posted on July 24, 2001 08:35:34 PM
I bought a book for 20 dollars on ebay.
Paid the same day the auction ended. I was told the book went out on the 5th of july.
No book yet.....now the seller tells me they are not responsible for items once they leave her house. HUH!!!
I have been selling for over 2 years and have given refunds because the buyer didn't LIKE an item.
I have never had an item go missing but I'm sure I would give a refund if it did. This is really annoying.
Why should I have to pay for something I never got? I have many many repeat customers and I would never treat them this way.
This can't be the standard or is it?
posted on July 24, 2001 08:39:40 PM
Sorry, tegan, but this is INDEED the way many sellers feel. If you didn't insure it, then many sellers feel their responsibility ended the microsecond they dropped it in the shipping system.
posted on July 24, 2001 08:47:23 PM
Everybody has to make their own business plan.
(Please don't tell anybody) I do refund bid cost for lost uninsured items. Not the shipping cost, just the bid cost. I made this decision before anything ever went missing.
But then, I don't sell big ticket items, and on the rare occassion that an item does fetch a decent price, and the bidder passes on insurance, I'll pay for DC myself, just so I can prove I mailed it. I also pay for DC when I have nervous newbies, it just makes my life that much easier.
Your seller made their business plan too. All you have left is the cold comfort of a negative. I'm sure it won't be their last.
posted on July 24, 2001 09:17:06 PM
of course you should get your money back. Would this be acceptable from Lands End or JC Penny. If you do not want to be responsible for your product after it leaves your hands then do not use a nontrackable shipping method. The seller makes that choice, Yes I will send it that way.
posted on July 25, 2001 01:43:37 PM
I just had my FIRST package go missing. A Global Priority envelope to Israel. I guess it was my turn! I refunded the buyer pending the outcome of the post office search. The buyer was really happy. I could feel the "hug" in her e-mail. (NOTE: she has high, excellent feedback and has kept in touch with me from the start. Nothing to make me suspect she received it and is caging for both her money and the goods.)
I may be in the minority here, but I feel it is the Buyer's job to pay me and it is my job as the Seller to get them their goods. I don't bid on auctions if the Seller states "I'm not responsible for this and that...etc." I can't control the post office, but I can control how I treat my buyers.
posted on July 25, 2001 02:05:35 PM
Okay, how about some help here?? I just had my VERY FIRST package go missing since I began selling on Ebay. (supposedly missing) I insured it, dc'd it (thank god) The website says it was delivered on the 20th of July. The buyer says he didn't get it. When I told him it was confirmed, I haven't heard back....but what if he still says he didnt get it? What do I do next? (I think it may have mysteriously appeared!)
posted on July 25, 2001 02:06:17 PM
I'd never expect my buyers to be out the money and the merchandise. As a buyer, it would make me feel awful, so I won't treat my buyers that way.
And how often do packages really get lost anyway? I know, I know, look at the USPS auctions... But I mean from the standpoint of 1 individual seller?
So on the rare occasion it does happen, it shouldn't hurt that much to give a refund. JMHO
posted on July 25, 2001 03:42:54 PMyumacoot: I've had that happen about 6 times out of the 1000 items I've shipped over the past 18 mos! So, I send them this cutie-pie...
"Dear Gas-Bag: I'm so sorry your item has not arrived. According to the USPS DC TRACKING WEB-SITE, your item was delivered at 10:00am on July 25, 2001. Please allow a few more days for the item to show up. If it doesn't, I'll contact the POSTAL INSPECTORS, who have been very helpful to me in the past solving cases of POSTAL THEFT, a very serious crime! Sincerely....."
What do ya know? ALL the packages MIRACLOUSLY arrived the very next day...either the dog buried it, or hubby hid it...ya get my drift?
posted on July 25, 2001 08:03:37 PM
Tomwiii hit it right on the nose. Great email, too.
A long time ago I raised my Priority rate to 3.95 and at that rate I cover the 3.50 postage, 40 cents Delivery Confirmation and .05 for bubble wrap. I don't let the customer opt in or out, I just do it.
And since I deal in mostly low cost tapes and cds I don't bother with insurance. I have only had one non-appearing shipment in the past year, and it truly disappeared. No DC delivery.
The dozen nitwits who emailed me that they had not received their goods all backed off when I sent them to the usps.com site to verify it was delivered.
As a back up, in the past when a package went missing I made sure the feedback comment was along the lines of: "Package never showed up, this nice customer accepted refund." A sort of code alert to other sellers, just in case it was a scam.
posted on July 25, 2001 08:21:38 PM
I would wait longer before getting upset. I've had packages take as long as three weeks to get to its destination. They may not have mailed it when they say they did. Be patient, you'll probably get the package. I've never had a package lost but definitely a few have been very slow in arriving. I always thought I would not refund for a package lost in the mail. But my policy has been to insure any items over $20. Most of my sales are under $10. I've also had sellers take as long as two weeks to mail me an item.
