only making $1.00 over the cost of shipping, for time, material and whatever.
She finially did pay what I wanted but not until I had to get like a crazy person.
This was the first time I had a problem with shipping costs, I will also worked with the buyer, but sometimes there is no way you can.
For USA buyers there is only Priority shipping offered to them unless they request first class on an item that is less then a lb. but I still like sending everything priority and it does state that in my auctions.
posted on November 26, 2004 02:32:48 PM new
I don't usually have problems with international bidders either. I got a bidpay confirmation today for the correct amount on this one, so maybe this is going to turn out ok.
posted on November 26, 2004 03:40:02 PM new
glassgrl -
Those invoices - It looks to me like the 30 pounds is for the Terrier, and the 35 pounds is for the shipping.
You said you were willing to pay up to $38 US for shipping, which equals 20.064 British pounds. His first invoice was for 15 pounds - within your range.
So to meet his re-stated shipping cost of 35 pounds, another 15 British pounds would cost you another $28.40 US.
End result - 35 British pounds equals $66.29 US.
So you're basically in the right ballpark on the shipping cost, though it's not $65. It's actually a little bit higher.
The dollar is very weak right now. But still, the difference between 15 pounds and 35 is quite substantial when translated into dollars.
Spending $66 to ship a $30 item seems a bit much. Perhaps you'd be better off if you just waited for a US seller. Sooner or later, everything and anything shows up on eBay.
With PayPal, not every seller takes credit cards. I don't. I use a personal account, which can accept direct debit/cash transfers only.
But even if someone has a full-fledged business account, I think they can elect not to take credit cards on international transactions. There are different "preferences" they can employ.
posted on November 26, 2004 04:51:44 PM new
I know I know - there's nothing "rare" or "HTF" (hard to find) on Ebay. However I had been looking for this for months and this was the first one I'd seen for under $100.00.
It really worried me when he said there would be NO insurance. Can't you buy insurance in the UK?
He just got me on the wrong day wrong side of the bed when he quoted me one shipping price and the next day a doubled + shipping price and then had the balls to tell me pay up or pay my Ebay expenses.
Still haven't left his very FIRST neg but I will as soon as I think of a good one.
I'm a baaaad girl, I'm afraid I emailed him this morning and said "I mailed payment. Don't you think you should of waited until you received my money order before you negged me? How dare you!" I figured I'd make him sweat a few days over it. I know that wasn't nice....
His side from the get-go was "you should have enquired about shipping before you bid" and when I sent him a copy of the through Ebay email where I did enquire but he didn't bother to respond. When I questioned why he never responded - he totally blew that off and said that it was all my fault. He's swearing up and down that he's not making more than $3.00 off of shipping and that's for his cost of bubble wrap.
I'm still po'd. The auction is still showing up in my PP pay for your auctions so it's not like I'm horribly overdue.
Come on - what's the worst possible thing you can say to a Brit? Give me some good FB to leave. His neg will show up for others to see a LOT longer than the one he left for me.
"It is only with the heart one sees rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint Exupery
