posted on April 1, 2001 12:57:37 AM
Here I am trying to get some work done while the tribes are sleeping. I have come across this wonderful letter that says " I don't know what PO you ship through, however, book rate through the post office should take no longer than 7-10 days. I do NOT leave positive feeback on items that take longer than 10 days to ship." This person also paid by check. In my ads I clearly state that checks are held 10 business days. I don't normally hold them but I do say that to try to get them to pay another way. I also state that I ship these books via "book rate" which can take 2-6 weeks for delivery. My post office has told me that many times. I have noticed that most do arrive in a week. I also give the option for priority mail for an additional charge which is usually declined. I am half tempted to return this persons check and tell him to find his merchandise elsewhere. I think that this may be a no win situation here. How would you respond?
posted on April 1, 2001 04:26:59 AM
IMHO you are probably right. Some people can't be pleased. The USPS says an average of 7-10 days but can be 2-3 weeks depending on how busy they are, these are moved last.
posted on April 1, 2001 04:42:27 AM
Send the check back. Email them with a polite note saying that you don't think the media rate nor you could probably please them and you'd prefer not to have this problem.
posted on April 1, 2001 06:16:38 AM
tsunami -
"This person also paid by check. In my ads I clearly state that checks are held 10 business days. I don't normally hold them but I do say that to try to get them to pay another way. I also state that I ship these books via "book rate" which can take 2-6 weeks for delivery. My post office has told me that many times."
"I am half tempted to return this persons check and tell him to find his merchandise elsewhere."
You can do two things ... inform the buyer that you will cash the check, wait the 10 days as specified in your TOS and ship book rate ... they can leave FB if they wish. (and hold your FB in case they get snotty)
OR, you can just return the check, prominently marked VOID with a black magic marker and let them know that you are unable to ship as soon as they want, because of your waiting time for checks to clear as specified in the TOS, and are unable to get the USPS to guarantee that the item will spendless than 10 days in transit for media mail. So you are saving them 20+ days of frustration by cancelling the sale NOW.
Under the request for FVF, use "buyer didn't follow TOS" and be done with it. Prepare for a negative, but somebody has to do it to this person, and you got lucky.
posted on April 1, 2001 07:36:28 AM
I think you have to look at the way you worded it to understand the response. "6 weeks" is NOT normal for book rate (and I've mailed HUNDREDS of books book rate.) It's normal to take 2 to 4 weeks, yes, and sure I have had a few take up to a month and two or three take longer than that, but that is unusual, NOT standard ops. Standard for books mailing in my area is about 14-20 days. You probably could have avoided the problem if you had stated "Book Rate is said to take 2-3 weeks by the post office but be aware that in rare cases may arrive up to 2 months after mailing." This gives them a more balanced point of view---they will probably receive the book sooner, but there's always the possibility it will take a long time to get there without being utterly lost.
Your buyer does sound like a jerk, no doubt about that, but possibly you could have headed him off with a more exact explanation.
posted on April 1, 2001 08:04:32 AM
I've shipped over 2000 packages book rate now called media mail and have had perhaps twenty take more than two weeks---and that includes five that never showed up at all. I must have an outstanding post office or something. Deposit the check ship the book in ten days. Don't leave any feedback just in case. Why go through the hassle of sending back the check and relisting the book.
posted on April 1, 2001 10:50:58 AM
Your ad was clearly stated, this person didn,t have to bid on it, he knew the terms up front, he can,t expect to change them after the fact, i for one don,t like when the seller says they will hold the check 10 days for shipping but if i really want the item i live with it, he sounds very pushy, just email him and tell him he can either wait or you will send check back to him
posted on April 1, 2001 11:21:05 AM
The buyer does sound pretty jerky. But if it were me, I would handle this buyer with kid gloves if you are really trying to avoid neg FB. (I am a real butt-kisser, but it seems to work!) I would email something like: "I really want you to be pleased with the transaction, and want to earn positive feedback for it. The probable time scenario for our transaction is 10 days for check to clear (but I will drop that to X amount of days since you are in a hurry) then X days that it typically takes PO to deliver, which is beyond my control. If this scenario will leave you unhappy and earn me negative feedback, you could pay the extra for Priority, or we could agree not to complete the transaction."
I know many of you will think this is being too nice, or a doormat or something, but for me this attitude has really worked. I know I'll eventually get a neg one day, but so far I'm neg free! (knock on wood)
But with all that syrupy niceness, it's good to also have a place to vent about jerks like this.
posted on April 1, 2001 12:02:09 PM
Six weeks is a long time, however, it CAN and DOES take that long for media rate from some locations. I have put in my TOS for buyers to allow 4 to 6 WEEKS for media rate from Hawaii. It can take a month just to get to California if they put it on a boat instead of a plane. All of which is beyond my control.
The shipping time is not the seller's fault and I don't see why she should be negged because the post office is slow. If the buyer wants the item faster, then paying for Priority is an option. But, to pay the cheaper rate and then demand priority service is unreasonable.
Karen: I hope the buyer can be made to see reason, or to cancel the deal with no negs on either side. Let us know what happens.
i like seyms and abacaxi's solutions. politely point out the info in your tos, and that between the time it takes to hold their check and that you just can't guarantee how long the post office will take to deliver, you don't want them to be disappointed with the transaction and will return their check. this person sounds like trouble in the making.
