Late Shipment Ding for Re-sent Item

[zzydny]

Recently I made a silly mistake.  A buyer purchased two bandanas (same kind) from me in two separate transactions. I thought that perhaps she had just added the second as an afterthought.  I looked at the addresses on each order:  same first name, same town.  So I put both bandanas in the same envelope and sent them off.

A week later I got a Very Nasty message (several actually) from the buyer.  One bandana was supposed to go to her; the other to her friend (both same first name, same town).  Now both bandanas had gone to the friend.  I apologized and immediately sent another bandana free of charge using eBay shipping because I wanted the buyer to be able to see the tracking. 

I did Not know that this would count against me as late shipment, so now I've got .30 late shipping rate.  Not too happy about this since I am never late shipping.  (Yes, the mistake was mine, and I own it--my cognitive dysfunction makes reading difficult so I know I should always be extra-careful, and I've learned my lesson.)  But I really did not know that sending another package with tracking would ding me for late shipment.  

What I'm wondering is how other sellers would have handled this fairly simple situation.  Should I have purchased postage at the Post Office and ignored tracking?  Should I have refunded and sent another bandana?  Should I have refunded for both bandanas?  What would have been best to do?

[the_fancy_fox]

When ebay first started that nonsense I got caught in it as well.

If it were to happen again, dont purchase your postage through ebay or paypal, take it to the post office and just ship it. Get tracking but dont upload it.

Were the shipping addresses different or did the buyer put a note asking you to ship one elsewhere?

If different, I would have shipped the a freebie, if it was a note I would have contacted the buyer letting them know I could not do that.

[zzydny]

Thanks.  Good advice. 

No, there was no explanatory note.  I always check for those before I ship. 

[green-night]

 I apologized and immediately sent another bandana free of charge using eBay shipping because I wanted the buyer to be able to see the tracking. 

Printing a new label through the original transaction does not result in a performance strike in my experience.    Did you print the new label throught the original transaction you bought the label through or from the one you didn't?  I'm guessing it is the latter which is probably causing the defect, especially if you didn't upload tracking to that transaction after you combined shipments.

[zzydny]

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@green-night wrote:

 I apologized and immediately sent another bandana free of charge using eBay shipping because I wanted the buyer to be able to see the tracking. 

Printing a new label through the original transaction does not result in a performance strike in my experience.    Did you print the new label throught the original transaction you bought the label through or from the one you didn't?  I'm guessing it is the latter which is probably causing the defect, especially if you didn't upload tracking to that transaction after you combined shipments.

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No, I bought the shipping the first time through original transaction (which went to the friend) and the second time through the other (which went to the buyer).    However, I added the tracking numbers from the first time to both items.

I've checked my shipment rate and the problem is with this transaction.

[victorjunkman55]

I would have shipped the freebie at the PO paying cash and using priority mail with tracking. Everything you ship does not have to go through eBay, your freebie was not an eBay transaction. Good Luck to you.

[partial*eclipse · Accepted solution]

@victorjunkman55 Why would you use Priority?  It's usually not faster than First Class. Did you know that all USPS package postage includes tracking?

@zzydny.  Next time you need to ship a followup package for any reason, you can print a label through PayPal that is not attached to the original transaction by going to 

www.paypal.com/shipnow

You can send the buyer a separate message with the tracking number or even a link to the tracking info already entered at usps.com.

[zzydny]

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@victorjunkman55 wrote:

I would have shipped the freebie at the PO paying cash and using priority mail with tracking. Everything you ship does not have to go through eBay, your freebie was not an eBay transaction. Good Luck to you.

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You always have sensible advice.  Thank you.  

[zzydny]

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@partial*eclipse wrote:

@victorjunkman55 Why would you use Priority?  It's usually not faster than First Class. Did you know that all USPS package postage includes tracking?

@zzydny.  Next time you need to ship a followup package for any reason, you can print a label through PayPal that is not attached to the original transaction by going to 

www.paypal.com/shipnow

You can send the buyer a separate message with the tracking number or even a link to the tracking info already entered at usps.com.

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Quite right:  since bandanas usually weigh less than 3 ounces, I wouldn't need to use Priority in this instance.

And this is just exactly the advice that I needed.  Thank you.  I'll save that PayPal Ship Now link.

Have gotta say that getting dinged for late shipment stung since I haven't shipped anything late in more than three years, and it's something that I worry about all the time.