Buyer requesting additional packaging, significant extra shipping cost
I have a buyer that asks for their orders to be placed inside another box. They want the outsides pristine so they can resell them as new. Most of my other buyers are end users, not resellers, like this one.
My items are typically shipped in their original boxes inside a poly bag to protect the outside. I've never had an issue.
This special boxing up adds quite a bit. Last time, actual shipping was an additional $40 to put into an outer box because it added to the dimensions and weight. There was a 36" long item along with a couple 12x12x6 and others. There's no way I can have, or make, custom size boxes to fit the myriad of shapes I have. Even the poly bag sizes are a challenge.
I charge actual cost for shipping in my listings, but this changes it, and doesn't cover the expense. I feel weird asking for additional shipping for combining orders. Usually, it saves. But this repeat buyer always seems to get a mix of large and small, in many different shapes & sizes. It requires additional labor and packaging too.
I tried to reach out to the buyer, letting them know next time I would need to charge any additional expense incurred for their special request UNLESS it's acceptable to just poly bag some items. The buyer never responded.
They just placed another order with a myriad of sizes. I'll pack it up and try to keep different size boxes separate, so they don't add to overall dimensions, but if it ends up costing a lot more and they don't respond to message... what should I do? Cancel the order? I'm not that desperate for sales. An end user will end up buying these items if I don't sell to this "dealer" BUT who doesn't love a consistent bulk buyer?!
To me, it's not worth the additional shipping costs but having a consistent $1k/week buyer is great... but they're eating my profits up a bit.
Seeking opinions... maybe I'm missing an obvious solution here!
buzzapparel
·2 years agoCancel due to buyer making demands not part of the transaction. I would not go through with the transaction due to buyer making unreasonable demands after the fact.
gurlcat
·2 years agoThat would be good advice if it was the first time this buyer made a purchase and then the request ("demands" is a bit harsh, LOL). But this isn't their first -they have bought numerous times and the OP willingly complied with the request. Now he's regretting it and wanting to stop complying, without losing the buyer.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoYou have the buyer's phone number. Call them.
Explain the situation and let them know you cannot fulfill their special shipping request and would they like to cancel the order or pay added shipping cost.
If you ship in a polybag after you've accommodated their request to use a box for so long, they will file SNAD if that product box is damaged.
gurlcat
·2 years agoI have never called a buyer about a transactional concern (had great -arranged- phone chats with a couple buyers just because our character-limited emails were holding us back from how much yacking we wanted to do, ha). But I almost forget that 'business' phoning is an option, and I think it would be unnecessary and maybe inappropriate for 99% of concerns .... but when I read your suggestion in this case, it struck me as perfect. It's a somewhat complex issue (we in this thread aren't even offering unified advice), but the OP just telling the buyer the multiple ways the current arrangement is rough on his end ...in writing... could deliver the wrong tone, like he's fed up and angry, which is not the case. Talking might be just the right 'human' touch needed to come to an agreement and solidify the partnership.
stacy_pme
·2 years agoI would get it all together and figure out the shipping. Once you know the price, message the buyer, and say that it is going to be an additonal $X.XX amount of dollars to ship the items as they requested. That you will wait 24 hours for them to respond with an additional payment to cover the overage, or you will ship individually as your listings specify. IF they give you any gruff over it, I would probably block them. Just my two cents 😛 Good Luck.
fab_finds4u
·2 years agoThe buyer only has to pay the shipping cost showing in the listing. The seller shouldn't charge extra to ship it safely. They should not be shipping an original shelf box in a polybag and expect the box won't get crushed. I had someone send me a headlight assembly in the shelf box placed in a plastic bag one time and it arrived cracked.
Buyers shouldn't have to ask that their item be shipped protected, but they do, and I can see why they ask. If the seller wanted to charge extra they would get negative feedback if I already paid, or I would hit the back button if I hadn't bid.
profitweb
OP2 years ago@stacy_pme and @fab_finds4u , I can assure you both, my "shelf boxes" make it wonderfully.
I've sent out 100's and have never had an issue. Maybe faucet boxes are a little thicker than the average self box. I haven't had a complaint either... we were smacking the shipping labels right on the shelf-boxes. We just started bagging them a week ago (unless someone requested otherwise).
It must depend what you're selling.
gurlcat
·2 years agoBut the thing is, like you said most of your buyers are end-users, so in most instances you probably wouldn't hear if the shelf box arrived banged up, as long as the faucets are fine, because they wouldn't care about the box. But someone reselling, whole different story. I'm curious about where/how he resells, because if it's not online, then he may not be able to visualize just how challenging it can be to come up with the right-sized boxes to ship various items with no predictability of which ones each time, nor how much postage expense it can add. He needs to hear that for a 'small' seller it's totally different than it is for Amazon, Walmart, etc., who have limitless box sizes and get so much better shipping rates that they don't even need to try to avoid over-boxing (lord knows how many times I've received an item in a box that 3 of those items could have fit in).
So this is why I like Wasted's phone call idea so much. You and this buyer need a complete picture of each other's realities.
fab_finds4u
·2 years agoPolybags may protect clothing but it doesn't protect a box from getting flattened or dented. You should be sending a shelf box inside of another box, and not charge extra for doing that.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years ago"Repeat Buyer"....that is actually my business plan. Without repeat buyers a lot of sellers would eventually go under. I understand you're not really hurting for money.
I would rather have repeat buyers asking for special requests than a one-time buyer who never returns.
Half of my sales are repeat buyers....I would do anything to make them happy. I know I can trust these buyers not to make up stories such as items not received or items not as described and so on.
And that one time buyer who states item not received or item not as described.
profitweb
OP2 years ago@12345jamesstamps thank you for sharing that perspective. Very good!
gurlcat
·2 years agoLOL this thread is giving me real flashbacks to before I switched to mainly jewelry and other small-size items. I haaaaated roaming around the house trying to find a big-enough-but-not-too-big box, making boxes, making frankenboxes, UGH! Sometimes I would opt for a 'late' strike on my metrics just to procrastinate it for a day, but the thought of it would still pop into my head that whole day.
And mind you, that was with me having charged enough for shipping that I didn't have to cut into the item price just to send it. I get that you don't want to ruffle a steady buyer's feathers, and I'm sure he doesn't want to pay more because the profits he has gotten accustomed to will go down. But he expects too much, so it's a shame you didn't put your foot down from the first sale.
I would just go ahead and ship in the poly bags, because in the unlikely event that the manufacturers' boxes get dented or scratched up, he can always do a return. You might consider wrapping with a single layer of bubble wrap, if that won't prevent the overall volume fitting inside the poly bag.
profitweb
OP2 years ago@gurlcat putting a single layer of bubble wrap then bagging is an excellent idea!! Thank you for that suggestion.
I agree with the flashbacks... one the of things I love about the stuff I sell now is they come in shippable boxes... until this use case of resellers came along!
If I could give you 5 Hulpful thumbs-up, I would!
mudshark61369
·2 years ago@profitweb,
"I have a buyer that asks for their orders to be placed inside another box. They want the outsides pristine so they can resell them as new. Most of my other buyers are end users, not resellers, like this one".
If they made their request After they paid, you can ignore it. Buyers are not allowed to ask for shipping changes after a transaction has been completed. If they leave you a negative because you use your standard shipping method, poly bags, you can report them using the link below.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/resolving-buyer-issues/reporting-issue-buyer?id=4084
"I tried to reach out to the buyer, letting them know next time I would need to charge any additional expense incurred for their special request UNLESS it's acceptable to just poly bag some items. The buyer never responded".
You need to ask yourself, Is this buyer worth the hassle they are causing you? Especially, if they are paying before making combined shipping or individual packaging requests after the fact which is costing you money. While I love my repeat buyers, if I had one like yours, I would have blocked them. when they did not respond to the message.
stephenmorgan
·2 years agoIf you are combining orders you can send a Invoice so that all things will be combined into one payment. On the invoice you offer the shipping and put the additional shipping cost. The cost can be more or less than what was offered in your listing. If the buyer agrees they pay. If they disagree then the don't have to pay the invoice. They just pay for all item individually and you can just ship as you originally planned.
profitweb
OP2 years agoThanks @stephenmorgan That sounds ideal but I don't see an option to invoice once the order is made.
These are the options I see:
I've only seen the Invoice option when someone does a Buy It Now but doesn't pay. Is there another way to get to this?
stephenmorgan
·2 years agoInvoice is available for Auctions also, but if the items are already paid for there is no need for a Invoice so this is why it is not offered after payment.
With all the individual items paid for individually then aĺl the shipping fees are not enough to send as requested?
If buyer is agreeable you could relist their items for repurchase with the corrected shipping amounts to accommodate their special shipping requirements.
gurlcat
·2 years agoFollowing because this is a good question and you laid out the details and considerations very well. Hopefully someone with a good idea will chime in.