eBay

custom_shop_designed · ‎12-14-2016

Well, I received my first two negative feedback responses in one week - thats in a decade of buying and selling on eBay... Hmmmm what's up? I have sold thousands of items and shipped to over 45 countries. Delivery standards need a drastic update. US buyers sometimes have an item delayed to up to a month. And that is based on small pkg 5-8 day estimates. So is my only option to charge double to triple the shipping rate to protect my feedback score, by adding a tracking number- not going to happen.

Two things needs to change:

A reasonable tracked pkg price to the USA and international

Responsible posted delivery expected dates that actually match how long a delivery takes.

Anonymous · ‎12-14-2016

I am a Canadian seller in Manitoba and it is one of many reasons I switched from cheaper mail service with no tracking number to mail service with tracking number 2 years ago. And of course I may losing the potential buyers when they see the shipping costs with tracking number especially to International countries.

But to my surprise I did sold lots of items to International countries which I shipped with tracking numbers even the shipping costs are way too high but they were willing to pay.

The problems with buyers in USA, they expect us to provide the tracking numbers from Canada, they are spoiled because USPS provides tracking numbers to many mail services at much lower rates which I envy USA.

Even when I offered small packet air for $5.00 to USA, they expected tracking numbers! And also since 2 years when I switched, I no longer received "Where is my item?" and "I didn't get my item" for two years. Knock on wood.

I wish Canada Post would offer cheaper mail service with tracking numbers like USPS does. Canada Post knew they are gouging us regardless of what!

esclyons · ‎12-14-2016

totally agree, a low cost option to send small items with tracking, for about 5$.. but i would like to see that option available in Canada as well. there are too many buyers, who see stamps on the package when they get it, and say hey. there is no way for the seller to say whether or not i got my item...i can buy over the counter usa machine labels, but paypal and ebay will not recognize that as proper shipping, even though i can show proof of postage and postal, zip code..

custom_shop_designed · ‎12-14-2016

Interesting that one of the buyers just sent me a note and send the item arrived today. It took 40 days from Canada to the USA. Is this reasonable? Ebay has already refunded the buyer, I have negative feedback...great hey?

custom_shop_designed · ‎12-14-2016

So, How do I get my money back now based on a delay from customs or whatever? eBay already gave the buyer his money back and shipping fees. I never understood that. I pay full shipping fees. There is a receipt of it in PayPal...yet the money is "absorbed" by the system if the item is not delivered. I would have to double to triple my shipping cost on every item to protect myself. Maybe its the cost of doing business, but in tis day and age of technology, tracking should not be triple the cost.

realjazz-123 · ‎12-14-2016

Yesterday I got a message from a buyer in China who asked for the tracking number of the package I had mailed. I explained untracked airmail was $23 which he paid and tracked airmail was $83!!! I had assumed he did not want to pay for tracked and said we would have to trust untracked delivery. Now we wait for 18-30 days and I hope for a patient honest buyer.

I then called Canada Post which I do every couple of weeks to speak to someone in management to explain such a high increase from $23 to $83 on international shipping. The answer is always the same. "The price is based on extensive research into pricing and thanks for using Canada Post."

Alas, pricing on international tracked shipping is not likely to lower; in fact , I anticipate an increase with 2017 changes.

So sorry to hear about your unjustified negatives.-no doubt quite disturbing.

i.am.vivian · ‎12-14-2016

@custom_shop_designed wrote:

Two things needs to change:

A reasonable tracked pkg price to the USA and international
Responsible posted delivery expected dates that actually match how long a delivery takes.

Amen!

You have a 1 day handling time so that will shorten the delivery period. If you are finding you get too many impatient buyers you could consider lengthening that. Up to you. I am also wondering why you would say right in your listings that Canada and USA reporting about 5-8 business days for delivery. I would never say that. Not that YOU shouldn't. But you see what it does. Too many people don't know the difference between calendar days and business days and if you put that in there yourself your US buyers will expect the item in 8 days or less. Its not a criticism, just an observation. At some point sellers need to do what they can for themselves.

@custom_shop_designed wrote:
Interesting that one of the buyers just sent me a note and send the item arrived today. It took 40 days from Canada to the USA. Is this reasonable?

That might depend what you mean by reasonable. It would surely be sufficient for me to drop that "8 days or less" promise from my listings. This time of year the mail is SO slow and some buyers just can't believe how long an international order takes. Or a domestic one, for that matter.

Now that your buyer says it has arrived, send them an invoice for the repayment and BE SUPER NICE about it. They will probably ignore you. You can also send a Request for FEEDBACK REVISION since they did get the item because you mailed it when you said you would (postmark will show that) and that makes the negative unjustified. They will probably ignore that too. Up to you, but worth a try, IMO.

i.am.vivian · ‎12-14-2016

@realjazz-123 wrote:
Yesterday I got a message from a buyer in China who asked for the tracking number of the package I had mailed.

LOL! I guess what goes around comes around. 😄

i.am.vivian · ‎12-14-2016

@custom_shop_designed wrote:
So, How do I get my money back now based on a delay from customs or whatever?

You don't. Only if the buyer will repay you. You can ask them to use the PayPal "send money" feature. They will likely ignore you, but maybe not. If it were ME then I would first send a message of warmth about how happy I am they received the item in good order as promised and how sorry I am that the postal systems and customs hold-up takes so long. Then I would say how grateful I would be if they were kind enough to change the feedback to positive. I would then tell them how much I would appreciate repayment. Then I would issue the invoice. Followed by a Feedback Revision request. That's me.

If you have a truly good & honest buyer you might get lucky. Usually you get ignored. You are right, it's the cost of doing business. You take the loss out of your stored up "cookie jar" personal insurance. If you are not adding on & then saving up those little bits, you can now see why it is a good idea to do so.

Others will do things differently. At the end of the long thread of input and suggestions, find what works best for YOU. Maybe a pinch of this & a pinch of that.

realjazz-123 · ‎12-14-2016

If the item does not arrive arrive at all or is very late, I refund full costs and possibly receive defects or negative. I would prefer tracking on all international shipping.

Sorry, but I miss the point of your reply? Could you explain. Thanks

femmefan1946 · ‎12-15-2016

Interesting that one of the buyers just sent me a note and send the item arrived today. It took 40 days from Canada to the USA. Is this reasonable? Ebay has already refunded the buyer, I have negative feedback...great hey?

I have been under the impression that we could either win a Dispute OR leave feedback.

The advantage for a buyer would be that the feedback period is still longer than the Dispute period.

If your customer finally got his purchase, now would be a good time to get him to agree to remove the negative feedback, even if it changed to a neutral.

Neutrals don't affect the feedback percentage, which I believe is all most buyers ever see.

Feedback no longer affects our seller accounts.

I strongly agree with the need for Canada Post to start offering cheap (less than a dollar) Confirmation of Delivery domestically, and not just for eBay or online sellers.

And further to find a way to tie into the USPS confirmation of delivery services.

I am not asking for tracking, just for Confirmation of Delivery.

femmefan1946 · ‎12-15-2016

@real-jazz123

I'm pretty sure it was a comment on Chinese sellers, some of whom give fake tracking numbers and some use cheaper untracked services.

Certainly nothing personal.

i.am.vivian · ‎12-15-2016

@femmefan1946 wrote:

I have been under the impression that we could either win a Dispute OR leave feedback.

You mean the buyer here, yes? The buyer won the case and the seller got a neg. I think the only time when the FB option is wiped out is when the buyer (or seller too I think) LOSES the case. Like on an unpaid case, the buyer can't leave FB and any they did should disappear automagically but can be taken off by a CS rep if not. If a buyer WINS a case (seller loses, like in this instance) then I am pretty sure the winner can leave FB.

I'll see if I can dig up a policy link that will make better sense. 🙂

i.am.vivian · ‎12-15-2016

@femmefan1946 wrote:
@real-jazz123
I'm pretty sure it was a comment on Chinese sellers, some of whom give fake tracking numbers and some use cheaper untracked services.
Certainly nothing personal.

Oh yes, exactly. Certainly not. I thought the irony was funny. I think you see it too. 🙂

(Nothing to do with the jazz seller.)

i.am.vivian · ‎12-15-2016

I have been under the impression that we could either win a Dispute OR leave feedback.

Then how about this one

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/feedback-removal.html#what

Under the heading,

Feedback and detailed seller ratings are removed or adjusted through an automated system.

it is removable when

A case is decided in a seller's favour.

meaning if the buyer lost the claim then FB can't be left and any existing FB will disappear. Unfortunately this buyer won, so it looks like the change has to be done manually through coaxing and cajoling. (Feedback Revision request)

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/feedback/questions/remove.html

fashionoutletdeal · ‎12-15-2016

well there will be new rates in 2017 .Guess higher

custom_shop_designed · ‎12-15-2016

Even though one of the buyers received the item late and also received a full refund he says he can not change the feedback. He continues to harass me via messages. I will send all of these to eBay.... I wonder how fast they will deal with this? I already have sent a few messages via the "Report buyer" and no response. Crazy really

i.am.vivian · ‎12-15-2016

@custom_shop_designed wrote:
one of the buyers received the item late and also received a full refund he says he can not change the feedback.

Did you send a REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK REVISION to the buyer? It doesn't sound like it. If you did not, then he is telling the truth. Buyers are unable to change any feedback themselves even if they want to. The only way feedback is ever changed is when a seller sends a revision request or if it is such an atrocious violation of policy that eBay removes it.

From this link here

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/feedback/questions/remove.html

this is what you need to click on:

pjcdn2005 · ‎12-16-2016

@custom_shop_designed wrote:
Even though one of the buyers received the item late and also received a full refund he says he can not change the feedback. He continues to harass me via messages. I will send all of these to eBay.... I wonder how fast they will deal with this? I already have sent a few messages via the "Report buyer" and no response. Crazy really

Since he has received a refund, what is he hassling you about? More than likely eBay will simply make a note of the problem, its unlikely that they will do anything about it. Even if they did, they wouldn't tell you.