Its been a terrible month as an Ebay seller and a cautionary tale maybe not to post items during the run-up to Christmas, which is paradoxically the best time to sell!
I've had to refund four tracked items so far - Ebay and buyers were on my case - and there are still some items yet to arrive at their destinations. One item I can put down to my unusually poor large letter packaging - a damaged cast soldier's head came off - but the other three, all part of the same combined parcel, I have to lay at Royal Mail's door.
Thankfully it's only a tenner's value all in, which I've refunded, as the buyer was getting increasingly frustrated with his purchases simply not arriving. I don't blame him.
It still hasn't arrived and it may never do! You won't believe where this parcel has been - literally everywhere in northern England - in the last two weeks!
It should have gone down the road to Donny but have a look at the tracking journey! Its now in Birmingham as of yesterday!
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Looking at this again, I only hope that I put the right postcode on this parcel! Or indeed any postcode!
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POSTSCRIPT!
It turns out I didn't put the wrong postcode on this parcel and they did arrive two weeks later at their destination.... damaged with an apology from Royal Mail. The buyer sent me the pictures.
Unbelievable that the company entrusted to deliver a parcel delivered it damaged like this! Luckily, it wasn't worth much.
Needless to say I won't be claiming from a monolith. Its Christmas and I've better things to do!
I have had some recent tales of woe re: the Postal Service too, I'm afraid. I consider it a real gift if the mail arrives safely now! SFZ
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that SF. Yes, Priority Mail seems to make a difference when sending via USPS doesn't it. I have just bought a tiny Mr. Rock figure radio for $5 from across the pond and paid $20 for the shipping. I really hope it makes it to Blighty!
DeleteI sympathise with you completely, Woodsy. I have to confess that I found reading your post therapeutic, to learn that I am not the only one encountering problems with Royal Mail's service. I have been attempting to dispose of my memorabilia collection via eBay for the past few years. After a number of buyers reported that items sent via standard First Class post had not arrived (and who, obviously, I reimbursed completely), I started using Tracked services -- but even these can fail to arrive.
ReplyDeleteIn three cases back in March, the Tracking recorded my delivery of the parcels to the Post Office -- and then nothing (So, it's nothing to do with the Festive Season...)
Although I received reimbursement from Royal Mail for the parcel, I passed that on to the buyer -- which meant I no longer had the item, had nothing to show for the fact I no longer had it -- and had suffered the loss of the price I originally paid for it -- which was usually a hell of a lot more than I sold it for subsequently on eBay! (But that's my fault for wasting my money...)
I looked online at all the other services -- but they have even worse feedback than Royal Mail...
Dal C.
Dal, my commiserations too. It takes the fun out of selling those vintage toys we chase down so diligently, only for them to be lost in space by the very people we entrust to deliver them. Its the one thing we have no control over and the thing that can really screw up our time selling on Ebay. I had thought Tracked48 would be the lifeline I needed and 75% of the time it works and that magic word 'delivered' pops up against the 'order' on Ebay but I've discovered, like you, that there's no guarantee. Understandably buyers go to the seller when the shipping goes amok rather than the courier but we sellers are at the mercy of the couriers completely. I enjoy selling on Ebay and have come to expect some disasters, it seems to be par for the course. Maybe I'll try Evri next year. Best of luck with your future sales Dal.
DeleteIn a way it's reassuring to know that it is not only the United States Postal Service (USPS) that gives an entertaining account of an items journey. Certainly USPS alone gives parcels tours of the continental US for thousands of miles before sending them to an airport for international delivery. Personally I've practically given up on selling on eBay as absorbing losses and claiming refunds from postal insurance is a mugs game for small sellers and is geared to commercial companies that buy low and sell high. I recently received a 1990's Desperate Dan annual via USPS that vanished into their system months ago. It had been sent from Florida to NYC by a used book company that absorbed the $8.00 loss easily as the book cost them pennies. The condition on arrival reflected months of postal handling.
ReplyDeleteIn rural/suburban areas of the US homeowners put outgoing mail in their mailbox located at the curbside. I recently received a refund for some very nice old model cars that had been stolen from the sellers mailbox before the mail pickup. I was one of several people he had to refund and since the USPS hadn't received the packages they didn't honor the insurance paid via eBay,
Your best bet these days in the UK would be car boot sales.
You too eh Terran! I have an item coming from Great Neck at the mo and the tracking seems OK so far Stateside. It'll be interesting to see how the handover goes once it gets onto UK soil. I don't want to give up selling om Ebay and fortunately my sales tend to be at the lower end of the price scale, so I 'absorb the losses' too. Bad debts I think Banks call them. I don't bother claiming anything from Royal Mail/ Post Office and always tell the buyer should the item ever arrive to simply keep it gratis. it might be different if I sold anything expensive, which is once in a blue moon to be honest. As long as I earn some pennies for my own purchases I'll carry on and Ebay's recent move to 'hold' the monies in-house [a bit like Paypal did when it was part of Ebay] helps me keep my purchases out of the household ledger!
DeleteThanks for the thought regarding Car Boot Sales, Terranova47.
ReplyDeleteI had been inclining in that direction, to be honest...
Dal C.
Car boot sales are fun to go round Dal for sure, which I do regularly once Winter is out the way. Standing is different and tales a lot of effort - a very early start and setting out your stall. Results can be mixed, just like Ebay but on a good day you might do alright in the 6 hours youre there. It depends on your stock. Mine has always been a lot of cheap and varied vintage toys with a few gems thrown in in case someone wants to spend a bit more. There's a lot of vintage die-casters selling at boot sales and they tend to be dear so they must think its worth it. Similarly toy fairs are fun but again a lot of work. When I was younger and fitter i did quite a lot of them, taking my best boxed stock, as buyers tend to spend more at fairs. Now I'm older I don't have to leave the house in order to sell on Ebay, apart from that risky trip to the Post Office! Keep us posted how you get on!
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