posted on February 17, 2005 02:35:20 PM
Just have to ask what your opinion is and how you'd handle the following situation:
Received the following question about one of our auctions:
"Hi -- What is your policy on combining shipping and insurance charges on 2+ items? Regards, XXX"
We responded with:
Hello and thank you for your inquiry. Combined shipping requires a single, combined payment for items won within 3 days of your first purchase. If you intend to purchase more than one item, please let us know (if you can). If it is practical, we are very happy to combine shipping to help save money for our customers. There are occasions when combining the shipments is not possible if it might risk breakage or the size or weight of the items make it impractical -- we don't want you to have to hire someone to help you get it in your front door and we're not gorillas either... Rest assured that we will do what we can. Kind regards,
And, hold on to your hats, we get the following response:
Hi,
Thank you for your prompt and humourous reply. (Glad to know I'm not dealing with lower orders of the species! LOL)
I understand that it is sometimes not practical to combine items, either because of weight or sheer size -- or fragility -- but wondered what, generally speaking, the buyer is expected to pay for additional items. As one who has dealt with sellers who professed to "combine items to save on shipping," yet ended up charging $22.00 shipping for 4 rings (actual shipping was somewhere in the vicinity of $4.00), and told that I got a great bargain because I could have ended up paying $32.00, I'm sure you'll understand why I have learned to be wary.
(1) Do you charge actual shipping? -- or 50% shipping on additional items? -- Or...?
(2) Do you charge actual insurance as stipulated by the USPS?
(3) Do you include a service or handling fee on each item, or perhaps on the total package? I can understand a small handling fee over and above postage / insurance charges, especially when some items are fragile and requirre special handling -- and considering the current cost of packing materials. What I do NOT condone is, say, $6 or $8 per item tossed into the "fine print" in case there is a dearth of bidders and win-price is not as high as expected.
Things like that I DO consider unconscionable, and I DO wish to know about in advance.
This is an auction: Caveat emptor. I understand that I'm taking a certain gamble. I just want the seller to understand that he / she is also taking a certain gamble....
I know how busy you folks must be, so I've numbered my questions to facilitate your answering. Hope that the above helps clarify my concerns.
Regards, XXXXXX
We only look to cover our shipping expenses and add a $1.50-$2.00 handling fee to our USPS costs to help defray other transaction expenses and packing costs. However, I'm not inclined to explain that to a buyer who makes a "list" of questions.
My first inclination is to BLOCK this bidder and not respond to the list of questions. I think this one is going to be a pain no matter what.
Do you think this one could be a problem in the future? What would you do?
To give you some perspective, we even add small tokens of appreciation (pins/flashlight key chains, etc) into packages for repeat customers and we get feedback from them like:
** bid on 3 separate items got combined shipping fast thanks mick
** Great merchandise, well wrapped and prompt. Thanks so much!
** Item as described, went out of there (sic) way to ship same day, AAA+++
** I've referred several people to this seller! Great service & love my purchase!
** Perfect. Could not have dreamed of better customer service here
Looking forward to your feedback before I take any action.
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
posted on February 17, 2005 02:43:03 PM
Dear buyer,
It depends. Send me a list of the items you are interested in, and I'll send you a customized shipping quote.
Thanks!
---- Don't jump through their hoops. Offer to give them the information that really matters.
--------------------------------------
Replay Media - The best source for board games, card games and miniatures on the web!
http://www.replaymedia.com
[ edited by replaymedia on Feb 17, 2005 02:43 PM ]
posted on February 17, 2005 02:47:07 PM
Hi Wayne, I wouldn't block this guy. He already said he was burned badly (and $22 shipping charge on something that cost $4 to ship is a 3rd degree burn)
My advice - Don't get caught up in his conversation. Obviously he likes to talk. Just ask him what 3 items he intends to bid on, and give him a shipping quote.
posted on February 17, 2005 05:26:30 PMBLOCK her...
FORGET her...
And, remember, as we say in Bawhstan:
D-Y-N-A-S-T-Y makes Ralphie's liddle heart go all a'flutter...
But, OTOH, iow: "Who shot JR?"
"Who could have possibly envisioned an erection — an election in Iraq at this point in history?" Prez.Jim Beam, at the White House, Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, 2005
posted on February 17, 2005 05:36:58 PM
Yes, what Ohmslucy said.
I have been burned on shipping, 4 items each with shipping/insurance of $6.00 that were combined, actual shipping was $8.40. I had asked the seller if they combine shipments and they said NO, each one has to ship separately and then I receive them in one box...I was ticked off and told them so. I really should have neg'd them.
posted on February 17, 2005 05:43:34 PM
I once bid on 3 lots last minute, and won. I asked the seller if they would give a shipping discount, and as these were stamps it was very easy to put everything together. They refused! I then made sure I paid for each lot with a different paypal transaction, and I told them that since I had to pay for each one to be shipped individually, that I required them now to do so. If they didn't, they could expect a negative from me. They shipped them individually, but I didn't leave any feedback. I figured I really couldn't push it because I didn't ask (I found this a few minutes before they ended, so I knew I was taking a chance) but since I was going to have to pay for each lot individually, I made sure that I was not going to cut them a break by paying in one transaction, or allowing them to send everything together!
posted on February 17, 2005 07:50:31 PM
yesw, what minniestuff said.
I don't know if I would want to deal with this buyer. Your TOS is yours and it seems like he wants to change it for you. I wonder what he would do if he was a seller.
Have you checked to see if this person is a seller and what his TOS says. Might be interesting.
When he talks about the 4 rings I think those jewelry sellers have the items packaged already and they usually say will not combine shipping as that is where they make their profit. The jewelry usually sells cheap so they have to make is somewhere.
posted on February 17, 2005 07:53:35 PM
So that's how seller's feel when they
get my emails. I usually start out with something like
that, and then go delete the extra words.
This communication style is merely indicative of someone who is:
1) specific
2) externally motivated
3) procedures oriented
posted on February 17, 2005 09:01:08 PM
Boy, do I learn from you guys. My first response was "Ugh, how anal can you get? Block him and ignore his questions."
But I really think now you were all correct to answer him so simply. I see how he could end up being a delightful and repeat customer.
Truthfully I sort of relate to some of his issues. Being burned by a seller with high postage (one that was different than his stated shipping, etc.) can lead you to asking these very specific questions, I guess.
And I really don't appreciate when sellers ignore my questions, so I guess it wouldn't be nice to do that to him. (I ask stuff like....Do you ship the doll house assembled, as in your photo, or do you take it apart to ship flat?....is that an outrageous question?).
posted on February 17, 2005 10:07:48 PM
Taking the suggestions from here, I responded simply:
Dear xxxxxx,
I agree with you totally. If you tell me which items you're interested in, I'll give you an exact shipping quote and then you can be the judge.
That was about 4.5 hours ago and no response yet. We'll see what happens and I will let you know how it works out. It doesn't appear that she's bid on anything yet - but her items will be closing in 2 days or so. Time will tell.
Thanks again, everyone.
Kind regards,
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
posted on February 19, 2005 09:17:56 AM
What *I* said, cause *I* said it first!
First!
First!
First!
Nya, Nya, Nya, NYA!
[Now you can picture me mooning the computer screen]
--------------------------------------
Replay Media - The best source for board games, card games and miniatures on the web! http://www.replaymedia.com
Trying to sell the exercise video ("Buns of Blubber") was BAD ENOUGH!!!
"Who could have possibly envisioned an erection — an election in Iraq at this point in history?" Prez.Jim Beam, at the White House, Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, 2005
posted on February 19, 2005 03:21:49 PM
It sounds like a canned response.
They have problably been burned on shipping in the past on multiple items won, and just want to know what to expect to pay for shipping so that they can bid accordingly.
posted on February 20, 2005 11:29:52 AM"Our business practices and fee structure are fair and confidential."
Alldings, I don't understand your thoughts here. Why are fee structures confidential? I think this person was more than fair in their email. How else is a buyer supposed to find out what the total cost of what they purchase from a seller is when everything's so hidden? Why ARE all the costs hidden? Why do sellers make buyers write to them to begin with when they don't explain their fees in their auctions? Are they trying to hide the fact they charge too much? Why all the secrecy?
I usually start out with something like
