Buyer flipping out......

CDsNuts

Is 7 days after receiving payment via paypal a ridiculous amount of time to ship something to an ebayer? I've got a guy who's acting like he's waited a month, saying it's unbelievable that it took that long. Normally I ship stuff right away, but sometimes I can't always make it to the post office. I think within a week is perfectly reasonable. How about you guys?

Lee

baseballfanatic

No problem with me, especially considering most post offices arent open from Saturday after 12:00 noon until Monday morning, so that factors out the better part of 2, almost 3 days from the equation...

pandrews

its fine with me.. i usually dont start emailing a seller until 2-3 weeks not receiving the item..

softparade

7 days AFTER receiving payment? Yeah, thats slow BUT I wouldn't be flipping out either. Ahhh, you're just a slacker Lee

brianwintersfan

For some reason people who pay with Paypal think it should have shipped yesterday.Not all but you do run into it.I try my best to get stuff out quickly but working a couple of jobs can make it tough.I wouldn't worry too much.Just someone who has way too much freetime on their hands!

gregm13

I usually give the seller two weeks from date of payment until I start to complain.

Here is why - even when payment is made via paypal, I have a difficult time getting to the post office during the week. If payment is made on a Sunday night, I may not mail until the following Friday or Saturday. Even though I am impatient, I give the seller a week "cushion" to mail the cards I have bought.

Regards,

Greg M.

Dallas88

Agreed - I usually pop a little email in 2 weeks explaining that I haven't received anything, and I hope everything is OK on (the seller's) end.

Ebay has gotten terrible in terms of auction etiquette and scam artists, in the past couple of years.

BigRedMachine

It's not bad unless you're one of those sellers who type in large, bold text:

PAYMENT IS EXPECTED WITHIN THREE DAYS OR NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WILL BE LEFT AND ITEM WILL BE RELISTED

If a seller wants payment quickly and I pay by paypal the night the auction ends, then I'd like the seller to get to the post office within a weeks time. I don't think that's too much to ask. I understand if a seller has something come up from time to time, but those sellers with the strict rules who want payment quickly and then take their time getting an item out drive me crazy.

EagleEyeKid

BigRedMachine, I agree 100%. Couldn't have said it better.

Mac53

I don't know. Crap comes up, stuff gets on a back burner. I lose track of items I've bought, and every 2 weeks or so I check to see what has arrived and what hasn't. Usually takes me longer than it should to send stuff out. But I deal in really cheap junk, and I still get the emails, sometimes in less than a week. I just figure it's some guy living in his mom's basement, counting the minutes until the thing comes in the mail because, really, it's the only time that he gets to use "come" and "in" in the same sentence.

SDavid

Whether it's a week or even two weeks, the big key for me is that the seller stays in contact. I usually don't email the seller until two weeks after the auction, but if they ignore the email and I don't receive anything over the next week, then I file a complaint with paypal. Unfortunately, I've been running into more and more sellers who actually think they don't have to deliver what they've been paid for. So far, I've always gotten my money back, though.

As a seller, I ship right away. The automated postal centers make it a lot easier. No waiting in lines and I can go at my convenience.

ctsoxfan

I try to ship right away, after PayPal payments - but things often do get in the way of that. I usually can get the items out within a few days (sometimes almost a week does pass), but I use automated shipping labels (which seems to get the mail there quicker). Most everyone has mentioned to me that they are quite happy with the shipping time - my guess is you got the one in every crowd...

CDsNuts

Here's the whole situation:

The buyer sends paypal payment immediately for a lot of cards. I shipped them within a few days and after about a week past the auction, he emails to inquire the status. I told him I shipped them on the day I did, and used parcel post. After another email in which I could sense he was getting nervous, I called the post office which said that parcel post from my zip to his will take 1-2 weeks, so I emailed letting him know that. I think they ended up getting there in 10 days. Also, he ended up winning another identical lot of cards a few days before, and I let him know they were packed and set to go out last Monday. He emailed back that day that the cards arrived and apologized for his impatience. For whatever reason, I couldn't get to the post office until last Wed. when I sent the cards. He emailed me today again inquiring about the status, and I told him they went out Wed. May 4 and supplied him with a confirmation number. This is his response (in bold letters- I think that means he's angry):

"Well, if you only shipped the item on May 4th - that might explain
why it has not yet arrived...!
Why on earth would you wait a week before you shipped?
Unbelievable......"


Oh, and I let him know about this thread so he could see what other guys who buy and sell on ebay on a daily basis thought about his idea that shipping something 7 days after payment is "Unbelievable". My concern is that he has a history of leaving negative feedback for similar time lapses, but I responded to all his emails promptly, and he already said he's happy with the first auction lot he won.

Lee

goudeygold

I think he needs some ritalin. I look forward to getting mail too, but i'm not freaking out unless its a low feedback seller, or they have a bunch of negs. I wouldn't be concerned until I hit the 2 weeks after payment point. Even then, things happen. Not all of us can run to the post office every day or even every few days.

If he finds this unbelievable then he should request and pay for overnight shipping more often.

GG

denwd1

the buyer is a cry baby he should get a life. not everybody who sells on ebay can get an item to the postoffice immediately.some people have a job thats 8 to 5 and if i'm not mistaken the post office isn't open at night. i just can't stand cry baby buyers like this guy.if you don't get your item within 10 business days than it's time to politely ask the seller the status of your item.

NBAFan

Personally 7 days after receiving payment is quite a long time. I probably wouldn't say anything unless it was a gift for someone and I needed it immediately. The reason we all buy stuff is because we want it, and usually that means the sooner the better. I guess it all depends on the person. If any of us went into a restaurant, ordered food and it took an excessive amount of time to receive our order, we would be upset.

I guess that is why I avoid selling a lot on ebay, because I don't want to have to deal with shipping everything.

coachh

<< <i>It's not bad unless you're one of those sellers who type in large, bold text:

PAYMENT IS EXPECTED WITHIN THREE DAYS OR NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WILL BE LEFT AND ITEM WILL BE RELISTED

If a seller wants payment quickly and I pay by paypal the night the auction ends, then I'd like the seller to get to the post office within a weeks time. I don't think that's too much to ask. I understand if a seller has something come up from time to time, but those sellers with the strict rules who want payment quickly and then take their time getting an item out drive me crazy. >>



I have only bid on this type of auction 2 times and both sellers accepted PayPal. I then include a note with PayPal payment stating;

Item expected within __ days or payment will be canceled and negative feedback will be left.

The __ is the number of days they stated.

Both times the seller emailed me stating that the delivery time expected was unreasonable. I responded and told them that it was the same as their payment terms. Both times the item was mailed the day after the auction ended.

CDsNuts

In my final email to him I explained that if I took the time to email and berate every buyer that took more than 7 days to get payment out to me, I'd be out a lot of money. What people that predominantly buy don't realize is that there is not a parallel relationship between prompt payment and prompt shipping because of paypal. In the days before paypal the average ebay transaction took an average of 2-3 weeks to complete because payment would have to be mailed, then the cards were shipped- Usually a week on each end, but often added time because checks needed to clear. No one really complained about a delay unless it crossed over three weeks. Now, buyers can pay immediately, but all of the sudden a week to ship is excessive because the buyer paid right away. The effort needed to make payment is far less than the effort necessary to box something up and take it to the post office, especially if the seller listed several items at the same time.

NBAfan, you make a good point with the restaurant analogy, but even you said you wouldn't say anything unless you needed it as a gift. It would be like if you went to the restaurant and it took slightly longer than normal for your food to arrive, but instead of being understanding and letting it go, you call the manager over to you and start yelling at him.

Lee

larryallen73

A week is very reasonable before sending something out. Buyer should relax in my opinion.

envoy98

Here's my take. I expect people to ship in the same amount of time they allow for payment. I always try to follow that guideline as a seller as well. I usually put in my auctions "Payment expected within 10 days" I will always ship (barring any unforseen circumstances) within that 10 day timeframe. If you pay the same day the auction ends, I make an every effort to get the item out that day or the next day if possible. When I buy something, I usually pay within a few minutes of the auction ending or at the latest, the next day. I figure if the seller allows 7 days for payment, I expect that my item will ship within 7 days of receiving it. I don't complain if that doesn't happen, but I usually use that as my "courtesy" window and expect that I'll see the item within 10-14 days and that's fine with me. If I need something sooner, for a big show, or a gift for example, I'll usually email the seller before I bid, assuming I'm not sniping, or immediately after and politely ask if they know when they expect to ship, and if it would be possible for them to ship ASAP as it's a gift or whatever. If not, no problem, if they can, then great...some will even make a special trip if asked nice enough!

I had a guy last week that started harrassing me on hour 23 when payment was due within 24 hours. He made a point of letting me know that if I can't read auction terms then I shouldn't bid. So payment was made as soon as I got the email...but guess what...took 11 days for me to get my card. Normally 11 days wouldn't bother me at all, but if you're going to harrass someone for payment, you better ship as promptly as you expect payment. I think it goes both ways.

As a side note, if I ever get sidetracked, or misplace an item or take an unusually long time to ship after payment has been received, and payment was received promptly, I ALWAYS refund the buyers shipping fees that I charged and I eat them. I did this a couple weeks back for $14 + INS on a heritage master set I sold. I felt awful...took me almost 3 weeks to ship the damn thing. It was my wife's fault though!
The buyer was understanding, and even left me a positive, I thought that was awesome.

Best of luck with this one.

stown

I think a week is a bit excessive; however, if you keep the Buyer informed as to the status, then it's acceptable. When I win an auction, I pay via paypal within minutes in good faith and post, "Please let me know when the item is sent". If the Seller tells me that the items will be sent within X days, I don't have a problem at all. On the other hand, if I don't get a response after 7 days, I start to email the Seller daily...

It's all about common courtesy.

MarkLee

I see that I am of the minority opinion here, but I think waiting 7 days to ship after receiving a timely PayPal payment is poor form. When I sell on eBay, I try to get the item out the first business day after receiving the payment. If a seller can't ship within at least 72 hours, I think they should state this in the auction. The argument that some people's work schedules don' t allow them to get to the PO seems weak. Very few people don't get a lunch hour or some time they can make a quick mail stop. If you truly can't then immediatley after payment is received an e-mail should go to the buyer explaining the situation and giving an estimate of the ship time. I think as soon as you list something on eBay you should be making preparations to ship it. Have some packing supplies on hand. Once the item is won, you can have it completely ready to drop off at the PO. I just think its common courtesy and a sellers obligation to be punctual. And I am not one of the sellers who puts the obnoxious PAY WITHIN X DAYS OR FACE MY WRATH notices.

ctsoxfan

As an aside - I generally like to bring my packages to the PO during business hours, as opposed to throwing them in any mailbox. This might mean a day or two delay (because 8-5 just doesn't allow for enough time).

Too bad the USPS doesn't have at least 1 or 2 late nights to accomodate the vast majority of people that work 9-5.

Tabe

<< <i> I told him I shipped them on the day I did, and used parcel post. >>


Parcel post? Not first class or priority? How heavy was the package? Parcel post can be very, very slow.

For me, 7 days is right on the border of being unacceptable, especially now that there are automated machines all over the place, etc. It's cool if the seller e-mails me and says "I can't ship until a week from now" - so long as they actually ship that date. But if the seller doesn't contact me to tell me there will be a delay, then that's a problem.

It also depends on the shipping amount too. If the buyer has paid extra for priority - or, especially, overnight - then I think waiting a week is unacceptable.

Tabe

CDsNuts

The items sent were 12 1985 Donruss rack packs from Maryland to california. Packed securely and boxed, the shipping cost was over $6, more than what I had charged him for shipping. Priority would have been another $3-$4 and that wasn't an option on a $62 item unless the buyer was willing to pay extra for priority, which he certainly could have asked for. Also, here was the feedback left for me for the first item he bought, which was shipped 3-4 days after payment:

"Good, clean items, but the delivery was a bit slow - otherwise very good..!"

What can I say to that besides I'm sorry the post office takes that long to get a package from MD to CA. He knew going into the delivery of the 2nd package that it took that long so if it was such an issue, then why not spring for Priority?

I certainly agree that 7 days is on the edge of being too long to wait to ship, but is it really worth getting worked up about it when popular opinion suggests the seller's actions were not in the realm of being absurdly unreasonable?


Lee

detroitfan2

I guess I'm with MarkLee in the minority, because I'm not a big fan of someone waiting 7 days after they have my money to ship something. My thoughts have always been that if you're going to be busy or unable to ship for some reason, then do the auction at another time. Seven days is not the end of the world, but it's another example of why positive / neutral / negative feedbacks don't work. I receive many many items within 3 days of my PayPal payment. How can I justify leaving the same feedback for that person than for someone who makes me wait up to 2 weeks? I don't mean to imply that it's a reason to flip out as a buyer, I'm just saying that it disappoints me when someone waits that long, especially if there's no contact.

kuntryboy

I won't candy coat this like some others have. Waiting 7 days after a paypal payment to ship is ridiculous. You should be ashamed of yourself for your laziness. You had the time to list the auction. You should be able to make time to ship the merchandise in a prompt manner. That doesn't mean you need to race to the post office within an hour after receiving the notification from paypal but you shouldn't be waiting a week either.

WinPitcher

Look who is back, it is Kunt ry boy

Axtell

I think he may be 'flipping out' because maybe he's been burned in the past?

Also, I'd have to agree...if he paid with paypal immediately after the auction ended, I think waiting a week for you to ship it out is a bit excessive. Yes everyone gets busy, but a week? I would be nervous too (especially if I had been ripped off in the past).

Cut the buyer some slack...while $62 may not be a lot to some of us, it may be a lot of dough to this guy.

CDsNuts

I have no problem with the fact that letting a week go by is considered by some to be too long. It's far from the norm for me, as you can ask anybody I've shipped anything to in the past six months. I also have no problem with the fact that the buyer may be nervous and sending me emails inquiring about the item.

But under these specific circumstances, I have a problem with how the buyer approached the transaction. I happily answered all his emails promptly, I told him when the items were shipped and supplied him with a confirmation number for the most recent item, and this was the second of two identical transactions in which the first got to him ok and he told me he was happy with the item. Then he leaves positive feedback, but qualifies it by saying delivery was too long after the item was shipped promptly and arrived according to the USPS standards. He continues to complain (both items) after I supplied him with the shipping info, as if there's something I can do at the post office to make the packages arrive faster. If you think this guy is rational, here's what he wrote in the latest email:

"All I can say, is that I hope all this "bitc hing" makes the package
arrive today - like it did last time..."

What in god's name could I do right now to make the package arrive faster? On both occasions I apologized for the delay, even though the first was shipped quickly and arrived when it was supposed
to, and the second I apologized for not getting it out faster.

At this point most level-headed people would let it go- you know your cards were shipped, you know they're coming soon, and the seller is apologetic for the delay. Honestly, I could care less if he leaves me a neg. I feel completely comfortable doing the same saying he payed quickly but is a difficult person to deal with. Honestly, I'd much rather have a buyer delay his payment (which never bothers me), than for him to pay promptly and bitc h (his words, not mine) every step of the way. I'm not saying that I'm not in the wrong for letting it slide for 7 days, all I'm saying is that under the circumstances it's a forgiveable offense and he went off the deep end. I'm seeing someone prone to road rage with this guy.

Lee

detroitfan2

Lee,

After reading your latest post, I agree that this guy is a little impatient. If you've been in contact with him and answered emails promptly, the guy should chill out.

Overall, good discussion topic.

-Tom

gfb

7 days after receiving payment via paypal is way too long. And the I work 8-5 excuse gets old really quick, if you can't find time in the day to drop your packages off at the po, then don't sell on ebay. How would you like it if you sat down at a nice restaurant, ordered your meal, paid for it and then had to wait 2 weeks to eat it, because the cook in the kitchen was at work at his other job?
Once more, if you can't do it right, don't do it
jmho

CDsNuts

Feedbacks left for dslsports:
"Sent chk 12/13. cleard 12/24. Recd crd 1/13. Poor comm. Big tickt item,expct mre"
"Took my money, never sent card-do not do buisness with this person"
"havnt recieved my card havnt recieved any emails on why card wasnt shipped BSMAN"

Feedback left for 4_sharp_corners:
"emailed never responding never recieved item"

I could do this all day and find sellers with great reputations for completing deals, and find particular transactions where a mistake was made. My point is this: When doing business, I challenge you to find one successful person or business who has not made a mistake in dealing with someone along the way. Sometimes mistakes get made, and the person on the other end can do one of two things-

1) Lose their head and let the other guy feel their wrath.
2) Be calm and understanding, and let it go if everything eventually turns out ok.

For some people it makes them feel better about themselves to make sure others know how they screwed up and make them feel worse than they already do. I truly feel sorry for them because when they make a mistake it's going to come around and bite them in the butt.

In this situation, the lines of communication were open, I admitted it took a little too long to ship, and I apologized for the delay. I think most rational buyers would have taken option 2. I'm not saying 7 days isnt too long- the popular consnesus is that it is probably just over the edge, but not so far over that bad feelings are brought up. If he's freaking out this much over 7 days, how do you think he reacts if he gets ripped off? In the grand scheme of mistakes that are commonly made in ebay transactions, my error is on the low end of the spectrum and should be treated as such. I think it's getting to the point where I'm spending way too much energy on this one so I think I'll move on.


Lee