posted on March 15, 2001 04:14:24 AM
Sorry, guess this isn't a new topic,but I still can't get over how often these days I am getting email: "where's my book?" Nobody wants to pay for Priority anymore, so I am shipping out dozens of media mail parcels a week. Maybe I just need to brace for a certain percentage not being delivered. But I normally give a refund when this happens and it's going to add up fast!
For a while, I recommended insurance,but the only ones who paid for it also paid for Priority! Most of my sales are $3 - $10 and people just don't want to pay much to get it delivered. If I automatically charge for delivery confirmation, I worry that I will just lose sales. Plus, I do a lot on half.com and Amazon and there isn't any easy way to charge customers more for services there. One time I did exchange email with an Amazon buyer who sent me $2 more by mail to ship Priority.
posted on March 15, 2001 04:41:22 AM
Maybe you are already doing this, but I would set expectations in my EOA. Like priority mail is $x, and is usually delivered within X days. Media mail is $X and is usually delivered within X days (or weeks, or whatever it is). And put the outside limits in X. So if it comes earlier than that they are pleased and surprised and if it comes within the timeframes their expectations have been set accordingly.
posted on March 15, 2001 04:42:37 AM
OOOPS sorry.....due to lack of caffeine entering my system this early in the AM I read your message all wrong. When I read it again I realized what you are actually saying. Sorry again.
posted on March 15, 2001 04:59:26 AM
I have only had one package that a customer claims was not delievered. I have reason to believe they are not being honest, but I went ahead and sent out another item.
I have since added to my end of auction email that they can have DC which is 40 cents and/ins for 1.10. It is their choice. I state that I do not do refunds for lost or damaged packages. I do this just to protect myself from people who less than honest. Some people opt for the DC, no one ever wants to pay the 1.10 for ins.
I tell them that with DC, at least they know I held up my end and shipped the package, and I will know that the package was delievered. If it was delievered to the wrong place?? Well, at least both of us know it. (Which has never happened)
I used to insist on DC, then when the price went up I stopped, but I don't think that the person who says they didn't get their package would have said that if I had insisted on it being on the package. (Like I said before, I have reason to believe that they actually did get the package and just wanted another for free.)
posted on March 15, 2001 06:30:44 AM
Have not seen upswing in non-delivery. I always start my minimum bid .50 cents higher to cover cost of delivery confirmation so EVERY package I ship has a delivery confirmation attached (I pay for it, but it actually is recouped in my minimum bid amount so even though the customer is paying for it they don't realize it is for delivery confirmation). I only charge exact postage - and keep my postage receipts for DC and printed receipt from post office machine which itemizes by zip code each package mailed. If buyers are unwilling to purchase insurance (which is their right) I at least can furnish them with some indication that the package was mailed -- it is then out of my hands. Sellers who require ALL burden of proof to rest on the customer do not get my bids. I am more than happy to add DC so that they and I both have a bit more piece of mind.
posted on March 15, 2001 06:35:46 AM
When the rates increased, I was giving the option of parcel post or priority. However, I have since changed my TOS to read 2-day priority. I had packages taking 15-20 days to be delivered and items being broken (and I am a very careful packer). My postal guy told me that parcel post does not get the treatment that priority does, meaning they are thrown about a lot more.
posted on March 15, 2001 06:42:12 AM
Items under $10 I refund "non delivered" packages no questions asked. Never had one of these.
Items over $50 I require insurance, never had a non-delivered package.
Items in between I self-insure for cost effectiveness reasons (this is the bulk of my items). I cheerfully refund AFTER they cheerfully sign the federal post office form stating, under penalty of law, that they never got the item. I've had two initial claims of non-delivery, but zero requests for a refund after explaining my policy. Interesting, eh?
posted on March 15, 2001 08:02:56 AMMy postal guy told me that parcel post does not get the treatment that priority does, meaning they are thrown about a lot more.
I see evidence that the USPS has a policy of punishing packages which "should have" been shipped via Priority. The ususal punishment is aging in a warehouse rather than physical trauma, but it's punishment nonetheless.
Since I sell books, I think a real "sticker shock" sets in at the 2+ lb rate, which for a hardcover book is often. I can offer $2.50 media mail or $5.15 Priority and they take the lesser amount every time. Frequently folks make a point of telling me to send it as cheap as possible, they don't care how long it takes, etc.
I forgot that DC was just 40 cents. I may just carry it myself so if I get an inquiry weeks later, I should be able to show that I shipped.
I sell a few books once in a while and always have to warn bidders that Book Rate from Hawaii takes around 4 to 6 WEEKS. I give them a choice of Media Rate or Priority. However, I charge a minimum of $3.00 for Media Rate and explain that this includes postage, delivery confirmation and insurance. It actually comes out to $2.90 most of the time, but the math is easier with $3.00.
Then, I send them the DC number so they can track it online. Knock on wood...I have never had anyone write to ask where their book is. I also track the shipments weekly myself because I'm one of those mother hens who worries until the package gets there. If I see that the package has been scanned somewhere, I send a short e-mail to the buyer to inform them of where it is in the post office world. So far my buyers have appreciated this effort and I haven't had any problems. Again, knock on wood....I know my day is coming!
p.s. and off-topic: you have some nice books for sale. I got outbid recently on one of your auctions, but I'm happy for you because you got a good price.....just out of my budget!
posted on March 16, 2001 11:56:51 AM
Between half.com, ebay, and Amazon I have shipped over 3000 books and videos. I have yet to lose a package (knock on wood). About 2/3's are shipped media mail and the rest either go first class or priority. I give them a choice of priority or media mail and explain that media mail normally take 7-10 days to receive but can take 4 weeks. If they live in Alaska or Hawaii it can easily take 6 weeks. I have only had a few ask, "where's my book" and I would say it was half and half between priority and media mail. For those that ask, I simply say that I verified with my postal reciept that it was indeed shipped on such and such a day and they haven't allowed enough time and re-explain what was stated in my TOS and to please wait 30 days and I will put in a tracer. For priority mail I explain it could very well be sitting behind the counter of the PO or ask your mailman. If they get nasty, I just say I will be happy to fax them a copy or take a picture of my postal receipt. I use my postal receipt for DC as I find that I lose sales with all the added fees or increasing starting bids. I've never had a damaged order until this past month I've had two cracked videos plus several customers saying that the order itself was OK but the package was smashed or there was a hole in it.
