posted on December 17, 2007 05:26:46 AM new
Woke up this morning to several emails. I always start at the bottom to get them in order. Someone had won one of my fixed item craft books, message came in at 3.10 a.m. A few minutes later was a message asking for postage amount. I am sorry, I know I should be there to answer emails immediately, I just happened to be snoozing at the time. Then a Paypal payment had arrived for the 50 page book, and the postage they had added, 25 cents!! Now I have lived in the US also, and even there, there is nothing you can mail for 25 cents, and I certainly can't mail anything from Canada to the US for that amount. Whatever can someone be thinking. I haven't replied yet, can't even think what to say.
posted on December 17, 2007 08:06:34 AM new
That's happened to me a couple of times, and I do exactly what Tonimar says. Works! (If there's a large disparity in the amount due, keep what they sent and invoice them for the extra they owe. Some here will never refund a payment; so far it hasn't bitten me.)
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posted on December 17, 2007 09:07:10 AM newA few minutes later was a message asking for postage amount.
This is the fine you pay for not requiring Immediate Payment on fixed price items. You really can't complain here, since there are solutions available to you but you've chosen not to utilize them.
posted on December 17, 2007 09:11:04 AM new
Fluff, I used to put postage amounts on my listings, but probably 50% of my buyers are multiple winners, and there is no way of knowing what the postage will be until I weigh and measure, especially as I sell Internationally. I do have in large letters in my listings not to pay until I have told them the postage and sent and invoice.
posted on December 17, 2007 09:23:17 AM new
Two words: Don't combine.
You're going to say that it's customary in your category, yadda yadda. It's customary in my category, too, and you know what? I don't do it. I don't do it because when I did, it made my work much more difficult (Hi there! Are you done shopping YET?). Plus I found that if you let people run up a tab, they would be much less likely to pay at all.
Step back a moment and consider.
There is nothing in the real world like combining auctions. In retail, you select an item, you take it to the register and you pay. You don't tell the counterdroid that you want it held a few days because you may be buying more if your lowball bids turn out to be successful.
If you let people combine auctions, many of them will expect a break on *everything*. Not a good way to make money.
posted on December 17, 2007 11:22:32 AM new
If I didn't combine, I don't think I would sell anything. My category is flooded with sellers, and I face the higher postage cost of mailing. I sell yarn by the skein, and our cheapest package rate from Canada to the US is 4.85, I couldn't possible charge that for each skein. I think in some categories it works, I sell a lot of low price leaflets, and I really am happy to combine the shipping on them, I just want to be able to tell the buyer the postage.
posted on December 17, 2007 11:54:14 AM new
Amber,
Take what fluffy said with a grain of salt. Toni has is correct, but never do as Roady states. If you accept the short payment, legally it's considered paid in full.
Do as Toni states, refund and then send an invoice with the correct totals.
posted on December 17, 2007 12:07:25 PM new
I don't agree with you Fluffy, though I can certainly see why you DON'T combine.
I puchased an alarm clock for my husband today (the kind that projects the time on the ceiling since he can't see a thing close up without his glasses) and went on to purchase a flashlight for my daughter while I was at it because the seller combined shipping. I didn't even know I was looking for a flashlight! Sellers who don't combine miss the opportunity to upsell other items.
This isn't important to auction sellers but is imperative to store sellers.
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posted on December 17, 2007 12:07:35 PM new
Stonecold: yes I did refund it, if I just got the extra paypal payment I figured I would still be out because of the extra cost for 2 transactions.I always do that when someone underpays. I just can't believe anyone would put 25 cents shipping.
