eBay

deltone · ‎10-30-2003

I just received this email from an buyer. This is the complete email. I'm a bit peeved at the curtness of the email and I did compose a reply, but I haven't sent it as I know it's probably a mistake to send it as it's a wee bit confrontational which I know will come back to bite me in the a$$. It was therapeutic writing it, but I could really use some help in composing a bit of an a$$ kissing email which is what all good little sellers should send to all pita buyers. THANKS

I paid for this item using Paypal back on October 20th to get faster
delivery. It's been 10 days. Pretty poor service, wouldn't you say?

Anita XXXXX

aabros · ‎10-30-2003

Dear Anita.
Thanks for your concern.
Deltone

firedept10 · ‎10-30-2003

deltone

Here is a message I put in all my shipped notices. Seems to work great for me. Feel free to use.

Please bear in mind that your item will be coming from Canada and will take a little longer than items mailed within the US. I make every effort to get your item to you as quickly as I can, though Customs and the Postal system can make this quite a challenge! Thank you.

Don

treasure-pot · ‎10-31-2003

I have a standard format that I use that is without emotion and still satisfies the question regarding delivery.

*****************************************************

Hello XXXXX;

Auction closed Oct Xth
Payment rec'd Oct Xth
Shipped Oct Xth

Per my shipping advisory emailed to you on Oct 6th, this item is shipped from Canada and must go through US Customs which may sometimes delay delivery. International shipments also take a little longer than internal US mail. This package has currently been in transit: X business days

Please keep us informed as we are equally as anxious for your package to reach you. We greatly appreciate your patience.

Regards,

*****************************************************

While the last two sentences may seem to be contradictory, no one has ever commented on it.

When I get a question similar to the one you have received (Pretty poor service, wouldn't you say?) I just ignore it. Some buyers just don't remember that the item is being shipped from another country. More often than not the reminder above gets me an email with something like "Sorry, I forgot it was coming from Canada" although there have been a few that are total morons about it.

Good luck!

Bill

Bill

your-chic-shopper · ‎10-31-2003

This is my letter

We mailed off an email when payment arrived . As a reminder the email stated the product would take up too 15 business days threw the Postal Service ..please read on . The American Postal service goes on too state that the arrival is an estimate . Due to the fact that the items are going threw an international boarder . The Postal service states that because of possible inspections at the boarder , it's can take upto 30 days to arrive . It's the nature of the products your getting , if it has not arrived in 15 business days . It can be assumed it has been or is being inspected by American customs . At that point it is assumed it will be arriving later because they have wanted to review the packing slip and the item . However the postal service states that American customs has a certain time frame that the item has to arrive . That time frame is 30 days from the date shipped

If the item has not arrive within the time frame , the American Postal service has given . Please give us a call
Todd

deltone · ‎10-31-2003

Thanks everyone. I send a "your item is in the mail" email when I ship. Here is what I say in it. Most buyers are satisfied with this, and actually read it, but I guess this reader didn't bother.

Hello
Today I shipped the your item to you. Please let me know when it arrives. Keep in mind that I have no way of knowing how long it may take to get there as it goes through Canada Post, to US Customs, to USPS.

I've heard that there are some backlogs at US Customs due to heightened security but I've found some (but truthfully, very few) of my customers have received their parcel in 3 or 4 days, the majority a week to two weeks, and some that have take over 2 weeks, although that's not necessarily the norm.

I live around 3 hours north of the US/Canada border. I've been told by my Post Office that all parcels I mail arrive at US customs at the border within a day, or 2 days tops, so from there it just depends on the speed that Customs deals with the parcel and how much of a backlog they have. From there, it's up to USPS.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. THANKS and have a great day!

Thanks
deb

www-labels4less-com · ‎10-31-2003

Interesting how so many people mention customs!? I have never had an item "held up" in customs. Small packet air estimates 7-10 business days and I have never had one take longer to arrive to any U.S. destination that I can recall.

Do your orders really get caught up and delayed in customs? Or this just what you tell them when you ship by ground?

deltone · ‎10-31-2003

I actually ship by air for most of my parcels. I only mention customs so that they will be (hopefully) pleasantly surprised when the item arrives quicker than they had hoped.

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-31-2003

Here is a problem that I encounter almost all the time. I ship only large packages. Until this sumer everything into the US went Express Post, now 75% go Expedited.I tell customers that they will get a tracking number and a link to track their item (which is true) HOWEVER as soon as CP turns the items over to the USPS at the border, tracking stops as USPS does not update tracking info until 24 hours after the package has been delivered.

I constantly receive emails from US customers telling me the tracking info advises them the goods are stuck at the border as that is the last update on the tracking info. I then tell them that is where USPS took over responsibility and we have found USPS dont update the tracking info.

For some reason, it has made ALL of the US customers I ship to turn their potential anger on their own postal system and their customs and not on the Canadian company they bought from (me) and not on our Postal system.

I do it this way as I dont want to loose repeat business because some American customer feels that it is our business or our country's inefficiencies. They seem content that it is their own system that has failed them

Having lived in the US for several years and having lost so much eBay business over the Iraq war and their boycott of Canadian business, I know that the majority of them would sooner buy goods from a US business.

If the few that ventured outside of their borders to make a purchase thought there was some difficiulty with their purchase because of our system, they would likely just go back to their old ways and stick to "Made and Sold in the USA".

jaymor8 · ‎10-31-2003

Oh Deb - you have the patience of a saint, believe me. And, all of the advice that has been given here is great advice. But you know what....and I am sure Karen (kpamber)will back me up here...I would have let him have it with both barrels. I have a Zero tolerance with ignorance and arrogance, especially when it comes from a buyer and especially when I have done everything right.

I am grinding my teeth just thinking about this. Unfortunately, my response would have been the following, "You paid on (insert date), I shipped on (insert date)......what is your question????????????? And to answer YOUR question, NO...I DON'T think!!!"

Psssssssshhhhhhhhhh - hot air released.

Jackie...

treasure-pot · ‎10-31-2003

labels, with your familiarity with CP I would have thought you would be well familiar with the potential for customs delays.

If a package is flagged for inspection it may sit for up to several days before someone actually inspects the package.

If one package from a load is flagged it can hold up the entire load.

Someday when you get the chance, visit a bond shed to see how they operate. They handle "in bond" trucked shipments. Then picture the same type of operation for postal shipments and it makes the mind swim.

Can customs hold up delivery of an item? When they get backed up you better believe they can! You may not remember many small packet - air shipments taking longer but I certainly can. And I can point to lots of Expedited - USA and ExpressPost shipments that have also been delayed.

So if you have never had an item "held up" in customs you indeed live under the luckiest of stars. Or maybe you were not aware. "Do your orders really get caught up and delayed in customs? Or this just what you tell them when you ship by ground?" implies that, as sellers, we are fabricating stories for our customers. I'm certain thats not what you were suggesting, is it?

Bill

deltone · ‎10-31-2003

Jackie, trust me, I was ready to let her have it with both barrels. I did write a rather nasty email, telling her exactly what I thought about her abrupt and rude manner, but I did it to vent and get it out of my system, and then changed it to more of a sickening sweet BS email, to try and appease her nasty nature. GAG

In my first (but not sent) email, I told her in future to stop buying from across the border if she expected her parcel at the speed of light, and that my auction did state that I'm in Canada and that I did NOT appreciate her nasty, harsh tone and that her suggestion that I don't give good service is insulting and that she needed to read my feedback to see that of close to 2000 transactions, and over 1400 positive feedback, only 2 impatient dolts felt otherwise. LOL

Like I said though, I decided it wasn't worth risking p*ssing this fool off further and getting yet another negative. I may still get a neg from this jerk, but you be sure she'll get one right back. I'm one of those sellers who leaves feedback based on the WHOLE transaction,not just on whether someone paid quickly. I feel that the buyer's responsibility is more than clicking a button on the paypal site.

kpamber · ‎10-31-2003

Ah yes, Jackie, you would in fact let the buyer have it. Heck hath no fury like Jackie when she is peeved!!! I admire her spunk and guts immensely, woosie that I am!!!
Karen

thebidwatcher · ‎10-31-2003

This what I say:

Dear blah blah,

Sorry to hear your item has not arrived yet. I sent out your package on xxxx by Canada Post, just x days after it was paid for in full. Although 10 days is nothing for Canada Post to brag about, I am not prepared to call out the RCMP just yet.

If your package has not arrived by xxxx, please write to me right away and I will spring into action.

Thanks and sorry for the delay.

Lisa (thebidwatcher)

What returns is usually a quip about Dudley Do-right and a "no problem".

gloriaguides · ‎10-31-2003

Here's what I send_
Hi ! I mailed out your books this morning. They are expedited, insured item number xxxx at Canada Post. It doesn't exactly track,
but you can see it was mailed today at www.canadapost.ca. It should reach you within about 2 weeks. Rarely, parcels are
delayed (probably at customs, but who really knows?). If it fails to arrive, please let me know as I can have it traced after 4
weeks.
When it arrives as described, please leave positive feedback for me at ebay as i will do for you at some point today.
Thanks for your business and enjoy the books. Gloria (ebay-gloriaguides)

Had a couple impatient Californians contact me pretty quickly, but as long as you answer them quickly they don't worry overly. Actually, my small packets have been reaching their destinations in about 8 days lately. Someone is practicing for Christmas! Anyone notice longer lineups at the PO lately-I sure have. Gloria

jaymor8 · ‎10-31-2003

Ah....you guys....you are all spineless. I could just dry heave listening to all of this sap. Tell the SOB to screw off and leave you alone and don't bother coming back. Save the nice for the deserving. 😛

Now, I was just kidding with the above, but as I wrote it, it occured to be that.....why is it that the arrogant people always seem to get their butts kissed? It seems to be inherent in all of us to retreat when someone come at us on the offensive. All through life you see it - the squeaky wheel gets oiled - and it's true enough. You see it in stores when soemone is complaing about a product or a service....people become putty in their hands. But folks like us - who approach things with a question rather than a firm statement, get stomped on. Right???

Hello?????????????? Is anybody there???? 😜

Jackie...

(Thanks K for that warm testimonial LOL)

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-31-2003

Jackie

"...why is it that the arrogant people always seem to get their butts kissed?"

The same reason all the rich people never have to pay for meals in a restaurant and stay for free in hotels and fly for free to Las Vegas.

I dont know what the reason is but I am sure it is the same reason!

Malcolm

thebidwatcher · ‎10-31-2003

Jeez Jackie it's called customer service. I am in it for repeat business.

Now when I was in retail working away on a $1000 painting and some looneybird came in and asked for a refund or exchange on a $1.00 greeting card, you should have seen my "stare of death". Notice I have left the public forum to the sanctuary of my home...

Lisa

jaymor8 · ‎10-31-2003

Malcolm - don't EVEN get me going on the rich. You are 100% on the money with what you said and I for one would love to know the logic behind it. It seems that the wealthy are just a whole lot more fun to please than us lesser mortals. Go figure.

Lisa - oh the joys of anonymity, right??? I had an Antique business for many years and I perfected the stare of death, too. I often refer to it when my husband gets a little too close to that invisible line of 'live or die' :))))

Jackie...

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-31-2003

Jackie
I just figured out a couple of reasons why the rude people are the ones who get their butts kissed.

1. Its because they have the biggest butts.
2. You want to tell them to go to h&ll quitely and whisper it in their ears but their head is up you know where.
3. You cant tell the difference between their face and their butt, in fact their butt looks better than their face.
4.It the preferred way to see them anyway, on their way out.

LOL