Joe Shmoe Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Man, just after I posted in the last eBay thread about how much I liked eBay & had no problems... I get slammed! My 100% feedback rating has been knocked down to 99.6 now... I am so ticked. Here's the skinny... I sold a book on eBay, buyer bought it and I sent her an invoice with shipping included. The book was pretty heavy from all the photographs in it & not realizing this, I under charged for shipping. We are only talking a few bucks but, the book had sold for less than anticipated so I didn't want to lose any more money on the deal. Instead of shipping it first class like I stated in the ad (I know this sounds bad) I shipped it parcel post, which still cost more than I quoted the buyer. Anyway, I figured a few extra days wouldn't hurt. I emailed the woman right away & told her of the situation, which then she didn't have a problem with. Well, turns out that in inquiring about feedback not left, a few weeks after she emails me and stated she hasn't recieved the item. Right away I thought, must be because of the Parcel Post? I asked my Post Office about it & they said that yes, it could take longer. I emailed the woman back and explained the whole deal again to her but this time she wasn't happy. She explained that if she would have known that the book was going to be shipped "via donkey" she would have gladly paid the extra few bucks. I told her to wait until the end of the month which was only 5 more days & if she hadn't received it by then I would gladly refund her money. I figured that within a few extra days she would receive it & all would be fine, because in close to 200 transactions, I have never had a problem with the PO. Well, now that isn't good enough & she demands her money NOW. She threatened me with contacting eBay & PayPal and the PO for mail fraud. I thought... this woman is out of her mind, she has 2 feedback & one is a neutral for non-paying bidder. I told her once again to wait & I would refund her money in the next few days, thinking the package has to show up soon. By the time I sent that email, she had already left negative feedback & filed a colmplaint with PayPal. I couldn't believe it... I of course had to retaliate & also leave negative feedback. This whole situation really has pissed me off. PayPal has contaced me & says I have up to 7 days to respond to the complaint & then it could take another 14 for them to review it... LOL, looks like she still won't be paid untl the end of the month Hehe. I know this all started because of my mistake in under quoting shipping, but I was communicating with her all along, so something like this would not happen. Now I feel that she probably has received the friggin book and has no intention on letting me know that. I even sent her the shipping receipt as proof that it was shipped... For all future auctions, you can believe I will be using delivery confirmation/with the option of insurance. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4514960545&ssPageName=STRK:MERFB:IID I guess 99.6% is better than 66.9% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 If it was a book you should have shipped it "Media Mail." Even a HUGE book would cost only 4 or 5 dollars and it would take 7 days to get there. 'Parcel Post' can take up to 30 days! And you should ALWAYS ship with "delivery confirmation"--it's less than a dollar. Your buyer is unreasonable in that she said "no problem" at first and then got impatient. But I think you should have cleared it with here BEFORE shipping via Parcel Post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARPRINCE Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 ---------------- On 1/31/2005 3:57:36 AM Joe Shmoe wrote: Well, turns out that in inquiring about feedback not left, a few weeks after she emails me and stated she hasn't recieved the item. Right away I thought, must be because of the Parcel Post? I asked my Post Office about it & they said that yes, it could take longer. I emailed the woman back and explained the whole deal again to her but this time she wasn't happy. She explained that if she would have known that the book was going to be shipped "via donkey" she would have gladly paid the extra few bucks. I told her to wait until the end of the month which was only 5 more days & if she hadn't received it by then I would gladly refund her money. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4514960545&ssPageName=STRK:MERFB:IID I guess 99.6% is better than 66.9% ---------------- I understand where she's coming from and if I (or you) were on her shoes I would probably have done the same (leave you a negative feedback and some more!). Think about for a minute, buyer buys the stuff from you expecting it shipped first class 3-5 days tops. Then has to wait a a couple of more weeks for it then wait some more? That's so ridiculous IMO and she might have thought that you scammed her regardless of your 100% rating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruinsrme Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 This made me laugh by imthman: She couldn't wait 5 more days.... It's apparent who's screwing who here. Sorry to see your perfect rating tarnished. That is only one, I would not worry about it. My money is on she received it and when you asked for more money she went extreme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 A buyer has only 30 days from close of auction to file a complaint with paypal. That maybe a factor, but who knows. I also would have been concerned. DO WHAT YOU SAY IN THE LISTING or expect trouble. Seems like a self inflicted wound to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted January 31, 2005 Author Share Posted January 31, 2005 ARPRINCE... I was the one who initiated the communication every time. Although, like I had stated it was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it, but should I have received negative feedback? NO. I think a neutral would be at the worst. If I were in her shoes, I would not have a problem waiting a few more days, as long as I know it was shipped, I wouldn't have a problem with it. I would probably be a little dissapointed, but I wouldn't leave negative feedback. BRUINSRME... I never asked her for more money, that's where the problem is. I just figured I would save myself the headache of asking her & just ship it parcel post, did I think it would take this long? NO She was fine with everything, as I explained how I screwed up, but she didn't have a problem with it then. Now... it must have been that time of the month or something...because she instantly became irate to say the least. I seriously think that she did receive the book & is just trying to screw me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruinsrme Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Parcel Post: maybe 2 weeks 3 tops. If I was a betting man, my money is the buyer received it. I apologize, thought you said you asked for more money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Joe, Sorry to hear this buyer dinged your feedback. I can hear where you are coming from. Some time back I came to the same conclusion about protecting my interests by requiring delivery confirmation and usually insurance when shipping. It is just too difficult to deal with someone who says they haven't received something. One thing about PayPal I learned once the hard way. I'd been burned by a seller in Canada who kept saying an item had been shipped. There is a 30 day limit on complaints to PayPal. If the buyer waits longer than that, the window for the little help that PayPal actually does offer help is closed by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted February 1, 2005 Author Share Posted February 1, 2005 Well... consider it lesson learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnyholiday Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 ebay should cut a deal ,with the shippers on their shear volume like instrumentexchange.com ,has done with fedex, it's cheaper, an tracked the minute you get it, the drivers tappen it into his portable dodad,then you have 48 hours inspection i'd buy like crazy of ebay if it was set up like http://www.instrumentexchange.com/index.asp ,guitar center owens them, alot of the stuff comes right ,out of their stores ,demos , used stuff , returns ,trade ups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 ---------------- On 2/1/2005 1:44:26 AM Joe Shmoe wrote: Well... consider it lesson learned. ---------------- Yep. true enough. When it comes to Ebay, I'm starting to think like Tom Clancy's character: Mary Pat... "I know I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARPRINCE Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 ---------------- On 2/1/2005 1:44:26 AM Joe Shmoe wrote: Well... consider it lesson learned. ---------------- True - and that's why I always add tracking to anything I sell in eBay because you never know who you'll be dealing with at the other end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 As an "out" in the future, Offer a choice of media mail, parcel post or First Class noting the extra costs. Then, note "Insurance Recommended. If they do pay fro it, get it. Over 75 % of Sellers to whom I pay the extra, don't bother getting it giving them extra profit. But at least you're covered if they don't bother. Lastly note $x.xx added for delivery confirmation. This does not mean that they sign for it, the Postal Carrier signs the date and time delivered to the address. The buyer will see the Delivery Confirmation sticker for proof. If you know this, I am only repeating the obvious. You can respond to her neg. If you have copies of all outgoing emails filtered to a save copy/included sent mail to folder, note date time and a super short notation of statements made for response. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grateful11 Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 My wife and I have a feedback rating of over 1500 and, knock on wood, only one negative. A guy from Puerto Rico bid on an RC Plane kit and won it. I had something like $9.00 flat rate. I almost never tell my exact method of shipping but by now we pretty much know how something is going to go. Anyway I gave him the option of paying something like $27.00 Priority or $12.00 Parcel Post, the thing was in a big long box. He couldn't believe that I could not ship it to him for the same thing Tower Hobbies had been charging, he claimed that they charged $7.00 Flat rate. I told that I was not willing to ship it for that amount because I would lose money on the shipping. In the mean time he decided he would just not pay for it. It sold for like 50 some dollars. I sent him a Non-Paying Bidder Alert and he immediately left a negative and he got one in return. I never felt like I deserved that negative. But people that live in Puerto Rico and other properties of the US think that just becaue it says you'll ship to US Only that means them and they think shipping should be the same to them. We've had this same problem with others but they were willing to pay the difference once I explained that shipping rates are not the same to everyone just because they have a US Zip Code. Anyway the negative hasn't hurt our sells at all. Sometimes I believe people think you're just a pushover if you don't have any negatives and that you will be willing to do absolutely anything to keep that 100% rating. I do what it takes to satisfy a customer but I will only go to a certain point and then that's it. We've shipped items to just about every major country in the world and we know what it takes to make them happy. I father had a successful Heating and Air Conditioning business for over 30 years and I guess it rubbed off on me. A piece of advice: never go up on the shipping cost, if you mess up on the shipping you have listed, bite the bullet and ship it the way you said you were going to. If you over estimate by a mile give them a partial refund on their shipping amount. Here's what he left me: was charging almost $27.00 for an item that costs less than $ 10.00. Reply by ***********: Gave option to pay $12 shipping to Puerto Rico NEVER paid for item leaves me NEG Here's what I left him: Deadbeat in PuertoRico didn't like shipping and refused to pay leaves me neg 1st He never replied back. I have no idea where he came up with the $10 cost. I'm through, Grateful11 One more thing all of our auctions say: "Shipping cost of yada yada yada is to the lower 48 states only anywhere else will be actual." Our larger items are actual to anywhere including the 48 states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandi Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 Well, let me add my latest. I do not have Paypal linked to an account and prefer to pay my money order. I think it makes me think alot harder about how much I spend. WEll in the several years of doing this I have NEVER had a payment lost in the mail, nor have I never NOT gotten a payment. Well payment was mailed on the 27th and has not arrived yet and the seller is screaming, only 12 bucks but I hate to send 12 more. We will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grateful11 Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 Mandi wrote: Well, let me add my latest. I do not have Paypal linked to an account and prefer to pay my money order. I think it makes me think alot harder about how much I spend. WEll in the several years of doing this I have NEVER had a payment lost in the mail, nor have I never NOT gotten a payment. Well payment was mailed on the 27th and has not arrived yet and the seller is screaming, only 12 bucks but I hate to send 12 more. We will see. What's the sellers feedback like? Grateful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted February 3, 2005 Author Share Posted February 3, 2005 Just in spite, I have been dragging this ordeal out through PayPal. I sent the buyer a copy of the receipt, which she replied that she hasn't received it... imagine that lol. Anyway, going through the process at PayPal.. it says: "waiting for your response" (to the buyers complaint) then you click on that link and nothing happens.. so then if you scroll down it gives you another option "Resolve Complaint Now" So, I clicked on that and all it does there is give you three options... -Issue Full Refund -Provide Tracking Number -The Buyer Has Already Been Refunded That's it! So unless you do use Delivery Confirmation or the like... you as the seller are screwed. I also have tried to email PayPal various times & they still have not responded, other than to say "this is your 2nd notice, This is your 3rd and final notice" etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylanl Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 What has always worked for me if you have the address is: A little sugar & water mixture in the gas tank. Everything has a way of working out one way or the other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted February 4, 2005 Author Share Posted February 4, 2005 I said I was Pissed, not Crazy! Besides, she lives in CA & I am in MI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 "buckshot and a dose of the local PD" is a sure fire remedy for sugar and vinager. The best route is DO WHAT YOU SAID you would do in the listing. Look at the time you have put into this already. "Truth" a strange concept? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.