posted on February 13, 2001 04:53:42 PM new
My shipping and handling charges are clearly stated in my ads. Winning bidder wants to pay less to ship. I tell him I only ship priority mail and I have no other supplies available to ship. He writes back and says can't we work this out - He wants to pay less. Why can't people understand the conditions before they bid!! Any suggestions? Not a bid ticket item. I'd hate to rerun the ad.
posted on February 13, 2001 05:06:40 PM new
With the postal rates so high....I ask (before auction is over)if they can send it first class (if less than a lb.) and I have yet to have any seller turn me down. I also sell and am more than glad to save anyone a few cents here and there, even if it means I have to un-package and re-package....but I understand high volume sellers cannot do that. Would it really be that big of hassle to send it cheaper? You may have a customer that will come back and buy from you again.
"But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong," ~~~Dennis Miller
posted on February 13, 2001 05:09:45 PM new
When I sell, I never insist on sending something by priority mail if it could be sent cheaper by first class.
But since your auction stated the terms, the buyer is wrong to ask you to do something different.
One suggestion: Is it something that will fit in a SASE? I have had good results sending SASEs to sellers who want to send very light items by priority mail. Most are willing to use them.
posted on February 13, 2001 05:10:09 PM new
Seems pretty much a no-brainer to me, No Pay Postage, No product. As long as the terms were clear this is how it should be. There really isn't much difference in shipping rates. Stick to your TOS
posted on February 13, 2001 05:22:36 PM new
After buying on eBay for over a year, (and reading this board for almost as long) I still can NOT understand why a buyer whould ask to change the TOS that is stated in the auction. I know of no other online or catalog store that changes their policies after an item is ordered.
posted on February 13, 2001 05:48:30 PM new
I have shipped about 30,000 packages in the past 3 years of auction and web page sales.
This is not a hobby for me but a full time business that I make my living at. Postage cost is only a portion of what it actually cost me to get a package shipped. I must cover all my costs of shipping or I go out of business.
I have finally found shipping cost formulas that cover my costs and give the buyers opportunities to save on shipping. Those formulas and costs are clearly explained in my listing descriptions, web pages, and emails to my buyers. I rarely have buyers request alternatives or try to bargain with me after they have won the auction or made the purchase - maybe I'm just lucky.
I really don't mind it too much if a buyer does try to get a better deal, especially if they do it in a fun and/or friendly way. In fact, I enjoy the communications and find it an opportunity to build a relationship and perhaps gain another happy regular customer.
Occasionally, my profit margin on sold items allows me to give a shipping cost break or add in special gifts in their package. On the other hand, if my margin is low and they are requesting a break I have no problem repeating the shipping costs as described to them before the purchase.
posted on February 13, 2001 06:01:17 PM new
I had a buyer from Canada purchase a book from me. I knew what the shipping charges would be because I weighed the book and then looked up the rate on the USPS site. This guy won the book and then emailed me and told me that it could be shipped cheaper than the price I stated in my auction. He went back and forth with me and kept saying it could be sent cheaper if I sent it as printed matter - surface mail. I finally gave in, even though I knew I was going to eat some of the cost.
I took the book to the post office and sure enough it was more than the winning bidder had paid me. The postal clerk even circled the postage for me and the fact that it was sent printed matter - surface mail. When my winner received the book, I emailed him to let him know it had cost more than he paid me for shipping. He emailed me back and said the clerk at my post office didn't know what he was doing.
Sometimes you just can't win, no matter how hard to try to satisfy the customer!
posted on February 13, 2001 06:17:30 PM new
As you stated, yout TOS are clearly noted in your auction. The time to argue this point is not after the fact. The winner should have emailed with a question regarding this first, before bidding. If the reply was not suitable, respectfully tell them to please move on to another auction. Since they did bid, and win, it's a done deal as far as I'm concerned. If they continue to hassle over this, it's time to move on. Tell them to pay up, or a NPB will be filed, and offer the item to the next lowest bidder.
posted on February 13, 2001 06:21:48 PM new
On my auctions for small items, like smartmedia cards, I state "free shipping with no tracking or insurance at your risk. They sometimes take weeks to show up. If you want quick delivery and a guarantee, priority with delivery confirmation for $4." I had one bidder give me a neg because his book rate video took 3 weeks to show up. I just had another bidder email me to say his smartmedia card hasn't arrived yet and what am I going to do about it? I reminded him that he chose the free shipping, even though I stated in my EOA letter that there would be no tracking or insurance. I hope it shows up, but if not, that was the risk HE took. I'm sure I'll get a neg if it doesnt show up. I'm think of forcing bidders to take the $4 shipping. By the way, if they choose free shipping, they can not pay via credit card or CC service.
posted on February 13, 2001 06:23:45 PM new
I am having the same problems, and it wont get any easier next year when the rates jump again. I went to the post office today and mailed 2 small packages priority. I felt so silly afterward 2 little packages and $7.90 to mail them. I can see why customers are getting upset with the shipping. I ship parcel post when a customer wont pay for priority, and there is more all the time!
posted on February 13, 2001 06:33:33 PM new
These people are vampires! They just suck the life out of you and remove all the joy from the transaction.
All you can do is state your terms a second time and then deal with the situation.
If they want to turn it into a 20 e-mail pissing match, I don’t have the time for that. I would just tell them to pay what they think it is worth and the balance will be my gift to them. Then I would hope that they never buy from me again and run head-on into a wall of bad karma.
posted on February 13, 2001 06:47:39 PM new
Its not always that easy to change your shipping methods especially when you sell a lot of items.
We sold over 4000 items last year approx 100 a week.Priority mail is the fastest way for us to pack and we charge postage only.
I have had bidders ask me to ship cheaper which may work for them but not for us and that is what matters.
So I stick to my guns and suggest do otherwise.
You could explain as I have that I can pack your item in under a minute using priority mail.Other ways though faster take us 5 times as long and we have to spend extra for the supplies and so costs us more in the long run.
You could offer to do it at a cheaper fee but charge a handling fee for the difference to cover your extra time and expense.
You could always ask if he wants to drive and pick it up as that will save them on postage too.
posted on February 13, 2001 06:59:42 PM new
I struggled over this for my first 4 mos as a seller!
At first, I only offered PRIORITY because it was so convenient for me & I didn't have to buy boxes (which ain't cheap -- although ULINE had a sale last month & I really stocked-up! LOL!)
But then I had a number of PITAS who,AFTER THE AUCTION ENDED would email me & P&M about Priority & why couldn't I ship like "everybody else does for $0.3!!"
So, about 3 mos ago, I started offering a CHOICE: P-mail or MEDIA MAIL. Now, I get NO MORE complaints about shipping as they do the PICKING!
posted on February 13, 2001 07:05:00 PM new
I don't understand why people don't work this out BEFORE they bid! I've done this several times as a bidder, contacted the shipper and asked if they would ship an alternate way. If they say yes, I bid, and if they say no, I understand, and don't bid. It's easy, but unfortunately it gets made difficult.
As a seller, if I can accomodate, I will, but I understand if you ship tons of stuff, time is money and if you're set up to ship only one way, that is your right, and it should be respected if it is not negotiated before bidding.
posted on February 13, 2001 07:13:39 PM new
IMO stick to your TOS. It's not fair to the other bidders who didn't bid because of the priority mail requirement. The time to ask about different shipping methods is PRIOR to the auction's end.
posted on February 13, 2001 07:15:11 PM new
People don't realize just how much postage is.
I sent a package today just over 3 lbs. Priority rate $5.15
Since I miss judged the weight in my add I posted $3.50 shipping charge which was paid promtly.
So I have my package at the counter and the clerk tells me $5.15 DAMN.......ok
So I tell her hold on a sec and tell me how much it would cost if I were to take it back home re-box it and pay 1st class.
$4.76 for first class parcel post.
I have absolutely no intention of approaching the buyer to ask for the difference. I stated very clearly $3.50 and I'll honor it.
But the difference between priority and 1st class was firggin $.39
Most buyers are not "In the Know" of how much postage is. So the ones that are bickering should just be told that you have vast experience in the current postal rates and your terms were clearly stated.
http://www.lovepotions.net
posted on February 13, 2001 07:17:34 PM new
Hmm...Assuming that you use the "free" priority supplies, I'd reply back to the bidder telling them that you would be more than happy to send it First Class (or whatever), however, there will be an additional charge of X amount for shipping supplies in addition to the actual postage cost, X being some amount that would make the total amount over $4.
I'm so evil. I'd be a really mean seller. *teehee*
posted on February 13, 2001 09:04:56 PM new
I like mikeylou's suggestion.
I prefer to use cheapo media mail and bury as much of my fees in a flat rate charge as possible. Dependency on a form of service like priority mail is not such a good thing. Yes, it works well, the price is not too outlandish on small stuff, and those "not so free mailers" take some of the overhead out.
The problem is they got half of the auction sellers hooked and then jacked up the price.
It's now getting overpriced.
I'd suggest you tell the bidder to follow the TOS and pay up. If not, use mikeylou's suggestion and make the charge one penny less than priority mail.
posted on February 14, 2001 01:04:03 AM new
Nah. I would take Mikeylou's suggestion and make it one cent more.
Edited to add: I'm with just about everyone else on this. The time to negotiate shipping is before bidding.
[ edited by BlondeSense on Feb 14, 2001 01:05 AM ]
