eBay

vinage · ‎10-27-2013

On Oct 15th - for the ist time after many years - I made an eBay purchase from a US eBay Store.

For 10 days. my package did not show up as being received at the local USPS post office.

You can imagine my worries, and my wondering. Can I trust this system?

For 10 days, absolutely no info! Zilch!. The US local Post Office never scanned the package when the seller brought it in.

I paid for the shipping, the packaging and the tracking on top of the cost of the item, so I expected to be able to follow the progress of my package as it travelled towards Canada.

The seller was clueless, he went to his Post Office several times to find out about the package, but since it was never scanned as being received, it was hard for him to get answers,

After 10 days, the tracking info finally showed up, the package was still somewhere in the US.

My advice to all buyers: When you make a purchase, in the "Add a note to Seller", add "Please make sure the Post Office scans my package".

This is what I am now doing myself .! ! !

marnotom! · ‎10-27-2013

On eBay, you're being charged for "shipping and handling". That's what you pay for. "Tracking" isn't available as an add-on for international mail from the United States anyway. Either the mailing method has it or it doesn't, and when it comes to the least expensive international mailing method offered by USPS, it's a bit hit and miss and only stands a chance of working when the postage is purchased online in the first place. You didn't pay for tracking as an extra.

I really don't understand why some buyers are so obsessed with tracking when it's more for the seller's benefit anyway. Either you have the item or you don't, and tracking won't change that fact.

I think it just makes more sense to keep an eye on how long you've been waiting for your item to arrive and to notify the seller when you feel it's been taking an unreasonably long time.