Buyer changed her address and is now upset

[flp]

Hi All,

I had a buyer do a BIN for 3 skeins of yarn--total of $7.50.

I like to ship it out early because my postal carrier comes at 8 AM so I didn't see the note buyer attached to payment.  She had changed the shipping address to her mom's house in Oregon because she was in Alaska which I don't ship to so by having the Oregon address, she could do the BIN.  Then, she wanted me to change the address back to her's in Alaska because she thought the postage would cover it.  (It would.)

But, because I didn't notice  her note on my selling page, I sent it to the address she had provided--to Oregon.

Now, she's upset because I didn't see her message and will have to pay extra postage when her mom mails it to her.

Suggestions?  I'm thinking of a partial refund on postage, maybe half, because I should have read the message but in my haste to beat the mailman, I didn't.  Yet, I feel she was trying to change the system to benefit her assuming I would be able and willing  to take the time to send it to an address which I don't sell to.

Should I refund the full amount of shipping?

Any ideas would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[llllady]

Your buyer is at fault. She should have added her Mom's address to her PayPal for shipping.  If you had shipped it to the other address, and it was not on file with PayPal or eBay, you would have lost all buyer protection.

You COULD offer to give her a partial refund if you were feeling super generous, but the blame here clearly falls with the buyer.

[aprilmoviebuf2000]

It is not your problem.  Changing the ship to address on a shipping label voids your seller protections.  Even if the buyer requests it.  They need to be proactive and change it themselves ...before payment.  The buyer was trying to circumvent your shipping requirements. 

On a side note, shipping to Alaska/Hawaii, and US Protectorates is really no different than shipping to Oregon anyway.  Would just take a little longer.  But most buyers that live in those locations know this.  So there is really no need to exclude them.  

Refunding shipping?  That's a dillema now.  Go with your gut.  

[thepostingid]

No.  Just tell her to have her mom not open the package and write on it "Moved - please forward to: ....."  and then drop it back in the mail....

And take the suggestion of another poster and start shipping to Alaska.  No reason not to....

[tunicaslot]

I really feel you need to slow down and read any messages attached. I don't blame the buyer for being upset. I've had similar notes and most times just mail to the alternate address. If I feel any doubt - then I help instruct the buyer on ho to add the alternate address to their Paypal acct. Many buyers don't know you can add alternate addresses - she obviously didn't because all she had to do is add her mom's address and not change it. She went to a lot of trouble to buy from you and I think you have to take responsibility for jumping the gun.

It is a seller's problem - otherwise there would be no note section on the payment feature. I've had notes to not include a shipping notice or bill of sale as it's a gift. To take price tags off and even to wrap the items separately.
The name of the game is customer service so we have to pay attention and not be in such a rush.

[tripp_the_lab]

The buyer changed the address to circumvent your buyer requirements. Whether anyone agrees with not shipping to Alaska or not what she did is a policy violation. IMO you owe her nothing and she should not be complaining that her trick didn't work.

[cynthealee2]

Buyer note or not... you would not have been covered had you shipped it anywhere but her mom's.

And to many of them are opening cases on PayPal lately to just change shipping addy's willy nilly any more.

Dear buyer,

I am sorry but even if I had seen your note I would have still shipped the items to the address listed on the payment screen.

Had you asked before you bought and paid for the items I could have lifted the block on Alaska and shipped them straight to you.

Your seller.

[gopetersen]

If you shipped before payment was finalized, it was nice of you, it gets it to the buyer fast (and I have sometimes done this myself with regular buyers) but you never know the actual shipping address until payment is finalized, because the buyer can choose other addresses at checkout.

Why don't you ship to Alaska?

Three skeins of wool weigh less than 13 ounces well-packed, which costs the same to ship whether it's to California, Puerto Rico, or Alaska. Yarn also ships well in Priority Mail padded mailers, same shipping price regardless of destination.

Distance doesn't make any difference for First Class Parcel or for Priority Mail flat-rate padded mailers or boxes—Alaska is the same as any other state.

[fern*wood]

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@tunicaslot wrote:
I really feel you need to slow down and read any messages attached. I don't blame the buyer for being upset. I've had similar notes and most times just mail to the alternate address. If I feel any doubt - then I help instruct the buyer on ho to add the alternate address to their Paypal acct. Many buyers don't know you can add alternate addresses - she obviously didn't because all she had to do is add her mom's address and not change it. She went to a lot of trouble to buy from you and I think you have to take responsibility for jumping the gun.

It is a seller's problem - otherwise there would be no note section on the payment feature. I've had notes to not include a shipping notice or bill of sale as it's a gift. To take price tags off and even to wrap the items separately.
The name of the game is customer service so we have to pay attention and not be in such a rush.

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The note section is not intended to be a ship to section.  Just because a buyer feels it is doesn't make it so.

Also, why tell a seller that is shipping quickly (which is usually a complaint that we don't) that they are jumping the gun??

[gopetersen]

Tripp wrote: "The buyer changed the address to circumvent your buyer requirements. "

Since the OP doesn't ship to Alaska what else can the buyer do but have it sent to a relative in the lower 48? There's nothing dishonest about that. And can you blame her for asking the seller if it could be shipped to Alaska? She should have asked before buying but the answer might have been no.

People in Alaska feel discriminated against.

It's hard enough living in Alaska where going outside for half an hour with the wrong clothes can result in death (it's still wilderness there and a harsh climate). Can you blame them for wanting stuff like yarn to knit a warm sweater or blanket?

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

Yes, you should have read the note. The entry in My eBay "Sold" prominently displays a message that the buyer has added a note to the order. The note is visible on the eBay Order Details screen and on the Paypal transaction details screen. You have to look at either or both of those screens to see the buyer's ship-to address. How could you possibly miss seeing the note?

As for not shipping to Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Protectorates, that is just plain absurd! USPS First Class Mail and Priority Mail provide airmail service to all those destinations at both fixed and zoned rates -- same as to California, New Mexico, Louisiana, Tennessee, New York and Maine. For a given listing, you can select calculated shipping and still offer FRB's, FRE's and other fixed-rate choices such as First Class Mail and Media Mail. Or you can select the one-rate-fits-all option and name any class of mail and your desired price.

Since yarn is not eligible for Media Mail and is not subject to a mailing rate cap, there is no need to block Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Protectorates from those listings. You specified First Class Mail in the cited listing -- FCM goes to Alaska just as easily as it goes to Oregon. There was no reason to make your buyer jump through hoops to obtain the product from you. Besides yarn and other miscellany, you also sell books. I understand your wish to avoid using Media Mail to Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Protectorates, but you still don't have to block them. In addition to Media Mail, you can offer First Class Mail (max. 13 oz.) and Priority Mail. I looked at several of your listings. You are an ideal candidate for FRB's, FRE's and especially Regional A or B boxes to ANY domestic location. So add these options to your listings -- you even get free boxes and envelopes!

Example: Your listing for 22 thin books indicates Media Mail at $6.00 postage. That amount covers 7 lbs. You do not specify the books' dimensions, but quite possibly they would fit into a Regional A or B box. Regional A costs between $5.32 and $9.97, the zoned rate for 2 lbs. Regional B costs between $6.16 and $16.28, the zoned rate for 4 lbs. OK, one U.S. Protectorate happens to be in Zone 9 . . . what are the chances of getting an order from there? But my point is that many of your 48-states customers could actually pay LESS for fast Priority Mail service than you are charging for slow Media Mail.

Bottom line: Offer choices. Accommodate ALL potential buyers. Recommend airmail over surface mail when the latter may seriously impact delivery time. Trust me, buyers like choices and understand the difference between fast and slow, expensive and cheap. But they don't like being told they can't buy something because they live in Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. Protectorates.

~~C~~

[david*42]

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@flp wrote:

...., because I didn't notice  her note on my selling page, I sent it to the address she had provided--to Oregon.....

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If you had seen the note, would you have shipped it to AK?  If so, then why do you have your shipping set up to not ship there?  There's plenty of blame to go around here, I just want to point out that this situation wouldn't have come up if you didn't have AK blocked; First Class postage to AK is the same as to any other ZIP Code. And since you're in NY, that means that even zoned postage to AK (and HI) costs the same as shipping to California.

[flp · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your suggestion.  Because of it, I called our local post office and told the lady I sent to the mom not the daughter.  She kindly offered to change the address right there in the post office for me.  Buyer is now very happy.  And, yes, to all of you who suggested I sell to Alaska, I will do so.  I thought it was more postage but you have proven me wrong. 

[flp]

Yes, I would have shipped there. I would have calculated the postage first, seen that it was the same and then changed my settings on my mailing preferences.

[flp]

If she had asked BEFORE bidding, I would have calculated the shipping and then seen it was the same. She didn't. PS Alaska has been much warmer lately due to climate change.