I Might Have Tunnel Vision...So Help A Fellow Seller Out.
Summary: christworks is concerned about a buyer wanting overnight shipping for a $15 vintage magazine, suspecting a potential scam due to the high shipping cost in comparison to the item's price. Several participants advise against accommodating the buyer's request, noting possible risks like bearing extra costs if the item is returned. Others suggest sticking to existing shipping policies or adding an overnight option for the buyer to choose at their expense. Ultimately, christworks decided to wait for the buyer's response, which never came, suggesting the urgency might not have been genuine.
I have a buyer who wants to purchase a $15 magazine (a vintage Sports Illustrated and no, not one with a valuable ad in it). They messaged asking if I could overnight it and how much would it cost. Of course my BS alarm sounds like a five alarm fire.
In their message they provided a zip code. I could tell it was California. When I looked it up, I discovered it matches the zip code of Netflix's HQ. Because I had an order going to a TV show placed yesterday, I guess that is fresh in my mind. I'd be shocked to have something like that back to back. From what I can find online, they do not make any productions at Netflix's HQ. Willing to spend $60+ in shipping for a $15 item seems odd. I know there are some fraud scams out there that involve overnight shipping.
I might have a little tunnel vision going on after yesterday's sale, so I need some clear heads to pipe in with your thoughts.
Would you move forward with this sale or would you block the person?
It has been a whirlwind of dealing with odd situations the past two days. It's not even a full moon.
partsharbor_ca
路2 weeks agoA California ZIP by itself isn鈥檛 a reason to treat the buyer as suspicious. Quote overnight only through eBay using the actual destination, package details, service, and your cutoff time; don鈥檛 accept off-eBay payment or send to an address other than the order address. A $60+ quote can be normal for an expedited service depending on origin and package size, so compare the eBay label quote before committing.
warrenshobbies
路3 weeks agoDon't chase $15 sales. Set your own rules and follow them.
biggymoe
路3 weeks agoWouldn't be worth it to me, based on the problem scenarios posted above. But what did you decide to do?
christworks
OP3 weeks agoThey never wrote back. Must not have been too important.
nyr134
路3 weeks agoThe item cost ($15) + overnight shipping ($60+) + California sales tax (~$5) = an $80 transaction. So your eBay fees will be around $11. Not what you envisioned for this transaction and pretty likely wiping out most, if not all, of your profit.
christworks
OP3 weeks agoIf I had proceeded with this, I would have accounted for the fees. That would have been added to shipping cost I told the buyer, not to mention adding the surcharge I do for special requests like this.
kennys-kollectibles
路3 weeks agoI would never ship anything that cheap overnight.
Your fees on just the shipping charge would erase any profit at all.
christworks
OP3 weeks agoCorrect, but I always account for fees and I add a surcharge for special requests like this since I'm taking up time. I would have been fine on profit.
kandf_vintage_finds
路3 weeks agoI would have went into the listing and added the overnight ship as an option. Then I would let the buyer know that I did this. If he / she buys I ship.
christworks
OP3 weeks agoGreat advice here and I thank you all for your feedback. Rather than respond to every body, I'll mention a few things.
I also thought about it being the end of the week. There is absolutely no way USPS can get anything anywhere overnight when only one truck is coming per day. FedEx is about the only one I think could. I know they could back in the day because I used to have to FedEx overnight documents across the country sometimes. I'm not sure if even they could do it today. (Their price was $130 and that was the cheapest overnight option!)
I messaged the buyer and gave them their options. I've not heard back. I've not changed the listing to include overnight so if they want to do it, they will have to message me. I've got to go to an estate sale at 9am and my packages are coming with me so I can focus on the haul I bring in tomrorow. Time is ticking by if they want it to go out on Friday.
Regarding whether returns comes back using the same service as how a package was sent, I don't think so but I don't know for sure. I'm trying to think back when I sent everything Priority several years ago. I cannot recall a return coming back via Priority. I think they came back as First Class package. Of course that was through USPS. If you overnight via FedEx, it might be different?
Thank you again everybody. Now, make some money this weekend!
roastedsaurus
路3 weeks agoThere are scenarios "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight" and sometimes you can help someone be a hero if you don't mind a little extra hustle. Though unless it was a film shoot or something similar where you have a lot of money, people, time, etc. riding on it I don't see what the urgency would be for a vintage magazine.
I once had a buyer who needed a large specialized industrial threading tap overnighted, arrival by 8AM, on Saturday. So I added overnight to the listing, they hit it and I got it to Fedex about an hour before their cut-off. The tap was $80 and the shipping was $263!
1786davycrockett
路3 weeks ago@christworks As @a_c_green pointed out, tomorrow is Friday -- ain't no way that magazine is getting theire overnight, no matter what the post office says!
Just apologize, and explain the facts of life to them.
yeswayrecords
路3 weeks agoIt is possible that the two sales could be related, but not necessarily the case.
You could add overnight shipping as an option on the listing to allow them to pay to receive it ASAP.
If it is indeed the buyer you think it may be, they can afford to ship the item.
If you are worried about a possible return, you could also remove returns as an option from that listing.
We have done this for buyers in the past.
That being said, each instance is unique, and this one could present challenges that we did not face.
tools*
路3 weeks agoThere's no such thing as no returns on eBay. As a seller with 17,000 feedback, you should know that.
yeswayrecords
路3 weeks agoHi @tools*
As you stated, we have had much experience selling on ebay.
There will always be some risk of loss associated with any transaction on ebay - buying or selling.
In this instance, removing returns could reduce some of this risk by discouraging remorse returns.
That said, if a buyer is dead-set on gaming the system, they will most likely find a way.
tools*
路3 weeks agoThe problem is that if they decide to return it for any reason, you'll be on the hook for the overnight fee and the return fee.
a_c_green
路3 weeks agoThere is that, yes. You have to calculate your own odds. What does the prospective buyer's feedback look like in this case?
gurlcat
路3 weeks agoWait, I may be having a blonde moment but are you saying when a buyer purchases with overnight shipping, the return has to be overnight as well?
a_c_green
路3 weeks agoBack in the day, the official answer was always that your return cost would not be more than what you spent originally (or perhaps more generally, it would not be a more expensive method than the original outbound shipment).
But if the buyer is paying for Overnight, it sounds like your return label would be for overnight as well. I am really hoping someone can prove me wrong on that.
christworks
OP3 weeks ago@a_c_green As much as I like to prove people wrong, I do not want to volunteer in this situation. 馃槅
tobaccocardyahoo
路3 weeks agoI do not make exceptions to my listings for strangers who want to make a $15 purchase.
I might point to my inflated handling time when I refused to offer faster shipping.
I tend to never make any exception to my listing terms for any sale.
Just a stubborn old man.
a_c_green
路3 weeks ago 路 EditedNot if you're an overpaid network executive with access to the corporate expense account. (Har!)
Me, I'd probably just ship it. Old magazines (in general) are not a high-scam area, and maybe they just want to get it ASAP for a retirement party at the end of the week, something like that.
P.S. Whoops, just realized that the end of the (work) week is tomorrow already... Still, I just don't get the same tingly spider-sense here as opposed to a laptop sale or similar.
dhbookds
路3 weeks agopersonally, I would refuse, based on the fact "overnight"never (for me) got there over night.......
gurlcat
路3 weeks agoSame for me the last time I did it. But now I can't remember if you can get a refund when they fail to deliver on time. I mean the premium price is INSANE so it absolutely should be guaranteed.
ryry-jj
路3 weeks agoI'd just stick to whatever I have set up in the listing. I simply respond, "thanks for the interest, all of our items ship as listed by the carrier listed. Thanks, again"
hartungcards
路3 weeks ago 路 EditedMy zip code matches the zip code of Johnny Dyer's Country Store. I think that may be why nobody will overnight anything to me.
inhawaii
路3 weeks ago 路 EditedI wouldn't.
Take the regular shipping or nothing.
I used to work in a parts department.
Those buyers who wanted it "as fast as possible" and "money is no object" always turned out to be problems.
redlinear
路3 weeks ago 路 EditedEXACTLY!!
From 35 years ago up until today...anybody needing anything that fast is usually making a mistake, or they'll find one locally 10 minutes after you ship it.
AND, as in your case...I would not be willing to spend $60 to make $15. OR quite possibly $60 plus the return shipping cost just to get my $15 item back.
Several times a week my response is:
"Sorry, I cannot expidite shipments (eBay policy)"
eBay has no real policy against faster shipping, but eBay does have other policies which can make it very expensive for the seller when things don't go as planned.