eBay

russjnsn · ‎05-29-2018

I sold a couple items to a customer and he has requested that I box the items and ship via UPS. He says that he is currently overseas and it will be sometime before he is back. He states that UPS has access to his storage to place the items and that USPS packages will get stolen or lost. He states that if it requires additional funds to let him know.

I have never used UPS as a shipping service and do not have a UPS account. I am currently unable to go to the UPS Store to drop off the package. I have only used USPS since starting to sell on ebay. For the most part I offer free shipping via USPS and ship first class. USPS picks up my items from my mail box. I mainly sell video games from my personal collection and wrap games in bubble wrap and place in a bubble mailer so that they have extra protection when shipping. He has also requested that I box the items even though I double wrap my items. This is not much of an issue but wanted to point this out.

What would I need to do to accomodate this customer? I do not see an option for me to ship UPS and do not know what it will cost. How do I change the shipping method? Do I need to just create a UPS account and schedule a pick up? How would I go about charging the customer?

I'm not sure the best way to proceed. I can always tell the customer that I am unable to accomodate the request but that does not seem like good customer service.

Any help / suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

chinohighcowboys1963 · ‎05-29-2018

You are not required to change your listed shipping methods just to accommodate the buyer.

Has the buyer paid? If so, just ship the item as per your listing. It is not your problem he is out of the country and can't pick up his purchase.

If he hasn't paid, then you can open an unpaid item dispute 48 hours after sale.

If he needed other arrangements, he should have worked it out with you before making his purchase.

Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

russjnsn · ‎05-29-2018

Thanks for the response. He has already paid but I am hesitant to ship now. I am afraid that he might not recieve the items if they are stolen or lost. I know that tracking would confirm delivery but not sure what seller protection I have regarding this. Also can the buyer leave negative feedback? I am messaging the customer that I only ship USPS and that how I package my sold items.

Can I cancel the order if customer requests it? I would rather not have to deal with this. I have had a couple customers request that I ship to a different address which has not been a problem. Would these be suggestions that I can make to the customer?

missjen831 · ‎05-29-2018

@russjnsn wrote:
Thanks for the response. He has already paid but I am hesitant to ship now. I am afraid that he might not recieve the items if they are stolen or lost. I know that tracking would confirm delivery but not sure what seller protection I have regarding this. Also can the buyer leave negative feedback? I am messaging the customer that I only ship USPS and that how I package my sold items.

Can I cancel the order if customer requests it? I would rather not have to deal with this. I have had a couple customers request that I ship to a different address which has not been a problem. Would these be suggestions that I can make to the customer?

If you aren't sure about seller protection then you REALLY NEED to read the seller protection policy. For an INR case all you need to win is proof of delivery via tracking to the buyers zip code. For items $750 or above you also need signature confirmation.

The buyer can leave negative feedback period. if he asks to cancel and you agree, and he still negs you, it will qualify for removal.

if he asks to cancel, go ahead and cancel using "buyer requested", ebay will process a refund and credit your final value fees.

One life is all we have to live
Love is all we have to give

**Formerly known as MissJen316**

kattinsanity · ‎05-29-2018

I would find myself in the same situation you are in if a buyer asked me to ship UPS. I don't print my own labels~~I ship over the counter at the post office. I live in a little town of 500 people and the nearest UPS place to ship from is over 100 miles round trip away. I wouldn't be willing to change my method of shipping or packaging either. Your buyer can either accept your shipping terms or he can ask to cancel OR you can ship it USPS and whatever happens is his problem.

thallidguy · ‎05-29-2018

Shipping by UPS is really not a big deal, and I would argue that if you want to sell successfully on eBay you should acquire a level of comfort with more than one parcel carrier. I've used USPS, UPS and FedEx at various times and familiarity with all three allows me to shop competitively between them in any given situation.

Why is it impossible for you to get to a UPS Store? Do you live in a remote or thinly-populated area where it's just not convenient? I think there are pack-and-ship places that will handle UPS even though they're not branded as UPS Stores, just as there are for FedEx even though they're not called FedEx/Kinko's.

You can buy UPS shipping through eBay shipping, and if you want to set up an account with UPS it won't cost you anything. I don't know for sure, but UPS may even pick up from you if you arrange it in advance.

You are under no obligation to do as this buyer asked; your terms of sale are your terms of sale. But this is not the most outrageous buyer request I've ever heard about (or had myself). Unless it's just physically impossible for you to use UPS, I'd take it as a chance to close the sale and learn something useful (i.e., how shipping with UPS works).

7198dave · ‎05-29-2018

buyer should have said something before purchase. Something seems fishy. He talks like he's been dealing with UPS for awhile enough to trust them with a storage key, yet he is unsure if there will be additional fees.

flyerfandan999 · ‎05-29-2018

If the PayPal destination address is the same regardless of how you ship (either USPS or UPS), then I would take Thallidguy's advice and set up your eBay (or PayPal) account so that UPS is your second shipping option. As long as the destination address is the same whether you ship USPS or UPS, you are covered.

Once that's done, for the same destination address and box weight and dimensions, you will be presented with what USPS wants to ship and also what UPS wants to charge to ship. Your next step is to call UPS and find out where the nearest drop-off point is. As Thallidguy pointed out, the nearest drop off point might be a generic shipping store and not be specifically branded as a UPS Store. Most Staples stores (at least in my area) also accept UPS packages for drop off.

Your last step, also on that same phone call to UPS: if for some reason you decide not to drop off the package but rather have UPS pick it up, then ask the phone rep what the charge is for a UPS driver to come out to pick up the package.

Then you contact Buyer with the total cost (UPS charges for shipping + [if applicable] UPS pickup charge), and if they agree, send them a PayPal money request for the amount over and above what they already paid thru the listing for what would have been USPS shipping.

muttlymob · ‎05-30-2018

Why is it impossible for you to get to a UPS Store? Do you live in a remote or thinly-populated area where it's just not convenient? I think there are pack-and-ship places that will handle UPS even though they're not branded as UPS Stores, just as there are for FedEx even though they're not called FedEx/Kinko's.

Some areas don't even have local stores/businesses who ship UPS or FedEx. It's not as easy as some of you in large population areas seem to think.

I have used UPS in the past, never used FedEx to ship. But it was on huge packages that could not be mailed by USPS and it's been years since I sold anything of that size on eBay. It also was something that I had figured out before I listed.

If someone asked me to ship by UPS after they purchased I would say sorry, but not possible. The cost and logistics of figuring out if/who locally would take the package, when they were open, if I could get there, etc. Too much too late. And pickup by UPS or FedEx is not an option for the similar reasons - the more isolated/rural, the higher the cost of a once a year or so pickup.

russjnsn · ‎06-04-2018

Thanks for all the feedback regarding this. I was able to get this taken care of. I went through and created a UPS account and got everything all linked up. I did not end up needing to use it though. Once I contacted the customer a couple times, he was OK with USPS. I let him know that I ship with tracking and double wrap my items, he was more at ease.