Here's a buyer to watch out for!!

[trinkets-on-site]

Hello all,

I sold 2 sets of cups and saucers to a buyer in Australia. Offered two shipping services:

6-12 weeks for Canada Post SURFACE MAIL Small Packet
or
1-3 weeks for Canada Post AIR MAIL Small Packet

He chose SURFACE, 6-12 weeks for delivery. Just before the 6th week he leaves NEGATIVE FEEDBACK..."Paid BUT Never Received"...on both transactions...WITHOUT EVEN CONTACTING ME FIRST!!!

I just checked his feedback left by others and he did it to another Canadian seller. He hasn't opened a dispute with Pay Pal so he knows the items are on the way. No response to my email 3 days ago. I intend on leaving negative feedback but want to calm down first.

Just a heads up...I hope you don't encounter him or if you do protect yourselves and only offer AIR MAIL.

Nora

[fatdane]

Based on the extremely slow surface service to Australia, I am going to insist that any China or Glass ware items going to Australia go by some form of airmail. Canada Post's slow service, combined with possible delays by Australian customs means that every surface shipment to Australia generates a complaint about slow delivery.

[recped]

Save yourself a lot of grief, don't stop at china or glass, simply don't ship anything by surface except to the USA and perhaps Western Europe (and that only if you're VERY sure the buyer understands the potential delivery times).
"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

[trinkets-on-site]

Hello recped,

After this experience I agree with you. Canada Post doesn't helps matters with the email the buyers receive:

"Service Type: International Surface Small Packets (4 - 6 weeks)"

Wishful thinking on Canada Post's part...I don't recall ever having a small parcel by surface delivered within 4-6 weeks to Australia.

Nora

[katiusciav]

nora-the EXACT same thing happened to me a while back-brand new ebayer goes and leaves me a negetive without one email to me about not receiving his item after canada post's estimated delivery of 4-10 days (small packet air)...it wasn't even that late...i emailed him twice afterwards, and he didn't give me the decency to email back...i even offered a refund. i'm now into square trade with this guy, and that's not getting me too far either, as i want that negetive removed.
i know that one negetive won't kill your business, but i have to work hard at eliminating the ones i can, for when i get the ones that i can't eliminate!
not only that, but its maddening to know that you get a negetive without EVER given the chance to resolve it.

and yes, nora, calm down first!!
ps, international deliveries, i NEVER give surface as an option anymore-NEVER-unless its REALLY expensive, i'll give them the choice, with a clear cut explanation of how long it could very well take...

i would leave him a negetive too...that way down the road, you could probably get it removed through mutual withdrawal...

[eureka9988]

Hi Nora,
The negative you received will not hurt you. You have explained it very well with the rebuttal. The negative you give your customer will hurt him/her far more and it is well deserved.
That is my two cents worth...
Renee

[trinkets-on-site]

Hi Kat,

Sorry your going through the same experience. It's unfair, my buyer knew ahead of time that SURFACE MAIL takes 6-12 weeks and leaves negative before the 6th week, its even stated in the listings. I was hoping to achieve good communication with him and hopefully get him to withdraw the negative feedback, but he still has not responded.

I'm starting to think I should use the Canada Post website to print my labels so the buyers don't get the email with the unrealistic delivery times.

It helps to vent here where others go through the same problems. My husband thinks I'm over reacting to this negative feedback. I've been in business almost 3 years and have only had 2 buyers leave negative feedback...undeserved I might add.

Nora

[trinkets-on-site]

Hello Renee,

Thanks, I hope your right. I'll leave him negative feedback soon...I want to warn other sellers of my experience with him. I don't understand him, he leaves neutral feedbacks for items received damaged but for items still on route he leaves negatives ?:|.

Nora

[katiusciav]

i just read his comments left for others, and personally, he sounds like a real complainer, and i'm blocking him! he was told how long it takes to receive international surface shipments, yet just goes and leaves a negetive-people like that really irritate me...he already has 96%, after your negetive, i'm sure sellers will perk up if he's a winning bidder...

[sunshine2426]

Neg him back. I wouldn't worry about the neg feedback.

Some people are just plain miserable and get a thrill out of giving negative feedback.He must be a really miserable person.

Don't waste your energy on negative people like him 🙂

[trinkets-on-site]

I totally agree sunshine2426.

[orbitdrop.ont_01]

If they insist on surface delivery, I only state a maximum time.

eg. "I am willing to ship surface for (cost), however you should be aware surface delivery by Canada Post can take up to 12 weeks or 3 months for delivery."

In this way, you don't have to worry about giving them a minimum delivery time so the impatient buyers leave the negative when the minimum time is reached.

On the other hand, buyers leaving negative feedback in a hasty decision can mutually agree to have a feedback withdrawn without the use of a 3rd party company like Square Trade. I used eBay's service in the past for exactly the same thing. Once both parties agree the feedback left was not appropriate eBay will remove the negative although the comment stays.

[trinkets-on-site]

Hello orbitdrop.ont_01,

Good idea!

My buyer will not communicate with me so I'm pretty sure removing the negative is out of the question. It would be nice if eBay would stand behind their sellers and not allow unwarranted negative feedbacks. This buyer had the option of AIR MAIL, 1-3 weeks for delivery or SURFACE Mail, 6-12 weeks for delivery. He chose the latter and left negative before the sixth week...without even contacting me first. I agree with a previous post that he's probably is just a miserable person. Read his feedback "left by others".

I don't think I'll quote Overseas Surface Mail in any new listings...not worth risking another negative feedback.

Nora

[katiusciav]

It would be nice if eBay would stand behind their sellers and not allow unwarranted negative feedbacks

this couldn't be farther from the truth in my opinion. i hate to be a part of the complainer's club, but i'm sorry, i think ebay can step in sometimes (and not just the cases where they've outlined), and help out the seller more than they do. if we deserved the negetive, and it was within our control, fine, but ebay themselves have put a disclaimer in on every listing stating that sellers have no control over transit times, yet they allow these negetives to remain. ebay knows their position right now. they know that there are alot of sellers, and most of them are here to stay. its buyers that they want, and therefore, buyers that they usually side with.
JMO

[itrecovery]

All depends on person you deal with. I shipped Ground many times to all over the globe. Australia is 4 months average. Just set expectations right and it works fine. If you encounter a moron, it may happend anywhere with any deal.

As for feedback, neg him back and bury yours under many postitives. Who cares... Fedback is just another illusion same as Paypal's seller protection.

[jakeeangel]

Kat they don't protect buyers against sellers who put unfounded claims in feedback either. In that respect, they are neutral. It doesn't always work but it's better than nothing or having eBay involved in it.

I for one don't want eBay sitting as judge and jury on a transaction. They can't even get their own info & rules etc straight, nevermind getting involved in a dispute over a product they know nothing about.

---

[camper49]

I had a similar encounter with an Australian buyer regarding very slow delivery.
He did not leave Negative FB for me but the transaction was not too friendly from his end.
I'll still ship worldwide but the bulk of my sales are within Canada/USA and some European countries.
Note: I have NEVER had a problem with European deliveries.

Now, setting expectations....all my auctions clearly state delivery can take up to 4 weeks to the USA. I notified a buyer from Texas (I'm in Northern Ontario) that I shipped his parcel April 4th, a few days after his PayPal payment was received.
Since Good Friday and Easter Monday were considered holidays, this buyer went and opened a PayPal dispute against me for ITEM NOT RECEIVED on April 11th!!! This is just 3 business days after I notified him of his shipment.
So, of course, I entered the US Expedited Parcel Tracking Number into the PayPal dispute for my protection but my point is, no matter how much you try to protect your butt in your auctions, there's always some nut-bar out there who doesn't know how to read and throws a wrench into what should be a smooth transaction.