bogus tracking number

[golfing_in_style]

I know I have ranted about this before and others have as well, but this is unbelievable.Three emails just this morning regarding this bogus number."Where is my item I checked the tracking number and it doesnt give me any information?".Each one of the customers wanted me to reassure them it has actually been sent due to the misleading ttracking number.
Why on earth does Canada Post and Ebay insert a tracking number on small packet US Air when we all know except our customers that there isnt one!!!.That number is so misleading and causes me so much extra work and stress.
I guess it's time for me to copy and paste a standard reply with the number of questions I get about this issue.I can just imagine the hit my DSRs will be taking over this.Id rather be the cause of screw ups at this end and not Ebay and or Canada Post.
To think there are people in these organizations actually getting paid to make these decisions...It's beyond me.
In a previous rant about this I mentioned I called Canada Post,but of course I got nowhere.I tried calling today but they're still on holidays.
Thanks ..that felt pretty good
enjoy your day
jesse
golfing in style

[plasmaco]

Yup, had 4 of those yesterday alone...

This is the "standard" reply letter I send them:

---

Hi (Buyer's First Name Only),

I shipped your (Whatever It Was), on the 14th, a Tuesday, in the morning.

I sent it with Canada Post Small Packets - Air service. This is - normally - very fast and reliable service, but it does not provide tracking. International tracking would have cost more than twice of the total transaction...

The number the post office keeps referring to is just a transaction number, it only proves that I purchased a shipping label using PayPal.

I hope you believe me when I say that I did ship it, considering I have hundreds of these. I have no reason to tick off my customers...lol..

It's fully insured by Canada Post, automatically, so if ever it does go missing, I have no problems sending you another one or refunding you. I can always have Canada Post pay out on the insurance.

Now, they say it's 8-12 "business" days. And there are a lot less of those this time of the year...lol...

Considering that it's the Christmas and the New Year cards season, both the mail and US Customs are overloaded, so it's not likely to be on the 8 day side of that estimate... sigh...

I'd like to ask you to please give it some time, and if it's not there by January 10 or so, I'll refund you or send you another one.

Rest assured that I will make good on this transaction, one way or the other. I do try to take good care of my customers, and I do appreciate their business. 🐵

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR !

My Full Name
Phone Number
Email Address
Website URL

---
Of course, I modify it to suit the seasonal occasion...

So far this has worked for me, I get "Nice Guy !" type of feedback. About 2% of the smaller stuff does get resent or refunded, but that's just the cost of doing business...

The larger and more expensive items go with tracking, so if I lose $14 on $700 of sales, I'm good with that.

My international shipping charges do make up for any loss, and then some... I balance the Canadian loss on shipping with the shipping charges overseas. (Sometimes I actually pay for them to take my item)

Just don't sweat the small stuff and ALWAYS sound friendly and cheerful.

I know, it's hard to hold a grin for 60 days...;-)

[golfing_in_style]

Hi plasmaco
I love your canned response,I just finished replying to another one so that makes 4 today.Hope you dont mind if I use it...It's great
regards
jesse

[coxengines]

Plasmaco,

We rarely encounter a problem with the fake tracking # but on the occasion that we do, we respond somewhere along the lines than you, just a tad shorter.

May I make a recommendation / remark?

By letting a buyer know that Canada Post will reimburse you and it's no big deal if the package is lost you might, depending on your target audience, encourage a scam.

I also state that we will re-ship after X days but I hopefully have the buyer thinking that it would be our loss.

Bernie

[bighillbargains1]

Had a few of those too! Most the time they ask, did you actually ship it? Doesn't look like!

I use a similar answer, but way shorter.

The number the post office keeps referring to is just a transaction number, it only proves that I purchased a shipping label using PayPal.

I say: "the number ebay keeps referring to" - is this wrong? IMO ebay provides this false tracking #, it should never be displayed as tracking # in the first place.

[zarzuella]

It is probably better to have a number in the tracking field than nothing at all.

I suspect that the majority of buyers will assume that they can't track it because it is from another country's Post Office. It reminds them that this is an international shipment, to be patient, and you likely never hear from them.

[plasmaco]

Then again, sometimes people are just stupid.

Like this letter I just got:

(my name) 30 days to wait from the time of winning an auction to receiving an item is not acceptable practise (waiting till Jan. 10th). If shipped on the 14th as you state...even 12 days (high end of shipping estimate) would have put it at my door on the 26th. It is the 29th. I do not know you and thought I could rely on your rating so I can only assume you mailed it on the 14th as you state. I am in need of the item and if I knew it would have taken this long, I would have purchased it from someone else.. If the item is not here by Thursday the 30th (20 days after purchase) I feel I have no options and would look to have a refund in full. This has so far been the slowest transaction I have experienced. Bottom line ..there is no way it should take this long. I can ship a package 3 times the size of this one to Iraq in under two weeks! I will advise you tomorrow if the item is not here and request money in full along with feedback. Thank you..


- fire824



Note the subtle mention of feedback... sigh...

And the guy has no concept of BUSINESS days, no understanding of INTERNATIONAL mail, and no clue about how busy they are during the CHRISTMAS season...

And him shipping to Iraq is actually sending a package from Wisconsin to New York.

Me too, I can ship a package to Iraq in 7 days...

For love of God, some people...

Yup, I refunded him, profusely apologized, told him to accept my item as a free gift when it shows, begged him not to destroy my eBay business over a 12 dollar transaction (s/h in), put him on my BBL, and...

Threw a perfectly good crystal glass in the fireplace...

I DON'T WANT TO BEND OVER AN TAKE IT ANY MORE !!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[coxengines]

I would explain that you did mail it when you said and that "lost-in-the-mail" does happen occasionally and, if he does receive the package, check the postage date on it.

And, above all, file a claim with Canada Post 🙂

Bernie

[coxengines]

Just fresh in from a Mexican buyer (4 weeks in transit). On top of that he admittedly provided an incorrect address but said I should have noticed that (a US city instead of a Mexican one).

Yep, Christmas lol

I din't recieve anything... I'm pretty upset did you know that for this reason my kid where not be able to fly his plane I show to him as a jerk ... I don't believe that a international company that supposed you represent ship things and forget about it... this is unbelivable ... I'm very very upset.... I don't want my money back I want the things I ordered and I pass a day choosing what I need ..that is not as easy as return the money what do you think I'm ? ... With respect I need my things urgently in Mexico

[westernstargifts]

Paid for & shipped on Saturday, Dec. 18 to Ontario address.
Rec'd the following messages.

Wednesday, Dec. 22.

Sorry to bother you, but I have not received the package yet. Where was it mailed from, and did it actually leave your location on Dec 18, or was it prepared for mailing on that day?
Thank you

Sunday, Dec. 26.

I still have not received these items. I ordered from other suppliers who even had to ship from the US and received the items in less time. I am in Ontario and should have received the items already. Would you please check again if they were actually mailed please.

Of course I answered politely but also let her know that she made her purchase 5 days after CP's last suggested shipping date for Christmas delivery. Since she was so sure that she should get it that quickly I also told her that she should contact CP if she was unhappy with the delivery time.

Can't wait to see her FB!

[bighillbargains1]

I just got a neg because of this fake tracking #. This US Buyer actually filed an Item not received claim after 1 week because he didn't beleive that I shipped it. He called me a Liar and many other nasty things right from the start... he reports me to ebay for providing fake tracking... what am I thinking to provide a fake tracking and and and... very nasty!

So when I got the neg I contacted ebay customer support to have it removed, mainly for it's abusive language. Well they removed the comment, but not the neg.
As I had them on the phone I said, that this is a serious problem with this bogus tracking # and that it is very confusing for Buyers. She told me, that this is Canada Post's fault as they provide this bogus tracking #.

[axe_n_gear_music]

The tracking number seems bogus, no doubt, but at least it is proof that you shipped it. May I ask, did you refer him to contact Canada Post directly to verify that the item was shipped?
And did you offer a full refund, or offer to reship, etc before he left the neg?
That seems pretty unfair (and a neg for a 15 dollar item?- that sucks too).
I see that you have one revised feedback already, so you know how the revision process works, so have you contacted him directly to ask for him to revise it? Just wondering, hopefully your info will help others deal with these kinds of buyers.

AXE

[coxengines]

but at least it is proof that you shipped it

Unfortunately it is NOT proof. It only shows that you purchased a shipping label.

For some reason we, fortunately, only have 2 or 3 queries a year regarding this "tracking #" despite shipping over 6,000 packages/year. Must be the type of product/customers we get but I can see your point if customers complain.

Bernie

[axe_n_gear_music]

Why would a seller purchase and pay for a shipping label without shipping the item?
It should be proof enough, too bad eBay doesn't get with CP and correct this issue, to at least make them scanable/trackable.

AXE

[dipmicro]

For some reason we, fortunately, only have 2 or 3 queries a year regarding this "tracking #" despite shipping over 6,000 packages/year. Must be the type of product/customers we get but I can see your point if customers complain.

Bernie, you sell engineering stuff, same as we do. Most of our customers are using their heads for thinking. I see that many gen-pop eBay customers are using heads for feeding.

[coxengines]

Why would a seller purchase and pay for a shipping label without shipping the item?

One reason: Item is not in stock. Shipping label is produced but item is only physically shipped (much) later.

Another reason: Fraudulent seller. It buys him/her time.

What I am saying is that the purchase of a label is not proof of shipping and hence the reason that Paypal/eBay do not see it as such either.

That's funny, Roman :^O

Bernie