eBay

sin-n-dex · ‎10-07-2021

For some reason or another, lots of little things are making me anxious about selling here (I would say selling online, but I haven't set up the other platforms yet).

I have concern about my box of parcels that are being couriered being misplaced if I take them to the local FedEx office, which is nothing more than some students in a copy centre (it's not even a real FedEx office, they just handle FedEx drop off and delivery). But if it's being picked up at my house, I get anxious if they show up late. I seem to be able to handle waiting an hour or two, but when we get on to that second hour (and they almost never take that long from the time I schedule pick up, I get a bit anxious.

Earlier this week I checked my PO box for little stamp packs I'm sourcing from a guy who lists at 10% CV, just to see what I can win without much effort. On Monday something showed up that was shipped almost a week after the two previous ones. They were arriving in order, but all of a sudden it skipped two deliveries that were a little more sizeable (both dollars and size of package), so I was trying to figure out if there's a reason packages from one address to another that are shipped every few days would arrive out of order. That was alleviated when I showed up at my PO Box today and took out two very fat packages of stamps and everything I thought was missing was in there.

When I see messages from buyers, I'm always wondering if I'm going to be "yelled at", or is it just a buyer thanking me for information. I don't get yelled at a lot online, so I shouldn't worry... but it's a carry over of answering phones at work when you never know if someone's going to be yelling at me and I have to make nice and calm them down over their problem. We joke at work that the phone is a ticking time bomb since all the calls I handle are complaints related by people who can't connect with their case workers or things aren't going the way they planned. You never know if they'll be calm and nice seeking help, or intent on yelling because they're mad. Messages from buyers give me similar anxiety before I have a chance to read them (with some exceptions, when I see they are coming from certain buyers I know everything is OK, they are repeat customers and we are negotiating deals).

I try not to worry about SNADS and INRs too much because those are rare in my store. I guess I don't suffer the same anxiety about that as someone who's posting here that they got their third SNAD this week. I'm thankful for that because I don't think I could continue if this was a frequent problem.

Anyone else feel anxious about selling here?

C.

vintage-camerastuff · ‎10-07-2021

Selling on ebay is anxiety waiting to happen. At any moment you could receive a not as described complaint or where is my order, I want a refund. My wife has pills for that. luckily I have access to those pills.

popblox · ‎10-07-2021

I had a legit breakdown last holiday season when I had 257+ orders stuck in transit, some for over a month. All those messages from buyers just screaming at me all day long about not having presents to put under the tree. Like, really thought I was going to lose it.

I talked to my therapist about it (yes, mental self care is important - I recommend everyone talk to someone!) and she said "I doubt that one thing you shipped to that person is seriously going to make or break their entire holiday season. If it was, they should've just went in the store and bought it. And even more, that's still no excuse to talk down to another person like that".

So I changed my perspective a bit, some things are just out of our control and that's all there is to it. People are just going to have to deal with it.

katzrul15 · ‎10-07-2021

@popblox

Last Holiday season was a test of all levels of patience and then some. Buyers were frantic, could not go to B&M stores to buy what they needed due to quaratines/restrictions/covid and the PO was woeful, at best.

We shut down on 12/4 when the number not delivered and late hit 40 something. It was definitely a panic here - cannot imagine 257 parcels not yet arrived.

We only had a couple not arrive before Santa did and the Buyers were SO nice. But I know not everyone experienced that and with budgets as tight as they are again this year - there will much of the same awaiting all Sellers this Holiday Season.

As you said, so very little of this is within your control. I will say if you set the expectations lower (2-3 day handling) and can ship same day as purchase or the next morning, Buyers can see you tried to move things along.

I realize others will disagree, but I think it helps to toot your own horn - let your buyer know you shipped early, upgraded shipping, are monitoring shipments/tracking, opening parcel inquiries, etc.

You are right to say we need a "mental shift" on these things - it just is what it is. We're human, we're trying and most days, that is still not enough.

....... "The Ranger isn't gonna like it Yogi"......... Boo-Boo knew what he was talking about!

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Yes, I have no Bananas, only Flamethrowers.......

jayjaspersgarage · ‎10-07-2021

" I will say if you set the expectations lower (2-3 day handling) and can ship same day as purchase or the next morning, Buyers can see you tried to move things along. "

One of my tricks in shipping 'fast" is choosing the next day for when I will ship and then print my labels, pack the morning sales and head right down to the post office to get them scanned in. By the time the first scan is due the boxes are on the plane. I use the message that "Your xyz widget will be mailed no later than tomorrow". I rarely get emails asking if something happened because the tracking shows the package in the buyers' town 24 hours sooner than they would expect it. It's magic.

popblox · ‎10-07-2021

@jayjaspersgarage wrote:
" I will say if you set the expectations lower (2-3 day handling) and can ship same day as purchase or the next morning, Buyers can see you tried to move things along. "

One of my tricks in shipping 'fast" is choosing the next day for when I will ship and then print my labels, pack the morning sales and head right down to the post office to get them scanned in. By the time the first scan is due the boxes are on the plane.

So true - I learned this as well (thought it was just my town or something). If I get packages scanned by 10:30-11 am, they're outta there fast. If I wait and drop off at 4:00 pm, something almost always goes wrong.

dnasilver · ‎10-08-2021

Learn not to let what you cannot control bother you and work on what you can control. It is best to utilize your energies on items you can control and not waste time worrying about things outside your control.

dbfolks166mt · ‎10-08-2021

Like you I shutdown in early December of last year when it became apparent that eBay was not doing anything to cut down on the INR issues and even when they did the burden for the workaround was placed on the seller. EBay has often felt they were part of the logistical process when in fact they have nothing to do with it. I did not resume listing until almost February when USPS semi got their act together.

I fully intend to shutdown again this year, probably earlier, since I fully expect eBay has not learned anything from last years quagmire and will take no pro-active measures to assist the sellers. Unlike a lot of sellers I do this as a part time activity and do not depend on it for a living but I certainly feel for those that do. The stress level last year had to be off the charts.

Now that some of the COVID restrictions have subsided a bit and based on what happened last year along with rising ecommerce costs I am wondering how many buyers will revert to B&M stores for their shopping especially those that live in metropolitan areas where most major stores are easily accessible.

luckythewinner · ‎10-08-2021

So to sum up - everything eventually arrives, you really don't get yelled at very much, and SNADS and INRs are rare for you.

sin-n-dex · ‎10-08-2021

@luckythewinner wrote:
So to sum up - everything eventually arrives, you really don't get yelled at very much, and SNADS and INRs are rare for you.

SNADs and INRs are rare, I guess most buyers think I described it accurately, so there's no need for a SNAD. Occasionally there's an issue, but in most cases they message me to work it out rather than file a SNAD.

As for getting yelled at a lot... every day all day long at work. The morning starts off OK, then I get the first yeller and I'm on edge the rest of the day. If this happened to me all the time on eBay I think I'd lose my mind.

C.

dbfolks166mt · ‎10-08-2021

When I was working in an office the yelling and shouting only happened when the office ran out of coffee. Somebody was generally immediately tasked to make a run to the store for a supply. About an hour later things calmed down a bit.

sin-n-dex · ‎10-08-2021

@dbfolks166mt wrote:
When I was working in an office the yelling and shouting only happened when the office ran out of coffee. Somebody was generally immediately tasked to make a run to the store for a supply. About an hour later things calmed down a bit.

We have people who damage their own property and yell at us for not paying to replace it. A different sort of yelling, with people who aren't entirely reasonable. I looked at a file this morning and the customer has called several times a day every single day for the past few weeks. (At least she didn't yell at me).

C.

kath.layn · ‎10-08-2021

YES!!! I was so interested to read your post. I was just thinking of writing a similar post yesterday. Ive been selling about 7 years, and over the past year I’ve felt my anxiety rising just as you describe. Ive got great feedback, I love what I do, and I’m not planning on leaving eBay. But I’m on pins and needles now when I ship a fragile item (Is USPS gonna toss it from 10 feet away?) Until I see it has been delivered, and I give the buyer a couple of days to let me know if it arrived damaged, I fret. And I, too, get a tightening in my tummy almost every time I get an email from a buyer. Are they gonna ask me AGAIN to lower shipping? Are they gonna make me a low ball offer when I don’t list with “best offer”? Inconsequential stuff, but I get disproportionately anxious.

I think, for me, it’s the cumulative stress and anxiety of these COVID years piling up. Trying to use mindfulness and meditation to overcome.

elihech-0 · ‎08-10-2023

I don't think I ever got any complaints like that from my buyers. Only four of them gave me positive feedback, but most of the others never gave me anything positive, negative or neutral.

But I do get anxious about things like getting hacked online, living on my own, and artificial intelligence putting me out of a job I enjoy like dishwashing.