posted on January 26, 2001 12:03:08 PM
i am fed up with bidders saying they never got their packages. The ones that claim they never recived the package are bidder who actually buy postal insurance. I have never had Bidder who do not buy postal insurance ever claim "we never got the package" but I am getting one out of five this month on insured package not showing up. It funny when I tell them that they have to fill up a insurance claim form, 90% of them do a about face and say they got it few hours later.
One person takes the cake, first they told me that I am overcharging on the shipping ($3.20 priority mail + 1.00 for each additional) and she told me it'll only cost me $3.20 to mail 3 oversize large items (yeah right) INCLUDING insurance. So to be a good ebay seller, despite the fact she was breaking my TOS on the auction ad, I let her have it for $3.20 priority mail (including insurance!), but the package wound up costed me $6.35 + 1.10 insurance to send!
She promised money order will arrive before the new shipping rate goes up on Jan 7th, as she promised to send payment on 12/30 but instead send me a personal check which arrived on the 8th, postmarked 1/5! I mailed it out early without waiting for the check to clear for I was getting countless email of "when are you going to mail it?" ! She was emailing me THREE TIMES A DAY!!! Now she is claiming she never received the item. How can she never received a box that is a size of a TV set? I smell mail fraud.
I buy alot from ebay, and lately bigger sellers overcharge me on the shipping. I paid $5 to $4 on packaged mailed book rate. One guy charged me $10 to ship something that cost $5.15 to ship. It doesn't pay to be honest and charge actual cost on the shipping.
what do you all think I should do? Shall I help her claim this insured package? I lost $3.25 on this package, and now she want me to help her claim a giant package lost. I need help. what do you all think I should do?
Now I have to lose .55 cents mailing her these forms, and another .55 with a envelope to ask her to mail it back to me once the form is signed (thats IF she signs, as she sounds like she would rather have me folk over the refund right now instead of dealing through the post office, as she keeps mentioning she will contact safeharbor on me!!??). That means I lost $4.35 for 3 items that I only charged $1 above cost. That means I did all this work for negative $1.35. (not including ebay's final value fee!!).
Any advice would help. Can she get me in trouble with ebays and safeharbor? Should I work with her on getting the money back from the post office or do you smell mail fraud? thanking you in advance!
posted on January 26, 2001 12:15:32 PM
Make her go through the post office procedures. Don't offer a refund until that option has been exhausted. Otherwise, she might end up with double her money back and the item to boot. The post office will even ask her mail carrier if he or she remembers delivering the package. I'm sure a box that big would have left an impression.
People like this are the reason I'm requiring delivery confirmation for all my packages now. Sorry about the expense. Sorry I can't use First Class any longer for the small stuff. But, the blasted cheats of the world make it an unsound business practice to just pop something in the mail and hope for the best. Just like shoplifters run up the costs for all retail consumers, the mail cheats are running up the costs for the honest buyers.
I hope this turns out well for you. It is a lesson in "no good deed goes unpunished" which is unfortunate as you seem a decent person. For me, the lesson I'm taking away from this is to establish my business practices and procedures and apply them consistently.
