posted on December 18, 2000 08:52:13 PM new
I've recently had 2 buyers contact me and say that they have not received their goods. OK, I'm new (less than 1 yr) and maybe I'm doing this all wrong. I do not track each package, and I insure only when the buyer states/pays for insurance.
I keep meticulous records, but what good are they when a package is reported missing if no tracking or insurance is involved? I'm sure this has happened to you pros. How do you handle it? Believe it or not, .35 makes a big difference in my profit margin. TIA glass100
posted on December 18, 2000 09:34:47 PM new
how long have the packages been supposedly missing? a week? if so then tell them to take a chill pill, it's the holiday rush right now and packages are taking a little longer than usual to get to their destinations.
On the other hand, if you sent the packages a month ago, it's probably safe to assume that they're not going to make it. Then you really do have a problem. If you didn't offer the customer insurance then it pretty much is your responsibility to make good. If you offered insurance and they refused it, then you can always just say "sorry but you refused insurance". The one package that I had that went missing, the customer hadn't paid for insurance but I refunded the money anyway because that is how I do business. I'd personally rather lose a few bucks than have a dissatisfied customer.
You have to look at things long term as well as short term, because even if you did ship those packages, if they never arrive, those customers are going to feel ripped off. Then you've lost a potential repeat customer. Know what I mean?
posted on December 19, 2000 04:07:16 AM new
Depends on how you shipped it.
If it is USPS, you can trace the package, which takes time.
OR
On the advice of my local PO, when I had some packages go missing, I went to the USPS site. There I went to the Locate Post Offices section.
http://www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-po.html
Once there, you fill in the customers address and zip info. It will give you the branch responsible for delivering to that address. I then called the branch (use DialPad or Net2Phone in Yahoo! Messenger for free long distance) and asked if they had a package to that address which they were holding for pickup.
Out of 6 times that a package was missing, 5 of those times, the package was being held for pickup and the person didn't receive the little slip telling them that there was a package to be picked up. The 6th time, I had tracking on the package and it was just hung up in a loop in a bulk handling facility.
I e-mailed the customer to tell them that the package was waiting at the branch located at (inserted the name, address and phone number of the branch that I called--sometimes the closest branch is not the branch that delivers to their address) and that it would be there until (branch will give you a date that the package will be sent back--usually about 30 days).
Give it a try--of course with the Christmas rush and all of the temps, it could be a real zoo trying to find it even at the PO.
posted on December 19, 2000 07:04:55 AM new
Thanks to all for the great info. I always include a insurance disclaimer and “not responsible for lost or damaged pkg” in all my winning email notices. Both of these lost pkg just happen to be the small size 04 priority box, maybe I should avoid those. LOL. Thank you for the USPS link Labbie1, I’m headed there now to see if it will help.
Here are the details:
#1 lost pkg – Shipped via Priority on 11/26 with insurance under $50.00. This is a first time customer to me but he also sells at Yahoo. Emails have been professional. I made a copy of the insurance receipt and sent it to him via certified mail (additional $1.40 cost to me). No word yet.
#2 pkg – Shipped via Priority on 12/8 without insurance. This customer has had 3 satisfactory transactions with me. I did what you suggest CAgrrl, and responded to wait a while due to the Christmas season. I’m inclined to replace the item in this situation if it does not surface, based on maintaining customer satisfaction.
So, you don't automatically get delivery confirmation?? It goes up in Jan, I believe. Thanks all, I've learned sooooo much from you folks!
posted on December 19, 2000 10:07:18 AM new
glass100
I always include a insurance disclaimer and “not responsible for lost or damaged pkg” in all my winning email notices.
Including this disclaimer is meaningless, because it will be totally ignored by most buyers.
We always, unless asked to do otherwise, charge $3.55 for priority mail + delivery confirmation. If the person wants to have them item shipped without delivery confirmation we let them know that there is no guarantee of delivery.
Most of the time, when people email to say they haven't received their package, it is sitting at their post office waiting for them to pick it up. You have no way of knowing this without delivery confirmation.
[ edited by outoftheblue on Dec 19, 2000 10:11 AM ]
posted on December 19, 2000 11:07:57 AM new
I, too, charge $3.55 priority mailing with DC, (2 lbs and under, of course). The .35 cents is a good value, as I see it. I don't charge a 'handling fee', or 'packing fee', so the .35 cents for DC has never been turned down. Maybe I go a little overboard on looking out for my customers, but I track the items everyday, usually late in the evenings after they update their computers. If delivery is attempted by the USPS, but no one is there to take delivery, I e-mail my customer to let them know delivery was attempted. Usually they are very appreciative.
USPS employees don't always leave a notice, like they are supposed to. It's like every other business, some do their jobs right, and some don't. This especially holds true on scanning the bar code, as they should. When I see a DC was not scanned on the receiving end, I go to their site and file an e-complaint. They do hear about this, as my local office told me, it's a hot issue if you don't scan. During the holidays they seem a little slack in this area. Sometimes the confirmation of delivery does not show up during the holidays until a day or two later.
I just received today, a Christmas card that was mailed on November 25th. It took 24 days to get here, from St. Louis to Ft. Worth, Texas. Pretty bad service, for sure. I realize it is the holidays, and the Christmas rush. But when you mail very early, what is the excuse for such late delivery? Besides that, when is poor service justifiable, because business is too good? In my opinion, they are helping to eliminate snail mailing themselves. Instead of stepping up to the challenge, when snail mail is heavily used during the holidays, they let us down. No wonder snail mail is on it's way to extinction.
posted on December 19, 2000 12:50:57 PM newCharlieOne I too use DC on almost all of my packages. The exception would be international of course and sometimes very low dollar ($1-$2) replaceable items.
But, I never thought of following each one through the usps system for my customers. What a great idea! I wanna buy from YOU!
posted on December 19, 2000 02:46:26 PM new
.35 (.40 as of January 7) is a good deal in a sense, the problem I have with DC is that if the package does really get lost or damaged, you are still on the hook for it. I find it a better deal to insure everything through U-Pic for .40/$100. That way, for the same price, I have no out of pocket expense if the package is damaged or doesn't arrive. UPic is also much easier to deal with (before and after the lost or damaged package) than USPS. Also, I have yet to have a customer complain about paying the .40, I don't offer it as an option, I just include it in the "insured shipping charges".
posted on December 19, 2000 04:17:10 PM newauctionee
"....the problem I have with DC is that if the package does really get lost or damaged, you are still on the hook for it."
It is understood that DC in not an insurance. I offer insurance, (at buyers expense). I state in my auctions "I am not responsible for non-insured items", if they pass on it. What you are talking about is a bird of another feather. We were talking about DC singularly, as to tracking the item(s), not that it was any type of an insurance. Your not even insured of delivery confirmation.
posted on December 19, 2000 10:55:42 PM new
I understand that. I was just making the point that for an additional .05 (soon to be no extra cost) I would rather insure the package than track it.
posted on December 20, 2000 09:44:40 AM new
I use DC on all my Priority shipments, and for uninsured First Class over $10 I pay for a certificate of mailing ($.60). I realize that this isn't insurance, and it doesn't ensure that the package will reach it's destination, but if the buyer chooses NOT to insure, then I have proof of shipment so that they can't nail me with a fraud charge. Cheap protection, in my books.
CharlieOne
SOLD!!