ladyfargo
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posted on May 14, 2001 03:23:42 PM
--How much to insure this $3.00 item?
--The postage was $1.87, so why did you charge me $2.25?
--Please e-mail me when item has been shipped
--I know you don't accept bids from out of U.S., but will you ship to Guatamala?
(The "please e-mail me when item is shipped" is very common and particularly annoying.)
[ edited by ladyfargo on May 14, 2001 03:24 PM ]
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jrb3
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posted on May 14, 2001 03:32:45 PM
Bidder gives me step by step instructions on how to pack a ring.
I don't want to pay extra $2 for priority boxed so please place ring in a box with cotton, wrap securely in bubble wrap with peanuts then place in padded mailer.
I replied as stated in EOA notice priority goes boxed first class in padded mailer with bubble wrap.
As if I'm going to get a ring box just for this bidder.
I sell 600 pieces of jewelry a month I have Feeddback of 1300+.
Theese people need to get real
Joe B
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deregulation
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posted on May 14, 2001 03:35:46 PM
ladyfargo...I consider it a sign of a great seller when I get an e-mail letting me know my item is on the way.
There may be very legitimate reasons why people want to know the ship date. Maybe they don't have a very secure mailbox and want to keep an eye out for the delivery?
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JettBoy
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posted on May 14, 2001 03:50:42 PM
"Please e-mail me when item has been shipped."
This is NOT a stupid request. Many buyers want to know when the item has been shipped because it gives them an idea when to expect delivery. It is also a way of letting them know that you have received their payment.
Not all sellers ship every day. Some only ship once a week or wait until the check has cleared.
And It also takes away the mystery IF you have shipped or NOT.
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SOLDat2
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posted on May 14, 2001 03:52:27 PM
My favorite is bidders from Canada.
Our auctions state US only, yet we still get bids from the north.
Then, of course, they always want to adjust the shipping charge for you.
Oh yeah, please put "Gift" on the custom form that you have to fill out.
Good, they can't read and then want me to lie.
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rajan
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posted on May 14, 2001 03:58:27 PM
I include the ship date in the feedback and include a note in the end of auction notice for them to watch for it. It saves me an extra email and my buyers seem to like it. I consider the buyers obligation completed when I ship the item and always leave feedback the day the item ships. I have quit leaving feedback for the sellers that wait for the buyers feedback before they leave feedback - and I seldom buy from them again!!!!
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raham
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posted on May 14, 2001 03:58:37 PM
As long as I continue to have buyers, I could care less what questions they ask. Ask away! 
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ExecutiveGirl
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posted on May 14, 2001 04:05:25 PM
I just received this email regarding a breakable glassware item:
I do not care to have insurance unless you insist. I have never had anything to get broken and I know you will wrap it up well.
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eastwest
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posted on May 14, 2001 04:08:56 PM
WHAT IS THE PRODUCT MADE OF ???
The auction states teak digerdoo
and it's spelled right
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tomwiii
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posted on May 14, 2001 04:13:35 PM
Well...What is teak digerdoo made of?
[ edited by tomwiii on May 14, 2001 04:13 PM ]
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Microbes
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posted on May 14, 2001 04:26:22 PM
Will you overnight it to me, and trust me that I sent the money?
Don't send emails to my registered ebay account email address.
Will you stop the auction and sell it to me for the opening bid?
Since it didn't sell I'll give you a dollar for it.
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ladyfargo
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posted on May 14, 2001 04:28:56 PM
Unless they state so in their payment letter...
Who has the time to research every item payment to see if that person wanted to be notified of shipment? And who if the solution to that is "well, notify everybody then"; WHO has the time for this? Not me.
I ship immediately after payment, no wait for checks. I AM a great seller, I just don't have the time to play that game. And as a buyer, I do not expect sellers to placate me in that fashion.
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squinkle99
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posted on May 14, 2001 04:29:45 PM
I'm curious too now. Is a digerdoo a widget or a real thing? <Off to Ebay to search for a digerdoo to see if one really exists>
.............
I can't find a digerdoo on Ebay. Must be a "widget" - aka generic name for any random consumer product.
[ edited by squinkle99 on May 14, 2001 04:32 PM ]
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ExecutiveGirl
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posted on May 14, 2001 04:35:42 PM
ladyfargo:
I ship hundreds of packages every week and I email ALL my customers to let them know:
(1) when their payment is received and
(2) when their item ships
I am able to do this in only a few seconds per day using AuctionTrakker.
I never used to do this until I got AuctionTrakker and I have noticed a huge difference in the emails I get from my buyers and in the feedbacks they leave for me. I now wouldn't do it any other way.
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eventer
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posted on May 14, 2001 04:41:01 PM
And as a buyer, I do not expect sellers to placate me in that fashion.
And your customers aren't you. They may have different needs.
If you are getting a lot of these requests, which by your own admission, it appears you are, perhaps you might be overlooking something your customers want which you aren't providing.
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reamond
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posted on May 14, 2001 05:09:32 PM
I think part of the problem is that many buyers think they are the only order the seller has to fill, and in the buyers mind I suppose that is true.
What I find disturbing is the buyer that emails a message such as " Did my item ship yet ?" "Thanks GH". No name, no item number, just an email address.
Now I suppose I could go through my email records and see what this person bought, and may be able to track down the shipping information, as long as it is not an item that I sell a lot of.
But this relates to the buyer that sends a check/MO with nothing else ! I can generally figure out what they bought by the price but not always.
Record keeping is a real pain. We have to correlate 1. username; 2. email address; 3. real names and shipping addresses; 4. item number.
If the seller doesn't include all 4 pieces of information with all correspondence, the seller is lost or must play detective, and depending how many items you sell a week, playing dective can be problematic and very time consuming.
I don't know about the rest of you sellers, but my shipping and payment records are all done with real names and addresses because so few payments include email addresses, usernames, and item numbers with correspondence.
It also delays or makes impossible to leave feedback when username and email address is not included with payment.
So for all you buyers out there, please include all 4 items of information in correspondence.
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deregulation
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posted on May 14, 2001 05:13:23 PM
The majority of problems with eBay transactions directly relates to either downright fraud or a lack of communication. I love sellers who keep me informed because they show they are organized and dedicated to customer service. I also like when they leave feedback as soon as I pay, but I can understand why many sellers don't.
Either way, if you are getting a large number of requests for shipping information, then maybe you need to set up a system where this information is readily available so you can appease these customers. While I realize some buyers can never be satisfied, they are still buyers and deserve your attention when making a request. If you are not getting a large number of requests for shipping information, then by all means, just ignore them. The few repeat customers you lose should not pose that big of a problem.
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airguy
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:10:17 PM
Didgeridoo~
gosh I guess I really should go on who wants to be a millionaire. a didgeridoo is an Australian instrument of aboriginal origin, traditionally they are made of termite hollowed eucalyptus, the termite hollowed eucalyptus is a bit of a guess but I think I remember reading that somewhere. now days you can even find them made of PVC pipe.
notifying of a received check~
I always do notify people that I have received payment, I have also had people stop payments on large checks a few days before we said their item was to be mailed. So you can loose either way. pretty good for the crook, you pay a 15.00 stop payment on the check(also has been done to me with a bank "personal money order" and they get a 100.00 plus item for 15.00. also when they stop payment on the check the bank will punch out the numbers on the bottom of the check so you can't "represent" it.
anyway stupid requests(and questions)~
1) you wont have to hold my check I have great feedback(you check and it's less than 10)
2) have you shipped yet? aaaaa did you read and keep the email I sent with your ship date??
3) why don't you take PayPal? I love that one, even better is when they acknowledge that you don't take PayPal, but they try to send you the money with them, even better when they try more than once
4) will you ship to me out of the country? I guess the reason your asking is because we say we don' on the auction?
then if you do break your own TOS(lets not debate that here) I like the remember to mark the package as a gift!
5) what do you mean you will only ship this 3 pound package priority mail, I want first class! aaaaaaa OK
6) I used "buy it now" what do mean I have to send you money? not so much any more but use to get about 2 a week when they offered the feature
7) will you combine shipping(yes as it says on our ads we will combine shipping) the monies get here and one goes to aunt betty in CA and the other to grandmother in Florida(yes I have had this happen a few times)
8) what do you mean it's going to be another week hold because I paid with a check, I have great feedback and this is for a gift this weekend. auction ended about a month before they sent the check and this is my fault?
9) I love this one, hi I bid on your auction xxxxxx and when I bid I didn't have a job/had surgery/lost my job/computer crashed, we've heard them all. ebay has suspended my privileges and wont let me bid until I get a email sent to xxxxx, will you please send a email and tell them that you wont hold it against me?(so I can bid on more stuff I wont pay for) not to mention that they are sending this to everyone they never paid, and usually the ones I've been getting lately have been for auctions over a year ago.
10) where is my stuff I paid you with PayPal over 2 weeks ago! if I don't get a response back within 24 hours I will leave negative feedback and turn you into anyone that will listen! Ok sounds good, did you read the emails I sent you telling you that we don't use PayPal?
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sharkbaby
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:21:34 PM
I agree totally with deregulation, JettBoy, and ExecGirl! it is a courtesy that the buyer is entitled to knowing that you have received his payment and when his parcel will be shipped.
It's called Customer Service...
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Microbes
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:23:34 PM
Didgeridoo:
Airguy is right. If you know how to blow it, you can hear it 5 miles away. (you vibrate the earth with it.)
It least I stopped getting:
If you sign up with paypal thru my link, we'll both get $10.00.
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mikeselis
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:31:38 PM
I buy a lot of things on Ebay so it is my personal assumption that:
1. Paying by paypal to a seller that accepts paypal should result in arrival of the item in 10 business days
2. Payment by check to a seller that accepts checks will result in shipment in 14 days after they get the check.
3. Most sellers will not send an email telling you that the item has shipped nor will they tell you the tracking number.
4. Shipping costs listed in auction will almost always 99.999998% of the item be higher than the listed postage of the envelope, because packing materials costs need to also be covered.
5. Many inexperienced sellers will add more than twice as much to the actual shipping than needed in order to increase their income. I remember a time where purchasers of items in the stamp collector categories only paid $.32 + $.02 (envelope) for shipping. Now everybody charges at least $1.00.
6. Most sellers use phrases in their TOS to entice you pay for insurance. I often buy the insurance if USPS is to be used but only 75% of sellers actually buy the insurance, as it will be stamped on the packaging if they did. If UPS/FEDEX is used insurance is included in cost...
Anybody else have some personal assumptions that they care to share?
"In pioneer days they used oxenfor heavy pulling, and when one ox couldn't budge a log, they didn't try to grow a larger ox. We shouldn't be trying for bigger computers, but for more systems of computers." - Grace Hopper
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breinhold
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:33:24 PM
next time you buy from a catalog like LL bean or williams sonoma or if you buy from a tv infomercial be sure request the same of them.....all you will hear is note hitting the waste can. email makes people crazy.
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fetishtemple
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:36:01 PM
mikeselis --
6. Most sellers use phrases in their TOS to entice you pay for insurance. I often buy the insurance if USPS is to be used but only 75% of sellers actually buy the insurance, as it will be stamped on the packaging if they did. If UPS/FEDEX is used insurance is included in cost...
Greetings Mike:
I disagree with this one. Lots of sellers use UPic or some other insurer and they do not have a stamp but ARE insured....just not through the USPS proper.
At least that is the way we do it!
D
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ihula
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:44:20 PM
I have had 2 this week where they didn't include the shipping! In fact one never responded to my emails (I sent her 3 of them) and then sends me a check with her name only on it, and for an amount that didn't match any of my auctions since she forgot to include the shipping price. I had no idea who she was and had no way of tracking her down. Finally she emails me asking me if I recieved her payment. I politely emailed her back and asked when she sent it and what her name was. Oh, did that make her mad. She acted like I was her best friend and how dare I forget her name! I kindly responded back that I didn't receive any previous emails from her and that the amount of the check didn't match any of my auctions since she forgot to include shipping. She emailed back and apologized, but never offered to send more money. The other auction I didn't even bother to email her and tell her she forgot to include shipping. Too tired I guess. Can't these people add? My shipping is a set rate and included in all my ads as well as my "Congratulations on winning auction XXXX email". Go figure. I guess I should have emailed them back and said send more money, but I'm leaving in a week for a funeral in France and don't feel like trying to track people down before I leave. And people in Canada that bid, and don't tell me they're from Canada and mail me their address with a payment that doesn't include extra shipping. Maybe I just scream "I'm gullable". WOW I feel much better now....thanks guys 
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rca001
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:54:11 PM
Breinhold-
LLBean tells me exactly when my package will ship at the time I order it. If they are going to be late, they send me a postcard with the new ship date. Just good customer service.
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RB
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posted on May 14, 2001 06:56:47 PM
"(The "please e-mail me when item is shipped" is very common and particularly annoying.)"
Why is that so annoying????
Every etailer that I order from ALWAYS sends me an email when they are ready to ship. It alerts me to start watching for the package, plus it confirms that they have received my payment.
Some sellers are just too darn hard to get along with or too damn lazy and discourteous to provide an answer to their CUSTOMERS questions
[ edited by RB on May 14, 2001 06:58 PM ]
[ edited by RB on May 14, 2001 07:01 PM ]
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Microbes
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posted on May 14, 2001 07:14:37 PM
>If they are going to be late, they send me a postcard with the new ship date
My customers would blow a fuse if they got a postcard instead of their package. That may pass for for Customer Service from LLBean, but try it on ebay. Better get the package out, even if you don't email the buyer and tell 'em you shipped it.
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shaani
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posted on May 14, 2001 07:19:54 PM
I sell but I have also purchased more than 300 items on ebay. Maybe the item I purchased for $3.00 (an old postcard of my hometown) cannot be replaced easily so I may ask for insurance. So that isn't a stupid request.
I send cash for almost all of my purchases that are under $75 so I would like to know if the seller received it so I appreciate the e-mail or at least a feedback so I know for sure. I don't consider that a stupid request.
Big name companies do notify me when they ship my order. I also trust their name but on ebay I am dealing with a stranger.
Many sellers in the US do accept bids from other countries even though they say they will only ship within the US. So perhaps the bidder has had success by e-mailing and asking. To them it isn't a stupid request.
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reddeer
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posted on May 14, 2001 07:20:34 PM
I post pos feedback & ship the same day the funds arrive. I mention that fact on all of my auctions, and in my end of auction email.
Problem solved.
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reddeer
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posted on May 14, 2001 07:23:11 PM
shaani
I know a Canuck seller that has over 100 feedback, and still hasn't clued into the fact that the default setting on eBay is
"Will Ship To US Only".
I'm sure he gets lots of stupid questions.
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