posted on June 21, 2005 10:32:04 PM new
I list an item that ends this past Sunday. I make an error in the listing regarding shipping fees, only charging $6.00 for shipping on a 12 pound item. I don't point out the error, figuring I will just eat my mistake.
Today, the Paypal payment arrives for the $25.00 item, plus $6.00 shipping. With the payment is a special request... "PLEASE DO NOT USE STYROFOAM PACKING AS OUR TOWN DOES NOT PERMIT THE DISPOSAL OF THIS MATERIAL"
I can barely see the screen from the tears of laughter. Now, in my auction I also tout that I use professional packing materials including recycled packing peanuts, bubblewrap, and new boxes (we buy our boxes from Carton Services which actually sells misprint boxes that have never been used). We already recycle everything possible. I refuse to use newspaper and will not waste my money (that I've already lost out on eating the incorrect shipping costs) on bubblewrap or finding an alternative material.
I sent him an email stating that I cannot ship the item unless we use packing peanuts because we based our shipping quote (which I finally confessed was too low in error) on using certain packing materials, and if he wants us to use an alternative material he will have to pay for the cost of that material, pay me for my time to find that material, and we would have to approve of it acceptable for protection against damage.
So, long story short... Would you have done the same thing, or what would you have done differently?
posted on June 21, 2005 10:57:12 PM new
A couple of solutions come to mind. The first is to tell him to unpack the item, put the peanuts back in the box along with a couple bricks, retape the box and remove the original shipping label. Mark the box "Stereo Equipment", put it in the back of his pickup and park it in front of a bar in a poor part of town. Within 10 minutes, it will be gone.
The second method requires a little more work. Divide the peanuts into five groups. Paint each of them with a different color. Take an artist's brush and mark an "M" on each one. Tell him you have been using M&M's for years to pack. Invite him to eat them after he unpacks the the item.
Or, you can pack it in your regular manner, ship it to him and when he emails and wants to know what he can do with those peanuts, you can forward the email to me and I'll tell him where he can put them
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on June 21, 2005 11:28:45 PM new
rusty: wouldn't have a thing differently. And your generosity in being willing to eat the difference in actual postage costs should go without saying. If the bidder has any level of ebay purchasing experience at all, he'll already know he's getting a low shipping quote when he sees it.
It might be his town has some kind of bylaw against styrofoam packaging (I've heard wackier), but he should've asked you about packaging materials ahead of time knowing this, especially if your item is plainly weighty. At this time of night I really can't think of anything that works better with reasonably uniform/compact/awkward items than a bubblewrap/styrofoam chip combo in a wall-reinforced box. So whatever pkg. material he is hoping for, if he wants it and you have to go out of your way to get it, then he should be willing to find the middle road with you. Hold your ground.
sparkz: you've hit your stride here. I think your first suggestion is simply brilliant, mischievous and cunning, all wrapped up into one package (no pun intended re rusty's situation above).
If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith.
- Albert Einstein
[ edited by bcpostcards on Jun 21, 2005 11:32 PM ]
posted on June 22, 2005 07:48:05 AM new
still no response. i really can't wait to see what they say. funny thing is that even though their city doesn't recycle it, i am sure there is a company, even a local Mailboxes.etc type place that will gladly recycle those peanuts if they took them there. I am not going to mention this because if they want to keep the request and pay me the difference, than I'll at least recoup on my error. Otherwise, they can figure it out themselves.
it kills me that people don't ask if that is ok before they bid. I really cannot wait to hear their response. I bet they request the big bubble wrap (which we don't use b/c it is so expensive). We have never had a problem shipping using smaller bubblewrap and packing peanuts.
posted on June 22, 2005 07:54:34 AM new
I received the following feedback once from someone (who didn't request no peanuts).
Negative feedback rating Too much illegal and not enviormentally friendly packing. Way too much!!!!!!!!!!
Buyer kingspanaway ( 9 ) Oct-26-04 16:30 7106356984
Reply by cashinyourcloset: Never thought we'd get negative for packing too well. Insane - 1 in every crowd Oct-26-04 18:15
I called him and asked him about the feedback. He asked what he could do with the peanuts. I suggested that he ship them back to me
posted on June 22, 2005 10:37:36 AM new
I'd tell the buyer that the item is already packed, but they should be able to recycle the styrofoam if diposal isn't allowed.
posted on June 22, 2005 12:29:28 PM new
I don't know why he would want to dispose of the peanuts to begin with. He can give them to his kids. With a large oscillating fan, they can have a ball in the living room playing Blizzard.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on June 22, 2005 03:03:50 PM new
There are biopdegradebl peanuts that are not styrofoam. Made from corn & soybean straw.
A 12 lb item would go by FedEx Ground from me, not by USPS.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
[ edited by sanmar on Jun 22, 2005 03:05 PM ]
