eBay

musicyouneed · ‎12-10-2020

I dropped off 8 parcels at Chit Chat's on Nov 30/20. A buyer emailed me asking me when I was going to mail it? I checked the tracking and it just showed that it arrived in Blaine Washington on Dec 1/20 but USPS had not scanned it. I contacted Chit Chats also I sent requests for all tracking updates. Now 6 have shown up that they were scanned on Dec 10/20. Most showing delivery sometime next week. I would like to send an update email to all 8. How can I word this. I have no idea where they have been for the last 10 days.

Please help me compose an email that will reassure the buyers that it is coming and it was not my fault regarding the delay. I don't want negative/neutral feedback for something I have no control over.

femmefan1946 · ‎12-11-2020

I would like to send an update email to all 8.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

If they are not asking, complaining or Disputing, don't poke a sleeping bear.

Most showing delivery sometime next week.

The 18th is a Friday, and USPS also delivers on Saturdays. Sometimes we hear reports of Sunday deliveries in December.

Lots of time for Christmas, especially since there won't be many packing up the car and heading to Grandmother's house this year.

musicyouneed · ‎12-11-2020

@femmefan1946 wrote:
I would like to send an update email to all 8.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
If they are not asking, complaining or Disputing, don't poke a sleeping bear.

Most showing delivery sometime next week.
The 18th is a Friday, and USPS also delivers on Saturdays. Sometimes we hear reports of Sunday deliveries in December.
Lots of time for Christmas, especially since there won't be many packing up the car and heading to Grandmother's house this year.

Aren't they going to be **bleep** off that there was 10 days between when I dropped it off and when it got scanned. Most should have been delivered this week. I just want to avoid any neg/neutral feedback regarding the dates.

ricarmic · ‎12-11-2020

They can see that you dropped it off when you said you did, they can watch the tracking same as you.

They can see that it was sitting, just as is happening for CP etc as well, most people will figure it is COVID and/or XMAS related. I think most will understand that there's nothing you've done to cause this.

My approach would be 100% for sure to wait until they contact you, then send them one of the "things are slow right now messages" like those discussed in other threads.

Again I would only send something like this to those that contact you. Sending a mass email out is only going to cause you more wasted time and as femme says wake the dragon.

This is the somewhat current version of my form letter for situations where there has not yet been a case opened, something like this would likely work ok for those that do contact you:

Hi BUYERNAME! THX For your note! Hopefully you received my message on Friday November 6 advising that they were shipped on that day?

I definitely share your frustration with the postal delays! Unfortunately COVID-19 related delays are still affecting shipments, especially those I'm sending overseas. Some items move at normal speed or even more quickly, some like yours are slowed down significantly. A lot depends on which sorting centers are affected and for how long they are impacted. I am not sure how the postal distribution network is affected in your local area (I am in Canada). 99.5% of the time parcels just take longer than they should to arrive, especially now that the Christmas seasonal rush of packages is happening as well.

Other similar packages I've sent to XXXXX in the last while to other buyers are sometimes taking 6 to 8 weeks or longer to arrive, but again no predicting which ones are slower.

I would really appreciate it if you can wait another couple weeks or so before we decide the package is lost and I refund your money, but I will be ok whenever you decide. If it gets to the point that you think it has been long enough, please just open an item not received case and I will refund your money out of my own funds. Assuming the parcel does arrive after that, let me know and I’ll send another invoice so you can pay again (this is my full time job, small parcels like this are not insured so I am out 100% if they do not arrive).

Thank you for your patience so far and in advance for your continued patience while the stamps make the journey, and have a great day! RICARMIC (Ron)

ricarmic · ‎12-12-2020

PS regarding your concern:

" I just want to avoid any neg/neutral feedback regarding the dates."

Based on my own experience getting negs/neutrals really doesn't seem to affect anything anymore outside how we feel about it. My sales have remained solid despite my getting some negatives, neutrals this year, some really undeserved (in my opinion of course) like yesterdays.

Despite how much they still bug me, I'm trying to just respond in a professional way and forget about them. (always much easier said than done).

For sure there have been no changes in my sales volumes around their arrival.

For sure if you do get any that are shipping times related, a simple reply that the tracking shows COVID/Xmas volumes delayed shipment is more than enough to diminish any concern possible buyers would have if they see you have negs/neutrals as a result. I would be much more concerned if it was a product quality issue....

femmefan1946 · ‎12-13-2020

Aren't they going to be **bleep** off that there was 10 days between when I dropped it off and when it got scanned.

If they haven't contacted you, they are not worried.

musicyouneed · ‎12-15-2020

One of the buyers emailed me today and he is extremely upset that it is taking so long. He felt/assumed that paying $4.50 for shipping entitled him to first class mail with tracking. He stated: "I’m extremely angry because there’s a song on this cd that was ONLY released on the compilation so I assumed I would be hearing it all month." I apologized to him and sent him a web print of my invoice that it cost me $5.24 to send it media mail with tracking and told him that first class to NY would have been over $7.00. I put on my listings, that I send media mail.

I looked at the buyers feedback and he has given several negative feedbacks for all different reasons, in fact out of 25 feedbacks gave 6 negatives.

I didn't do anything wrong. It is just the way it is during Dec, delays due to christmas mail, covid 19. USPS states that it will be delivered on Dec 17.

ricarmic · ‎12-15-2020

If one sells enough stuff, one encounters knobs/grumpy people.

If he does leave neg/neutral, simply reply with a non confrontational response that the postal system is extra slow with the COVID/Xmas combo.

In fact, if you really think he will, draft up your response now, whilst you aren't deeply angry with him. (Thats why I create/maintain my form letters, responses then I just normally pull from one of the ones I wrote when I wasn't outraged).

PS I have a lot of very slow stuff going to BC and have a number of "things on the go" with folks out there at the moment....

reallynicestamps · ‎12-15-2020

Well, we all know what "assume" does.

Media Mail, as I understand it, is low priority at the best of times.
I really don't think it will do any good to grovel to this kind of ....entitled ... person.

Be ready to ask eBay to step in based on how many negs he has left out of very few purchases.

I suspect he is also on a few Blocked Bidder lists, as well as having some Strikes.

Do you have bidders with Strikes automatically Blocked.

Is Media Mail tracked? Can you tell him where it has been? (Tracking doesn't actually tell us where it is, only where it has been recorded.)

musicyouneed · ‎12-15-2020

Media mail is tracked and for the most part it works perfectly. I think that at this time: covid 19, crazy on-line shopping, Christmas parcel delays have all contributed to this. Most buyers are fantastic, this one is especially upset at the delays. I will block him just as soon as the transaction is over.

For listings, I could offer 2 types of shipping on my listings, one for media mail and one for 1st class and let the buyer choose. Or I can put on the listing that all CD's will be sent media mail and if they want it to be sent 1st class to email me first and I will let them know the additional costs. $4.50 media mail or $6.50 first class. What do you think?

reallynicestamps · ‎12-20-2020

Or I can put on the listing that all CD's will be sent media mail and if they want it to be sent 1st class to email me first and I will let them know the additional costs. $4.50 media mail or $6.50 first class.

It would make things simpler just to offer two choices on your Shipping page.

Or if the shipping cost is fixed for any destination in the USA and in Canada, to add that cost to your asking price and sell as Free Shipping, with an option to upgrade to First Class USA for $2.00 also on the Shipping tab.

I would state in the Description that there is No Additional Charge for Tracked Media Mail Shipping to AnyWhere in the USA. Which makes it sound like a feature and gives warm fuzzies to the buyer.

Or stick with what you have, putting Shipped by Tracked Media Mail in the description, but giving the choice on the Shipping tab.

If you do go for the two prices, put the Media Mail price first, so that it loads automatically and shows the lower price in Search.

That way the buyer doesn't get a shock and backbutton. The higher price is an actual choice.