So, how many freak outs have you had so far?

[007steveb16]

 Anyone else had the joys so far of a holiday customer freaking out about "where is their" item?

I've had 3 since the end of November. The last from a very rude and "caps" using American.

This is the reason I closed the store on Dec 1st but I think next year I'll close on Halloween...

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

Femme, I had a problem with Cdn Tire auto service earlier in the year. I escalated my claim to mgmt. Got what I was originally promised. The experience did not colour my attitude towards the rest of the attributes of what they offered.

Rather, it steeled me to what they are most likely to do in a given situation. This allows me to understand what they will do and what I can do.

You may have the proto-typical complainer. The one that keeps buying because "better the devil you know". The will always complain, and, always buy.

When I was working, I used to make it a point to deal with the most difficult customers my staff did not want to deal with. I showed up the staff, showed up the customer, staff were happy, customer was happy, cash register was happy.

Customer is not always right, but, their money is.

[puckstopshere]

Only had one person who has notified me that he has not received his items.  He has been very polite and patient. 

Also noted that I have had fewer non-paying customers in the past 30 days.  And, most are paying quickly.  Let's hope that trend carries over into 2013.

[bb_cool_stuff]

No Freak Outs thus far. Touch wood.

[pjcdn2005]

I wonder if the sellers who say they are getting buyers that "freak out" are ones that send the buyers a note after shipping with an estimated arrival time.  I find that doing that helps answer a buyers question before they even think of asking. Being proactive about things like that really do make things easier...at least most of the time.

Putting the shipping time in your listings has very little impact....writing a personal note after the sale has a much larger impact.

[007steveb16]

PJ - Notes are great and obviously work well with those who're understanding, look at things from a broader perspective and with a reasonable mind frame.

The "freak-out" buyers I made this thread in reference to are far from that.

[zee-chan-jpn-books]

One freak out from US and it's actually the first freak out I have had this YEAR. 

It was in all caps: HAVE YOU SENT THIS YET?

The $4.50 Item was sent this Monday. He paid last Friday. My listing said 5 business days handling and 1-3 weeks shipping time. (Had the 5 business days there in case it collides with my school schedule) so technically speaking I shipped after 1 business day. 

So I messaged back and told him that I messaged him on Tuesday stating that I shipped his item, and told him again that I ship from Canada blah blah blah, it has only been 5 days so please wait patiently. That guy had feedback score 216, been on eBay since 2002, bought 95 items this year, so you'd think he should know that international shipment can take a while...

Hopefully that won't hurt my DSR... I got nice sales this week. Two buyers bought 5 items each, one of the totaling $90 and the other $110, so it's definitely worth it for me to sell during x'mas period.

[pjcdn2005]

PJ - Notes are great and obviously work well with those who're understanding, look at things from a broader perspective and with a reasonable mind frame.

The "freak-out" buyers I made this thread in reference to are far from that.

Ok, so that must mean that you do send out a note with an eta after shipping?

I realize that it doesn't always work as the occasional buyer will write me a few days later to mention that they haven't received their item yet. More often than not they have sent their message by replying to my original eta message.....so their question about why they haven't received their item yet...5 days after purchase...is just above my message saying that their purchase will arrive in 8 -16 days. It's sort of funny actually.

But you know...that's just part of selling online. I reply again that it is a cross border transaction and it takes longer..yadda yadda. Usually that's the last time I heard from them.

I realize that my way doesn't work for all sellers or with all buyers.But in my case, it really does cut down on the problems.

[fillthoseholes]

Yep, everyone gets 2 emails actually.  One that goes into their ebay mail box and one that goes to their email address.

Here's a copy of one

Hi
Just wanted to update you about your order. Today is December 14th and we have shipped your order. It is being sent through your postal service via air mail as we promised.
We have shipped it quickly but now we have to hope that the postal service gets it to you quickly as well. Normal international arrival times do vary from 5-15 business days.
Please let us know if you don't have it within that time frame.
Please also let us know if you have any concerns once you receive it.
Please remember that we accept returns for exchanges and refunds.
Our return address is on the packaging. All you need to do is drop us a line telling us you are returning it and enclose any instructions in your return.
Thanks a bunch for your business!
Shameless Staff

It probably helps a lot but we still get ppl that don't like the wait.  There really isn't anything you can do, it's always going to be an issue for some.

[zee-chan-jpn-books]

The buyer I mentioned on post #25 responded with a blank message. Hmm......

[Anonymous]

I envy some of you that can closed down in the month of December.  I cannot do that as the month of December is the busy month for me every year and I am getting 5 buyers asking me "Where is my item?".  I went back to their transactions and noticed 4 of them bid/won on Dec 16, automated opened unpaid item disputes on 20th, all 4 paid on the 24th. I purchased PayPal Shiping label on the 24th and dropped them off at the post office on the 24th just before closing at 5 pm.  All of them on December 31 asking me"where is my item?"! 

Did they actually think that the mail system would deliver their packages that fast from Canada to USA??  I am sure that all packages are still somewhere in Canada!! 

I have explained everything like above which I think some or all of them counted the lenght of mail delivery from the day they won on the 16th which shouldn't be counted.  I even informed them that since it was being the Christmas season and that the mail system shut down on December 24 (early), closed on the 26th and 27th and during the weekend but they don't get it!!

I even included the information that I have given them 4 choices of mail services, surface, air mail, Expedited and XpressPost and of course, all of them choose surface as they didn't want to pay extra but yet they cannot be that understanding and patience!

I am sure that I will be getting more "where is my item?" this week or the next 2 weeks.

I knew that Canada Post knew that the mail system is lousy during the month of December and of course they won't make that announcement to the public at any time.

I only knew when and should those who whine about "where is my item?" or whine about slow mail service will get back to themselves should they become sellers one day.  I wish they would be more understanding and patience.

In fact, all of my items sold are not that urgent that they would need for Christmas or whatever.  It is simply because they have NO patience for whatever, period, that makes our lives as sellers pure hell and frustrating.  Thanks to eBay for making it possible for making our lives pur hell by setting that isane and inhumane and unfair DSRs and feedback system!

Thought I would vent my frustrations here.  Thanks for listening.

[bilge21]

In the last 4 years, I've had just one customer email me to ask where his order was and that was a very polite email. He did have the tracking number and it showed as being delivered but he stated he never got it.

I replied back that I will check with Canada Post about it and when I looked into it, CP stated that it was delivered to his mailbox. I passed on the info and he still claimed he never got it so I asked him to call CP to check into it.

It turned out he just moved to that address and he never got informed that his neighbourhood no longer got door to door deliveries but thier mail went to a new super box instead and he was never informed of that when he moved in. He thought he got door to door as the previous tenant of the house left the old mailbox right beside the doorway.

Needless to say, there was his cartridge waiting for him, 2 weeks after it was delivered, lol.

he was very nice about it and ordered another one. 🙂

[pitai45]

Too many who don't make any difference between SHIPPING & DELIVERY. I ship within 24 hours 100% of the time (except on weekends!!!!!) and still receives bad scores of 1 & 2 on my DSR.

As long as the system will be onesided and anonymus there will be snitching and abuses.

Good luck.