When you just want to kick yourself

[klassic*kids]

Most of us have been there -- shipping the wrong item.  Well here's what happened to me today.  I am annoyed at myself. I deserve a swift kick in the tush and if I could would do just that -- kick myself!

I had two black & green plaid girl's shirts.  They look very similar, but one is Justice girl's size 16 and the other Aeropostale S/P (juniors' small petite).

Today someone bought the Aero one.  But I was packaging up my orders in a hurry and for some reason I thought she bought the Justice one.  Bring my sales to the PO around 5:00 (this PO closes at 6:00) and as soon as I get back I realize I made an error and sent the wrong item.

I called the PO to see if they could pull the package.  They said it was too late as it has already been dumped into a big bin.  They were unwilling to help.  Suggested I go to usps.com and do an intercept.

I go to the website enter in all the data and then see it will cost $12+.  Not willing to pay that.  These are only $8 items with less than $4 shipping.  

I emailed the buyer right away and tell her what happened and let her know that I will be sending the correct one tomorrow morning so she will be receiving two packages from me.  I told her to keep the Justice one in addition to the Aero one as it will cost me too much in shipping charges to make a return worthwhile.  I told that I hope whomever she is buying this (presumably her daughter) can still fit into a 16 and can get some use out of it.

She wrote back immediately and said she was sorry for the mix-up and thanked me for letting her keep both.  So that part ended well.

What didn't end well was I just gave inventory away due to my negligence.  Thankfully it was such a low value item.  But can anyone else relate to a mix-up like this?  Ugh.  I need to pay just a little more attention to detail!

[sharingtheland]

I've I know someone who has done it more than once.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

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@sharingtheland wrote:

I've I know someone who has done it more than once.

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Is that a teensy tiny mirror you are looking into? Why so small a font? 

confessions are quite alright here! 😉 

[sharingtheland]

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@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

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@sharingtheland wrote:

I've I know someone who has done it more than once.

---

Is that a teensy tiny mirror you are looking into? Why so small a font? 

confessions are quite alright here! 😉 

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[gramophone-georg]

Let me tell you a bedtime story.

Years ago, when I sold on here, and in the very beginning of what we called "cluster sales", for some reason all 50 records I had up for auction that week sold to Europe. In the mix were two Teddy Wilson Orchestra Brunswick records from 1936, valuable because they contained very early Billie Holiday vocals. One sold to Germany and one sold to Holland.

I mixed the two up.

The German buyer emailed me first to say she got the wrong record. I immediately realized what I had done, emailed back and explained, and then emailed the buyer in Holland.

Holland guy emails me a couple days later... yep, he got the German gal's record.

With both buyer's permission I exhanged their addresses. They mailed each other the records. I PayPal'd them an amount to cover postage plus an extra tenner for their time. 

All ended well. Nobody got a nastygram from eBay accusing them of directing sales off eBay. Nobody opened a "case". I got zero defects for the partial PayPal refunds. We exchanged glowing feedback, and did a lot more business together. 

Alas, now eBay is involved and that's the only reason why these things make people want to kick themselves and have to lose their inventory- and get defects...

For being human.

[books...forthememories]

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@klassic*kids wrote:

Most of us have been there -- shipping the wrong item.  Well here's what happened to me today.  I am annoyed at myself. I deserve a swift kick in the tush and if I could would do just that -- kick myself!

I had two black & green plaid girl's shirts.  They look very similar, but one is Justice girl's size 16 and the other Aeropostale S/P (juniors' small petite).

Today someone bought the Aero one.  But I was packaging up my orders in a hurry and for some reason I thought she bought the Justice one.  Bring my sales to the PO around 5:00 (this PO closes at 6:00) and as soon as I get back I realize I made an error and sent the wrong item.

I called the PO to see if they could pull the package.  They said it was too late as it has already been dumped into a big bin.  They were unwilling to help.  Suggested I go to usps.com and do an intercept.

I go to the website enter in all the data and then see it will cost $12+.  Not willing to pay that.  These are only $8 items with less than $4 shipping.  

I emailed the buyer right away and tell her what happened and let her know that I will be sending the correct one tomorrow morning so she will be receiving two packages from me.  I told her to keep the Justice one in addition to the Aero one as it will cost me too much in shipping charges to make a return worthwhile.  I told that I hope whomever she is buying this (presumably her daughter) can still fit into a 16 and can get some use out of it.

She wrote back immediately and said she was sorry for the mix-up and thanked me for letting her keep both.  So that part ended well.

What didn't end well was I just gave inventory away due to my negligence.  Thankfully it was such a low value item.  But can anyone else relate to a mix-up like this?  Ugh.  I need to pay just a little more attention to detail!

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Been there, done worse... A few years ago, we accidentally shipped eight books to the wrong customers. 

The first one who received her package notified me of the error, so we immediately sprang into action and contacted the other seven to let them know that "Houston, we have a problem!"  I held hands with all the buyers until the whole thing was straightened out and everyone got the right book (and the first customer received a full refund and our undying gratitude for alerting us to the mix-up).

I still wake up screaming... 

[mr_lincoln]

@klassic*kids  You will be getting AWESOME feedback.  Really sorry it happened ... the closest I've come to a real boo-boo is switching labels on packages ... fortunately, and this was before APV, the USPS clerk caught it due to the weight difference on the packages ... I borrowed a pocket knife from another person at the PO and some tape from the clerk and fixed it right there. 

[castlemagicmemories]

Mr Lincoln:

Very resourceful!

[oleander1993]

I have some doozies. The most costly one financially was two similar-looking cookbooks. Never knew I mixed them up until buyer #2 ordered. Then I realized weeks or months earlier THAT one had been sent to buyer #1, who apparently never noticed either.  

So I inform buyer #2 of what must have happened and offer the more valuable one I still had. She was nice but was trying to replace one her mother had once owned. Later I sold the second cookbook for a good price. BUT since I had messed up buyer #1 (who never complained) I sent her a note and refunded what she had paid (though she never acknowledged or thanked me).

I know I did the right thing (as you did also) and I have peace about it. I believe you will too and I wish you great success.

[rolenboy01]

I once had this happen on a very expensive item the buyer assured me they would ship it back to me on my dime, I was waiting over a month I honestly accepted it was a loss cause but lo and behold I eventually got the item back at nearly 2 months later I was shocked, perhaps the person was just really busy.

[lookng2015]

BUT I made another mistake--Not one that affected the buyer, thank goodness, but one that affected me:  I purchased a new label on eBay to send the replacement bandana.   Yeah, I got dinged for late shipment.  First time in three years I've been "late" and I wasn't even really late.  Frustrating.  But stuff happens. 

That REALLY annoys me, when you've had to send a replacement and they use the NEW tracking # to mark you as a late shipment.

[castlemagicmemories]

When you just want to kick yourself, don't.

Life gives us enough kicks; there may be other people lining up to do this for and to you!

As long as we learn from our mistakes.  Otherwise we are doomed to repeat them.  I have seen this happen in life.

[naysteve24]

Same thing happened to me this morning.  Buyer wrote saying I sent the wrong dress. Ugh - sent same brand , similar color, wrong size dress.  She was nice about it though, even though she needed it for a wedding (thankfully not this weekend) and is returning the wrong one and I sent the right one out this morning.  Definately a "just kick me" moment.  Lesson learned I guess!

[castlemagicmemories]

Yes, you will probably be more careful in the future so that it doesn't happen again!

That's a good thing!

[keziak]

Don't be so hard on yourself. Instead be proud that you are a professional and immediately made it right. Chalk it up to a cost of doing business. Over the years I've messed up pretty much every way.