eBay

rzeidler2003 · ‎06-08-2019

This is a new one for me: I sold a radio on May 16. The buyer left a message along with his payment that he was out of the country and wanted me to hold the item for him until he returned which would be the beginning of June. We went back and forth a bit, I suggested that he have the Post Office hold his mail but that didn't work for him. He offered an alternate address of one of his friends (in a different state) but I insisted on sending to his confirmed address. Finally I relented and agreed to hold the item until his return. I did purchase a label and uploaded tracking on time, but here the box still sits, ready to go. I know this will show up as a defect but I do have evidence that he asked me not to ship. I have written to him since and have not yet received a reply. Complicating the issue is the fact that this address is near an area that was impacted by flooding during this time period. So I suspect that the delay is justified and I'm doing the right thing, but how long can I just hold on to this package? What would you do?

beardedbovine · ‎06-08-2019

@rzeidler2003 wrote:
Good question about how long the pre-printed shipping label is good for, does anyone the answer to that?

Domestic non-express USPS labels can be postdated for 7 days.

Voiding the label depends on where you purchased it. eBay labels give you only 5 days to void... I think PayPal labels give you 2 days to void? I'm not sure. Other services such as stamps.com give you a few weeks.

If you purchased this label mid-May you may be out the cost of the label at this point.

@rzeidler2003 wrote:
How would you have handled it? Consider that the buyer is a long time ebayer with 100% + feedback.

I would have asked the buyer to have the package held at the Post Office. They don't have to put a hold on all of their mail to request that a single package is held and I would have reminded them of that.

If they said no I would have told them I could cancel the order and they could re-purchase without submitting payment. If it was "immediate payment required" you could use the "send offer" function through eBay messages. Offers do not require that a buyer pays instantly. Then I would have given the buyer a deadline... pay by X date or I will file the unpaid item case. But only if I really wanted the sale... I may just cancel and relist for someone else to buy and tell the buyer they were welcome to re-purchase after their vacation if the item was still available.

There are other paths you could take, as well. The one I would choose would really depend on the vibe I got from the buyer.

I would never consider holding a shipment for 3-4 weeks though... it's just too long.

flakar48 · ‎06-08-2019

Personally speaking I know what I would do but you may or may not see things my way, thus I am simply pointing out what ebay states in regards to "unreasonable demands" and I will leave the ultimate decision up to you.

Here goes:

What should I do if I think a buyer is making an unreasonable demand?

You're not required to agree to any extras or changes from the terms of your listing. If a buyer is making demands that are not a part of your original listing, you will be protected from negative feedback and defects when you either deliver the item purchased by the buyer according to the original terms of your listing, or cancel the transaction.

Behaviors we don't allow

Demanding something not offered in the original listing

Not allowed

Requesting a shipping service not offered by the seller
Requesting the seller ship to an address other than what you included in checkout
Requesting to use a payment method not offered during checkout
Requesting the seller hold your item so you can pay later
Requesting a partial refund without returning the item
Request additional items or services not included in the original listing or asking for a discount
Finding an item on eBay and taking the sale off eBay

Allowed

Select one of the shipping services offered by the seller when you checkout
Updating your address in your eBay account before you checkout
Pay for your item through a payment option offered at checkout
Pay for your item within two days
Returning an item in accordance with the seller's returns policy
Purchase items according to the terms included in the original listing
Finding an item on eBay and completing the sale on eBay

.........................................................................

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/rules-policies-buyers/buying-practices-policy?id=4374

fern*wood · ‎06-08-2019

@rzeidler2003 wrote:
As luck would have it I had to drop off a package at the PO this morning so I asked the Postmaster there if the prepaid labels ever expired and she said no, they don't. So at least I don't have that to worry about.

It sounds like postal workers are similar to ebay reps since they seem to just tell you what you want to hear or don't want to bother looking up the rules. Some will even tell you they won't accept a package one day from the date on the label. I imagine the truth is somewhere in between.