Ok I don't know if you all have read comments made by Ebay sellers, like "...if payment is not rec'd within X number of days item will be relisted.", etc. and have heard many sellers complain about slow payment by winners. Any of you aware of the same?
Paid for Summer Carnical on July 11, 2006 and was notified today by the seller that they mailed it today, July 18, 2006- no reason given for the delay.
Paid for Episcia Tropical Topaz on July 8, 2006 and was notified last week that it wouldn't be mailed until sometime this week. Reason because of the convention.
Comments welcome
Yes, I have seen that and had it happen to me also. They give you all of these big threats about payments and then don't keep their end of it very well.
Usually I don't complain, but I am in that kind of mood!
Many sellers put guarantees on their listings, like "Items will be shipped within X days after payment on winning bid." With plants, I think some folks may wait so they can ship at the beginning of the week, which makes sense. Some eBayers are just faster than others, and sometimes life gets in the way, but I do think an email notifying you of a delay and giving you a projected shipping date would be easy enough to do! As long as I know when something is shipped so I can keep an eye out for the package, I am generally OK with a delay, but I like to be kept in the loop!
We sell a lot of odds and ends on Ebay...and I always let the buyers know what is happening with the shipping because I assume that unexplained delays will result in negative feedback. I think the feedback system is the only way to regulate sloppy transactions. Even if you don't want to leave negative feedback, at least leave neutral.
Point made, I am sure the plants will be fine but I think I may comment on slow shipping. To my way of thinking, if they couldn't ship because of convention or something else, then they should wait to list it. I actually had one that took over 30 days because they were closing on a house; in my opinion they shouldn't have listed. Closing on a house is stressful and can be time consuming, but shouldn't keep you from from going to the post office once during 30 days.
Ok I have to comment on this.
I sell on ebay quite often. I think anything up to a week to ship is reasonable (my opinion here)
I often have 30 or more auctions going and pack up to 10 boxes a night to get things out. Also working a full time job..this is as much as I can do.
So I personally dont' think one week is asking a lot.
Now as a seller, I also have had to post non paying bidders on several people. So it is not all one sided.
Also what needs to be considered..is what is a reasonable amount of time to ship to you? I bet that is different for everyone
I agree that a week between payment and shipping isn't unreasonable. I've seen some folks post an estimated shipping window with their eBay item, which helps buyers know what to expect.
It's the folks who take a month or more to get plants out, often without explanation, that irk me. I ordered some banana pups last fall and had to repeatedly Dmail to see when they would ship... there was a further delay on a couple of them, and I was really concerned that they might freeze along the way, but the seller did assure me that any damaged plants would be replaced & reshipped at his cost... It all worked out, and I was quite pleased with my plants, but a little better communication (initiated by him rather than by me) would have helped.
I know delays happen... I have several boxes to get out (for trade or postage, not eBay purchases) that people have been waiting patiently for, but I do try to keep people posted when things haven't shipped, and I always Dmail when I'm going to ship something so they can look for it (and to make sure they'll be home that week).
I have bought lots of stuff on Ebay and I understand and accept the rules the seller sets up; only ship Monday, pay w/in 10 days, whatever- I don't complain about those things. When they do ship I understand that they have no control over the package once it leaves their hands, but come on when the seller emails and says we are just getting your package out today and appologizes for the delay, even they realize that they may not have handled this the best possible way.
When I get an email that says I got your payment last week, just got home from convention and it will be next week before I get it out- that says to me that I don't really matter to much.
And I have purchased many, many items on Ebay and had VERY FEW problems, complaints or disappointments; also most disappointments have been my fault for not reading carefully so I never complain. and I am not saying that any given seller can't have a problem here or there- we are all human- could be handled better.
This message was edited Jul 18, 2006 4:03 PM
Actually..I have had people tell me things got destroyed in the mail..and I have refunded them.
My bad for not packing well...or whatever..the customer is always right
But I have been responsible for sending packages a week after they were ordered.
I know that you as the seller has to, if you want to keep a customer, replace things destroyed in transit. Seems a tad unfair as I have had things arrive in the mail that were in an unimaginable condition- here is the amazing story of a Xmas card mailed by mom in Dec from Calif to TX- I thought she'd overlooked me that year but each of the girls got a card on the same day, sometime between Thanksgiving and Xmas. In the summer of the next year she was visiting us in Houston and the mail arrived. In the mail was a baggie and a notice stating the contents had been damaged by machinery. Inside the baggie was the partial envelope, ripped and torn to tatters along w/ a shredded corner of the card- just enough to let me know it was a Xmas card. Appeared to have been put on the ground and run over multiple times w/ a truck, then ripped into pieces, stompped on my elephants before being eaten and excreted by the same elephants and put into the baggie! Nice to know that my mom hadn't overlooked me that year!
april that is funny but I know it happens
I don't anything on ebay myself, but you would not believe the people that send me ASAP and everything else under the sun. In the spring before shipping I'm a commerical I start to ship in mid-April you would not believe the people that watch updating of the web site then get their order in from last December on to time to ship time. I have head ache trying to get order out in the spring myself with sales and the national Convention and sometime like said life get in the way........Really I think their is resonable time to get order out and payment in on order I feel 10 days is long enough to wait for a payment.
David
Ok I know I was in a bad mood the other day- problem w/ my bank, DH working 3 hours from home so only here on weekends, price of gas- whatever.
Now I am going to have to eat crow. Rec'd both packages yesterday and the Episcia Tropical Topaz is HUGE! I could easily root MANY stolens. Looks to be in excellent health and condition.
The AV Summer Carnival is just as large as any I rec'd from Bluebird, in bloom w/ many unopened and the guy sent me a full size, in bloom w/ many unopened buds, Warm Sunshine. Both plants w/ beautiful, healthy leaves.
I am hanging my head for being such a whinner!
PIctures please !
LOL...yes pictures please!
I guess it's true...some things are, indeed, worth the wait.
I think a week is reasonable, too, but I also think if the seller is going to make specific demands for *payment* that they should honor their own specifics for shipping, as well.
If they don't indicate specifics on shipping....you need to ask.
Here are photos- this is Episcia Tropical Topaz: even though not in flower it has yellow flowers.
This is picture of both AVs- Summer Carnival and Warm Sunshine
Close up of Warm Sunshine- the flower on this is less beat up by travel then Summer Carnival
This is Summer Carnival- while it got beat up a bit in transit, it has lots of unopened buds so I will post pictures when they open
