posted on May 29, 2001 12:14:26 PM new
Hi everyone, what do you do when someone shorts you on shipping? I'm sure this has been covered here before. In the last week I've received 4 payments where the payment is short. I've tried lowering the shipping options so I can get the bid price, but still end up loosing. Yeah sure, sometimes it's only a buck or so, but some of these are blatant. One is a problem, guy from Canada who has been kind of a needle since the beginning, sent funds, but shorted the shipping. He sent the shipping amount that was quoted for continental U.S. He e-mailed with me forever. Asking for my addy many times and ignoring most of my e-mails I sent him. This one is about $2.50 short. I know these are pennies on the front, but I'm thinkin, geez, If I let every dollar, two dollars slide here and there, how much is that going to add up to in the course of a year? How do you all handle this. I can't see myself e-mailing someone over $1. Just the cost of doing business?
Thanks for lettin be vent! Sue (Mrs. Dave61bug)
posted on May 29, 2001 12:31:31 PM new
Hi, Sue....What I do in this case is simply send the bidder an e-mail with "Ebay Partial Payment Received (Item # xxxxxxxxxxxx)" as the subject line and in the body of the message just state I have received their partial payment and will ship the item upon receipt of the balance of payment due. Give a time limit for balance of payment. No threats.
Usually I receive the balance of payment. When I don't, I just follow-up by a final email stating I will refund their payment by personal check since they appear to no longer want the item.
Cliff gives excellent advice. A nicely worded e-mail will often get the insufficient funds sent promptly (many times with an appology). Just make sure you factor in how much time you'll loose with further e-mail communication. For instance, if I'm shorted by $.50 or so... I usually first get kinda irritated, then realize that it really wouldn't even be worth my time to contact the bidder to inform them of the short funds. Another suggestion you may hear is to ship the item a cheaper way or use cheaper packaging supplies. I'd personally advise against that, though... as you'd just be opening yourself up for more troubles down the line. Hope that helps!
posted on May 29, 2001 12:42:39 PM new
all bidders must pay quoted shipping, pERIOD. stick to your guns, demand shipping be paid in full and hold the item until it is done. if they paid by check go ahead and run the ck thru while you wait on the balance..........
posted on May 29, 2001 12:47:03 PM new
I've done what cliff suggested and have some success. But I don't send them a check if they don't pay the additional shipping-- in that case their item just sits here until it is paid for. I did get a recent customer who wanted 1st class shipping at $2.50 and when she sent it she said she wanted it sent for $1.40 and to use $1.10 for insurance. Since my terms on the auction were so clear, the item will go 1st class but no insurance. She should have sent $3.60 to cover that.
I have had to get a little tougher on this issue as I had been getting shorted pretty often and it was starting to add up.
The worst is when someone paypals money and shorts you a little bit. By the time paypal takes another cut, that really adds up. It depends on the amount then.
posted on May 29, 2001 12:50:26 PM new
>guy from Canada who has been kind of a needle since the beginning, sent funds, but shorted the shipping. He sent the shipping amount that was quoted for continental U.S<
Gee, does THAT sound familiar.........
...of course, it shouldn't cost more because our borders touch!
Anyway, Cliff is right, a 'partial payment' email is in order.
Those pennies add up, just ask all the people that complain when mail goes up .01!
posted on May 29, 2001 01:59:38 PM new
Thanks for all of the great advice (I replied in e-mail, but I don't see it here so forgive me if it shows up later).
I like Cliff's advice, and have drafted up a letter/e-mail for these circumstances. Thanks everyone for your advice.
I am thinking of going as far as asking for .35 if they pay via PayPal or Billpoint. I wonder if that crosses the line with the payment services or Ebay? Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
Well, keep advising folks, as I've not sent the e-mail yet......Sue (Mrs. Dave61bug)
posted on May 29, 2001 02:19:36 PM new
Go try and short for the sake of argument Columbia House Record Club, or any one of the hundreds of companies selling a product on TV and see how far you get. I can guarantee they will not ship any merchandise to you unless their bill is paid in full. That goes for large brick and mortar stores that are on-line like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, JC Penny etc. Just try shorting them .50, $1.00 or $2.50 because you don’t like their shipping rates.
Point being; They won’t do it, us sellers shouldn’t have to put up with it either. It costs more than just the postage to ship an item and people know it they just think for some reason if your selling on eBay your not entitled to these costs. Anywhere else it’s excepted.
When this happens to me and it has. I send a polite e-mail short and to the point stating they did not send enough funds and I need an additional $X.XX so I can complete this transaction ASAP. All but one time have I not received the additional funds.
posted on May 29, 2001 02:50:38 PM new
What I love is people who lie about their address. UPS charges either $1.00 or $2.50 for residential deliveries (depending on if the address is in the woods, or in a city), so I get addresses like:
Acme Engineering
Attn: Joe Bidder
1234 Some St
Remote City Ut
Price shipping as a business shipmet, and then get charged back $2.50 from UPS at the end of the month, because 1234 some st is a HOUSE.
I go into my UPS software, and correct their address, and the next time they buy something, they get charged the correct rate AND the $2.50 the did me out of the first time.
posted on May 29, 2001 06:37:52 PM new
I work in a Bookstore and we ship alot of rare and used books all over. Before I got there, they used to ship books even if the shipping was shorted a buck or two or none at all. After I got there, I determined it had to stop. A few bucks may have been small individually, however, I added it all up and it was costing the business 100+ a month, one month was over 500. So what's 100 a month to a medium sized business ..... it is a half week's pay for an employee we could use.
When I put a stop to it, I couldn't believe the arrogance of the buyers. "It only a dollar, what difference does it make", I've always done this with no problems before"
And the biggie," I never buy from you again!!!!", good just what I don't need, buyers who cheat us.... But I applied it evenly, no matter the amount and everybody eventually understood and paid.
