posted on September 29, 2000 06:06:45 AM new
First, let's ignore the usual USA bashing and stick to the topic: some international bidders ignore TOS's!
I ship internationally only because I enjoy it. If I lived outside the USA and read an auction that stated: "Ships to US ONLY," then I would respect that and have the common courtesy NOT TO BID! Or, at the least, email and ask permission to bid!
It seems RUDE to ignore TOS's -- that attitude says: "Hey, I'm ME & I can do anything I damm well please because Mommy told me I was SO SPECIAL"
Following a seller's TOS just strikes me as the RIGHT and COURTEOUS thing to do!
Although I enjoy my international bidders, it is NOT AS EASY as the everyday USA deals! There is more work. Everybody deserves the right to decide for themselves whether or not they want to assume that extra load. And they deserve RESPECT whatever they decide.
posted on September 29, 2000 07:28:13 AM new
OK- so if the location the seller ships to is negotiable after the auction is over, regardless of what the seller indicates in the auction listing, what other terms is it acceptable for the buyer to change?
- Method of shipping
- Type of payment accepted
- Shipping charge
- Your favorite here
Inquiring minds want to know.
For the record, I'll send my items anywhere a buyer is willing to pay the shipping to, but I realize that not every seller wants to do the same. I think the considerate thing to do is to ask a seller before bidding if you will be requesting that he modify his terms to suit you.
posted on September 29, 2000 07:30:01 AM newsharenv, You have my sympathies. I too will not ship internationally. I too box everything up ahead of time and weigh it for the USA, take it to work and put postage on it there (I have my own account) and the carrier picks it up when he brings the mail so I avoid trips to the post office altogether. If I'm insuring for over $50., I ask the person who picks up our office box mail to insure it while she stands in line for the office accountable mail. Under $50. I just put an additional 85 cents postage and the carrier will get in stamped "insured" for me.
I put in my TOS in bold, capital letters that I will not ship internationally and that I will sell to the next highest bidder or relist if I get a bid that is not from the U.S. So far, so good. I just don't have the time to go to the post office and stand in line. I personally think my TOS are rude in this one regard, but I don't know any other way to make it clear that I will not, under any circumstances, for any reason, ship internationally. I get plenty of bids and my time is worth more than the amount I might get if I changed my policy.
posted on September 29, 2000 07:39:28 AM newAs a Seller I am prepared to negotiate everything but the price after the end of auction.
"everything but the price"
Well, it looks like you have limits to what you will negotiate, too. Others are apparently not quite as flexible as you, but shouldn't their limits be respected as well?
As a Buyer, I email first.
A little consideration for the other guy goes a long way towards eliminating these kinds of problems.
