View Full Version : Less than 2 weeks to ship. Am I a deadbeat?
Xerofall 07-21-2004, 08:08 PM I posted some stuff on Ebay the Friday before the 4th of July holiday weekend and everyone used the "buy it now" the very same day. Well the P.O. wasn't open on Monday and I didn't notice they even sold on Saturday.
Well I come back to my computer on Tuesday the 5th and everything is bought and paid for.
I wait for the Paypal to clear my bank account (three days) and sent the stuff out the following Monday Priority Mail. (Most places it will arrive in two-three days.)
Now a few bidders are totally furious with me saying they are gonna leave bad feedback because I didn't send it the instant I got the Paypal. I didn't even notice they ended until Tuesday the 5th, four days after the auction ended. I was on vacation as so many people are on the 4th of July.
I've been burned before with Paypal, I ship and then the bidder reverses the charges or their bank account denies the charge. (E-check) So I wait until that money is in my account, then shipped the following business day. I guess I shoulda sent it on Saturday, but I didn't realize they would get so damn freaked out.
I know when I buy stuff on Ebay it takes well over two weeks, sometimes three until I get it. So why are they freaking out over less than two weeks? (5 business days)
Am I a deadbeat?
(All this is because the holiday made for an extra long weekend.)
Kid Canada 07-21-2004, 08:27 PM Looking at it from a buyers point of view I would be a little PO as well. If I bought and paid for an auction on the 2nd or 3rd and it was not shipped until the 12th I would be a little ugly. If it was paid with by e-check that is a little different becuase an e-check takes longer to clear. But if it was just a normal PayPal payment I would expect that I go out no latter than the middle of the week.
What I normally try to do is if I am going to be away for a number of days in a row then I would not list anything. Reason being I know I will not be able to fulfill my end of the transaction.
danyanda 07-21-2004, 08:50 PM Communication is the key. You were irresponsible in not keeping tabs on your auctions and notifying the buyers that you had recieved their payments. Are you a deadbeat? No, you shipped the items, and a week for shipment is not too bad. I don't really think that 7-10 days in "untimely" for shipment, but you would probably be in a different situation if you had e-mailed all the buyers within 24 hours of the items selling and told them that you had recieved their payment and their package would ship on such and such a date, or as soon as payment cleared, or whatever.
thunt4 07-21-2004, 11:57 PM For one with paypal once its in your account its yours, they can't reverse it as you seem to think. You can deny it or you can send it back but once they send it thats it. As stated above its good to let them know whats going on, Nothing like waiting around for something and you have no clue whats going on.
IMO, it was a little irresponsible to list items with BIN over a holiday weekend, and then not check them for several days. I can see why the buyers would be upset. Personally, it is not something that I would throw a fit over or flip out and leave negative feedback because of it, but their compliant is valid. There are so many crooks on ebay now, that it seems almost the norm that you are considered a criminal first, and a good seller second. Even people with spotless feedback can screw you if they feel like it. Some people are just gunshy about that kind of thing, so in the future you should pay closer attention to avoid anyone smearing your name over something as minor as this. Just my 2 cents. I would not call you a deadbeat...everyone makes mistakes.
RotterdamTerrorCorps 07-22-2004, 03:55 AM Communication is the key.
I agree with this 100%. When auctioning you are responsible. You being out of town is not my business. You are not a deadbeat, but your customers do not have psychic powers to know your situation. Communicate! Even if **** hits the fan and you cannot ship for a month, but you communicate honestly to your customers you will get a lot of goodwill and understanding. Being silent is only backfiring and once a customer starts complaining you are in a position of defense, which is always worse than taking initiative.
As a buyer when I pay quick I want it shipped quicked. As a seller I do the same to my customers. For me quick shipment is within 7 days after payment. Within 7 days everybody has a chance to see a postoffice. I can only get to a postoffice on saturdays, somebody paying me on sunday has got to wait almost a week. I will ALWAYS communicate this in my invoice. Large professional sellers I expect to ship within 4 days after payment: they are in it for the money and so should have their business sorted out better than occasional small individuals.
Xerofall 07-22-2004, 05:37 AM I actually did email them on Tuesday the 5th. I let them know that as soon as the E-checks cleared I would send.
I didn't think my auctions would all sell that quickly, that's never happened before.
E-checks clear their account as soon as they do it, but on my end it takes a few days to clear. So I don't think I was in the wrong waiting.
But I sent them five business days after getting notification, I don't think that's a long time.
But oh well, already got a nutrual. I don't care anymore.
RotterdamTerrorCorps 07-22-2004, 06:48 AM From reading your story you did the right thing!
red25thta 07-22-2004, 11:18 AM 5 Business days is not bad. Seeing how you were out of town and 4th of July. And buyer's need to remember Holidays also. As for listing a BIN over the Holiday don't get on his case. Many people do it and demand immediate payment and wait a week to ship. Heck a lot of people demand i.p. and take a week or longer to ship. Sorry if you are demanding that then you should ship the next day.
Mike JT 07-23-2004, 02:14 AM Screw the buyers. You are in the right. Unless you state in your description that the items go out immediately then they have no leg to stand on. You send them when you send them. You sent them in a timely manner. Especially if they paid with an e-check.
There are stupid people in the world.
ImaWalkingCorpse 07-23-2004, 08:00 AM I wouldnt say screw the buyers, but there is some impatience and it is running rampant. I always pay via payapl with instant payment, and if I do that I expect my items to be shipped out the following day or the day after. But to be nasty and threaten negative feedback is something I wouldn't do. But you did keep in contact with them and did keep them alerted as to what the hold up was. So IMHO they should leave you positive feedback. Chris
Mike JT 07-23-2004, 10:43 AM I always pay via payapl with instant payment, and if I do that I expect my items to be shipped out the following day or the day after.
Why? That's just a huge ASSUMPTION on your part. Unless the buyer explicitly states "Item goes out within 24 hours of receipt of payment." I don't understand why you would expect that.
BelgianGabber 07-23-2004, 10:52 AM Why? That's just a huge ASSUMPTION on your part. Unless the buyer explicitly states "Item goes out within 24 hours of receipt of payment." I don't understand why you would expect that.
I expect that too. Most buyers state they want payment within ten days or neg will be left, well then I want my items to be shipped within 3 days if I paid intstantly.
Screw the buyers, now that will get you good ebay feedback
ImaWalkingCorpse 07-23-2004, 07:31 PM Why? That's just a huge ASSUMPTION on your part. Unless the buyer explicitly states "Item goes out within 24 hours of receipt of payment." I don't understand why you would expect that.
Not an assumption, it is called doing good business. So "your screw the buyer" thing is dead, plase give me your ebay ID so I know not to bid on any of your auctions.
BelgianGabber 07-23-2004, 09:00 PM Jup, me too. I'll avoid it like the plague then
Mike JT 07-23-2004, 09:42 PM Screw the buyer if they are going to be a jerk. Which is what these buyers are being. It just blows my mind the bizarre sense of entitlement you must have. You are not usually dealing with a business where that sort of treatment could honestly be expected but not necessarrily given.. you're dealing with a private party.
And if you are jerks I don't want you bidding on my auctions anyway.
And no one has explained at all WHY they think they are entitled to next day shipping with instant payment.
ImaWalkingCorpse 07-23-2004, 10:32 PM Well I am not a "jerk" as you put it, but I hope you dont expect payment in a timely manner.... And yes if you demand immediate payment then I demand immediate shipment. But as I said earlier, the buyers in this instance should have more patience.
Ann G 07-23-2004, 11:08 PM You aren't a deadbeat since you shipped. Maybe just as a little help to your buyers, next time you go on vacation or something, just put it in the auction that you will be out of town for a couple of days and it will take a couple extra days handle the emailing and shipping.
Another option is to just make sure you don't have auctions going on while you are on vacation. That way you don't have a bunch of emails.
If it was me, I probably wouldn't have bothered you at all for a week or two as I have had the occasional ebay seller not email anything besides the automatic invoices and stuff. Even then, I would ask you for an update as to what is going on with my stuff before. I wouldn't threaten or give you a neg right off the bat.
Propadeutic 07-24-2004, 12:33 AM On the selling end, what you did was all right, but you could've done better.
On the buying end, the buyers are being too temperamental. Even when I'm pretty sure I'm being cheated, I keep things polite and professional, at least giving the appearance of benefit of the doubt. Neg's come only after reasonable attempts at resolution have failed. Two weeks after the end of the auction, I should at least know what's going on (i.e., confirmation that the item has shipped, in the form of a tracking or confirmation # so I can verify for myself). If not, I'll be disappointed, but if I get what I paid for, I leave positive feedback. Well, I might give a neutral if the seller was especially discourteous.
Mind you, I'm not setting myself up as the standard for all to follow. I've had my own shameful moments (like the time I took a week to pay, out of sheer procrastination). I'm just relating what I consider reasonable.
What I expect is parity. If you demand payment within 3 days, ship within 3 days (of the payment clearing, of course). If you don't state it, there's some wiggle room, but it leaves the buyer to their own expectations (which may be unreasonable). The more specific you are on the auction page the better. I'd recommend stating on the page that items will ship x business days after payment clears.
I haven't sold on eBay, but if I knew my auction was ending in, say, 5 days and I knew the item would sell, I'd have the item and packing materials ready when the auction ended. BIN is a different story, though, since it could sell at any moment. In that case, it's probably best to be ready to pack when you post the auction.
My former fiancee's sister-in-law (how's that for a close relative?) once said, "When dinner takes an hour to cook, that's what you're doing for the next hour: cooking." Her advice paid off, and I greatly miss my former fiancee's cooking. As an eBay seller, that's the attitude I'd try to take with BIN auctions. And being overly attentive and sickeningly nice and obsequious might not be much fun, but it helps keep customers happy and allows you to retain the moral high ground.
[preaching mode off; returning to default bookish everyman mode; incorrigible jocularity on stand-by]
Mike JT 07-24-2004, 12:43 AM Well I am not a "jerk" as you put it, but I hope you dont expect payment in a timely manner.... And yes if you demand immediate payment then I demand immediate shipment. But as I said earlier, the buyers in this instance should have more patience.
But what you don't understand is.. you need to actually "demand" immediate shipment. That requires negotiation. The seller by means of their item description is telling you the way transaction is going to take place. If you want immediate shipment you need to contact the seller BEFORE you pay and say that is what you want. To pay immediately and to just EXPECT the seller to psychicly know that you demand immediate shipping is ridiculous.
Mike JT 07-24-2004, 12:51 AM Well I am not a "jerk" as you put it, but I hope you dont expect payment in a timely manner.... And yes if you demand immediate payment then I demand immediate shipment. But as I said earlier, the buyers in this instance should have more patience.
But what you don't understand is.. you need to actually "demand" immediate shipment. That requires negotiation. The seller by means of their item description is telling you the way transaction is going to take place. If you want immediate shipment you need to contact the seller BEFORE you pay and say that is what you want. To pay immediately and to just EXPECT the seller to psychicly know that you demand immediate shipping is ridiculous.
crimson tide 07-24-2004, 09:58 AM I personally don't think you are. Just communicate with them like many have said above. There are however those people who will leave you negative regardless of your reasons, good luck with this. I hope everything works out for you. ;)
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