posted on January 23, 2001 03:54:45 PM
I have sucessful retail business and several sucessful internet businesses. I have sold a little here and there on ebay in the past two years. Not much though.
For the Holidays I decided to give ebay a huge try. I listed hundreds of items.
I got more deadbeat bidders than anyone should ever have to deal with. Boy do they like to neg. My main problem has come with shipping. I ship fast. I try to ship within 48 hours of getting payment. Most times it is the withinn 24 hours. The problem is lost packages. I have quite a few negs now for lost packages. I always get Delivery Confirmation for my packages. More for proof of mailing than anything else.
I shipped a package to Colorado it ends up in Minnesota.
Shipped a package to Oklahoma it ends up in Texas.
All of the packages are addressed properly. Some of the packages are showing that they were delivered to the correct city, but the buyers claim they didn't get it. I called the post office in one city and she said that they got signeratures from the recipient for
DC. I didn't know they did that. When I told the recipent that she got angry and called me a liar. She said that her husband was a cop and she would make me sorry.
Most of the problem packages were shipped on 1 of 3 days. On one day I shipped 12 packages. Only 4 have arrived at their destinations.
The crazy thing is I have had no problems with my packages for my online stores. They are arriving without a hitch. I am only having problems with ebay packages.
Is anyone else having really bad shipping problems?
posted on January 23, 2001 04:04:35 PM
No you're not cursed.. I feel like I am.
After selling over 1000 items from Jun 97 to Nov 2000, I sold about 500 items between Nov 2000 and Jan 2001. Here are my horror stats.
Before Nov: Average deadbeats: Less than 2%.
After Nov: Deadbeats: 25% on electronics/computer parts (new in box), 9% on 20 year old videogame carts
Before Nov: Longest Priority Mail or First class took to send an parcel or letter: 7 days.
After Nov: Typical delivery time: 7 days for either, some taking up to 15 days!!!
The deadbeats have gotten SOOOO bad, I've had to relist a DVD player FIVE TIMES since November 24th due to them. I've had to eat over $10 in listing and reserve fees. At least the last one told me the next day "I'd be stupid if you think I'm going to pay you what I bid". At least that let me relist immediately rather than be strung along forever.
I want the deadbeat problem fixed, and I want it fixed NOW!!!!!!!!!
Regarding your mis-delivered items. Perhaps one reason is the big firms use software to prepare the shipping labels with 9 digit zip codes and barcoding that *can help* your package get to where it's supposed to faster. Though it just seems the post office is very very very bad lately to all eBay sellers.
posted on January 23, 2001 04:05:15 PM
SinceMay, 2000, I've shipped over 500 items via USPS, either Priority or Media Mail (formerly Book Rate), always with DC!
I've yet to have a package get lost or damaged! I have had 4 or 5 folks tell me they never got the package. I send them the "cut&paste" from the DC tracking-site & I tell them that if it doesn't show, I'll contact the Postal Inspectors to investigate for them! Gloriowski! ALL the packages SUDDENLY & by a MIRACLE show up after I send THAT email!
I've never had a problem with Priority Mail until this month. Sent a package 1/8 and it still hasn't arrived yet.
I've decided to give UPS a try. If you have a daily pickup with them, their rates are VERY competitive. Insurance (up to $100) is included, and a tracking number is included with every shipment.
I'll need to have something ready to go every day, but since I sent out 26 with Priority mail yesterday, I don't think it will be a problem.
They'll charge me between $7 and $15 a week, depending on how many packages I ship. A bargain if I never have to go into that Post Office again!
posted on January 23, 2001 05:10:05 PM
In 3 years I have had only one person not complete a sale. It turned out she was a compulsive shopper and bid on several hundred auctions and was NARUed in record time.
I think a LOT has to do with what you sell.
As for UPS. UPS is great for sellers. But as a buyer I pass real quick on UPS shipping in auctions. Standard ground is 10 BUSINESS days for delivery, and I always have problems with delivery.
I had one instance where it took almost 3 weeks for a parcel to reach me and it had enough miles on it to get a frequent flyer upgrade..
posted on January 23, 2001 07:02:13 PM
SMW - I've never had UPS take that long. I've shipped with them before and found the longest time to be 6 days.
But it all depends on the zones, to and from. I've had UPS arrive in 2 days, a few states over. And they tell you the day it will arrive. And with the way Priority mail is going, my feeling is it can't be much worse.
EASYDOESIT - 69%!! Wow! Do you mind if I ask you what kind of items you're selling? My non payers are definately under 5%.
posted on January 23, 2001 07:07:04 PM
most of my stuff goes through Ok but I did have a package to Illinois recently that the buyer e-mailed me and said what happened to it. I checked the tracking and it said it was delivered --- to Orange Massachusetts!! I did not ship anything there for it to be switched.
posted on January 23, 2001 07:12:42 PM
Since the post office doesn't know which of your packages is for Ebay and which are for your online store, my guess is that the problem lies with the Ebay customers. Go back and read what tomwiii wrote. Wise beyond his years!
The best response to an I-didn't-get-the-package e-mail is to offer to have it traced via post office procedures with all the pomp and circumstance that entails. Some people may just be cruising for an easy refund or a double shipment from all of the honest, hard-working sellers who care about customer service. With all due respect, you can be a seller of integrity without being dumb about it. Set up your business procedures and follow them. And, please stick around until April when I plan to buy a DVD player for my spouse's birthday.
posted on January 23, 2001 07:49:01 PM
When I get an ebayer that claims I didn't send their item. I send them a scan of the postmarked Delivery Confirmation slip.
Normally about 24 hours after they get that, I get a neg for not shipping.
Some guy claimed I gave him a "fraudulent" delivery tracking number. He thought this because he lives in Colorado and the item was shipped to Minnesota. I sent him a scan of the DC receipt. I offered to file an insurance claim and refund his money when the claim was approved. He did not want that. I haven't heard anything back from him, since I sent the scan.
I mentioned my ebay problems to a postal clerk. She said that the USPS cringes when they hear ebay. She also said that delivery confirmation has really helped sellers defend against mail fraud. She said that if a seller has a postmarked DC slip showing they mailed an item, the post office normally tells the person who filed the complaint, that no fraud has been commited.
I sell shoes and apparel. Deadbeats galore in those cats.
posted on January 23, 2001 08:04:27 PM
Don't know if anyone answered this, but I get things sent to me all the time with DC, and they have NEVER asked me to sign ANYTHING. They will leave DC packages in my mailbox or on my doorstep if I'm not home.
Other than that, though, yeah, it sounds like you are cursed. I've been doing this for 3 years and (knock on wood!!) never have had a package go missing.
Slow, yeah, around Christmas, but never "missing".
