posted on November 28, 2000 06:09:43 AM new
This is rich. It's been 10 days since the
close of auction (I don't state in my auctions when payment must be received), so I
email the high bidder with this:
I'm just following up on some older auctions and noticed that I hadn't received payment on the XXXX yet. Has payment been sent? If so, please email me and let me know and I'll just put this in the back of my file, so I don't email you again
I thought it was a nice way of asking for payment, didn't make them feel like I was hounding them!
THEN, I get this back:
Thanks for the reminder. I have the money in an envelope but didn't get to the post office for the money order yet. I will send it out
tomorrow. Have a nice day!
posted on November 28, 2000 06:39:29 AM new
You're kidding right? It's been over 10 days and he hasn't gotten to the post office yet? I have a feeling there's going to be a NPB procedure on this one yet!
posted on November 28, 2000 06:54:54 AM new
flynn:
No, I'm definitely not kidding.
My auctions state payment is required within 10 days. On the 11th day I file a NPB alert. BUT - I give them 10 more days to make good on their payment - and most of them do. On 11/11 I filed 10 NPB's. All but 2 of them paid. Give your bidder the benefit of the doubt!
Oh, and I have to ask. What did you EXPECT your bidder to respond with? Don't forget, many people were also away for Thanksgiving holiday. I gave my customers several more days to pay before filing the NPB because of the holidays. And before I file for NPB I check to see if they have emailed me. If they emailed me and said payment was going out tomorrow (even if they WERE late to begin with) I wouldn't file the NPB quite yet - I'd give them a few more days.
posted on November 28, 2000 07:03:21 AM new
ExecutiveGirl:
I didn't mean to sound like I was going to file right away, I was going to give him another 7 days from today before I started the process. This auction closed on the 18th of November, it's now the 28th. He has had 6 different days to go to the post office and get a money order (Those are six days the post office was open). I'm wondering what has he been doing these last 10 days. He's been bidding, that I know. So eBay is on his mind. How do you forget to get a money order on the most expensive thing you've bid on in the last 30 days?
I guess I think people do things like I do, or at least would hope to do. Whenever I win something I either Paypal ASAP or get payment in the mail the next day.
I wouldn't be all that concerned if it weren't a $250+ item either. If it was only a few dollars I wouldn't even have emailed him.
posted on November 28, 2000 07:07:48 AM new
canvid13
I wasn't implying I thought the person was EVIL either. Just a little scatterbrained perhaps.
I've sold for three years on eBay now and have only had ONE NPB! I think that's fantastic. No negatives either, which I think is a miracle!
I was really just posting that reply to my email thinking some would get a kick out of it, obviously not.
I thought it was pretty strange that in 10 days he's not gotten to the post office?
I offer as payment, Visa, MC, Amex, Discover, personal check, business check, Paypal and lastly Money Order. I certainly don't expect someone to pay the post office a fee to pay me, that's why I don't require a money order as the only payment option. I hate paying the fee myself!
posted on November 28, 2000 07:12:07 AM new
pocono:
I've had those too! Aren't they funny? I've let people go months without sending payment, (this was before eBay came up with the NPB procedure though). I usually wait until it's 30 days late before starting the NPB procedure, but in this case I may start it at 18 days. He's in my zone postal wise, so payment shouldn't take another week from tomorrow, which is when he said he'd mail it. We'll see
posted on November 28, 2000 07:21:49 AM new
Flynn
If this is the most unreal thing that has ever happened to you...I would like to exchange lives.
I could use a vacation.
posted on November 28, 2000 07:31:07 AM new
Yep, that's unbelievable. Unbelievable that he hadn't had a major disability, a death in the family, an unexpected trip out of the country.
Unbelievable that the check wasn't lost in the mail or the Paypal lost in the ether.
Unbelievable that your auctions aren't the top priority in the lives of everyone you deal with.
posted on November 28, 2000 07:36:41 AM new
amalgamated:
That is not fair! I checked to see if he's been bidding and other activity such as leaving feedback BEFORE I emailed just in case that could have been the situation.
I don't expect everyone to think I'm the only person that should be important in their lives, but what I do expect is people to honor, in an expediant manner, the "contract" that they've signed.
I really don't think that's too much to ask. I know I follow through as quickly as I possibly can so as not to have people waiting to ship something to me!
I'm a very understanding person, believe it or not. I've let people take weeks to pay, if they so need the time. Not everyone has thousands of dollars lining their pockets, and some do get a little too excited and bid more than they can pay. When they email and explain this, I'm more than willing to wait for payment in the amount of time the person tells me they can pay.
posted on November 28, 2000 07:59:37 AM new
Flynn..lighten up. You sent your customer a reminder note, your customer said "oops, sorry, thanks for reminding me"..so let it go already.
Do you really need to be judgemental about this customer? Do you really need to call your customer "scatterbrained". Do you really need to imply your customer is somehow inferior to you because YOU would never forget to make a payment on an auction win?
Cut your customer some slack, he's only human you know. I know it must be hard when your as perfect as you are to understand the frailities and shortcomings of us mere mortals, but do try and be understanding that we do make mistakes..we do forget things (yes, even $250 payments for auction wins!)
posted on November 28, 2000 08:04:05 AM new
Okay - this clearly got out of hand. What I merely attempted to do was enlighten and maybe give someone a smile with yet another strange excuse for non-payment.
Right away I get blasted for thinking this was extraordinary.
posted on November 28, 2000 08:24:47 AM new
Flynn..maybe that is the problem. There is nothing extraordinary about someone forgetting to send in a payment..life happens. Your customer wasn't giving some outlandish excuse...he just admitted he was forgetful sometimes, including this time.
On a scale of 1-10 of excuses customers can give for failing to make payments, this one wasn't even on the scale.
posted on November 28, 2000 08:39:16 AM new
Actually, I would say, give this customer some credit for at least telling the TRUTH. Many customers feel compelled to make up some cockamamie story about the 101 reasons (excuses) why they didn't pay right away. At least yours comes clean and admits he's been forgetting. Give him a break, not everyone goes to the post office every day or even every week, some people have kids, some people have disabilities (such as yourself and myself, for instance) and some people are just slow. They can still be nice people and decent customers if you have patience.
posted on November 28, 2000 10:21:01 AM new
Sounds to me like flynn does have patience.
: - )
I think the "moral to the story" is: keep sending those email! Some people are just more relaxed about the whole thing...more forgetful...whatever. I've had a few "the envelope was in the car the whole time!" email which basically amounts to the same thing.
Lately, though, sending these gentle emails usually ends up in uncovering that *I* made some goof! Like asking for a zip code, weighing a heavy box, then forgetting to send the total. Poor guy gets my followup email and says "huh, you never gave me the total!" Talk about red in the face!
