eBay

muttlymob · ‎01-26-2018

This subject comes up frequently so I thought I would share a recent experience.

I deliver mail part time. In my own vehicle. At times I am called in to finish a route for whatever reason when a carrier cannot finish it themselves - also in their own privately owned vehicle.

Recently I was called in to finish a route for a carrier who broke down. A heavy smoker. Who had completed about half the route.

When I got to the PO all the mail and packages were on a cart at the dock ready to be reloaded. I could smell it before I got to the cart. From less than 2 hours in the carrier's vehicle. Parcels, letters, magazines, everything smelled.

I don't know if the carrier smokes while delivering mail or if the smell was picked up from off-duty smoking. Either way it was strong enough that customers must smell it when packages get delivered.

So don't discount a buyer's complaint of smoke smell so fast. Their package could very well stink.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-26-2018

wrote:
wrote:
This subject comes up frequently so I thought I would share a recent experience.

I deliver mail part time. In my own vehicle. At times I am called in to finish a route for whatever reason when a carrier cannot finish it themselves - also in their own privately owned vehicle.

Recently I was called in to finish a route for a carrier who broke down. A heavy smoker. Who had completed about half the route.

When I got to the PO all the mail and packages were on a cart at the dock ready to be reloaded. I could smell it before I got to the cart. From less than 2 hours in the carrier's vehicle. Parcels, letters, magazines, everything smelled.

I don't know if the carrier smokes while delivering mail or if the smell was picked up from off-duty smoking. Either way it was strong enough that customers must smell it when packages get delivered.

So don't discount a buyer's complaint of smoke smell so fast. Their package could very well stink.
Very surprised Post Office lets workers smoke while working.

It says they can smoke on break but they aren't allowed to smoke while in their vehicles delivering mail But how would USPS know? Unless someone complains, of course.

turquoisetulips · ‎01-26-2018

What solution would you have for a seller who recieves a buyers complaint that my package smells like smoke? bubbleman unquote ------------------------------

I would suggest the seller reply to the complaint by simply asking the buyer to remove the outer wrap and toss it in the trash. If the actual item on the inside still has a smoke odor then wash it,, if its washable . If not washable,, then a few hours out in the sunshine will eliminate the odor . Odors are just part of life ,, there's all kinds of them. However most are an easy fix if they are really bothersome . Tulips

lightlily_arts · ‎01-27-2018

I've only had that complaint from buyers twice in 18 years and this was for clothing items. I was mystified because I don't smoke and couldn't figure out why my item would have that odor. It never occurred to me that it might have happened in transit. But I don't know how that smell could get through a poly envelope. I bought a pair of suede boots in November that reeked of gasoline. It was so intense that I had to put them outside. The odor that bothers me is marijuana as iot's so pungent. Buyers can be very unhappy if the item smells like smoke. Some do not feel that they should have to launder an item to get rid of the smell and could very well leave you an unwanted comment in feedback about it. I know one did that to me.

tunicaslot · ‎01-27-2018

Some polybags have a very strong odor and that is what the buyer is smelling. I've had a few that smelled horrible and the smell transferred to the item inside - as stated by tulips - put the item outside in the sun and let it air.

southern*sweet*tea · ‎01-27-2018

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wrote:
Cigarette smoke is hard to miss. It clings to clothes and hair. One whiff of the inside of the truck should be obvious to PO personnel.

Sorry, but I have never seen anyone from the PO do a sniff test on a mail carrier's privately owned vehicle.

Without seeing someone actually smoking in their private vehicle, or getting a complaint from someone who does, this policy is difficult to enforce. How would you know if the carrier was smoking in the vehicle while working or if the smell is from their driving outside of work?

___________________________________________________

I said mail truck, not private vehicle.

In my area all mail is delivered in the official Postal vehicles.

The only time I see a USPS LLV is when I happen to be town. On rural routes the carriers use their own vehicles. Our relief mailman (who used to be our primary until he partially retired) smokes like a chimney. I can tell who delivered the mail when I open the mailbox, but by the time I get back to the house, the smell is pretty much gone. THAT kind of cigarette smell/exposure will dissipate rapidly. It's totally different than an item that was stored for decades in a smoker's home. That smell is difficult, if not impossible, to remove.

And a lot of these poly mailers will smell like smoke, too, and that smell does not dissipate. It doesn't stick to the item, though. Once you toss the mailer the smell is gone. (until you open the trash can lid)

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.

We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

odditiesandantiquities1 · ‎01-27-2018

I'm licensed to smoke MJ for chronic pain. Thank God no one's complained about that yet. But only 4 puff's a day in well ventilated area separate from the house.

I've always wondered what a buyer would think if they told me one of my items smelt like smoke and I said, don't worry, it's only pot.

mg152 · ‎01-27-2018

They don’t let them smoke while working.

Patricia
eBay member for 25 years

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-27-2018

wrote:
I've only had that complaint from buyers twice in 18 years and this was for clothing items. I was mystified because I don't smoke and couldn't figure out why my item would have that odor. It never occurred to me that it might have happened in transit. But I don't know how that smell could get through a poly envelope. I bought a pair of suede boots in November that reeked of gasoline. It was so intense that I had to put them outside. The odor that bothers me is marijuana as iot's so pungent. Buyers can be very unhappy if the item smells like smoke. Some do not feel that they should have to launder an item to get rid of the smell and could very well leave you an unwanted comment in feedback about it. I know one did that to me.

Sorry that happened to you! No one likes something like that in their feedback. I wonder if the poly mailers are porous enough that they can allow smoke smell to be absorbed. Maybe that is possible. It could also depend on the length of exposure. Perhaps they resist it up to a point, but after several hrs, it begins to permeate the bag. But apparently it can occur in transit, although carriers are not supposed to smoke in their vehicles, possibly some do. Who would know?

Just read that the poly mailers themselves have a smell. I don't get enough of them to know. Sorry.

Smoke smell can be unpleasant, that much is certain.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-27-2018

Although I do not have much experience with poly mailers, there have been ones that had a ghastly scent to them.

keziak · ‎01-27-2018

wrote:
I'm licensed to smoke MJ for chronic pain. Thank God no one's complained about that yet. But only 4 puff's a day in well ventilated area separate from the house.

I've always wondered what a buyer would think if they told me one of my items smelt like smoke and I said, don't worry, it's only pot.

I am sorry you have that level of pain. I"ve had extreme pain before (ex: 2 slipped disks resulting in sciatica) but no doctor suggested pot! And I never thought to ask. Of course, I live in Virginia not California or Colorado.

odditiesandantiquities1 · ‎01-27-2018

wrote:
wrote:
I'm licensed to smoke MJ for chronic pain. Thank God no one's complained about that yet. But only 4 puff's a day in well ventilated area separate from the house.

I've always wondered what a buyer would think if they told me one of my items smelt like smoke and I said, don't worry, it's only pot.
I am sorry you have that level of pain. I"ve had extreme pain before (ex: 2 slipped disks resulting in sciatica) but no doctor suggested pot! And I never thought to ask. Of course, I live in Virginia not California or Colorado.

Thank you, Keziak. I understand your bout's of intense pain. Those periods can be absolutely mind numbing ( or we wish they would be). Many do not understand chronic pain and I must admit, I do get tired of explaining it.

Suprisingly, this has allowed me to reduce some of my other medications, which of course was the goal. Anyone who has had to rely on narcotics knows what a bitter pill that is, pardon the pun.

Less of these meds, I have more of a life. It's amazing. The amount is not enough that you would really notice, but certainly enough to be a huge game changer for me.

keziak · ‎01-27-2018

keziak · ‎01-27-2018

wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
I'm licensed to smoke MJ for chronic pain. Thank God no one's complained about that yet. But only 4 puff's a day in well ventilated area separate from the house.

I've always wondered what a buyer would think if they told me one of my items smelt like smoke and I said, don't worry, it's only pot.
I am sorry you have that level of pain. I"ve had extreme pain before (ex: 2 slipped disks resulting in sciatica) but no doctor suggested pot! And I never thought to ask. Of course, I live in Virginia not California or Colorado.
Thank you, Keziak. I understand your bout's of intense pain. Those periods can be absolutely mind numbing ( or we wish they would be). Many do not understand chronic pain and I must admit, I do get tired of explaining it.

Suprisingly, this has allowed me to reduce some of my other medications, which of course was the goal. Anyone who has had to rely on narcotics knows what a bitter pill that is, pardon the pun.

Less of these meds, I have more of a life. It's amazing. The amount is not enough that you would really notice, but certainly enough to be a huge game changer for me.

I was given a narcotic after my back surgery and it gave me such an immediate dire side effect that I ended up in the ER. That was the end of my experiment with narcotics. I'm not sure what I did then. The recovery was way more painful than they suggested. Sometimes lack of memory is just as well.

I currently have chronic aches and stiffness in my knees and carrying 25-lb boxes of books around all the time does not help. This makes me question how long I can keep this up. Maybe eventually just deal in many fewer, but more expensive and slow-moving books and accept the collapse in income. My financial planner seems to think I should do this right now. I'm kind of driven though.

odditiesandantiquities1 · ‎01-27-2018

wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
I'm licensed to smoke MJ for chronic pain. Thank God no one's complained about that yet. But only 4 puff's a day in well ventilated area separate from the house.

I've always wondered what a buyer would think if they told me one of my items smelt like smoke and I said, don't worry, it's only pot.
I am sorry you have that level of pain. I"ve had extreme pain before (ex: 2 slipped disks resulting in sciatica) but no doctor suggested pot! And I never thought to ask. Of course, I live in Virginia not California or Colorado.
Thank you, Keziak. I understand your bout's of intense pain. Those periods can be absolutely mind numbing ( or we wish they would be). Many do not understand chronic pain and I must admit, I do get tired of explaining it.

Suprisingly, this has allowed me to reduce some of my other medications, which of course was the goal. Anyone who has had to rely on narcotics knows what a bitter pill that is, pardon the pun.

Less of these meds, I have more of a life. It's amazing. The amount is not enough that you would really notice, but certainly enough to be a huge game changer for me.
I was given a narcotic after my back surgery and it gave me such an immediate dire side effect that I ended up in the ER. That was the end of my experiment with narcotics. I'm not sure what I did then. The recovery was way more painful than they suggested. Sometimes lack of memory is just as well.

I currently have chronic aches and stiffness in my knees and carrying 25-lb boxes of books around all the time does not help. This makes me question how long I can keep this up. Maybe eventually just deal in many fewer, but more expensive and slow-moving books and accept the collapse in income. My financial planner seems to think I should do this right now. I'm kind of driven though.

I had to change what I sold. There was no possibililty with limited movement and lifting restrictions down to less than the weight of a purse (think change). Jewelry, small, compact, doesn't hurt to pick up. No more trips to the Goodwill and my favorite junk shops.

A change sometimes can be as good as a rest?

keziak · ‎01-27-2018

I have a friend who will buy and sell anything he can get his hands on, like people who buy storage units and the like. I have a hard time seeing what else I could deal in because all my life I've been a writer, a librarian, a book dealer. I might be stumbling over saleable things all the time, I wouldn't know it.