posted on November 11, 2008 11:27:35 AM new
This woman came into my store several weeks ago wanting to know if we buy records. I told her yes, but only in good condition. I also told her she needed to schedule a time to bring them in.
She shows up randomly last Thursday night 3 minutes before closing with 2 full bins 3 bags of records, probably 200 in total. She asks if she can leave them to look at the next day. I am in a rush to get out to meet someone so I said ok.
The next day we browse through the collection and it ends up being mostly garbage. Lots of scratched lps, stuff with writing on the covers, etc. One album would have been worth $20 if it didn't have a huge name written on the cover.
We called her on Friday to come and pick them up. No answer, we left a message. I called on Saturday and leave a message as well. I don't want her junk littering my store. She calls us on Monday when we are closed and leaves a message about how she only gets into Portland once a month, blah blah blah and tells me to take them to a thrift store. Huh??? Do you think it would take her a month to come and pick up a check if the records were worth something?
I was pretty ticked off. I called her work # and left a message telling her that we are not a dumping station for people's stuff to donate elsewhere. I then called her at home and spoke with her daughter who brought them in with her. I told her that I can't take them to goodwill because they are her property and I would be breaking the law doing so because we have to record every purchase, etc and we don't accept donations... that is a thrift shops job. I also told her that I would begin charging them a storage fee to keep them beyond today.
Ugh!!!!! About 2 hours ago I told my girlfriend that this is one of those days where my tolerance is going to be tested. I had someone back into a busy street forcing me to slam on my brakes... almost plowing into her shiny brand new Acura TL. I had to follow this woman, until she pulled into the Starbucks parking lot. I went on my way to have breakfast a few miles away. The breakfast line was only 3 tables long, but when we scanned the place 75% of people were just seated holding menu's. 2 tables were finished, but one was getting refilled on coffee and none of the tables that would even be close to finished in 10 minutes were larger than a 2 top and there were 3 of us. We had appointments, so off we went... back to the starbucks where Acura TL woman went to. Well... guesss who was there reading her newspaper??? In such a hurry that she almost got plowed into on her way to latte and newspaper heaven. Ha! But wait... no tables to sit at. So we wait and wait and wait. That is when I muttered, "today my tolerance is being tested."
It just seems the more difficult things get, whether work related or not, the more time and more money I lose. Go figure.
posted on November 11, 2008 05:22:02 PM new
shagi, relax, you are just experiencing a temporal wave of cranially inverted bipod sphincters. This is not a personal attack, they are every where. Your heightened awareness of them just proves that you are not one of them. This wave will subside as soon as your normal angelic frequency returns.
To avoid becoming one with them, walk away and do not look back!
posted on November 12, 2008 06:31:16 AM new
Pixia! Don't you drive an Acura?? LOL Just kidding - I know you don't but when I first read the account I thought it would be funny if you and Shag frequented the same Starbucks. Maybe you've run into each other at the Velveteria.
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posted on November 12, 2008 08:43:01 AM new
Gravy on North Mississippi... the Starbucks on NE Fremont/15th Ave next to the Whole Foods.
As for the idiot who left the records, she never called me back yesterday. Wait until she gets to work. lol. Her mistake was leaving her business card with me to call her after I looked at the collection. She works at Mt Hood Community College. I left a message telling her I would dump them at her office if she didn't pick them up. I'm sure she wouldn't like that very much. Her daughter's excuse for not picking them up is their "hectic schedule". As if I don't have one myself!
Ok, here is another example of "of cranially inverted bipod sphincters" or better known in the medical community as "CIBS".
Bidder emails me last night from Finland. Wants to bid on an item, but I have an International block b/c of Paypal's Seller Protection Policy, or lack there of.
I go into a lengthy explanation of why I can't accept payment via Paypal, but would take a Postal MO or Cashier's Check in US Dollars.
They agree, I lift the block, they bid, then pay using Paypal. Go figure. I refunded the payment, and again tell them the deal.
The thing is that I even offered to ship the item First Class Mail since it wouldn't be paid through Paypal which requires Priority Mail to track it. Priority costs twice as much (that whole damned if you do-damned if you don't - follow Paypal's rules, but expect your buyers to give you low DSR's on ebay on shipping rates b/c you are following Paypal's rules requiring a small envelope package to be shipped for $24.00). Note: they didn't pay the quoted shipping price in my calculator of $24.00... they paid $12. This guy is a real work of art.
Can't wait to see what kind of CIBS response I will get.
posted on November 12, 2008 09:56:59 AM new
You are shaky ground with your foreign buyer.
"Misleading & Discouraging Payments
Sellers must clearly state the payment methods that they accept and may not include generalized statements soliciting buyers to contact them for additional payment methods.
Sellers who state in their listing that they accept certain payment methods must not selectively offer those payment methods to buyers or discourage buyers from using those payment methods.
This means that sellers must always accept payment from buyers through the payment methods they have selected in their Payment Details section of their listing, including PayPal, and must not act in any way to discourage buyers from paying by these methods.
This policy is not only limited to communications made in listings, but also includes all correspondence between a seller and buyer that relates to an eBay transaction.
Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions including:
posted on November 12, 2008 12:23:42 PM new
Neglus, I came across that Discouraging Payments page the other night. Just one more nail in our seller's coffin. Ebay is trying to control our off-site correspondence now.
ebay has also placed the "Report Item" link at the top of the new/improved listing page right next to a Print and Share link.
posted on November 12, 2008 01:28:59 PM new
I get this message when relisting an item on eBay:
eBay US buyers are required to pay for their items with an approved payment method such as PayPal, credit or debit card or other online payment services.
Learn more about the Accepted Payments Policy
So BUYERS are required to pay using approved forms of payment? Are they requiring buyers to sign up with PayPal now when they register on eBay?
[ edited by pixiamom on Nov 12, 2008 01:30 PM ]
posted on November 12, 2008 05:26:39 PM new
As I have said before... Yeah, I hear ya Neglus. The problem of course is Paypal doesn't provide Seller Protection for International payments to non-Power Sellers, except to Canada and the UK.
So, either I violate Paypal's policies to follow Ebay's Policies, or violate Ebay's policies to follow Paypal's policies, or not sell something because Ebay and Paypal put limitations up that restrict my ability to safely sell and ship to the International community that they willfully accept as a customer when the bidder signs up for eBay and Paypal.
When I hear from eBay regarding this violation, I'll let them know how they've tied themselves into a knot, and if they want to suspend me, so be it. I could care less at this point. The never ending policy changes, the outrageous fees, and these insane restrictions are essentially forcing people to jump ship anyways. I've already begun plans to start offering my items through my own website. I do it for our store front website, where I can sell items that I can't sell on ebay anyways, not much more trouble to handle the rest anyways.
posted on November 12, 2008 06:59:05 PM new
Shag, next time, try Pambiche at 28th + Glisan, long lines at night, but the breakfast is new and usually tables are available.
posted on November 14, 2008 08:14:32 AM new
We've eaten at Pambiche several times. We actually like going to Laurelthirst Public House, just a few blocks up the road from Pambiche. Good breakfast, even better live music in the evenings.
We have a good friend of ours that works at Gravy, as well as know the owner, Mark. Mark is a customer of ours too. So we go there every month or two. Their smoked salmon/cream cheese/spinach omelettes rule, and you can split your meal in two... it is that huge. We also like Bridges on MLK, and the Tin Shed on Alberta Street (our store used to be next door to the Tin Shed). The problem in Portland isn't finding a good breakfast joint, but rather finding a good breakfast joint where there isn't always a line. Portland LOVES breakfast.
