Slightly OT - Who's being unreasonable? (Ebay metal content)

I also have two accounts, both in my name, it is perfectly within the rules. I rarely buy in my seller's account.

i

Not only that. It's common in some industries to charge enough money for shipping to the end user to cover both his shipping cost and the cost to ship the raw materials to the factory.

Go to

You can order them in quantity for free. And the Postal Service will deliver them straight to your door (also for free, and usually within a day or two).

Nope. There are two sizes of **Flat-Rate** Priority Mail boxes (which is what we're discussing here); both sizes ship for $7.70 to any US location and for any amount of weight up to a maximum of 70 lbs.

So if it's unreasonable to expect the seller to drop off the item of shipping, and yet it's also unreasonable to expect him to have someone pick it up, how do you think he's supposed to ship the item... by teleportation?

But, really, that's academic: this seller (who describes himself as "retired") has UPS pick-up from his location (likely his shop, since he's selling metal cut-offs and scrap). If UPS can come pick up from his location, then why can't the US Postal Service?

Besides, another gentleman in this NG (Keith Marshall; see his post in this thread) took a look at this seller's current auctions and found a listing for some Delrin rod. This is the listed shipping method:

"US $3.95 - US Postal Service Priority Mail®"

That kinda' shoots holes the arguments that my asking him to ship by USPS is inconvienient.

Two last points I'd like to make for those who think I'm trying to be "unreasonable" with this seller:

1. Two of these auctions were "Buy It Now". And for the third, the difference between my winning bid (opening price) and the "BIN" price was just .00. So he's basically getting his asking price for his auctions.
2. I told him from the beginning that the reason I wanted to save money on the shipping was so that I could buy two additional auctions of his for stainless steel rod cut-offs. In fact I told him that I'd rather give my business and my money to him than to UPS. (And I wasn't just blowing smoke: I really did intend to buy two of his other auctions.)

Really, this whole thing is just bad business as far as I can tell. I still can see no reason for his refusal except for his being stubborn.

- Michael

We've already discovered that the seller has other current auctions for items with USPS Priority Mail listed as the shipping method, so that's not it.

At this point, his unjustified stubborn inflexibility and his lies have soured my purchases. If I could withdraw my business from this seller without damaging my Ebay credibility and rating, I would! I don't need scrap pieces of stainless steel THAT badly.

- Michael

Hey, we're not talking about an industrial order here. This guy is selling scrap cut-offs, from his machine shop, on Ebay.

Really? How so?

I didn't ask him for any free product. I didn't ask him to eat any shipping expenses. I didn't ask him to jump through any hoops.

The seller currently has auctions where the listed shipping method is US Priority Mail. For the auctions I purchased, he did not stipulate a shipping method, only that I would inccur actual shipping charges.

Is it really unreasonable that I ask him to ship by a more economical method -- one that he already uses?

And BTW, I told him from the very first request that I wanted to save money on the shipping so that I could purchase two more of his auctions. I figured the additional sales would benefit him as well as me. Why throw money away on shipping? Is that unreasonable of me?

Now, this whole transaction has soured me to the point where I wish I never bid on his auctions. Not only has he lost two additional sales now, but he's lost my future business as well (and probably the business of my metalworking friends).

- Michael

Considering the very negative experience Susan had with a less than honest seller on ebay, you have my total sympathy. Do us all a favor and name the person with which you've done business so those of us that wish to avoid doing business with him, will be able to do so. That's assuming we are still buying off ebay. Frankly, we rarely do anymore, and it's the honest seller that's taking the loss. Ebay is not putting enough effort into discouraging the crooks. They're far more interested in their bottom line, from all indications. If you prefer to not make his name known publicly, I'd appreciate hearing from you on the side.

Best of luck,

Harold

You are totally misinformed about the new shipping containers. *Totally*.

Harold

"Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote

Yes, please do post the seller's name. I would like to be able to avoid them.

I think that ebay from the beginning thought the feedback system would allow buyers to be able to research sellers. That works, but not all the time. And then, there are those sellers who are just plain fraudulent, who make the money, then run. Then come back as another seller, and do the same thing. I have had some questionable situations on ebay, and had very little help from their side.

I guess you just do your best, either as a buyer, or seller, and let what's going to happen happen.

Steve

On Fri, 13 May 2005 19:37:14 -0700, the inscrutable "SteveB" spake:

They're both being unreasonable. What if the guy no longer drives/has a car?

What's your store/vendor name, Steve? My local post offices aren't too bad, but both are just over 4 miles away. I get into town twice a week so it's not too far out of the way twice a week.

I, too, sell from my home. The USPS delivers Priority boxes and I use Stamps.com for postage/tracking. Portions of that $16/mo fee are added to shipment costs along with handling/packing fees (they pay $5 for a $3.85 stamp + handling) My glare guards are well under the 2 pound limit on mailbox shipping so I have gotten away with a customs form on a box going out of my mailbox. When I have to go to the USPO for an int'l mailing, I charge an extra fee to (partially) cover my time.

It should. It's inconvenient, and small branches can be even worse with lines out the door all day.

Caveat Emptor: If the vendor gives the package to his buddy, the buddy can charge him an extra $30 to go to the USPS and you'll have to pay it plus the USPS fees. That's his actual shipping charge as you agreed to in the auction. ALWAYS email to ask for actual fees for delivery to your zip code or you can get hammered. I got nailed $7.95 for a 2 ounce envelope once and learned my lesson on that one.

------ We're born hungry, wet, 'n naked, and it gets worse from there. -

Website Application Programming -

Then, print up the label at home, put it on the package, and have the postman pick up the package at the seller's home. Shut-ins can do business from home in today's market. Did the seller have a business address, or was he working from home? Either way, a postman probably goes to one of those places.

priorityonesales

My local post offices aren't

Why don't you just print your lables at home, and chuck the stamps?

That story would only be viable if one lived at a residence where there was no postal delivery. I guess such places exist, and some people only have post office boxes for different reasons. But mostly, if there is a postman in the area, they will take your packages, even if you have a post office box address. I have flagged down more than one postman and given him my outgoing packages in areas other than where I live back before they just picked them up.

Yup. You live and learn.

Steve

I agree with your gripe to a certain extent, but many sellers avoid using USPS. That is simply a fact. Use e-mail next time to inquire before purchasing.

I've had the advantage of reading the above posts and will throw in my $.02. At this point I would take the sellers point. Being a person that gets "stuck in my ways" I can imagine that this seller already has the item boxed up and ready to go, may already have the label on it. To change to postal would not be worth the $10 savings to you. His system to ship metal may be to drop it off at some shipping depot and they do the packing and shipping for him. I know that I personally will hardly get out of an easy chair to save you $10, no less walk away from a machine that is making me money. I would in this case ask the seller to unwind the deal and mutually walk away. Ya get in a pissing contest, at the very least you get pissed on too. lg no neat sig line

I agree to e mail before purchasing. But my opinion is that USPS is about

4.6 light years ahead of UPS in service and customer service. My problems with UPS have been much greater than with USPS.

Steve

Chuckle! Strange comments from one of the most decent of people I've had the privilege to meet. LG is the kind person that mailed to me, no strings attached, some felt for making a wiper to fit the Bridgeport shaper head I was rebuilding. Don't let his comments fool you. He's a very kind and caring person, and would likely bend over backwards to accommodate other people. He sure went out of his way for me.

I do, however, understand his stance in this issue. Could be the seller did already have his product packaged, or perhaps has a shipping firm handle it, and they have a system that he prefers to not change. That doesn't change the fact that the seller is less than concerned with the idea of charging a buyer one hell of a lot more for shipping than is necessary. Personally, I try to be far more considerate of others than that. Some folks have had too much too long and have no idea how it can be to live on a small, fixed income, where a couple bucks may spell the difference between being able to pursue a given project, or not.

Harold

I bought a "brand new" computer that turned out to be a factory refurb, which the seller had just bought from ubid.com. Ebay told me they don't get involved in "disputes over product descriptions". I also found out that a Visa branded debit card is still just a debit card- once the money is gone, it is gone, and Visa will not go to bat for you. Paypal, of course, wouldn't do anything either.

We were fortunate in that ebay did go to bat for us, and quickly paid Susan the maximum amount for a bad transaction at that particular point in time. Problem for us is our transaction amounted to almost $1,200, and they gave Susan only $175. She was still out a considerable amount of money, and none of the protection agencies would do anything about it. The message we received is that crime does pay, that those that scam people are free to do so, time and again. It is for that reason that we no longer use ebay.

The seller has never listed anything on ebay since, but I have no idea if that is by choice, or ebay suspended them. As you likely know, ebay won't tell you anything.

Harold