posted on February 24, 2005 05:35:37 AM new
I feel a neg coming quickly here. A buyer who lives about 15 miles from me won an auction and apparently assumed I would have no problem with his request to "meet" at a local mall to deliver his item. He sent me at least 5 emails in the first 24 hours after the auction closed. He hasn't paid yet and won't seem to take NO for an answer to his request. My last email to him basically said he needs to work these issues out with a seller BEFORE the auction ends and repeated that I had sent him an invoice. I even offered him a highly reduced shipping cost from my acutal auction since he is so close. I'm not comfortable with delivery in person and beyond that it is not convenient for me to do so. Anybody else have these kind of issues?
posted on February 24, 2005 05:57:55 AM new
This has appeared in other threads. Do what ever you are most comfortable with. If it was a big heavy expensive item where my profit was high I might consider the meet and I'd bring a couple people with me Otherwise send a note.
Dear Cheapskate,
We are a mail order business and regret that we cannot comply with your request that the item be delivered to the Mall. Payment is expected within 7-10 business days and your item will be promptly shipped.
posted on February 24, 2005 06:09:46 AM new
Someone once bought a postcard from me who lives literally 2 blocks away. I didn't offer to hand deliver and she didn't ask. She paid s/h the same as buyers from Hawaii! You don't have to hand deliver unless it were agreed to before the buyer placed a bid.
**********************************
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy sh@#...what a ride!"
posted on February 24, 2005 06:16:51 AM new
My sister had a customer that wanted her to meet them close. I would just bring a spouse or several friends with you and you should be safe. I put a designer pants on Ebay once and the customer showed up at my door and said he wanted to pay for his pants he won on Ebay. Was I surprized. He paid me and off he left with his pants. So if you go to them in a public place they won't show up at your door.
posted on February 24, 2005 06:21:40 AM new
Just curious, could you tell us the amount of shipping? Why do I have a feeling it is 10.00 or less?
One option,unless you are really afraid to meet this person, is to do this providing they pay for your time, say x times regular shipping charge. They may change their mind.
I personally do not do this. It messes up your daily schedule, whether you have to meet them or allow them to your place. And the one time I did do this, they plunked themselves down for a visit, and seemed to be under the assumption that at this point they could decide whether or not they really wanted the item. Two words: Never Again!
posted on February 24, 2005 06:26:15 AM new
If someone buys something that lives close to my area I meet them at McDonalds on I94. It is about 5 minutes from where I live. I have no problems with that. Many times they are return buyers....
_________________
posted on February 24, 2005 06:56:16 AM new
I whine and moan about standing 10 minutes in line at the post office for customs forms.
How much freaking time are you going to waste emailing back and forth about where to meet, then driving there, standing around waiting and waiting and wondering "is THAT him? Nope. Is THAT him? Nope." over and over until you finally meet up with him and he wants to talk for an eternity too.
And then he could turn out to be a nutcase, which would make all the time invested REALLY enjoyable.
No way.
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Replay Media - The best source for board games, card games and miniatures on the web! http://www.replaymedia.com
posted on February 24, 2005 07:57:36 AM new
may be he has romance on his mind.
But then there was this old man with this expensive watch sold on ebay ,he was murdered at the meeting place.
-sig file -------Life is one big happy 'All You Can Eat' buffet .
posted on February 24, 2005 07:58:53 AM new
trust your instinct.
i had a guy once who bot a book on collecting military insignia and he is middle eastern descent and insisted on coming to my house.
i refused and he never pay for the item.
-sig file -------Life is one big happy 'All You Can Eat' buffet .
posted on February 24, 2005 08:38:12 AM new
I wouldn't do it! Even if you bring friends or a spouse with you, the person can follow you home. No way, no how! They either pay the shipping or get hit with an NPB.
posted on February 24, 2005 09:00:45 AM new
some bidders are so xxxx cheap,they are already saving on sales tax,now they want free delivery.
-sig file -------Life is one big happy 'All You Can Eat' buffet .
posted on February 24, 2005 09:27:33 AM new
i wouldn't meet with a buyer or seller either. here are two stories about it from my experience
a) i bought an item from a lady whose home i could see, up at the corner! i paid via paypal and she said she'd stop by and leave it in my mailbox (not my idea)! about two months later, she managed to walk over to my mailbox one evening and leave it in there.
b) inexperienced ebay seller friend of mine sold an item. he agrees that the buyer can come to his home to pick it up. my seller friend got a business call and had to leave. he leaves his girlfriend in charge of the situation. the buyer shows up and says the item is "not really what i want." he ended up paying half of what he owed, got the item, and was long gone by the time the seller got home.
why put yourself through the headache? ship to them, the same as anyone else.
posted on February 24, 2005 09:33:36 AM new
I sold a book on Amazon and the buyer came to where I used to work to pick it up.
I think where I used to work scared him more than me worrying about a stranger coming to get his item.
This is where Nancy Reagan's advice comes in handy:
Just say no.
+++++
It's easier to watch a camel get stuffed
through the eye of a needle, than watch
a man use heaven to get all his friends rich
posted on February 24, 2005 10:35:56 AM new
Update - I finally got my paypal with another note attached about how I would ship the item so it would arrive in good condition. I agree with the posters above, no way am I taking a chance on meeting some total stranger anywhere. All is well...at least until I get some complaint about how it arrived!
If you list your living room furniture for sale in the newspaper, how else are you going to sell it but to invite them over? If your house is For Sale by Owner, how else are you going to sell it but invite them in? (Of course for obvious reasons, you'd probably want a family member or friend there with you.)
Off the top of my head, I can think of 4 occasions where I've either met them at their house, they've came to my house or I've met them at a local convenience store. When I met a lady at her house to pick up an item I won (with her approval), she invited me in to show off her many collectibles. We had a wonderful visit. When I sold an item to someone whose house I drive by quite often, I offered to drop it off. No skin off my back and he was happy to save a few dollars.
I went to an inside garage sale this last weekend (first one I've been to in a couple of years) and couldn't believe how many times I heard the word "eBay". When I used to sell full-time on eBay years back and hit the garage sales heavy then, you NEVER even breathed the word eBay or else you'd get the evil eye. And forget about negotiating the price. Last weekend when I looked around to see who was saying it, I was shocked to see it was all mixes of people, old and young. People who are your neighbors or who you work with.
That said, I'm just really surprised at the responses here. Obviously this would be on a case-by-case basis. If someone emailed me 5 times within 24 hours, I'd probably be pissed-off enough about it to say NO. But I would never issue an automatic NO if anyone asked if they could pick up or meet someone to get their item. I'm always happy to work with someone if it works with my schedule.
posted on February 24, 2005 11:59:59 AM new
Sorry, dixielou, you were just lucky...women as trusting as you are often known as victims.
Sure, go meet them...how much time do you have to sit there and wait....how much was gas to drive there...did you have something else you could be doing....?
If a buyer can't afford postage they have no business on ebay.
posted on February 24, 2005 12:15:26 PM new
" Even if you bring friends or a spouse with you, the person can follow you home. No way, no how! "
Diane
If your involved with an ebay sale with them they would already have your address wouldn't they, unless you use a po box. If I'm making a nice profit I don't have a problem meeting someone in public somewhere. I've already had 3 buyers come to my house without any problem.
Tony.
In a world without walls or fences who needs Windows and Gates?
posted on February 24, 2005 01:21:55 PM new
2 cents,,,,or even selling your $20,000.00 car! and your even going to LET this perfect stranger DRIVE it!
And when THEY call about your car you will be giving them directions right to your house.
Sold many a car. ONCE! got a call,,,here is my address,,,,it was for a Motorcycle, A real Cop one,,,,next morning,,,,,,GONE!!!!
Called the cops, what did it look like? JUST LIKE YOURS!!!!!
A month later I was called it was found in another city, just the frame...It was found ONE week later...Gee,,,,I wonder if the COPS and the towing Company work Hand in hand,,,,$$$$$$$$$.
posted on February 24, 2005 01:44:19 PM new
"If a buyer can't afford postage they have no business on ebay."
News Flash - There are LOADS of sellers on eBay that say "Pickup Only".
My sister sold her living room furniture on eBay. My brother-in-law purchased their van on eBay. According to this thread, they risked their very lives in doing so!
posted on February 24, 2005 02:55:23 PM new
I don't like to do business out of my house, but I generally don't have a problem dropping it off if it is nearby, or meeting at a business location.
dixielou - I think there is a difference of a casual seller who is selling furniture on ebay, and a professional seller who has a lot of inventory at my house. I don't want to invite people in because I don't want them to invite themselves in when I am not home!
posted on February 24, 2005 04:11:20 PM new
I’m not keen about doing business out of my house either. On the other hand, I’m not ANAL if someone wants to save a few bucks on their purchase by picking it up here or wherever, as long as it also works for me. They also paid in cash, which I requested up front. It was quick, simple and painless.
I've both bought and sold furniture through the newspaper. When someone came in to look at it, my husband was home. Obviously in this situation I didn't have my valuables out in the open. Only a fool would do that.
I own a small rental house that I have to show when it becomes vacant. It's usually just me and them.
Are eBay buyers that much more dangerous? What am I missing here?
However if a seller is foaming-at-the-mouth adamant about not completing the transaction in person, that's certainly their right. It just boggles my mind to read all these posts from people warning of the dire consequences that can happen when transacting in person. I liken it to when my nutty grandmother used to tell me and my sister stories about the boogyman.
posted on February 24, 2005 04:36:43 PM new
sciclone2000 -- Some do use a PO box for safety reasons. I use an address that is totally different from my own (and very secure).
With something like this, I think about the pregnant woman that was in the news. She was selling puppy dogs on ebay. Another woman came to her house to look at the dogs, killed the pregnant woman and stole the baby from inside of her.
I'm sorry, but I wouldn't sell furniture from a newspaper nor would I sell a car that way. Living in Miami has made me very leary of other people. Maybe it's being paranoid, but better paranoid than dead.
posted on February 24, 2005 04:54:09 PM new
Diane, It does depend where you live and were raised. I was born and raised in LA, but live in another area now, and have also lived in a semi-rural Central NY town. I lock my car between going from my house to the car. I am paranoid about robbery, etc., and I have never been robbed. Lots of others have. Where I live now, it is getting worse than it was a generation ago. There was a news report about an early spring meaning more car thefts, and said people should lock their doors, not leave the keys in the car, roll up their windows... duh? Apparently not to some though. I remember back in 1992 when I moved to that NY town, my car had a car alarm. Now, everyone has one, but then you had to get it installed outside the dealership. Nobody there had apparently ever heard of a car alarm, it startled them everytime I set it! My car was never broken into though.
posted on February 24, 2005 05:07:39 PM new
"She was selling puppy dogs on ebay."
I'm from the same state (Missouri) as the deceased pregnant lady you mentioned. According to the various news reports I've seen on tv, they met on some type of Internet forum and eventually met up at dog shows. Even showed a picture of them together at one of those shows. While the victim may have sold on eBay, I've seen nothing in the news placing eBay in this situation.
posted on February 24, 2005 06:15:32 PM new
Dear Loose and Easy Dixielou.....sorry, I haven't seen LOADS of sellers that say pick up only. I don't buy cars and furniture on ebay.
I would say MOST items are shipped.
I don't think it's anal to be careful or to expect your buyers to follow the terms of the auction they AGREED to when they bid.
posted on February 24, 2005 06:25:04 PM new
i've used a p.o. box, ever since one buyer in connecticut told me that he bought the item just so he could have my address. (twilight zone theme song playing here in the background)
posted on February 24, 2005 07:40:16 PM new
Uuuggghhhhhh...I just want this auction transaction to go away! I sent this guy an email saying I would ship Friday and get back to him with shipping details. His reply, "Will you give me any guarentee that it will be "ok"?" (meaning it will arrive in perfect condition) Yeah, right!
If I refund his paypal, what action can I take at Ebay to cancel this transaction? I just see this nightmare getting worse! I've already spent way too much time with this.
posted on February 24, 2005 07:49:32 PM new
Ship with insurance. If is damaged, then he can collect. Don't give in to him. All you can do is guarantee that is was in perfect condition when you shipped it.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
posted on February 24, 2005 08:40:20 PM new
It's YOUR auction. You set the TOS, not the buyer. And especially after the auction ends. This should have been discussed via email BEFORE he bid. If you want to deliver to his front door, or meet him in a dark alley at midnight to exchange the loot for the money, it's your decision to make. If your business plan includes a specific schedule for shipping, stick to it unless his desire to save a couple bucks can somehow be a substantial benefit to you. A case in point would be something extremely difficult to pack and ship, like a coffin (sorry Jack, just had to throw that in ) or a refrigerator. Many sellers have extremely restrictive zoning ordinances or homeowner association rules that cause severe financial consequences if a neighbor complains about you operating a business out of a residence and the traffic it causes when customers come by to pick up their purchases. Whatever you feel comfortable with, it's totally your call. I for one would never agree to meet a customer at a mall or any othet third place location. My time is much to valuable to be spent running around town to make a rendevous with a stranger.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
