when I give a 3 shipping time

[daneiac]

if the seller in which I purchased an item from stated USPS Priority Mail as shipping method and then ships 1st Class; and item takes 18 days to arrive..cause it got hung up in Memphis for days..is it wrong to give a 3 instead of 5 for shipping..I always give 5s but I feel I am doing the seller a favor pointing out this to them

[yuzuha]

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@this*old*attic wrote:

If they notice.

I catch an unexpected shipping level every once in awhile when I get ready to ship, and just today I emailed a customer who bought a vintage bank but I realized condition said “new.”

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If you only select one type of shipping as an option, it defaults to that when you go to print the label and you have to manually select something else. I know because back in December I had a buyer ask me if they could pay extra and have the shipping upgraded to Priority so that they would receive it in time for a gift exchange-- I told them I'd do the upgrade for free, and since I had only given First Class as an option on the listing, I had to manually make the switch from First Class to Priority when I bought the label. Even if something is under 1 lb, if you set Priority as the shipping it won't change it to First Class unless you do so on purpose.

Either way, it's still the seller's job to double-check what shipping method they've selected before hitting the purchase button. I made the OPPOSITE mistake once and bought a $28 label instead of the $8 one that it should have been, so I always, always double-check these days.

[kennys-kollectibles]

First class and priority are one and the same.  

the only difference is the weight. 

1-16 ounces is first class. 

over 16 ounces is priority. 

When a person estimates the shipping to be priority they thought it weighed with packaging around

17 ounces.  

But when they ended up packaging it, it wieghed around 15 ounces....so it's now first class.   

I have had priority packages, first class packages, and media mail, all get hung up for weeks sometimes. 

Has nothing to do with the rate, it has to do with covid, and subpar postal work.   

It always makes me wonder about people when someone over estimates the shipping, 

they want the seller to refund the difference....I wonder if the same people would agree to

pay extra if the shipping turned out to be a bit more???  Think about it people....be consistant. 

As a seller, I under estimate alot, sometimes as much as 4 or 5 dollars....Can I ask the buyer to

pay me that extra??  

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@this*old*attic wrote:

Not ok…

Just - I have better things to obsess over and probably wouldn’t even notice

Give people the benefit of the doubt

Would reach out first if I felt it was worth my time…. Oh, wait. I make way more money than that per minute, and VALUE my time even more.

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Each time I have talked to the seller after the fact the response has been "What do you care, you got it in the same amount of time" or some variation thereof.  Sure, there can occasionally be an error, but the sellers who do this 99% of the time know exactly what they are doing & yes, in fact their intent is to steal & pocket the extra $4.   I tried giving the benefit of the doubt LOL, that doesn't work with liars & cheaters.   Also, no obsessing necessary, it's right there on the pkg when I get it.  First thing I see.   I guess you're ok with sellers who print labels then wait a week to ship it too?  

If this is ok with you, whatever.  You have a right to your opinion.  Stealing my money is NOT a first world problem to me.   Just b/c it doesn't rise to the level of worse things that can happen, does not make it okay or unreasonable for me to neg over.   I mean this is an Ebay selling board, we're talking about Ebay problems, not war torn countries, death, disease & a myriad of things that would of course be worse than stolen money.    

I am 100% absolutely not okay with anyone stealing my money & if that's controversial, then I guess I'm controversial LMAO.  🙄

[simply-the-best-for-you]

@katzrul15  Yeah, I disagree.  But as I've clarified, the few times this has happened, I DID ask the seller & it was 100% intentional on their part.  I think it's only happened 2-3x, so not something that's an everyday occurrence thankfully, but I'm surprised by how many people are willing to let it go b/c the $$ amt is small.  

[katzrul15]

@simply-the-best-for-you 

Sorry!  We cross-posted.

Then that is a horse of a different color.  I have never experienced that with a Seller - no response to an email regarding a situation, yes.  But not where I was told to essentially pound sand, too bad/so sad.  

Every Seller deserves the opportunity to work to make it right.  Unfortunately, that may not happen - either from the Buyer or Seller side and you are correct - you have 500 characters in FB to express why you are leaving the color choice donut for that transaction.  lol

I did have a Seller once ask me if they could group several items into 1 shipment and not refund the shipping.  At first glance, I was a little bewildered and then realized 1 had shipping and several said free shipping.  I had paid each separately I guess as it was immediately pay and there were 4 items.  I had factored that in when buying, but guess the Seller thought I would want some money back.  Still a great deal all the way around, so agreed.  I have shopped with them a lot during covid and they are such a sweet Seller.  For $4.30, it was the best "waived" shipping deal (for me) - she even included an extra last time that I shared with my son.  Kinda neat.

Understand better where you are coming from and why it is a hot button for you.  I guess I eat shipping as a Seller by upgrading sometimes to not disappoint a Buyer, that I do not look close enough at some of my own purchases on here.  Especially if it arrived quickly, I probably never even noticed.  lol  

[a_c_green]

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@inhawaii wrote:

Described as: Shipped Priority Mail

Shipped: First Class Mail

Not as described?    😉

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If I remember right, that was in fact one reason you could select when opening a Not As Described dispute. (I don't know if that's still an option, but I do remember that it was introduced in later years, not initially.) If you paid for Priority and got First Class instead, the seller owes you a refund of the price difference, regardless of whether it was deliberate or an accident. This is not complicated.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

@katzrul15  

Yeah, I probably should have put that in my initial response.  Ask the seller about it first.  That said, I tend to find that good sellers do what they say they're gonna do & bad sellers, rip people off in little, not super evident ways like this one.  I realize there are times when it could be an oversight, especially when a drop down menu is involved.  BUT, based on my experiences, that is not the usual reason ☹️  

And yes, it may have happened to me when I didn't even notice.  I certainly don't pore over my purchases with a fine tooth comb LOL.  I'm probably being a bit defensive b/c of the other poster who is trying to state that my feeling this is stealing is not important b/c there are worse problems in the world.  

[yuzuha]

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@kennys-kollectibles wrote:

First class and priority are one and the same.  

the only difference is the weight. 

1-16 ounces is first class. 

over 16 ounces is priority. 

---

This is not true-- they are handled differently. Where I live, First Class is processed through one sort facility in the city while Priority is processed through a completely different one outside of town. Priority packages are ALWAYS processed the same evening they are mailed; First Class may be processed the next day or occasionally even the day after that if things are backlogged. I know that if I mail something Priority, it is guaranteed to be through the sort facility and on its way that night. First Class? Not so much.

[yuzuha]

As proof, First Class (top) versus Priority (bottom), mailed from the same post office:

Not handled the same at all.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

@yuzuha  is correct.  They are NOT the same.  Also, they do cost the same.  

Most days, everything being normal, they often DO arrive at the same time.  However, when there's a question of which to get out first, due to weather, COVID, post office has a party to get to, whatever, PM will ALWAYS go first.    

In my case they are both processed at the same sort center, but along the way, the FC may be delayed.   Also, PM has insurance, FC doesn't.  There are actually a number of differences.  

[katzrul15]

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@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:

@katzrul15  

Yeah, I probably should have put that in my initial response.  Ask the seller about it first.  That said, I tend to find that good sellers do what they say they're gonna do & bad sellers, rip people off in little, not super evident ways like this one.  I realize there are times when it could be an oversight, especially when a drop down menu is involved.  BUT, based on my experiences, that is not the usual reason ☹️  

And yes, it may have happened to me when I didn't even notice.  I certainly don't pore over my purchases with a fine tooth comb LOL.  I'm probably being a bit defensive b/c of the other poster who is trying to state that my feeling this is stealing is not important b/c there are worse problems in the world.  

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@simply-the-best-for-you 

I think we're on the same page........lol

You care a lot about the integrity of your business and it shows in your posts.  Your Buyers reap that and I am confident, it is why you are successful at this.  Hard to teach that to some Sellers.

My buying experience on here is all over the place - some of my FAV sellers are no longer Selling....hate that!  But I do still buy here and I do try to understand why some Sellers really are not very good at selling online.  So many "newer" sellers and a very much needed side hustle, I guess?

When I first started all those years ago, I was fortunate enough to be a in Seller group that really taught me a great deal.  More than I would care to admit, actually.  I knew nothing about selling online or building a "brand".  Things have changed so much - people buy with carpy pix and carpola strewn on the floor and sideways pix and it still sells.  1 word descriptions - still sells.  NO description/1 pix - still sells!  LMAO

I was taught differently and that everything I sell is a reflection of me, my values, my integrity, etc.    Like to think other Sellers "think/act" like that, but I buy here and they do not sometimes.  

All the best to you.  Your posts inspire me to keep trying and keep going the extra mile for a Buyer.  

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:

@yuzuha  is correct.  They are NOT the same.  Also, they do cost the same.  

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Ughh, just noticed a typo, to late to correct in the oritinal.  They do NOT cost the same, is how it should have read.   

[simply-the-best-for-you]

@katzrul15  Aww, thank you (I don't see a blushing emoji).  You made my day!   

Yeah, I've been selling on & off since 97 when I used a regular camera LOL.  I was taught to describe as though there were no photos & photograph as if there were no description.  I've had to shorten it up when I started doing it as a business, but I still try to follow that principle.   Everything I do & sell is a representation of my values & integrity.   Doesn't mean I don't mess up sometimes or think less than charitable things about certain buyers LOL.  

That said, the attention to detail just comes to me b/c I was an IT person for most of my career.  I couldn't not pay attn to the details if I tried.   I appreciate your comment & best of luck to you too.  It's hard to compete with sellers who lie & cheat (like the ones who "accept returns" but don't really, etc, so we need all the luck we can get.  

[gurlcat]

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@this*old*attic wrote:

Lol

I lost $3 because my seller PURPOSELY CHEATED me with an INTENTIONAL bait and switch (couldn’t POSSIBLY be an accident)!!!!

vs.

My home just got bombed/flattened, my cousin and 2 neighbors are dead, my child with cancer cannot get her treatment (even though we’ve been hiding in the hospital basement for 9 days), my husband has been conscripted, and my 81 year old mother is traveling alone to safety at the Polish border with nothing but the pair of socks she found sifting through her razed neighborhood…

Yeah, 1st world problem.

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So which 'world problem' is receiving a neg?  Is it such a disproportionate punishment for ripping people off as having your house bombed?  Last I checked, it doesn't do any harm to the seller's ability to continue their business and won't scare off any potential buyers as long as their negative percent is low. Tons of people don't bother to look at feedback and even if they do, the comments of angry buyers may not be any cause for concern because they don't apply to the item being considered.  For example if I'm considering buying some big item clearly over a pound and I see a neg about the seller using FC instead of Priority like a buyer paid for, I know they won't be able to do that to me.  And yeah, it could have been an accident that the buyer didn't bother seeking a refund for, before leaving the neg.  But if I'm considering an item light enough that it COULD be shipped FC but the listing says Priority, yeah I think I'd pass, and it would be the seller's fault for not learning from their mistake or thinking they won't lose business from people reading the negative comment.  

I had this EXACT situation just a couple months ago, posted about it here, and the consensus was that I should write the seller and ask for a refund of the excess shipping.  I did, and I also showed the seller my photos of the lot items that arrived damaged because she shipped in wad of bubble wrap as opposed to a box. She was initially very apologetic and offered me an even higher refund amount than I expected.  I said I would rather receive the lesser amount and suggested she look at her listings because I saw several lightweight items she had listed as Priority, with prices no less than $8, some much higher.  I gave her a HUGE benefit of the doubt regarding her possible misunderstanding of shipping, considering she was fairly new.  She agreed to send me the refund "tomorrow" and fix her listings.  She did neither.  Several days later after receiving no refund, no response to messages, and seeing her listings remain Priority no matter how small/light/low-cost the items, I negged her, maybe the 2nd or 3rd neg I have ever given in 2 decades of buying here.  Somehow she was suddenly able to send me a message, a bunch of ALL CAPS about a car wreck and what-not.  As of now I see that 3 of the 8 feedbacks she's had since then were also negs (from 3 separate buyers) and it looks like she just doesn't want to ship AT ALL if she didn't get as high of bids as she wanted.  

I don't regret taking the advice to try empathy and diplomacy first, I think it's the right thing to do and I will do it again if this ever happens again.  But I also don't regret writing that neg.  Looking at what has happened since my purchase from her, it appears she is on a terrible trajectory, even jacking people around with gold and silver.  And that level of ripping off is something I HAVE heard of people getting bombed for.  Sometimes a neg is what a seller needs to course-correct, but for others it is apparently a risk well worth taking, to rip off as many people as possible. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

@gurlcat  sorry that was your experience.  Unfortunately, yes, IME, most of the sellers who do this, know exactly what they're doing.   

I'm a little confused about your situation & just want to clarify, if it was a switch of the service, ie; you paid for one & got a lower class service, that's an issue.   If the seller is simply choosing to use PM only on ALL their listings, no matter how light or inexpensive, there's nothing wrong with that & that's on the buyer to determine in advance.   I def know sellers who use all PM, even for lightweight items.  I don't agree with it, but that's their choice.  As long as they're being honest about it, that's the key.  

Pay no attention to the ludicrous comparisons to '3rd world problems', we all have serious problems in our lives too.  But this is a forum to discuss Ebay issues, not war torn nations & life altering medical diagnoses, so frankly, ANY problem posted on here is going to seem minor in comparison to those issues.