posted on March 7, 2001 06:25:56 PM
I have a bidder in England who claims that his payment is in the mail, but everything is really slow now due to the hoof and mouth outbreak. The auction ended 30 days ago and he claims he mailed the payment within a few days. This excuse is almost believable. Has anybody else experienced slow mail from UK???
posted on March 7, 2001 06:34:42 PM
I just received my first negative feedback from a UK buyer. I hope it isn't the same one! He has been racking up the negs lately and in over six weeks did not pay. Said he offered proof of postage but did no such thing and never answered an email after Feb 6th. Tried to blame our US postal system in the reply he left to the neg I left him. Did the same to the person that left a neg for him the next day but funny thing they are from Canada! I do not know if the mail is slow from the UK right now but I do know this buyer was telling a fib. Do not let it go over 45 days or you will not be able to get your NPB alert sent out in time to get your FVF refunded.
posted on March 7, 2001 07:46:24 PM
From my own experience mail going to the UK and being recieved can be a little slow. However not generally 30 days. I think he's probably mailed it late and is giving you excuses. I am from England but I live in Canada now and I send stuff routinely to England to family and visa versa. Letters generally take up to two weeks and air mail parcels the same, surface mail parcels take forever it seems, 5-8 weeks on average.
posted on March 7, 2001 09:01:28 PM
The new excuse de jour of deadbeats is "the check is in the mail". Either that or the PO is sudenly floundering. The last month has been unreal.
posted on March 8, 2001 01:31:26 AM
There has been nothing in the news about Foot and Mouth causing the PO to go slow. I suppose if he lived in a rural, affected area, there might be a chance that pick-up and delivery of post are slow as they want as little traffic as possible through the areas. But generally it is the FARMS that are quarantined, and I haven't heard of any services being affected.
If he lives in an urban area there is no excuse at all.
posted on March 8, 2001 04:30:22 AM
Depending on where that person lives ... they ARE limiting traffic, disinfecting vehicles, etc., in the countryside and that could slow collections in rural areas.
I have had letters from London take 3-4 weeks to reach me, but the usual time is a couple of weeks.
posted on March 8, 2001 07:24:46 AM
The disinfecting of vehicles is only at the infected farms. If the guy is not in an infected rural area, I cannot see why his payment is so late. Perhaps he sent it surface mail, and not by Air Mail?
posted on March 8, 2001 08:36:13 AM
I live in a rural area in the UK, and regularly buy from US-based vendors. There is NO excuse for slow mail - this is NOT a third world state, and mail to the US should take 5 days or so - no more.
There is no restriction on travel by road in the country, and no mail delay that I am aware of. The only parts of the country that have been shut are public footpaths that go near farms, and resevoirs that are also used for dinghy sailing.
