How to edit a listing when working with a buyer on shipping fees

[audclancy]

Hello all y ou helpful people--A buyer has expressed interest in two of my listings. She would like to know how low I can get the shipping fees. I've ordered some flat-rate boxes to see if I can squeeze the items into one of the smaller ones. What do I do with the listing in the meantime? I've gotten an offer and an actual full-price payment, which I had to cancel and refund.

Can I cancel the listing temporarily? And if so, how?

Thanks very much!!

Audrey

[missjen831]

Why on earth did you cancel and refund? 

[coolections]

You can just have the buyer purchase the two items. Tell them to wait to pay until after you send them a revised invoice.

[audclancy]

That sounds like it would work. I don't feel right selling one of the items while she's waiting for my reply.

Thanks--love being able to check in here when I need advice.

Audrey

[dhbookds]

For future reference, if you want to do this for the first buyer, end the listings so sales don't happen on them.  I don't know what reason you used to cancel the sale, but if you used out of stock......you will get a defect for it.  You may feel it isn't fair to the first buyer, but I'll bet the 2nd buyer feels like you weren't fair to them, who bought and paid. 

To end an item in SH go to active listings and click on the drop down menu next to the item.  Click on end. 

Also, you may be able to get flat rate boxes at your PO.......many carry them,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[mr_lincoln]

@audclancy 

1. You can NOT "cancel" a listing temporarily, you can "end" it if you want but no reason to.

2. If you truly did cancel someone's purchase then you have some issues, 1) unhappy buyer who paid your asking price but now has nothing to show for thier purchase and 2) your account will get an OSS stirke ... too many of those and you will be in trouble

3. When a Buyer wants more than one item and aks "how low can you go on shipping" it is still JUST a question and they may wind up not buying from you.  A good reply is to let them know you combine shipping and if you do your homework know how big and how heavy the box will be)  AND they supplied a zip code you can give them the counter cost on the USPS wib site for shipping from your place to theirs

4. You should still reply to @missjen831 's question on why you cancelled the one purchase?

[partial*eclipse]

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wrote:

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 .... I don't feel right selling one of the items while she's waiting for my reply...

How could you 'feel right" about cancelling a transaction that a buyer had paid for?  Surely a buyer who has actually paid your asking price plus shipping is at least as deserving as a potential buyer who is wrangling over your shipping costs?  

The potential buyer took a chance by not just purchasing the item outright. If you didn't have a flat-rate box available, you should have given her an estimated cost for regular postage in a non-flat-rate box, or ended the listings until you had that box in-hand.  Most Post Offices keep the flat-rate boxes in stock.

[sam9876]

I try to keep some of every Priority Mail box in stock.

[city*satins]

Personally, I don't see any upside to cancelling a sale from a buyer who bought and paid for an item in order to play Price-is-Right with a buyer who might or might not purchase 2 items, might or might not pay for them, and who in the quest for $ savings represents a risk for the sale(s) to go off-course after the items are received by griping about something and wanting a full or partial refund. 

Plus all the reasons everybody else gave you not to do what you did.

Next time, tell the buyer to go ahead and pay in full and that you'll issue a partial refund for any postage savings (IF ANY) after the package goes out.

[a_c_green]

Hello all you helpful people--A buyer has expressed interest in two of my listings. She would like to know how low I can get the shipping fees. I've ordered some flat-rate boxes to see if I can squeeze the items into one of the smaller ones. What do I do with the listing in the meantime? I've gotten an offer and an actual full-price payment, which I had to cancel and refund.

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This is the point where my jaw hit the floor. You have a customer who's paid for your item fair and square, and you backed out of that completed transaction in order to continue dickering with another prospect who wants to haggle down your shipping prices?

Flat-rate boxes are generally available at local post offices; you don't need to order those on-line. In any event, even if your response to someone was going to be delayed while you research the matter, a sale is a sale. Your actual buyer has done nothing wrong here; you owe him an apology as well as the item that he bought in good faith.

[itsjustasprain]

For future reference, if you want to do this for the first buyer, end the listings so sales don't happen on them.  I don't know what reason you used to cancel the sale, but if you used out of stock......you will get a defect for it.  You may feel it isn't fair to the first buyer, but I'll bet the 2nd buyer feels like you weren't fair to them, who bought and paid. 

To end an item in SH go to active listings and click on the drop down menu next to the item.  Click on end. 

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And then when that other party disappears on you or you cant reach an agreement then you just shot yourself in the foot and you have no listing and no buyer. Leave the listings up while you sort this out and then if the items havent sold already then the buyer can buy both & you can send them a combined invoice for the lowered shipping. 

Speaking of shipping - be aware that the Life magazine you just sold does not qualify for Media Mail. Its full of advertising. If its less than one pound & you print your labels on line then you can send it First class package rate. If its less than 13 ounces then you can send it over the counter that way too.

https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2013/04apr/Media-Mail-Guidelines.htm

[chrysylys]

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@audclancy wrote:

I don't feel right selling one of the items while she's waiting for my reply.

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How will you feel when they restrict your ability to sell for doing things like that?

[fashunu4eeuh]

Most buyers know they risk losing the item if they open negotiations for a lower price. During the holidays, i had a guy offer me half of what my asking price was, thought i was crazy turning him down. I didn’t have Best Offer on the listing either. He wrote me back wanting to know why i didn’t at least counter his offer. Before i could answer, the item sold for my full asking price. You snooze, you lose. It’s business, not personal. 

[castlemagicmemories]

So true.

OP:  there is an old saying, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

In your case, a sale in hand is worth two that may or may not work out.

[castlemagicmemories]

And I am not sure why OP feels more of a commitment to someone who is negotiating for lower prices when she had a commited buyer who paid her asking price with no hassles.

Whoever buys first, gets the item.  That is how it is supposed to work.