posted on September 7, 2000 11:59:27 AM
After a bunch of transactions, both buying and selling, I finally got my one and only FB, and it's a 4/5. Humph. I've been giving people a 5 if it came and was in described condition, etc. This person said "no complaints". I guess in their mind a 4 is "no complaints" and a 5 is "delivered to my door personally, with a $10 bill as a bookmark".
posted on September 7, 2000 12:19:18 PM
Still waiting for my first feedback! (But I've only sold three items.) Like you, I give a 5/5 if the item was what was described and what was expected. Hopefully my experience won't be like yours! What a bummer.
posted on September 7, 2000 02:28:55 PM
I feel your pain!
I've sold over 700 items on half.com, and only recieved 166 feedbacks in return. One customer gave me a 3/5 rating for 5 day shipping that included a weekend (what!!). I ship 1st class and i try to undervalue the condition of my cd's to help insure that my customers are happy. Still..you can't please everyone! One last note-I have had some serious problems with half.com's customer service. i've had several complaints go un-replied. Be very careful Keziak, if you encounter a problem-DON'T count on Half.com to help you out!
posted on September 7, 2000 02:52:27 PM
HI Auctionblitz - thanks. I've decided I'm just not going to take the half.com FB as seriously as I do my Ebay record. It's obviously not the same culture.
I'm also struggling with the flat rates for shipping, since invariably I sell a heavy book and watch the extra postage eat into my already slim profit margin. But just when I feel down about it, I sell some stuff...so I keep listing!
posted on September 7, 2000 02:53:17 PM
I'm still grumping about the 1 fb I've gotten on Half. Guy gave me a 3/5, said I'd waited 10 days to ship a priority package and didn't include packing. I ALWAYS ship same day or next day after I confirm, and I always include copious packing. The one priority package I shipped for a Half customer (which is probably this guy), I shipped the day after I confirmed and paid way more than I was reimbursed for--probably because of all the extra packing. It really burns me that we can't respond to feedback or correspond with the customer, and I wrote to Half to tell them that, but of course, have received no response.
posted on September 7, 2000 04:05:39 PM
Like everyone else, I've got very little half.com feedback for the number of items I've sold there. But, being a buyer on hal.com as well, I can understand why. It's a royal pain to figure out what item to leave feedback for. Many half sellers don't include the order number in the package so the only way to find it is by clicking on your purchases until you find the right one. Unless I'm missing an easier way, it's a hassle, especially if you make a lot of purchases.
posted on September 7, 2000 04:15:28 PM
It hasn't happened to me but I always feel sorry for the seller who has a 3/5 or 4/5 because they didn't include a packing slip with the order! :-0
I could save 2 out of 3 pieces of paper if I didn't print out that packing slip.
posted on September 7, 2000 05:35:43 PM
I don't know, though. Some sellers on half deserve less than a 5/5; I just received an order, two trade paperbacks, and they arrived in a grocerystore paper bag (not turned inside out) with no other packing material and no invoice or thank you or anything. I haven't left feedback yet, but I am tempted to leave a lower one than 5/5.
And I would like to know where is the extra shipping charges ending up? I paid over $15 for shipping of 8 books (from two different sellers), and the actual total charge was a little over $4; do the sellers get it all, or do they just get reimbursed their actual cost?
[ edited by shartelona on Sep 7, 2000 05:41 PM ]
posted on September 7, 2000 05:50:57 PM
In most cases half.com charges $1.95 and reimburses the seller $1.58. Most books ship for $1.13 or $1.58, and that does not include the cost of supplies (well, except for grocery bags). The only "extra" is the 37 cents half keeps for having no involvement in the shipping or handling. That's on top of their 'commission'. It's the eBay Way.
posted on September 7, 2000 06:30:26 PM
I now have *two* feedbacks on half.com. Unfortunately, one of them is 3/5. It turns out that the buyer was expecting a hardcover and I sent her a paperback. I didn't even notice this - I entered the ISBN that was in the book. Heck, I'd like to send her a note of apology or something but half.com said they couldn't do anything unless she officially filed for a refund.
Hah!!! While I was typing this, I remember that I still had her snail-mail address. So I just wrote her a note and enclosed $2.00 (book price $3.99) as a refund. I feel better now.
posted on September 7, 2000 08:15:28 PM
In regards to the extra "commission" that Half.com makes on shipping charges, i have emailed them to inquire about that and only recieved a candy coated response in return. The $1.58 seller's are reimbursed hardly covers shipping expenses. In reference to Borgt's comments about Half.com making money off of the shipping-I think it's also a major ripoff! Has anybody read their service philosophy page? You'd think you were joining a love commune or something! They talk about customer service being their #1 objective-PLEASE! It's like spraying perfume on a cow pie...it's smells sweet for awhile, but after a week, then take a big whiff of it. Okay, that was a bit bizarre. sleep deprivation is obviously setting in, but you get the point (I hope!).
posted on September 7, 2000 08:19:00 PM
Don't feel bad. I've sold over 25 items and got 1 feedback for it a 5/5. Than another chap gave me a 4/5 after I cancelled a sale because I misplaced the damn thing. I wrote them a nice email explaining what happened and guess they were not pleased. Oh well such is life. I also sent them out the day I confirmed the items but still no feedback and I've been paid for all the items so guess they got it o'kay.
posted on September 7, 2000 09:04:28 PM
shartelona: If you buy 2 paperbacks from the same seller, you pay $3.90 for shipping but the seller only gets $2.16 of it. Half keeps the other $1.74 in addition to their 15% commission. For each additional book you buy from the same seller, the seller gets $0.58 of the shipping, Half gets the rest. A real ripoff! And people think ebay sellers charge too much handling?
