Smart Post

[bobbleheadlaw]

I would just like to say to sellers that as a buyer, Smart Post is stupid choice. I don't know how much you save on shipping but you run the risk of negative feedback using this option. Packages that would normally take 3-4 days take a week. I'm currently waiting on an item that came from CA. going here to KY.  It was to arrive yesterday, 7/17. It is not estimated to arrive 7/24. It was paid for on 7/11. This is not my first experience with S/P but I hope it's my last. Every other time was just as bad. For instance, the package arrived in IL yesterday, KY, this morning, and is now in IN this evening, where it will be handed off to USPS. Before that it took a day to get through every state in-between.  This is not the sellers fault- unless they used S/P before. The only thing the buyer knows is his item is not arriving on time and it is by far the slooowest method of shipping. I contacted the seller (nameless) who didn't even have the courtesy of replying. It's one thing when you know in advance it will be a week before you see your purchase but another when you find out it's coming S/P after paying. Save yourselves and your buyers this hassle. Don't use Smart Post.

Thank you

[bcharmah]

Let's say the item has free shipping, and the listing shows the method of shipping is STANDARD. Good so far, right? No problem. But then, as you wait for the package, and look at the tracking history on the order details page, you discover it was shipped SmartPost. SmartPost is ECONOMY, so the listing is misleading (or just flat-out wrong). I've been watching the package bounce from Fedex location to Fedex location (it only took about three days to arrive in my state, but it's been within 2 hrs of me for 6 days now). It's been 15 days since I paid for the item (it did not actually get into the hands of Fedex for 5 days after purchase). It was "estimated" to arrive two days ago, but when I look at the original listing, it has until Jan 12 (8 days from now) before it's considered late.  After Fedex hands it over to USPS, it will take another couple of days to get here. Yeah, I'm not happy. 

Had the seller said they were using SmartPost (or any kind of economy), I may have offered to pay for a shipping upgrade, or I would have modified my expectations as to when to expect delivery. I was NOT given a choice... just to make that clear.  The listing ONLY said "Free Standard Shipping." Because of that, I was not prepared to be waiting for two weeks, and counting.  

So, this is a situation where the seller only offered ONE method of shipping (standard, no other choice given to buyer), but actually uses an economy service.  Ebay's selling practices states:  "You're not allowed to use a shipping method that is slower than the slowest one indicated in the listing."