posted on November 22, 2006 04:01:06 PM
Sold a vintage hat box from Brennan's to a lady in Chicago. Optional insurance - she did not. Shipped Priority Mail from Phoenix area. About 10 days later she reported it had not arrived. I urged a bit more patience - she said OK. I sent her copy of post office receipt showing the date it had been shipped. At two weeks, she reported it still had not arrived. I refunded fully via PayPal. (In 6 years and about 2500 sales, it was only the 2nd time a package was not delivered!) Now, the point of my post -- 19 days after shipment, she e-mails me that it arrived that day, and in good condition, and she pays me! Cannot imagine what the post office did with it all that time, but it's so wonderful to be reminded that there are very, very nice/honest people out there. Happy Thanksgiving!
posted on November 22, 2006 04:16:45 PM
You could have purchased delivery confirmation online for 0.14, and have saved a refund and all the other problems. Fortunately, you had an honest customer. Happy Thanksgiving!
[ edited by kozersky on Nov 22, 2006 04:19 PM ]
posted on November 22, 2006 06:31:25 PM
Koz - What good would DC have been? At 2 weeks, it would have shown "Not Delivered" and things would have progressed as it did.
Then, "maybe" it would have been scanned at delivery and then at Day 19, it would have shown as "Delivered."
Then it would have been up to Shopchicly to take steps to involve legal or law enforcement officials. Depending on what kind of money was involved and the expected investment of time and effort - Shopchicly would have had to decide if it was worth their time.
Now, I just heard from my friendly clerks at the USPS office in town that there's a new service/process that's coming (didn't hear when). I didn't hear "all" of the details, but the gist of it is this:
When shippers have a number of packages they've printed postage for (they said on USPS.com, but I would expect Endicia and Stamps - who knows when PayPal might get on board) - they will be prompted to print a USPS Form ##### (I don't remember it) that will serve as a sort of manifest of all the packages.
The big new thing, they said with disgust, is that those (like me) who drop off their pre-postage-affixed packages will be required to wait in line to present the manifest form and one of the packages on the form. They'll scan the DC and that will effectively place the entire package list "en route" and into the USPS system.
This could help provide proof of shipment that is often not possible when scanning isn't done or done at the very last minute before delivery.
This could be a move to move closer to a system close to other carriers that provide more "tracking" rather than "delivery confirmation." Could it be something that helps justify a planned increase?
Any further thoughts?
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
posted on November 22, 2006 08:06:05 PM
Wayne, currently, many of use "Shipping Assistant 2.0," which is available online from the USPS. When used, we print a shipping label with DC#. DC costs an extra 0.14 when purchased in this manner.
Further, when I take the item to the P.O., the label is scanned by the clerk into the USPS system, which provides proof of mailing as well as proof of delivery.
If Shopchicly had used Shipping Assistant (which has been available for a few years), there would have been a proof of mailing. As to whether a refund should have issued, would of course, depend upon the terms stated in the item description. Did Shopchicly have adequate terms in the item description? Do you have adequate terms?
Terms should be more than the usual "we are not responsible for items lost in the mail."
Further, shipping insurance from U-PIC, or DSL can be purchased at around 40 cents/$50 and added to the shipping cost, so that the item can be shipped insured.
Shopchicly was indeed fortunate that the buyer was honest.
posted on November 22, 2006 08:25:36 PM
Hi to all........My purpose was to point out that the buyer did all the right things. My business methods were not the point, but I don't mind the critique. It was a $30 item. I do not have extensive "terms" stated, just seemed to me that refunding was the right thing to do. I have over 3000 transactions and only ONE other item not delivered (a few arrived broken, but only one not delivered), and since I strive to keep it as simple as possible and make as few keystrokes as I can (and spend as little time), I don't bother with some of the available systems mentioned. On an expensive item, of course, I'd do otherwise and be sure of insurance and confirmation, etc., but for small items it seems a real nuisance in view of the my past very favorable experience with the Post Office. Maybe I'm just lucky. Thanks for the replies.
posted on November 22, 2006 08:44:52 PM
Shopchicly - I have had the same thing happen to me. Just this week I had a hard time figuring out a PayPal payment - turns out that the payment was from a buyer I had refunded in September for an item not delivered in August. The postcard magically appeared last week with no explanation as to where it had been for 3 months!
-------------------------------------
The fact that you get your local P.O. to scan when received for a DC already paid for is an anomaly and should not be expected to be applied across the system.
It's common practice (experienced by me and many others here) that "en route" scanning at the origination P.O. is only done for DC purchased at the P.O. for full price.
I haven't paid for DC in years.
What this change could mean is that it will be more consistent scanning at point of origination.
Also, for anyone thinking this will be an opportunity for shipping fewer than are on the manifest, it shouldn't be allowed - according to the procedure outlined to me at the local P.O. That's the reason they were griping about it -- that it will require all multiple package shippers to stand in line and ALL of the packages to be counted and verified by the receiving clerk. And, if they're going to be held accountable for all packages in a manifest, you bet they're going to be sticklers about counting them -- and indifferent to the mile-long line of customers wending its way out the door.
Also, they mentioned that the carriers who pick up packages from us haven't even weighed in yet -- on the amount of time counting and scanning that will have to be done by them. Now, it's just pick 'em up and go...
BTW - hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving meal today!
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
posted on November 23, 2006 06:54:31 PM
fluff, give Wayne the straight facts about Shipping Asssitant. Apparently he doesn't believe me. Perhaps he will believe you.
Delivered, November 10, 2006, 12:47 pm, NEW YORK, NY 10022
Arrival at Unit, November 10, 2006, 9:02 am, NEW YORK, NY 10022
Electronic Shipping Info Received, November 07, 2006
Acceptance, November 07, 2006, 4:27 pm, BREA, CA 92822
This is the info available for every label printed from the USPS Shipping Assistant 2.0.
posted on November 23, 2006 07:49:19 PM
My local postman in Florida has been scanning all of my packages for ages. Wish I could say the same for the local post office at my Dad's in Kentucky. Been here for 3 weeks and not a one of the packages mailed has been scanned before delivery.
Thank goodness they did get scanned at delivery. Shipping time from Podunk is 3 to 5 days longer than it was from Panama City and a higher than usual amount of buyers are whining and emailing "where is my package"?
Major PITA. I have been looking at shipping assistant just so these local yokels will have to scan when I bring in my pre-printed mail.
It's not that I don't believe you, I'm just saying that each P.O. apparently has the discretion to scan or not to scan when presented.
Actually, unless it's International, I don't wait in line and deliver the bunch of packages to an un-manned counter where staff working in the back collects it.
Anytime I've requested that they scan as "en route" they look at me as if they're doing a favor rather than their job... But, of course, that's different from P.O. to P.O. as Lt. Ray has found out in Podunk.
I've always said that the best route to take has always been to ply the workers with sweets (literally) - especially at this time of year. I just had an international package weigh more at the P.O. than it did here (pretty heavy package) and the clerk "spotted" me the extra $3.60 because I didn't have my wallet on me and it was the end of the day. If I hadn't developed the relationship with them that I have, it would probably meant bringing the box back on Friday and an extra day of delay.
I'm glad you like Shipping Assistant. I just think this new form could help solve a problem - if they work the kinks out of the process and it doesn't mean delays in long lines. Hey - maybe they'll hire more people to handle it... I can dream, can't I?
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
posted on November 24, 2006 08:16:54 AM
Girls, girls...you're BOTH pretty.
My post office doesn't scan my packages unless they need to put postage on them. I can never remember what the charge is for electronic Signature Confirmation so I have them do it. Might as well; we're usually just standing around laughing and gossiping anyway.
However, even if they do scan one when presented and it fails to arrive, PayPal finds in the buyer's favor.
Koz, I don't think SA does anything special when it generates eDC. If you look up one of my DC #s that hasn't been delivered yet, you get the infamously weasel-worded "The shipper has notified USPS...."
As far as being lucky with honest people, I think I hit the jackpot this week.
One of the pitfalls of using Best Offer is that if you originally had Immediate Payment Required on the auction, that goes away when you accept an offer. So the item screen says "Blah-blah-blah has won your item!" and I sometimes get confused and think it means they've already paid. So I shipped a 14k gold and diamond necklace to one of my regular customers last week.
I was kind of surprised to get paid for it day before yesterday. My husband thinks she hadn't received it yet and boy will she be excited when it arrives a few hours later. Either that or it will set an impossibly-high standard for quick shipment and she'll be a hopeless grouch on every subsequent order.
posted on November 24, 2006 11:13:10 AM
Fluffy, she may have actually received it already. I recently started offering free first class shipping in addition to my usual Priority service.
The 1st class packages are arriving days quicker than the Priority. Makes no sense to me.
My 1st class are shipping in a padded bubble mailer. Priority are shipping in Priority Mail boxes. Both are shipping with PayPal generated shipping labels.
I actually had a 1st class envelope that was delivered from FL to CA in 2 days! But then my admiration for the USPS was squashed when a Priority Mail package from KY to OK took 9 days last week.
