I'm done buying from small-time sellers on eBay

[uzumakey]

What is UP with small-time sellers these days? Pretty livid right now. I just received a package I've been eagerly awaiting all week, from a smaller seller with 100% feedback. Their photos were good and well-lit, item description was on point. Tracking showed delivered today so I went to retrieve my package and...

The seller shipped in a used Little Debbie's box wrapped in a plastic shopping bag. They stuck the label on the bag and somehow USPS delivered this mess. I was hoping the items inside would be fine, but they're covered in cat hair and dust and one of the bottles is only 90% full even though the lot was described as "new." 

What a disgusting way to send a package - I have a cat myself and now I'm grossed out about transferring some strange animal's germs onto her. I'm a seller myself and none of my items go out with a single cat hair on them. They're always neatly wrapped in new bubble wrap and sent out in a new poly bubble mailer or a clean box. 

This isn't even the first time this has happened - the last time I purchased from a smaller seller, I received the item in a used Pringles can, covered in salt and crumbs. Seriously what is WRONG with sellers on here? I normally buy in several categories - clothing, books, cosmetics - and I've had bad experiences in all three when I buy from domestic sellers with smaller inventories. Most of the time what I get is either gross and unsanitary like this recent purchase, or it's merely adequate. The only times I've been happy with my purchases in the past couple years has been when I've bought from Korean or Japanese sellers - these items are sent boxed, new and neatly wrapped. 

I'm just so sick of this happening with US sellers, and done buying anything domestically, new or used. With experiences like this it's NO WONDER the good buyers on here are leaving in droves and we're left with scammers and cheapskates with lowball offers.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@uzumakey wrote:

The seller shipped in a used Little Debbie's box wrapped in a plastic shopping bag. They stuck the label on the bag and somehow USPS delivered this mess. I was hoping the items inside would be fine, but they're covered in cat hair and dust and one of the bottles is only 90% full even though the lot was described as "new."  

This isn't even the first time this has happened - the last time I purchased from a smaller seller, I received the item in a used Pringles can, covered in salt and crumbs.

<sarcasm>But...but...but...you got your items, right? They weren't broken, were they? They got there in a reasonable amount of time, right?   So what if your stuff was mailed in trash?  You should be happy you got what you ordered!  So what if it had some crumbs or cat hair on it? brush it off and enjoy your widget.  </sarcasm>  

According to some sellers, that's all that matters

I'm just so sick of this happening with US sellers, and done buying anything domestically, new or used. With experiences like this it's NO WONDER the good buyers on here are leaving in droves and we're left with scammers and cheapskates with lowball offers.

Yep. Bad sellers attract and keep bad buyers. This makes it hard for all of us.

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You have ONE CHANCE to make a good first impression. This is crucial if sellers want to develop repeat buyers. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using recycled shipping supplies, as long as they are CLEAN and meant for shipping. I recycle supplies all the time, but I do not send items off in dirty used food packaging. We have three dogs and four cats, but none of my items are covered in animal hair.

Sellers need to start thinking about these things.

[mg152]

Wait a minute! I’m a small seller and I do not scrimp on packaging. I have new boxes, I reuse clean undamaged shipping boxes I get from A and WM, I use new mailers, I save cardboard packing from TVs I bought cause it’s really thick and I can cut it down. I just shipped a dog toy in a plastic freezer bag to keep it dry with a small bag of packing peanuts, a piece of hard cardboard in a brand new custom mailer along with a thank you card and a packing slip. Also shipped an old book today in a freezer bag with a small bag of peanuts, a hard piece of cardboard, a thank you card, abd a packing slip in a new custom mailer. I add an eBay sticker in each package as a gift. Some of us care about our buyers.

[relaxintowealth]

Back in the day I got a damaged piece of glassware shipped in a ritz cracker box,with no padding whatsoever.....needless to say I pack well.

[lovefindingtreasures2]

Wow, that sounds just awful! I understand reusing boxes if they are clean (but not trash), but what you describe goes above and beyond. What a disappointment.

I had someone send me a pair of earrings in just a #10 envelope, no paper, nothing, I was shocked they hadn't ripped through the envelope. That was years ago, since then all pretty much ok. Earrings were destroyed BTW.

I'm just the opposite. I soft wrap then bubble wrap my small items, wrap in tissue paper with a cute sticker and I write a thank you note. I see it as you are buying yourself a little present and I deliver to you a pretty little present all ready to be unwrapped 🙂

[recommendedbuyer]

@gew6463 wrote:

Occasionally I will consider bidding on an auction, only to see (while checking seller's feedback) that another buyer mentioned "smoke odor" or "arrived dirty", causing me to move along (odor not having been mentioned elsewhere by the seller).    

There are unscrupulous buyers who will make false claims of non-existent odors or other issues in order to try and get a partial refund from a seller.  When they don't get the partial refund they leave false feedback with false statements.  Don't believe everything you read in feedback, and don't necessarily move along due to the occasional statement like that in a seller's feedback.  

[myboardid]

I  recycle packing materials all the time, enough to save me thousands of dollars.  I also buy some that I cannot find locally.  However I don't use dirty stuff and never food containers.  I do use liquor boxes, but they only contained bottles.  If they are not clean, they don't get used. That also goes for egg cartons.  I might use a variety of materials inside the boxes, so they may not match each other, but they are there to protect the item I'm shipping, not to be beautiful.  If you ship a couple of items a week, then making a pretty package may please you, but when I have 100 packages to ship a day I cannot and will not take the time or spend the money.  Most important to me is that the item gets to the buyer in perfect condition.  I get kudos about my packing in my feedback all the time. 

I agree that packaging should be clean & sturdy, no trash, and it should protect the purchase, but it does not have to be new.  Some of you are fanatics about his subject. 

[mikeystoyz]

I reuse my River boxes all the time.  I do cover them with eBay tape.  Does this mean I am going to HE double hockey sticks.   I do use clean bubble wrap, envelopes and interior materials though unless I get a ton of stuff in other boxes.  

[juststuffisell]

lol, something my wife would say. I re-used packing material whenever suitable. I reuse odd sized boxes that I don't stock whenever needed to include boxes from Amazon that my children save for me. Never had a complaint. Matter of fact, my packing skills are one the most touted by my buyers.

I understand your presentation with new products. Respect it completely, but what works for you, does not necessarily need to be "the rule".

OP - that is a disgusting way to ship something. The only thing buyers need to do is use the ratings accordingly and leave appropriate feedback for how something was shipped. I content eBay really needs to require sellers that want to sell on eBay to take a course in how to package items before they are allowed to list their first item..… it is desperately needed.

Cheers

[mudshark61369]

@uzumakey, @mysalonsavings,

 Both of you wrote similar things about packing materials;

"who pays for shipping supplies? The buyer you fold that fee into your item price or what you charge them to ship. What's funny is that in this particular instance (and the Pringles can fiasco), I was charged full-price shipping.

Personally I don't recycle shipping supplies unless they're boxes, and they're clean and show no signs of use. If I were a buyer spending my hard-earned money on something, I don't want to get it in a dingy box covered in layers of old packing tape then padded with tired, twice-used bubble wrap".

While I agree about using something like a used Pringles canister, I guess you think that small sellers are making money off of you because they reuse packing materials.  If that is the case, you couldn't be further off base if you tried. Did the shipping cost match the size and weight of a package?  If it did then you didn't pay a penny more for shipping, than the seller was charged.

  I am a low volume seller of mostly vintage items, many of them come in boxes that are thin and/or have dimensions that are very hard to find outer boxes for.  I have two choices buy new, or haunt big box, & grocery stores, and have neighbors save boxes for me.  I get many small boxes from a mechanic friend, some are a bit dirty on the outside, but clean inside. All of the ones I use to ship in still maintain their crush rating.  I also reuse bubble wrap, air pillows, styro foam, styro sheets and peanuts, as well as the cleaner bags my hanging items are returned from the dry cleaners in.  Thank Goodness my buyers aren't as picky as you, and I have many feedback stating items were well packed.  If I had to add to item prices the cost for all my shipping supplies, it could add up to several dollars without even thinking about charging for the time I spend packing items so they arrive in the condition advertised, with the lowest possible safe shipping cost. 

Over the last couple of years I've started listing items with two shipping options. Either 1st Class, or Parcel Select & Priority Mail, and find most buyers selecting the less expensive options.  You have mentioned USPS and ebay boxes. Well, they often will not fit the items I sell or add too much weight or size to items, necessitating using additional packing material. The USPS only sells or offers Free Priority Mail or Flat Rate boxes.  I am of the firm opinion that eBay or Amazon branded boxes are an invitation to porch pirates.  When I reuse an Amazon box, I use a big marker to cover the logos. 

You might get a box from me that shows some signs of previous use or wear. If I can ship in the original box I may cut up used Priority Mail boxes to make sleeves or strips to wrap around a box's sides to further protect from crushing. Those will also be over wrapped in new cut down poly mailers.  If you can't accept that, or if I see a bidder has mentioned anything about shipping materials without stating if the item arrived safely or not in their feedback. I'll play safe, cancel bids, and block.  

[dirk12955]

Deal with 2 bad sellers. Condemn Thousands. Or 10s of Thousands.

[gew6463]

@dirk12955  Where did I do that exactly? Could you please reference which comment that was?

What is especially interesting about your comment is that I am a small seller myself..so I condemned myself?    I also choose to buy from mostly small sellers like myself. Hundreds of them..

[bsarafian]

Good points.  It's one thing to say "Be Professional - use new boxes" when what you sell is small items: jewelry, scarves, belts etc."  It's a little different when you're shipping big heavy items: vintage typewriter, sewing machine, wooden tool box, cast iron treadle legs.  For things like that the crucial factor is packing so that the item's weight doesn't work against itself and cause damage. It may require buying some heavy duty boxes, it may require creating or altering boxes because the item is an odd size and shape. There's really no pretty way to pack an antique blacksmith leg post vice.  Believe me, I would love it if they came up with a free flat rate box that would fit something like that - I'd be first in line to stock up. For items that do fit, I am a big fan of all the Priority mail supplies both flat rate and regular.

For sellers, just like their items, there's no one size fits all answer but there is no excuse for shipping poorly packed items in flimsy dirty containers.

[thomasglasshoarder]

Do you even check the seller's feedback before purchasing an item?  Your case couldn't be the first time this type of seller pulled this rotten stuff on a buyer.  I am a small seller, my feedback is 100%, and a lot of times it includes how well I package my items.  I spend a lot of money on bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and corrugated boxes.  If I recycle a corrugated shipping box, it is clean and appropriate for shipping again.  I hope you left appropriate feedback for the rotten sellers, they deserve it.  And, read seller's feedback thoroughly before purchasing.  Believe me, it is not just the small time seller.  I have received some poorly packaged items from dealers.

[uzumakey]

Of course I check feedback - I always make sure to read a seller's negatives and neutrals and will always go with the seller with great feedback over another with questionable feedback and cheaper prices. This seller in particular had 100% feedback and their photos were clear and well-lit, and the description was very thorough. Even the Pringles can seller had great pictures and a good description.

I'm a small-time seller myself and I bend over backwards to avoid bad feedback from buyers, so I'm kind of stunned that sellers like this can maintain such good ratings. Maybe they pack poorly then refund the buyers who complain? I mean, I guess the costs even out that way - don't pay for shipping supplies but refund unhappy buyers.

And let me clarify - reusing packing materials isn't necessarily a bad thing and it's environmentally sound, but I won't reuse packaging that clearly looks used. I'm lucky to know someone who regularly receives shipments in their brick and mortar store, so I can usually get some once-used boxes and air packets from U-line - it would obviously be a waste not to reuse these as they're practically new.

Repurposing bubble envelopes and twice-used bubble wrap is another thing, though. If something looks dirty or beat-up it's not the best idea to use that material to ship to a buyer. Many sellers who've posted on this thread have the right idea by not doing this and packing thoughtfully. I try to to do the same, but it really does seem like we're in the minority now.

I'm just speaking from personal experience of course, but unpleasant experiences with small-time sellers are happening too often for me to want to deal with the hassle. eBay definitely isn't like it used to be, where you'd make a purchase from a small seller and get it perfectly packed and in better condition than described. It seems like with sales floundering the way they have been, sellers would be doing their best to keep customers but nope.

[luvskins59]

I posted a few years ago about receiving my item in an empty pasta box.  Sellers here excoriated me.   I should have been happy to get my item.  I took a long break and still buy very little.