Are fruitcakes running rampant on eBay lately? Selling, buying, listing, feedback, etc...

[lazuli16]

1 hour ago, Bold-Arrow said:

is USPS delivering priority mail tomorrow ?

I hope so, otherwise I assume me and you will probably have the same problem. 

[bigboy61]

Some fruitcake tried to scam me on eBay earlier this month for $600. I bought a phone that was a Pre-order from a Top Rated seller. The seller was selling 50+ items at the time and was recieving more positive feedback every few days. The seller stated that the phone would ship on the first of December. About a week after buying it, I got a notification that it had shipped. Alarm bells immediately went off so I emailed the seller and asked if she shipped the phone early. She said that per eBay and PayPal policy, she had to ship the invoice or else it would look bad on her account. The "package" arrived a few days later. It was, indeed, an envelope with the packing slip in it. I waited until the first of December to see if she would ship the phone. She did not (unsurprisingly) and I opened a case. After a week waiting to escalate the case (obviously the seller did not respond), I escalated it to eBay one morning about an hour before my class started. When my class ended, I looked at my phone and I go an email saying that the case was decided in the sellers favor because she uploading a tracking number that was confirmed as delivered. I was livid. I called eBay claims and appealed the decision. I told them to pull the message logs between me and the seller and they could see the seller admitted to sending an invoice. After holding, the guy came back on and said that he was happy to say that he had reversed the decision. 

How incompetent are eBay personnel? I clearly stated in the comments what had happened and that they should look at the message logs, yet they ignored it and swiftly decided it in the sellers favor. What in the world?!?! 

Edited December 24, 2017 by bigboy61

[mizeur]

1 hour ago, lazuli16 said:

I hope so, otherwise I assume me and you will probably have the same problem. 

1 of the orders I shipped Priority on Monday is still listed as "in transit" with no location updates since it left my regional hub. Buyer's having to go find another locally. I have a feeling this one's not going to end well.

ETA: USPS Holiday Schedule

Holiday Mailing Deadlines
Mailing Within Contiguous US
Make sure your mail and packages arrive in time for the holidays by mailing before these recommended deadlines, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

Send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec. 25th (Actual delivery date may vary and is based on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance time, and other conditions).

December 14 — USPS Retail Ground®
December 19 — First-Class Mail®
December 20 — Priority Mail®
December 22 — Priority Mail Express®
For Priority Mail Express® shipments mailed December 23 through December 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two (2) business days.

 
Mailing Outside Contiguous US
If you're mailing to Alaska, Hawaii, an APO/FPO/DPO address, or internationally, see the recommended send-by dates for December 25 delivery. International deadlines vary by country.

Alaska & Hawaii Shipping Dates
APO/FPO/DPO Shipping Dates
International Shipping Dates
Christmas Eve Schedule
Local Post Office Hours
Post Office™ locations nationwide will be closed Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24.

Christmas hours will be posted at each Post Office location. Business customers, please check with your Bulk Mail Entry Unit for hours of operation.

Find USPS® Locations >

USPS Collection Boxes
Blue collection boxes will not be serviced on Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24. Regular collections will be made on Saturday, December 23.

Christmas Day Schedule
Post Office locations nationwide will be closed on Christmas Day, Monday, December 25.

Priority Mail Express® will still be delivered on Sunday, Christmas Eve, and Monday, Christmas Day.
Regular mail will not be delivered Monday, December 25.
All Post Office locations will be open and resume regular mail delivery on Tuesday, December 26.

Edited December 24, 2017 by mizeur

[newbie77]

2 hours ago, lazuli16 said:

I hope so, otherwise I assume me and you will probably have the same problem. 

afaik, unless its Amazon/FBA Item. USPS shouldn't/wouldn't delivery other item on sunday.

[Bold-Arrow]

yup, doesn't look like it, item finally arrived at city and with a delivery date  of tuesday now after being in limbo for 6 days. item was shipped on Monday and should have been delivered Wednesday. This is just stupid.

Buyer has been incredibly nice considering, but I am p***ed . if they are running behind they should add shifts. and why add drop off deadlines if you cant meet them .. %^$#@#@#@#

[mizeur]

2 hours ago, Bold-Arrow said:

yup, doesn't look like it, item finally arrived at city and with a delivery date  of tuesday now after being in limbo for 6 days. item was shipped on Monday and should have been delivered Wednesday. This is just stupid.

Buyer has been incredibly nice considering, but I am p***ed . if they are running behind they should add shifts. and why add drop off deadlines if you cant meet them .. %^$#@#@#@#

My item hasn't even had an "in transit" update since the 22nd.

[AirborneAFOL]

Yep, it’s ugly out there right now on the USPS front. I’ve had a couple hanging brutally “in limbo”.

I’m also a “Guaranteed Delivery Date” shipper on eBay, so it’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out. I’m covered because I met all my shipping requirements, but I think eBay will end up taking some hits as a result of reimbursing the buyers.

[newbie77]

7 hours ago, Bold-Arrow said:

yup, doesn't look like it, item finally arrived at city and with a delivery date  of tuesday now after being in limbo for 6 days. item was shipped on Monday and should have been delivered Wednesday. This is just stupid.

Buyer has been incredibly nice considering, but I am p***ed . if they are running behind they should add shifts. and why add drop off deadlines if you cant meet them .. %^$#@#@#@#

i am sure you are aware its usually 3-business days for PRIORITY MAIL [while 2 business day is touted in map it totally depends on where you are. if you are near the distribution center then it might work otherwise it won't] and while its not published making it at 5pm doesn't allow one to meet that within 3 days.

what i mean to say is there is usually a cut-off time and if i remember correctly for me [it varies by location] its 245pm. if i make that time and drop off Priority mail before that then its usually make it within 3 business days. say if its dropped and the receipt says 247pm then i have noticed that the package takes 3+1=4 business days. 

for the scheduled pickups, unless they pickup exclusively at one's location its "+1" scenario. 

so, in my case if carrier picks up on Monday and/or i drop off on monday after 245pm then delivery date is most likely Friday [ during normal times]. 

trust me that i am not trying to defend USPS. but in this business its mostly learn on the job and protect oneself which means to understand what happens rather than what's in the paper :). 

Edited December 24, 2017 by newbie77

[cosmic brick]

17 hours ago, newbie77 said:

afaik, unless its Amazon/FBA Item. USPS shouldn't/wouldn't delivery other item on sunday.

Can't speak for anyone else, but I was shocked to receive a package today from the USPS. I was sure they wouldn't be out and about today.

 

[DadsAFOL]

Priority is never delivery-guaranteed.  Just delivery-estimated.  Only Priority Express is delivery-guaranteed, and that's if they don't screw you by "forgetting" to do an acceptance scan.  And if they do scan it and still miss the date, all you get is your $21 back a few weeks later (after standing in line at the PO because service guarantee refunds can only be done at the counter).

 

 

[emazers]

27 minutes ago, DadsAFOL said:

Priority is never delivery-guaranteed.  Just delivery-estimated.  Only Priority Express is delivery-guaranteed, and that's if they don't screw you by "forgetting" to do an acceptance scan.  And if they do scan it and still miss the date, all you get is your $21 back a few weeks later (after standing in line at the PO because service guarantee refunds can only be done at the counter).

 

 

The Post Office will Deliver Priority And Express On Christmas Day, "In some areas"

[Mark Twain]

Merry Xmas everyone!

An Ebay buyer is furious  with me because his package is not going to arrive by xmas. He placed the order on 12/14 and I had it shipped USPS Parcel select on 12/15 with an estimated delivery between 12/21 and 12/30. At no point did he tell me he needed the item by xmas. Tracking still shows the item in transit (he lives in HI).  He's already left me some colorful negative feedback, calling me a liar and saying that I've destroyed his xmas. I've been patient and professional and only responded via messenger. I also opened up a case with USPS to inquire if their have been any delays with his package. 

Now he wants to cancel the order! I know I have to wait to open a case on Ebay until after the item is delivered. Will the negative feedback be removed since he left it before the package arrived in the estimated delivery window?

[labfreak7]

Did he know that it was being sent parcel select? I rarely use that option- always priority because I assume that the orders placed in that timeframe are going to be Christmas gifts, so I ship them to get there by that time. Honestly, I don't think he is out of line. 10 days in advance should be enough time to order a gift before Christmas. Then again, he should have made sure with you that it would arrive before Christmas if it was that important.

[Jackson]

5 hours ago, Mark Twain said:

Merry Xmas everyone!

An Ebay buyer is furious  with me because his package is not going to arrive by xmas. He placed the order on 12/14 and I had it shipped USPS Parcel select on 12/15 with an estimated delivery between 12/21 and 12/30. At no point did he tell me he needed the item by xmas. Tracking still shows the item in transit (he lives in HI).  He's already left me some colorful negative feedback, calling me a liar and saying that I've destroyed his xmas. I've been patient and professional and only responded via messenger. I also opened up a case with USPS to inquire if their have been any delays with his package. 

Now he wants to cancel the order! I know I have to wait to open a case on Ebay until after the item is delivered. Will the negative feedback be removed since he left it before the package arrived in the estimated delivery window?

What estimated delivery date did the buyer see when he ordered?  I’ve noticed that eBay provides incorrect  estimated delivery dates for economy shipping. 

[dmc]

5 hours ago, Mark Twain said:

Merry Xmas everyone!

An Ebay buyer is furious  with me because his package is not going to arrive by xmas. He placed the order on 12/14 and I had it shipped USPS Parcel select on 12/15 with an estimated delivery between 12/21 and 12/30. At no point did he tell me he needed the item by xmas. Tracking still shows the item in transit (he lives in HI).  He's already left me some colorful negative feedback, calling me a liar and saying that I've destroyed his xmas. I've been patient and professional and only responded via messenger. I also opened up a case with USPS to inquire if their have been any delays with his package. 

Now he wants to cancel the order! I know I have to wait to open a case on Ebay until after the item is delivered. Will the negative feedback be removed since he left it before the package arrived in the estimated delivery window?

Merry Christmas to you too  

"I cracked open the bible today and I couldn't find the verse about the true meaning of Christmas being the arrival of toys before 12/25. Can you point me to it? Thanks in advance! "

I'm not religious but I wouldn't hesitate to respond to anyone who accused me of ruining Christmas with something like that, especially if they've already left feedback   I would call Ebay and ask about the feedback and if any of the "colorful" language he used violates Ebay's policies, definitely mention that, but I wouldn't sweat it if it can't be removed. There are too many unreasonable people to dodge negative feedback forever. Respond politely to the negative feedback they left so that others checking out your feedback can see your side of the story. 

In the future, when you notice orders like this, probably wise to contact the buyer and warn them that the item may not arrive by Christmas. There are too many people who buy without actually looking at the estimated delivery date, and as Jackson notes, Ebay is often very optimistic about delivery dates for some forms of shipping. That said, if this guy is in HI, he should be accustomed to delivery taking a lot longer. I mean, with Amazon prime, free shipping to HI is 3-7 days, instead of 2 days. Maybe it's his first foray into online shopping.

[Mark Twain]

1 hour ago, labfreak7 said:

Did he know that it was being sent parcel select? I rarely use that option- always priority because I assume that the orders placed in that timeframe are going to be Christmas gifts, so I ship them to get there by that time. Honestly, I don't think he is out of line. 10 days in advance should be enough time to order a gift before Christmas. Then again, he should have made sure with you that it would arrive before Christmas if it was that important.

Yeah, he knew it was being sent parcel select. I’ve never had an issue with it, but then again I’ve never shipped to HI before. All he needed to have done was contact me and arrange for faster shipping, which I would have been happy to have done.

[Mark Twain]

38 minutes ago, Jackson said:

What estimated delivery date did the buyer see when he ordered?  I’ve noticed that eBay provides incorrect  estimated delivery dates for economy shipping. 

I’m not certain where I can access that info beyond the tracking estimate after I printed the label, which was between 12/21 and 12/30. USPS indicates that parcel select shipping is between 2 to 9 business days for the lower 48, with the disclaimer to expect longer shipping times to Hawaii and Alaska. 

[Mark Twain]

Buyer opened a case today demanding a refund. I'm really not certain what to do at this point. I opened a case with USPS and got info that the package was on a barge to HI and that this method of delivery normally took 3-6 weeks! Ouch! I still have a DC# and tracking shows that it is estimated to arrive on 12/30, for however much that is worth. 

Oddly, the buyer has said on multiple exchanges that he is confident it will not arrive on 12/30 and Ebay will give him his money back and, I assume, he'll keep the package. I've reviewed the feedback he'd left for other buyers, and oh man is there a pattern of him leaving negative feedback and buyers stating they refunded him.

I won't be shipping outside of the lower 48 again, and for those of you who do it via priority mail I have no clue how you afford it outside of flat rate boxes. This cost $20 to ship parcel post, priority would have been $60!

[lodibricks]

58 minutes ago, Mark Twain said:

Buyer opened a case today demanding a refund. I'm really not certain what to do at this point. I opened a case with USPS and got info that the package was on a barge to HI and that this method of delivery normally took 3-6 weeks! Ouch! I still have a DC# and tracking shows that it is estimated to arrive on 12/30, for however much that is worth. 

Oddly, the buyer has said on multiple exchanges that he is confident it will not arrive on 12/30 and Ebay will give him his money back and, I assume, he'll keep the package. I've reviewed the feedback he'd left for other buyers, and oh man is there a pattern of him leaving negative feedback and buyers stating they refunded him.

I won't be shipping outside of the lower 48 again, and for those of you who do it via priority mail I have no clue how you afford it outside of flat rate boxes. This cost $20 to ship parcel post, priority would have been $60!

That sucks.  It's interesting how sets a few pounds or less can be about the same or even less using Priority Mail, but it gets exponentially ridiculous the heavier they are.
Not that anything I do is recommended, but those heavier sets I would set to calculated so you don't eat the crazy costs and maybe add the option of both Parcel Select + Priority Mail so it's on them if it's either too expensive or too slow.

[jonnyhanukkah]

Check your eBay Bucks accounts this morning if you took part in any of the last few Bucks selling promotions - I just had almost $300.00 deposited into my bucks account for all the stuff I sold in November and December with the promos!!!

As soon as the certificate is active it's shopping spree time!!!!

[labfreak7]

Buyer opened a case today demanding a refund. I'm really not certain what to do at this point. I opened a case with USPS and got info that the package was on a barge to HI and that this method of delivery normally took 3-6 weeks! Ouch! I still have a DC# and tracking shows that it is estimated to arrive on 12/30, for however much that is worth. 
Oddly, the buyer has said on multiple exchanges that he is confident it will not arrive on 12/30 and Ebay will give him his money back and, I assume, he'll keep the package. I've reviewed the feedback he'd left for other buyers, and oh man is there a pattern of him leaving negative feedback and buyers stating they refunded him.
I won't be shipping outside of the lower 48 again, and for those of you who do it via priority mail I have no clue how you afford it outside of flat rate boxes. This cost $20 to ship parcel post, priority would have been $60!

You have to be very careful when creating a listing. Package weight and dimensions must be spot on so the buyer knows what they are paying. Also, nobody wants to wait for usps snail mail (parcel), so I always use priority or Fedex/UPS. People nowadays are spoiled and expect Amazon shipping speed so you have to be aware of that.

[dmc]

On 12/26/2017 at 7:02 PM, Mark Twain said:

Buyer opened a case today demanding a refund. I'm really not certain what to do at this point. I opened a case with USPS and got info that the package was on a barge to HI and that this method of delivery normally took 3-6 weeks! Ouch! I still have a DC# and tracking shows that it is estimated to arrive on 12/30, for however much that is worth. 

Oddly, the buyer has said on multiple exchanges that he is confident it will not arrive on 12/30 and Ebay will give him his money back and, I assume, he'll keep the package. I've reviewed the feedback he'd left for other buyers, and oh man is there a pattern of him leaving negative feedback and buyers stating they refunded him.

I won't be shipping outside of the lower 48 again, and for those of you who do it via priority mail I have no clue how you afford it outside of flat rate boxes. This cost $20 to ship parcel post, priority would have been $60!

My suggestions:

1) He is clearly screwing you. He likely orders from Ebay hoping to get sellers unaccustomed to shipping to HI in hopes of getting the items free. Follow him so that if he ever decides to sell on ebay, you can screw him back   Alternatively, let it go. It's far healthier for you, but I am somewhat childish and vindictive  

2) Don't refund him. Don't communicate with him at all. He's already left you bad feedback so there's nothing to be gained. If you respond in the case, keep in mind that what you are doing is creating a record for the ebay rep when they review it. Ebay will probably make you refund him, but by waiting for Ebay to decide the case, you give it a bit of extra time for the package to arrive. 

Sorry! These things happen on Ebay from time to time, but the vast majority of Ebayers are good eggs.

[hockeyweasel]

I got an order on Sunday the 17th and created a USPS priority mail label on Monday the 18th and took the package to my regional distribution center.  The line was out the door and pre-paid packages were directed to drop off in the scattered bins. That made me justifiably nervous because that batch of packages didn't get their acceptance scan or a departure scan.  They were listed as 'label created' until they started showing up at the destination sorting facilities. I had two going to the Houston area that were in limbo and looked like I never shipped them.  One buyer expresses his unhappiness on the 22nd that it hasn't been shipped.  I explain with what I wrote above, share his frustration with the postal service and he thanks me for the update.  It shows up on the 27th and he claims that it's squashed and nearly torn in half.  The gift recipient is okay with it, despite the box condition, and the buyer decides not to return it, but he gives me negative feedback, stating it was guaranteed delivery and the box was squashed.  I asked the other Houston person if their box was in poor condition, and they said theirs arrived pristine.  I'm attempting a remove negative feedback request with the person, but suspect I'm going to be SOL. Any point bringing it up with eBay CS?  Am I likely going to have to accept the negative feedback for the USPS' poor shipping and handling at the holidays?

[Will 4]

34 minutes ago, dmc said:

 I am somewhat childish and vindictive

Nice to see someone who thinks like me

Edited December 28, 2017 by Will 4

[KShine]

On 12/26/2017 at 10:02 PM, Mark Twain said:

Buyer opened a case today demanding a refund. I'm really not certain what to do at this point. I opened a case with USPS and got info that the package was on a barge to HI and that this method of delivery normally took 3-6 weeks! Ouch! I still have a DC# and tracking shows that it is estimated to arrive on 12/30, for however much that is worth. 

Oddly, the buyer has said on multiple exchanges that he is confident it will not arrive on 12/30 and Ebay will give him his money back and, I assume, he'll keep the package. I've reviewed the feedback he'd left for other buyers, and oh man is there a pattern of him leaving negative feedback and buyers stating they refunded him.

I won't be shipping outside of the lower 48 again, and for those of you who do it via priority mail I have no clue how you afford it outside of flat rate boxes. This cost $20 to ship parcel post, priority would have been $60!

Has the buyer made any reference to leaving you a negative feedback if you don't comply? If so, ebay will remove that feedback (on request), as it is Feedback Extortion.

Sometimes you can (cautiously) give a buyer just enough rope to hang themselves.