It's a full moon on eBay today - two auctions take bizarre twists

seanq

Today is turning out to be one to circle on the calendar....

I just got a letter (not an email, a letter) from a buyer asking where his coin was. His note was written on a photocopy of the invoice I sent in the package with his coin - even had my signature and the date on it. I checked back in my email history and found a note from him reading "I received your invoice today, my address is..." about a week after I'd sent him the coin, at the time I'd dismissed it as lag. I shipped his coin uninsured (his choice), in half of a Saf-T Mailer, in a letter-sized envelope, with clear packing tape over the seams on the back and over the delivery address, and with $.49 postage to avoid the machines. All I can think of is that he mistook the Saf-T mailer for packing material for the invoice (???) and threw it out. For the coin to be removed from the envelope, it would have been rendered undeliverable. I wrote him (an email ) asking the condition of the "invoice" when it arrived.

When I got back to my office, I found an email from a seller I dealt with two months ago, asking for his positive feedback. After paying $3.95 for postage plus $1.30 insurance, and receiving an envelope with $1.79 postage and several pages of the seller's life story and how I should accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior as packing material, I'd made a conscious decision not to leave any feedback at all. I'm now trying very hard not to take out my frustrations with my buyer on this seller... I guess venting in this post is part of that effort.

I can only remember one other day like this one - the same day I received my one and only (retaliatory) negative feedback, I got an email from another angry buyer because the coin I'd pictured in a cardboard windowed 2x2 "didn't have that shiny metal around it" when it arrived.


Sean Reynolds

dthigpen

<< <i>When I got back to my office, I found an email from a seller I dealt with two months ago, asking for his positive feedback. After paying $3.95 for postage plus $1.30 insurance, and receiving an envelope with $1.79 postage and several pages of the seller's life story and how I should accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior as packing material, I'd made a conscious decision not to leave any feedback at all. I'm now trying very hard not to take out my frustrations with my buyer on this seller... I guess venting in this post is part of that effort. >>



I've had a couple of these types of sellers, they quickly made it into my 'never buy from' list. My favorite was when I got a Gideon's Bible in a box with a coin I purchased; I was a little annoyed by the $6 Shipping cost for the coin in the first place, then I saw the $5.xx shipping on the box when it arrived with the Bible in it and I was just pissed off.

Mark

dthigpen:

It was probably cheaper to send the seller $6 and get a coin and Gideon Bible than to check into a motel in order to steal the Gideon Bible from the desk.

However, all in all, I am LOL at your experience!!

Mark

Murphy

Steal a bible??? I guess only a Christian would do such a thing. ...or else someone in dire need of rolling papers.

ChuckC

what's the buyer's ebay ID? I may want to block him

lathmach

As you have guessed, the buyer is unfamiliar with saf-t-mailers, and threw away his coin.
In the future, write "coin enclosed" on them.

Ray

matteproof

Hi seanq,

You said; "When I got back to my office, I found an email from a seller I dealt with two months ago, asking for his positive feedback. After paying $3.95 for postage plus $1.30 insurance, and receiving an envelope with $1.79 postage and several pages of the seller's life story and how I should accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior as packing material, I'd made a conscious decision not to leave any feedback at all..."

It sounds to me like the Seller was trying to share the Gospel with you. Usually, this is an act of love and kindness. I'm not sure why it would upset you. The slightly extra postage charge might have been to help the Seller cover his costs of packing materials, gas to the post office, time to pack/ship, etc. matteproof

dthigpen

<< <i>Hi seanq,

You said; "When I got back to my office, I found an email from a seller I dealt with two months ago, asking for his positive feedback. After paying $3.95 for postage plus $1.30 insurance, and receiving an envelope with $1.79 postage and several pages of the seller's life story and how I should accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior as packing material, I'd made a conscious decision not to leave any feedback at all..."

It sounds to me like the Seller was trying to share the Gospel with you. Usually, this is an act of love and kindness. I'm not sure why it would upset you. The slightly extra postage charge might have been to help the Seller cover his costs of packing materials, gas to the post office, time to pack/ship, etc. matteproof >>



If a Satanist used his religious propaganda trying to get you to convert to Satanism to package the coins he was selling you, I'm sure you wouldn't have a problem with it.

matteproof

Hi Murphy,

You said; "Steal a bible??? I guess only a Christian would do such a thing. ..."

Most Christians understand that sharing the Gospel is the ultimate challenge and privilege of the true believer. That, and the promise of the "Great Commission" (Mark 16: 15-16) could be what was behind the "free Bible" that the Seller sent to dthigpen.

All Bibles - and Gideon Bibles in particular - are meant for sharing and dissemination. It is not a certainty that the Gideon Bible was "stolen" as you suggested (it could have been acquired as a gift or in some other legitimate fashion). It is generally the strategy of the Gideons that the Gospel be "sent out into the world." So, I would assume they would be delighted to know that their Bibles were being distributed.

You said; "...or else someone in dire need of rolling papers."

I doubt that the Seller who sent dthigpen the Bible was interested in using it's pages for rolling paper. Only the most depraved degenerate would do such a thing and it does not sound like dthigpen's Seller was one. matteproof

dthigpen

<< <i>That, and the promise of the "Great Commission" (Mark 16: 15-16) could be what was behind the "free Bible" that the Seller sent to dthigpen. >>



In case you missed the point, the bible wasn't free, I ended up paying the shipping cost for the Bible which I promptly tossed in the trash bin (I already have one!).

seanq

<< <i>
It sounds to me like the Seller was trying to share the Gospel with you. Usually, this is an act of love and kindness. I'm not sure why it would upset you. The slightly extra postage charge might have been to help the Seller cover his costs of packing materials, gas to the post office, time to pack/ship, etc. matteproof >>



Without starting a huge religious debate, I'll just reply that in my own day-to-day life, I don't charge more than actual postage and a $.25 handling charge to cover the cost of the envelopes and Saf-T Mailers, and I don't open the door when someone rings the doorbell to witness. I feel strongly enough about both points that I chose not to leave this seller positive feedback. I donn't have anything nice to say, so I'm saying nothing at all.


Sean Reynolds

matteproof

Hi dthigpen,

You said; "If a Satanist used his religious propaganda trying to get you to convert to Satanism to package the coins he was selling you, I'm sure you wouldn't have a problem with it."

If you didn't like it when the Christian Sellers tried to share the Gospel with you, then you were of course free to discard the materials that these good Sellers sent you. Furthermore, if these Sellers were on Ebay, you were also free to post negative feedback if it bothered you that much. But did you? Probably not. matteproof

seanq

<< <i>As you have guessed, the buyer is unfamiliar with saf-t-mailers, and threw away his coin.
In the future, write "coin enclosed" on them.

Ray >>



He has over 350 total feedbacks, most of them for coin-related purchases. I find the idea that he doesn't know what a Saf-T Mailer is a bit hard to swallow, but I can't think of any other logical possibility. Your suggestion to write on the Saf-T Mailer is a sound one, thanks for posting it - I'll try to remember to do that from now on.


Sean Reynolds

dthigpen

<< <i>Hi dthigpen,

You said; "If a Satanist used his religious propaganda trying to get you to convert to Satanism to package the coins he was selling you, I'm sure you wouldn't have a problem with it."

If you didn't like it when the Christian Sellers tried to share the Gospel with you, then you were of course free to discard the materials that these good Sellers sent you. Furthermore, if these Sellers were on Ebay, you were also free to post negative feedback if it bothered you that much. But did you? Probably not. matteproof >>



No, I didn't. I sent them a nasty email, didn't leave feedback (I was feeling nice, as they'd already left me positive feedback), and discarded the Bible.

kieferscoins

I gave my first negatives to a ebayer this morning. It is a wierd ebay day.

block dutchmen69

He is a deadbeat buyer and promised to pay for his items on several occasions, then said he didn't have the money, made more promises and then last night had the balls to ask me why I haven't shipped his coins yet. He has admitted he hasn't paid.

Cameron Kiefer

matteproof

Hi dthigpen,

You said, "In case you missed the point, the bible wasn't free, I ended up paying the shipping cost for the Bible which I promptly tossed in the trash bin (I already have one!)."

The extra shipping cost was probably to offset costs related to the coin (gas to the PO, packing materials, etc). I doubt the Seller increased the shipping cost as a result of sending you the Bible. Tossing a Bible into the "trash" is obviously wasteful - not to mention dishonorable. Perhaps you could have donated it instead? matteproof

dthigpen

<< <i>Hi dthigpen,

You said, "In case you missed the point, the bible wasn't free, I ended up paying the shipping cost for the Bible which I promptly tossed in the trash bin (I already have one!)."

The extra shipping cost was probably to offset costs related to the coin (gas to the PO, packing materials, etc). I doubt the Seller increased the shipping cost as a result of sending you the Bible. Tossing a Bible into the "trash" is obviously wasteful - not to mention dishonorable. Perhaps you could have donated it instead? matteproof >>



Out of respect for this particular forum and not wanting to bring a religious debate here, I'll not post my comments on this. Feel free to mosey on over the the open forum and post about it, though.

Neptune

If he got the invoice that was packed WITH the coin - then he evidently threw the coin away. If he is that darn stupido then it's HIS fault. I would just tell him so in a nicer way. DUH!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Buyer - Since you evidently received the invoice that was enclosed WITH the coin that was mailed to you, then you evidently received the coin as well. If you have misplaced it or threw it away inadverently, I don't know what to tell you, except that next time you receive mail, you should be more careful. I am sorry that this happened to you, but there is nothing that I can do about it. I do not have a duplicate coin to mail you and you chose not to pay for insurance. It's not the USPS fault anyway.

Sincerely.

seanq

<< <i>If he got the invoice that was packed WITH the coin - then he evidently threw the coin away. If he is that darn stupido then it's HIS fault. I would just tell him so in a nicer way. DUH!!!!!!!!!! >>



Here's what I wrote him:

I received your letter today and I admit I was very perplexed. Then I went and found [quoted email about receiving the invoice] and I think I understand what happened. I assumed the "invoice" you mentioned above meant the one I emailed you, not an actual paper invoice sent via mail. The envelope you received, with the invoice bearing my signature, also should have contained your coin. I doubt you paid much attention to it when you opened it, but there was $.49 postage on the envelope, it was sealed across the entire back with clear packing tape, and should have included half of a cardboard Saf-T Mailer with the coin inside.

It sounds like one of two things happened. Either you somehow didn't know the coin was inside the cardboard mailer and mistook it for packing material, and (gulp) threw it away with the coin still inside. Or the envelope arrived without the Saf-T Mailer inside at all, in which case it must have been in pretty bad shape when delivered, as all of the seams were taped. I'm assuming you didn't chose insurance for the package, as if it had shown up with the insured stamp you surely would have realized the coin was (supposed to be) enclosed.

Please write back to me and let me know exactly what you received (did the envelope still contain the Saf-T Mailer or not) and we'll go from there.

I'll update if/when I get a reply.


Saen Reynolds