Poor Policy

[zobal99]

I am trying to resolve this. But I cannot if the buyer does not answer me.
This is another case when a buyer knows if they put in a claim of not receiving a delivery this they can get the item for nothing.
Something must be done about this by eBay.
There should be more enforcement on the seller. Many know that if they do not respond to the seller they get to keep the item they purchased and the seller losses out.
Why does eBay not do something about this. This is unfair to the sellers on your site who fall subject to buyers who know how to manipulate the system to get stuff for free and cheat the sellers.
This is not only me. I am sure this is happening all of the time.
When buyers do not respond it is a sign that they want to cheat and steal from the seller. They know that they have a time clock set by eBay and when this time clock runs out then eBay gives them the stuff for nothing.
This is not right and something must be done about this. I am tired of this and i am sure I am speaking for other sellers who got gipped and sellers who will get gipped in the future and continue to get gipped as long as nothing is done about it.
UNHAPPY SELLER.

[johnrj1226]

@zobal99

 Checked out a few  of your listings and  you have this POLICY

"Will ship within 15 business days of receiving cleared payment. The seller has specified an extended handling time for this item."

 R U drop shipping your stuff ?  that seems to get broken in transit? based on the Feedback you received.  Your tiems are not expensive  most around 5 - 6 bucks with free shipping - hmmm..

[zobal99]

Hi John, I dont drop ship-I send directly. Cant put bubble wrap cause this makes it a package. Items are too cheap to pay $4-$5 for a label. So I pay extra for a NON-MACHINABLE stamp. I use a heavy-duty envelope too. It's packed carefully. It seems that some postage workers want to test their strength on what is in the envelope and break them.  This NJ post office has a lot of complaints from the public. I had to make it 15 days even though I ship out everything on the same day. I'm fed up with the post office. They sometimes loose stuff even if they have a tracking label on it. And then there are the eBay customers who put in claims but will not respond to me when I write them to resolve. One person said received broken but when I asked for pix to see how it broke I get no response.  I'ts a battle. At this point, I dont care if I lose Christmas business with the 15 day delivery. I recently had changed it from 10 days cause I saw the sh*t hitting the fan with the postal delays. Frankly I would rather have less business than go through this crap with eBay. They have even refunded buyers who have told me that they got the product.  Totally fed up with eBay and the USPS so I have decided to take a rest a rest for now. It's eBay's loss. Let them get their act together and then maybe I will continue actively selling on their site when that happens. Happy Holidays!

[buyselljack2016]

Seems like your business is running as well as it can with your chosen "business model".  Damage, and scammers to be expected with such.

As reallynicestamps suggested..................  cookie jar insurance.

or............  as tracked shipping is not $ wise, just raise the price of those untracked items by a few pennies, (another quarter for a roach clip won't even phase the buyer) and it all works out..................   plus you still get to deduct the refunds on your schedule C.

[yuzuha]

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@the-hook-and-the-loop wrote:

You can't throw a roach clip into a letter envelope and put a forever stamp on it, and expect good results. When an item is thicker than 1/4" inch and creates irregularity(not an even form envelope) it becomes a parcel to USPS.

---

Not to mention that there also becomes a high chance it will get caught in the machinery and destroyed. I used to work at Papyrus and ALL of our greeting cards that had embellishments on them also came with a stiff piece of cardboard to put over the front of the card in the envelope when you mailed it to prevent that exact thing from happening.

[zobal99]

Thanks for that.

[zobal99]

hi thanks for your response. I use a thick card envelope. I pay 1/3rd more to purchase a Non-Machinable stamp which cost me 99 cents. This is a stamp that is made for using on the new greeting cards. I position the clip in a certain way in the envelope. I know the 1/4" rule so none of the envelopes exceed that. I have had cases where deliveries were sent to neighbors, broken, lost, very long delivery times, stolen, envelopes torn open and delivered empty, envelopes with tracking labels lost in the post office, orders returned -no such address, nasty buyers and buyers lying. All issues are taken care of immediately to the satisfaction of the buyer. Cannot use a $4-$5 tracking label on a cheap item so I have to take my chances and hope for the best. Since I have been using eBay (which is a few years now) I see things getting worse. I used to offer same day shipping. Then I had to change to 10 days handing and now, for the next few months I am trying 15 days handling. And still you have buyers who wanted it yesterday. Can't win. So, when eBay gets their act together and improves their policies for sellers-Until then, I am laying low and doing my best.

Thank you for your response and Happy Holidays, Charles

[zobal99]

I am going to try the card

[pjcdn2005]

@reallynicestamps 

I send most of my items without tracking , which is very very expensive here in Canada, starting at $12 for Local delivery. (Local is my own province plus the province next door.)

Way off topic but your quote of $12 must be from before the high fuel surcharges.  I just checked and a 30gr package from Victoria to Vancouver is $16.73 with the small business discount.   The same package from Vancouver to Calgary would be $19.36.  Red Deer to Calgary (1.5hrs apart) is over $15. It's crazy!

[reallynicestamps]

You are right. I usually put the postage cost on my package in stamps, and then pay the fuel surcharge and tax at the counter. The postal outlet gets paid based on what they sell, I believe, so while they are not getting their fee on the $16-$30 parcel, they are getting it on the fuel and tax surcharges.

Meanwhile our closest Post Office is under threat of being closed for lack of business, and has had the staff cut -- just before Christmas.

Sorry, American friends, just some internal Canadian problems.

[zobal99]

Hey Alberta, I am a consumer also. I buy on eBay a lot. Knowing how bad the USPS can be, I never hold a seller to the exact date. When it gets here it gets here. I never complain and I am always respectful to the seller. I don't give a neg feedback or nasty email unless the seller is giving me a very hard time. This is rare. When using the USPS people have to be a bit flexible and especially not hold the seller responsible who is doing his job well and shipping the SAME DAY. When it in the hands of the USPS anything can happen. I see lines out the door and packages piled up. Sometimes mail is not picked up or delivered and sometimes after 6:30 PM.

[zobal99]

Good thought thank you.

[zobal99]

Thanks foam board is an idea but mst not exceed 1/4" envelope and all. Worth a try. Thanks

[zobal99]

Yes Quantity lots. Thanks 

[the-hook-and-the-loop]

Sorry Charlie, but it will have to be you who gets their act together. eBay doesn't want their sellers shipping non-trackable items for under $5, and then having their customer service agents spending time with disputes and cases. We haven't even talked about the idea of these items being drug related. Next, USPS doesn't want those clunky, chunky pieces of metal being shipped in a flat envelope with any type of letter postage. And they do exceed a 1/4" inch and they don't make for a uniform envelope. (meaning equal thickness everywhere)

Lastly, the handling time is just an attempt to circumvent the above, and it's ridiculous. If you would simply charge $9.99 and ship first class package, you would have your act together. It's 2023 almost, and time to re-calibrate the value of the dollar. (It's like a quarter now) Just trying to help.

[zobal99]

Ya cant put a $5 shipping label on a $3-$6 item.

I would have to a looney to do that.

I cannot make a $3 item sell for $8. It just dont work that way.