posted on October 30, 2001 06:33:54 PM
Can someone shed some light on this for me?
In the past month or so, I've purchased about 35+ items on Ebay. All was going fairly well, until the last 2 sellers I purchased from.
Seller #1 I paid via Paypal on 10/3. Didn't hear from him again until I emailed him a couple weeks later inquiring about my item. He said it shipped on 10/9 and he did not have any kind of tracking number. Blamed the PO for being slow, etc. (Also no mention in his auction that he would delay shipment 6 days when I paid via Paypal). A few days later he emailed and said he had a "family emergency" and that his wife mailed the item on 10/9 via USPS and he would "have something for me on Monday" if I didn't receive the items by then. Still nothing. After several emails back & forth for a couple of weeks, I finally received the package, and the package was POSTMARKED 10/22. He swears he sent it on 10/9 - but how could it be postmarked 10/25??
Seller #2 - similar situation. I paid via Paypal on 10/11. They emailed me on 10/12 stating my item was "on it's way" and that they had left positive feedback for me on that date. I received the package, POSTMARKED 10/22 - not the 12th like they had stated. Also, when checking my feedback, they had *NOT* left me any feedback at all (they had said they did on the 12th).
In your opinion, am I dealing with 2 sellers who outright lied about when the sent the items, or is it possible the post office screwed up some how? I honestly don't know how a package could be postmarked a different date than these sellers say they have shipped? And by "postmarked" I mean the label that the PO clerk puts on the package when you pay and drop off the package.
posted on October 30, 2001 06:54:15 PM
I have had similar instances happen, and I am on the other end - the seller. There is a small PO branch where I live, and sometimes if the PO is crowded (and only 1 window is staffed), I take all my packages to Mailboxes, Etc. to mail. A couple of buyers started emailing me saying they had not received their packages, and I knew I had mailed them because I stood there and watched the CSR weigh, etc. When the packages finally arrived to the buyers, they were postmarked at least a week later than the date I mailed. Come to find out, the Mailboxes, etc. was holding packages and only taking to the PO once a week. Obviously I do not use them anymore.
Also, I have had similar incidents happen when I have mailed things from the PO. I have stood at the counter and watch a dated postage label applied to a package, then the buyer says when they finally receive it that it was postmarked a week later. I talked to one of the PO workers that I know here, and she explained that all the mail from their branch goes to a regional processing center; but before it makes that leg of the journey, it is consolidated at the main PO in here. For various reasons, packages get left behind (i.e., the bin isn't full, etc.). In all actuality, some packages can sit at the PO branch before they are even sent out. If somewhere down the line a PO worker catches a package that has not been cancelled or has an earlier date on it, they will cancel with the day's date that they catch it or reprint the label! Not fair, but what do you do? Out of hundreds of packages, I have had this happen probably around 6 or 7 times - all in the past two months.
It sounds really far-fetched, and I would have never believed this until it happened to me...
posted on October 31, 2001 04:28:34 AM
I ship only USPS priority within the US. I shipped 4 packages on 10-22-01. 1 made it to customer in 2-3 days, 1 took 8 days, and the other 2 well according to the USPS website it shows shipped 10-22-01 but not delivered. Hopefully the customers will note that their packages were indeed shipped on the date I promised and eventually they will show up. Course they are all insured. Since this I have changed my shipment notification to let customers know their tracking number and to review the USPS website so they can be assured I did in fact ship on that day. Plus I note on notification that some priority is taking longer than the usual 2-3 days. But sheessssssshhhhhh 8+ days it a little excessive on priority mail.
posted on October 31, 2001 05:02:27 AM
I also ship everything Priority mail. Although I have never had a postmark changed after I have mailed it (that I know of) The last couple of weeks I have had several packages that were supposed to be delivered in 2-3 days take 8-10 days.
The USPS does advertise 2-3 day delivery but they don't guarantee it.
posted on October 31, 2001 05:23:22 AM
Mail is slow for us also. We do four mailings a week. The last two weeks have been real slow for all of our shipments. From priority to media mail. Most priority is taking 5-8 days to arrive. Approx 5 days for first class and our media mail is slow going to the west coast. We are on the east coast. Media to east coast and midwest is fine, but real slow shipping to west coast for some reason. We had one package sent on the 23rd sit in a Philadelphia processing center for one week! I assume on the east coast with all the troubles they are having for all mail to be slow.
posted on October 31, 2001 05:43:13 AM
Sounds like they might not have had the items on hand by the confusing stories they were telling. A simple straightforward story would have been more believeable. Maybe they were pre-sale items that they hadn't received themselves as of your purchase. I've had some items I had purchased from distributors that I hadn't received, but wanted to list immediately to take advantage of bidding frenzy at the time for those items. Luckily I didn't since my shipments were delayed for a couple of weeks beyond what the distributor had claimed. I would have been in trouble if I had! I guess at times like that it's easiest to concoct lies to avoid telling the truth.
posted on October 31, 2001 05:52:12 AM
I'm not sure why people lie so much lately. I'm getting old I guess. I've had just under 10 eBay shipments go out later than I'd commited to - never during holiday season. In each instance I emailed the buyer and told them I'd shipped their package late and on what date. No freakin' excuses, no BS. Not a single person has gotten angry enough to neg me for it - not even a neutral. (One was 8 days late, the others fewer than 3 days late.)
But, the same is true in Corporate Amerika. People seem to think that if they make an error, their entire value as a human being is at stake. If only they could see how small their lying makes them seem.
posted on October 31, 2001 05:58:43 AM
They weren't the type of items where they could have been pre-sale (One was a used clothing item).
I can understand if the item took 10+ days to get to me as long as it was postmarked when they SAID it was. But these packages were postmarked 16 and 10 days AFTER they said the items shipped.
These sellers were not very friendly in their emails to me to begin with, and after I received the items and emailed them as to why the items were postmarked 10 & 16 days after they said they shipped the items, they didn't answer my emails.
I guess at times like that it's easiest to concoct lies to avoid telling the truth.