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Shipping through USPS

gecko109gecko109 Posts: 8,231 ✭
in Precious Metals
So I sell a JM 1/2 oz bar in mid Jan. Ship it on Jan 17th. On Feb 7th, I get a message in ebay from buyer wondering where his bar is. I scramble through all my paperwork, and of course its the only shipping receipt I DONT have. Ugh. I reply that I misplaced the shipping info, and inform him that if the bar wasnt there by now, it probably was not ever coming, so I issue full refund. Buyer leaves me glowing feedback.

Fast forward to this morning. I wake up and check messages. Guess what finally arrived??? DelCon shows a 23 day gap after the package arrived in LA the buyer tells me. 23 days to get from Chicago to Los Angeles! Buyer requests my paypal addy to send money.

Honesty is a 2 way street. Buyer could have easily not said a word and kept his new $42 bar for free. Good to see that integrity still holds some weight.

Comments

  • piecesofmepiecesofme Posts: 6,669 ✭✭✭
    I think your story is more the exception than the rule, unfortunately. Glad to hear it worked out though.
    I have a problem shipping to TX for here in IN. I have mailed items on the same day, same method of shipping that have gotten to AK quicker than to TX. Figure that one out???
    To forgive is to free a prisoner, and to discover that prisoner was you.
  • pf70collectorpf70collector Posts: 6,641 ✭✭✭
    I always put the tracking number in the shipping section of ebay the day shipped. Even if you lose the receipt at least it is there in the ebay system.
    Montana State Quarter Die Clash

    Box of 20
  • StorkStork Posts: 5,205 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm a heavy (non-coin) USPS user--just about everything I get comes from Amazon, ebay or Peet's Coffee and RARELY does anything take so long. I did have a registered mail piece take 4 months recently--I'm pretty sure it got shoved to the back of a safe and forgotten, but the trackers found it eventually. Maybe twice in the last 3 years has something from Amazon taken a particularly long time--and Amazon will replace it (and both times the box showed up after 6 weeks--one I returned and one Amazon told me to donate to the base library!).

    On the flip side, I had something get here recently in 5 days from when they notified me of shipment. I gave Provident a try--very happy with them actually. The return label was something like 'Provdient metal parts' or something discreet. Of course on the other side was the large version of a customs form quite clearly stating the contents were gold and platinum coins (only 1/10 ounc'ers unfortunately image). I'm talking HUGE letters, yet the they arrived in under a week via priorty mail even to my FPO address.

    USPS I think is fine 99%+ of the time, but that 1% is a killer.

    Just MHO of course though.

  • fishcookerfishcooker Posts: 3,446 ✭✭
    Recently had a simple item sit for 11 days - with zero updates - being mailed in New York City. If that's the way the new USPS is going to be, I'll just cut way back on buying online.
  • nibannynibanny Posts: 2,761 ✭
    I think the OP wanted to point out that there are honest people out there. I tend to agree and got burned only once.

    Coming from Italy, where the postal service is slow, expensive and not-so-reliable (lots of stolen packages) I feel that USPS offers a great service.
    In my 3 years of buying/selling I have only missed one envelope from Texas (the route NY-TX has been the slowest in my experience).
    Luckily, it was from a forum member who sent a new payment (that time with trk number!).

    Gecko, why don't you use the PayPal shipping service? It is cheaper and gives you a better peace of mind since it adds the tracking on both PP and eBay.
    I only switch to the USPS click-and-ship when I need to insure more than $500 (which is anyway cheaper than going to the PO).
    The member formerly known as Ciccio / Posts: 1453 / Joined: Apr 2009
  • buyselltradebuyselltrade Posts: 23 ✭✭
    We accidently applied a label to the wrong box last year and sent $40,000 worth of proof gold to an Ebay customer who ordered one coin.

    He contacted us immediately when it arrived. Huge relief!
  • derrybderryb Posts: 36,792 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>We accidently applied a label to the wrong box last year and sent $40,000 worth of proof gold to an Ebay customer who ordered one coin.

    He contacted us immediately when it arrived. Huge relief! >>


    I also learned the hard way - one label and one box at a time.

    "Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey

  • StorkStork Posts: 5,205 ✭✭✭✭✭
    <<We accidently applied a label to the wrong box last year and sent $40,000 worth of proof gold to an Ebay customer who ordered one coin.

    He contacted us immediately when it arrived. Huge relief!>>

    Kinda restores your faith in people a bit doesn't it!

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