nharmon
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posted on July 25, 2002 12:16:50 PM new
Anybody else ever have a buyer just want to stop over to your house and pick up the item they have just won to save on postage?
I had a request for that this morning again- ugh!! The one and only time I ever let someone come over to pick up an item was about two years ago and the buyer was so creepy that I swore I would never let a buyer do that again. What does everyone else think about a buyer picking up item at your house to save on postage. By the way I mostly sell clothes so the buyer is only trying to avoid paying on average $5.00 or less per item.
[ edited by nharmon on Jul 25, 2002 12:18 PM ]
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profe51
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posted on July 25, 2002 12:23:33 PM new
I sold a saddle to some buyers who live about 100 miles from here, and they came and picked it up..it would have cost them about 50 dollars in shipping, not really a big deal as they paid almost 1500 for the saddle....they just wanted to get away for a day and thought it would be fun....nice folks too, we email frequently to this day...if I bought something that was close by I'd want to go get it too...I guess you'd have to have a feel for the individual buyer before you let them come to your place....
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profe51
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posted on July 25, 2002 12:24:29 PM new
oops!
[ edited by profe51 on Jul 25, 2002 12:25 PM ]
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Linda_K
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posted on July 25, 2002 12:36:57 PM new
When we lived in CA we had maybe three buyers who asked to do this.
We just made arrangements to meet them at a mutually agreed upon location.
Many have discussed this on the ebay outlook and had good experiences. Some said they were fearful for many different reasons of doing so.
[ edited by Linda_K on Jul 25, 2002 12:38 PM ]
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Dejapooh
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posted on July 25, 2002 12:41:52 PM new
Nothing is more bothersome to me then to waste money. It doesn't matter to me if I spent $1000 on something. If they are 5 miles away, it bothers me if we can not meet to trade cash for item to save the $5 postage and the time waiting for my money to arrive and the item to be shipped.
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bkmunroe
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posted on July 25, 2002 02:36:18 PM new
Dejapooh, I can understand what's in it for the buyer, but what's in it for the seller?
If I sell an item to you and charge you $5 S&H, you save $5 if we meet somewhere, but what's in it for me?
Depending on how far we are from each other, I might spend 20-30 minutes travelling roundtrip. If you're late then I waste time waiting for you. I use a buck or two worth of gas. I lose the freedom to change plans. For example, if a friend drops by I can go to the post office later, but if I've agreed to meet you, I can't change plans. My S&H covers the cost of postage and packing supplies and is rounded up to the next dollar, so my actual cost to ship your item might be $4.50 and I'd make an extra 50c profit on the S&H.
So, by meeting you. I incur the following costs.
20-30 minutes of my time. Even based on minimum wage that's about $3.
A buck or two worth of gas.
50c in profit from the $5 S&H.
So, it ends up costing me $5 to save you $5. Certainly not a good deal for me.
The only way I'd agree to meet someone is if the item would be hard to pack or ship.
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Dejapooh
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posted on July 25, 2002 02:52:30 PM new
As a buyer, I have never met someone I was buying from. It never made sense. As a seller I've done it maybe 5 or 10 times. Each time the buyer ended up buying more (my stock travels very easy), and they usually will trade duplicates so that I have great diversity, That leads to more sales. I usually meet them at an El Pollo Loco near my house. I take my wife and kids and we have dinner. If they show up, we sit at another table and do business. If they do not show up (it has never happened), I ask them to mail money. I don't see how I lose in the deal.
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gravid
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posted on July 25, 2002 03:30:47 PM new
We live in condos and the board would freak if we had customers in. We experienced a home invasion once and don't know what for sure made us a target but have no desire to repeat it. These guys did not CARE that we were home. They were armed and obviously willing to get rough. I load my own 12 ga. shells with brazing rod that has been cut in short lengths with the ends left in a sharp chisel. If you let loose with one of those in the house by the time you replace the drywall - the carpet - the entry door - windows and kitchen cupboards and lighting fixtures you would be ahead to throw the door open and say take what you want boys....
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nharmon
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posted on July 25, 2002 07:59:19 PM new
the guy from this morning who just wants to stop by to pick up his item and save about $5.00 in shipping lives 6 hours away!!!
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gravid
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posted on July 26, 2002 03:26:35 AM new
Maybe he used the company car?
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Helenjw
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posted on July 26, 2002 05:59:06 AM new
It is inappropriate and inconsiderate for a stranger to invite themselves to your home and expect you to waste your time, energy and money to save a few dollars.
Maybe they would like to stay for lunch also. 
Helen
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Dejapooh
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posted on July 26, 2002 07:50:57 AM new
Meet at a returant (or a parking lot). I would not have a first time customer to my house... I have invited several people I have been doing business with for years over...
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clarksville
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posted on July 26, 2002 09:26:44 AM new
6 hour drive to save $5? Sounds fishy.
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Dejapooh
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posted on July 26, 2002 12:37:27 PM new
not really. I had someone who was driving by on vacation...
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nharmon
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posted on July 26, 2002 01:53:29 PM new
I live way out in the sticks. We have no street address or 911 address out here. If we want to give someone directions to our house we live 7 miles away from the nearest town with nothing between us and town but a couple of houses and lots of trees. This buyer wants to drive like 6 hours to my house and it just sounds crazy to me that he wants to drive all this way to save a couple of bucks on shipping. Unless his car runs on love the gas alone would cost more than that. I don't live along any major highways so this is not on anyones way to any vacation.
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askdaruma
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posted on July 27, 2002 05:32:36 AM new
trust your intuition or sixth sense,if you dont want anyone to come to your home,then JUST SAY NO.
meet them somewhere if they are so desperate to save money.
can they meet mr sears and mr roebuck at their homes to pick up an item sans sales tax??
how about just say if you want to come to my home,then i have to charge you sales tax?
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zoomin
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posted on July 28, 2002 05:16:29 AM new
in today's mail:
I live in Ft LAud & have 3 daughters & a wife that wear the stuff you sell. Is it possible for them to see/try on at your place & buy instead of ordering on ebay and hoping they fit??]]
Sure, I'll just merchandise my office to look like a store, sell my kids bedroom furniture so you have a fitting room, and my four dogs will dress in french maid uniforms and serve your fine family tea & crumpets. Let me build a lot for you to park in and open a food court in my backyard in case you get hungry. Then I'll have to put up a nice neon sign so you can find my place.
What time will you be by?
I have nothing better to do so I'll just wait.
I don't think I can sell for as low as I do on eBay, though, so please be sure that they bring several thousand of their friends who also wear my stuff. Advise them to bring cash and plan on bidding high.
OTOH, mebbe you should just have your 'girls' go to the mall and try the stuff on there ~ you'd pass three of them on your way to my house, anyway.
*sigh*
edited for grumpie grammer & lowzy spelink
[ edited by zoomin on Jul 28, 2002 11:54 AM ]
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Helenjw
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posted on July 28, 2002 05:44:02 AM new
zoomin
Well, I hope you have floor to ceiling mirrors in your dressing room!
LOL!
Helen
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zoomin
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posted on July 28, 2002 11:52:19 AM new
helen
how about a bedroom with mirrored walls and ceilings?
I always wanted one of those
(only if the mirrors lie, though!)
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Helenjw
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posted on July 28, 2002 01:29:44 PM new
zoomin
You are too young to worry about mirrors.
But I'm noticing that those darn mirrors distort...like through Alice's looking glass, but yet not as badly as some people's photos...if you know what I mean... LOL!
Just say, Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who do you love the best of all?
And the answer is of course, YOU!
LOL!
Just don't let the Ebay customers into the fitting room if they are so ugly that they will break the mirror. That, you have to be careful about.
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zoomin
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posted on July 28, 2002 02:14:05 PM new
You are too young to worry about mirrors.
But Helen, cellulite has no age requirements!
PIMP about the broken mirrors!
Would it be 7 years bad luck for them or for me?
I deal in reality too much to have people ask my opinions.
Just imagine:
But how does it really look on me?
my laughter would have given me away before they had the chance to ask!
Sorry if I strayed the thread!
back to the direct topic:
I have no interest in having people know where I live or the restaurants I frequent, for that matter.
I work on my time, no one else's.
I work in my mess & clean my space for no one!
I hate putting on grown up clothes, doing my hair & having to wear makeup.
I work in sweats at my computer, hair in a ponytail, no lipstick, no shoes.
god how I hate pantyhose and hair spray!
Not exactly the way one needs to look to sell high end fashion!
guess that's why I love eBay!
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tinkers
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posted on July 28, 2002 02:22:48 PM new
Simple if you dont want to have people coming to your house, reply something like this. " Thanks for your inquiry to pick item up , but unfortunately it would not be convenient at this time " etc etc. Personally I dont have a problem with someone picking up their goods, but I do understand your fear.
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zoomin
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posted on July 28, 2002 02:25:22 PM new
hi tinkers!
major fear factor episode.
Have you ever hand washed all of your pantyhose in the bathtub?
Very Scary sight!
Looks like a bunch of nesting snakes.
ick!
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tinkers
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posted on July 28, 2002 03:18:27 PM new
LOL Zoomin. If I were to wash pantyhose I would be in BIG trouble . My claws would make a mess of them. Meow
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