posted on April 27, 2001 09:38:44 PM
Drumroll please...
Get this-- I sell widget. Send AW notice to buyer. Buyer mails check. Great! I receive check 2 days ago and yesterday go and deposit check in my bank.
Tonight I get the following note:
"My check has cleared yet I have no feedback from you and no ________widget___. Is THAT an automated response too?"
Huh? How can a check clear my bank in 24 hours? I sent a super sweet note back to this person but sheeesh! And NO WAY am I leaving this person feedback until he recieves the widget and is okay.
Executive girl-- are you sending some of your customers my way this week or what? :0)
[ edited by ashlandtrader on Apr 27, 2001 09:53 PM ]
[ edited by ashlandtrader on Apr 27, 2001 10:22 PM ]
posted on April 27, 2001 10:47:57 PM
To top this off I was looking a little closer and this auction ended April 6th. The postmark on the envelope was April 20th (and it was recieved April 25-- deposited the 26th).
Arghhhh.
But I am letting it go now-- it does not matter! Thanks for letting me vent here.
:0)
posted on April 28, 2001 12:11:47 AM
Well....... I wanna at least share that award with you!
Auction closes Apr 21st.
I send e.o.a. on 21st.
Unbeknownst to me my email server is ill. Sick. Dying. Or, as in Princess Bride; "almost dead".
Screen says 'message sent' but as I am receiving NO emails and panicking I look in sent folder and 6 emails were NOT sent!
I open a new email account w/Outlook (rather....have had it for 4 mos - never used it). Can't seem to figure it out.....struggle. Update email w/ebay & Amazon. Email family "are you getting this?". "yes, but you said it's .com and it's .net!"
SCREAM!
I go back in ebay & Amazon & update email AGAIN, and email starts pouring in. Go to my account and this COW gave me two negs "bogus email accounts!" "won't answer emails!". It had been just barely three days since close of her two stupid romance auctions! I am already closing that stuff out..... have had MORE trouble with it than anything besides biographies.
Somebody hold her down! I'm gonna give her a clue!
Mom,
don't mess with the momma
edited to fix spelling. Can't spell worth snot when I'm ticked.
[ edited by immykidsmom on Apr 28, 2001 12:14 AM ]
posted on April 28, 2001 12:47:43 AMashlandtrader,
About the fast check clearing, it IS possible, but the circumstances would probably have to be just right (i.e. major banks in the same state or something like that). Did you make a copy of the check? Just for kicks, it might be interesting to call the bank to verify when (and IF) the check cleared. Some years ago, I had a check clear in 48 hours between New York and California!
posted on April 28, 2001 09:37:38 PM
immykidsmom-- they can share it. It sounds like your buyer needs an award too. Nice thing about this award is that there are plenty of them to go around. :0)
mcbroom-- The weird thing is that I bank with a smaller sized bank but his was a major bank. I am on the west coast and he was in mid america. I guess it could clear fast but he could still be a bit more patient.
At least he was nicer in todays email. Thanks everybody!
posted on April 29, 2001 06:57:43 AM
ashlandtrader..what does your tos state re. holding item until check clears? If you state in your tos that you hold item for 10 days, then that is what you do; doesn't matter what your buyer tells you. Just refer them to that and explain that you do not have availability to their account the way your he/she does.
posted on April 29, 2001 07:11:16 AM
Can I play too? I sold an item, received money order on Monday. Emailed lady that money was received and item would be mailed on Wed by priority mail. I live 20 miles from a small town where mail only goes out 2x per day so things don't get send out immediately but I think 2 days is reasonable. Lady sends me snooty letter on FRIDAY MORNING - I have not received item is there a problem. I calmly emailed her back saying item was shipped on Wed through priority mail and that it should take 3-4 days. Boy, talk about impatient!!
posted on April 29, 2001 03:40:43 PM
Gee, this sounds like the nightmare newbie bidder that I recently delt with. He left me my first neg saying (my name here) holds checks 10 days, cleared or not. I still don't have what I bought. At the time I received his check he only had two feedbacks. So of course I held his check as stated in my TOS. He also emailed me the same line that your bidder fed you. My check has cleared my bank so why haven't you sent my widget yet? The next thing I knew I had a neg. How was I supposed to know that the check cleared his bank? ESP?
posted on April 29, 2001 08:32:54 PM
bck--
I know, it is so frustrating! Wish I could trust every bidder who paid by check, but I just can't eat up any losses. Terrible that you got negged for it! That is one of the bad things about the feedback system. Too bad the system isn't set up so that if you try to neg someone it would make you wait 24 hours or something before it would accept it. Might make some folks think it through a little better.
Just woshful thinking on my part, but it would be nice. :0)
nanastuff-- my tos doesn't say much more than I take checks. I better start putting in a line that says (allow week to clear) or something like that. I don't get very many checks since most of what I sell is dated and folks want it fast-- so they pay by credit card more than anything else. This has me re-thinking my policy. I guess I should be grateful that it was something this minor that got me thinking about it.
I checked out this guys feedback and it is a high number and all really good so I think I will just ship the widget tomorrow and send him an email letting him know that it is on the way. Looks like he is a seller and a buyer-- I guess this is why his email struck me as so pushy.
Thanks everyone! Here is to a good week of sales!
posted on April 30, 2001 07:46:35 AM
I don't put in my listings that I accept personal checks - they aren't worth the hassle. I'll take them if the buyer says he has to pay that way, but I tell them I'll hold the shipment 10 business days to allow the check to clear.
Had 2 pay via personal check this month. First one had +50 feedback, so I only held the check a week before shipping. Other one had a feedback of 2, but harrassed me a lot with the "My check cleared the bank X/XX, why haven't you shipped yet?" and when I originally told him I would hold shipment, he came back with "You don't need to do that - call your bank and they'll tell you the check cleared" - so I called the bank and they said I would have to call HIS bank to see if there are sufficient funds to pay for the check, but that some banks do not give information re: accounts to other people.. *sigh*
So I held his 1 week and sent if off too.. neither were high $ items.. but the pain of personal checks aren't worth the price, I don't think. Haven't had a problem with any of the checks yet *knockonwood*, but still..
posted on May 1, 2001 08:22:16 AM
This isn't meant as a dig, but...
You guys who won't take personal checks haven't been selling very much or for very long, would be my guess. Over four years of high-volume selling on eBay is all the proof I need that personal checks are second only to money orders as no-hassle payment. I've never gotten a bad check that wasn't made good; and I got perhaps 4 bad checks last year.
I'll take a personal check over a PayPal payment or a Billpoint payment any day. In fact, we don't accept credit cards AT ALL any more. And I'll take a bad check over a chargeback. With a bad check, I at least have a hope of getting my money. Chargebacks almost always go against the seller.
posted on May 1, 2001 09:06:28 AM
Good point bettylou. I honestly don't mind getting checks. I just think that it is standard practice for a seller to hold them for a short period of time and that the majority of buyers do expect that. :0)
