PROBATION DISCUSSIONS 21 21

[WDMARVELCOMICS]

Why do folks still ship packages (especially packages over $250) uninsured and/or with no tracking? If it was shipped (sorry - not saying it was or wasn't) - eating the cost seems harsh. Have you checked with the post office?

 

Sorry, I missed the shipped by first class.

 

I have checked with the Post Office. The only thing they could tell me was. That it could have been held for inspection by Customs. If that happened it can delay some packages for as long as 90 days. I then asked my Post Office if they could find out if it did get held up some where. They took down my ifno and I gave them the info for the person I was sending it to. They said they would see if they could find anything out and get back to me. They were supposed to get back to me early this week and they still haven't. Hopefully the Post Office can find it or let me know if it got held up by Customs. As of right now. I'm still waiting for them to get back to me.

[VintageComics]

If I can add, some packages I have shipped from Canada to the US have disappeared for up to 3 months only to magically appear one day.

 

1 went to Australia by mistake.

1 was probably just lost in the system.

1 was stuck in customs.

 

I also have one book coming from the US to Canada get stuck in customs for 3 weeks.

 

I've only had one instance ever where a package I shipped did not arrive and I did not have tracking so I ate the cost of the book (about $220).

 

We've also read of stories where packages with tracking end up disappearing.

 

Moral of the story is that even though the postal service does a terrific job over all, they deal with 1,000,000's of packages every year and sometimes things happen that are beyond their control. That's what insurance is for.

 

Keep in mind that November and December volume is massive and between the holidays and all the gifts and cards (Thanksgiving and Christmas) being shipped, and workers taking vacation time this will also slow things down in a big way.

 

I'm sure you guys will be able to sort this out amicably.

 

(thumbs u

[Peter Loves Gwen]

FYI, the parcel volume just went up yesterday, likely from extra Black Friday purchases. I think this year will be as busy as ever.

 

I suggest doing postage/labels online, the tracking number is free that way, and the cost is almost 10% less for postage.

 

Use the free Priority Mail boxes if you can, BTW the #1092 fits just inside the #1095 box.

 

Postal rates for Priority Mail have improved this past year, it's more fair by the distance. Close distance shipping prices have come down some, while across country is up a little. It used to be nearly the same price for all distances. Regards,

[Unknownworlds]

Wil,

 

Thanks for responding and I'm sorry it had to come to nominating you for the probation list but I feel I have no other course of action at this point. I will be happy to retract my nomination when I receive my refund or if the book arrives.

 

Again, I will be happy to resend the funds if the book arrives after you send me a refund.

 

Will

 

Thanks everyone else for your feedback and tips.

[DiceX]

FWIW, I've had a package take over 2 months to get to Canada. Held up in customs.

 

 

[N/A]

I guess I'm just lucky but I've had all of one package ever get 'lost' only to show up at my door clearly marked 'refused. Return to sender'.

 

My personal policy is to track any purchase over $100 and all packages insured.

 

My longest customs wait? 2 weeks on an overnight delivery time sensitive package.

[WDMARVELCOMICS]

FWIW, I've had a package take over 2 months to get to Canada. Held up in customs.

 

 

Before I left Canada. I had a few eBay purchases take a long time to get to me. One took a little over 4 months to make it to me and couple of them took almost 3 moths. I'm from Saint John, New Brunswick and I left Canada in 2006.

[skypinkblu]

I sold a book to them at end of September. His package was sent 1st Class Mail. He claims he didn't receive it. Sense I didn't put a tracking number on it. I was willing to eat this transaction and refund his money. I wasn't able to send him a refund on the day I got paid because I had some unexpected bills come up. So I listed some books for sale to make up the funds for his transaction as fast as possible. I curently have 2 Sales threads listed to make up the funds for his refund. I've been trying blow stuff out at extremely low prices. Just so I can make up his funds as fast as possible.

 

Sense, I'm now on the probation list. I guess I can't sell anything else here. So I'll close my sales threads right now. I guees I'll have to try move this stuff else where.

 

So as of right now. I can't give him an exact date for his refund. But he will get his money. I'm not out to burn anyone. I've been using these Message Boards for years now and this is the first time. Something like this has happened.

 

Plus any time I've had a transaction go bad due to a package getting damaged in the mail. I've always went out of my way to make it right.

 

I have kept in touch with him. I just didn't answer his last PM because I was hoping to have his money back to him within the next day or so. That's when I was going to respond to him with the news I was giving him his refund.

 

So I'm not hiding or avoiding anyone.

 

I can update this thread on a daily basis. If you guys want me to. Everyone just let know. If you guys want me to give a day by day report on how its going on coming up with the funds.

 

Thanks,

Wil

 

 

Although I hate for postage to cost my Canadian friends extra money, this is the reason I no longer want to mail first class, you CANNOT track it. You can't print the postage online, either.

 

I've mailed that way, but I always get the feeling I'm playing Russian Roulette.

 

I've never had a problem with a priority package and they get there in a reasonable time, but first class can go missing for a month.

[Pitboss]

Funny enough,when I used to Airmail to Canada (service no longer exists ) from TX,the packages would arrive in 6 days.

 

 

[chunkybutt]

I was told by a boardie to declare the package "old Book" instead of "comics, or comic book" and they do not get held up in customs.

 

Do not know if it works or if I am lucky, but all my packages so far have made it to Canada safe and sound in about a week using Priority mail.

[Loki]

I've had problems of this nature twice in all my years of collecting. The first time was with an eBay seller from Ireland, the second with a book from a boardie (Dale Roberts, I think). Both times, the books vanished into the Canada Post system only to end up being returned to the seller a few months later with no attempt at delivery. It's weird, but it does happen on occasion...

[comicartfan]

I have never had a problem on these boards until now. I bought 2 books from board member Ted Knight (Douglas Fletcher) over a month ago. I received a pm after I paid immediately that he ran into a snag, but the books would go out on the following Tuesday.

 

Then I heard nothing...It's been a month, so it's time to speak up. I have emailed him and sent PMs over the past week and still no response.

 

So I am out $110.00 --- I notified Paypal so we'll see what they do about it

[fastballspecial]

Never lost a book to Canada sending 1st class and sent them to some very remote Canadian places. I do write addresses under my label and I tape over the addresses on top so they wont run or get wet from rain. Hope it turns up most do in the long run.

 

My record for US delivery Priority is Dec 23 to Feb 14th. I had already refunded the guy who lived in Idaho when he emailed me it arrived.

 

 

 

[Benjamin Grimm]

I know I wasn't involved in the transaction being discussed, but I feel obligated to throw in a word or two for Wil (WDMARVEL COMICS) and just international shipping in general.

 

I shipped a CGC comic to Spain recently. In an envelope, even, at the buyer's request. It took over a month to get there despite the claimed two week maximum set by the USPS. The comic arrived perfectly. I had marked the customs paper "framed papers". I felt that wasn't lying, because CGC comics are just framed paper when you really get down to it, and the envelope was opted by the buyer because it was a cheaper thing with customs to receive a letter, or "papers", so fine whatever. I had pausible deniability, if nothing else. International shipping takes time, period.

 

On to Wil. I came here once a few months ago and took a beating for pricing a CGC comic wrong. I felt that the replies I got were not nice, and so my replies were not nice as well. So big strike out for me. I made a mistake. However, I gave it a few months to blow over and I came back. The first purchase I made was from Wil. Long story short, I bought from Wil, he bought from me and then we negotiated a trade deal for something I wanted that he had and something he wanted that I had. Wil has never done me wrong and and I credit him for my continuing to come back to this forum everyday (sometimes several times a day). Wil has been a great asset to me here, and in my comic collecting in general. So, to the original poster of the idea of putting Wil on a Probation (Unknownworlds, I believe), let me go out on a limb here and say this:

 

Wil should not be on probation or any negative status of any kind. If something he sent to you got held up at customs or even lost in the mail, he has already offered to eat the cost of such a thing happening, I would think that shows his honesty. I think you should give the package more time to arrive. But I hereby stick up for Wil, and if money is what it takes to keep him on a good standing here, I'll personally go buy $275 worth of stuff from him just to keep him here.

 

Ok, over.

[asteroid-comix]

FYI, the parcel volume just went up yesterday, likely from extra Black Friday purchases. I think this year will be as busy as ever.

 

I suggest doing postage/labels online, the tracking number is free that way, and the cost is almost 10% less for postage.

 

Use the free Priority Mail boxes if you can, BTW the #1092 fits just inside the #1095 box.

 

Postal rates for Priority Mail have improved this past year, it's more fair by the distance. Close distance shipping prices have come down some, while across country is up a little. It used to be nearly the same price for all distances. Regards,

I know you're with the PO, but I thought the only way to track an international package (incl CA) was to ship it Express?

 

I was burned for over 2k on a deal that I shipped to CA using priority. Couldn't show online proof to paypal of receipt, so I had to refund the buyer. Like our neighbors to the north, but I'll only ship non-Express to a few folks from here on the boards. The rest can figure $35 to ship a slab.

[Unknownworlds]

Thanks for your feedback. Whether the book was shipped or is somewhere within the postal system does not change the fact that it was agreed that this book would be shipped to arrive prior to me leaving for NYCC. I was accommodating when it did not arrive because I know these things happen.

 

I nominated Wil to the Probabtion List when a refund that was promised on a specific date was not sent and my pm's went unanswered for several days even though he was actively posting.

 

At any rate, Wil has assured me he will make good and I will be more than happy to retract my nomination once a refund is sent or the book arrives.

 

Will

[skypinkblu]

I have never had a problem on these boards until now. I bought 2 books from board member Ted Knight (Douglas Fletcher) over a month ago. I received a pm after I paid immediately that he ran into a snag, but the books would go out on the following Tuesday.

 

Then I heard nothing...It's been a month, so it's time to speak up. I have emailed him and sent PMs over the past week and still no response.

 

So I am out $110.00 --- I notified Paypal so we'll see what they do about it

 

Quoted, so it would not get lost in the other responses.

 

Looks like he stopped posting 11/18, maybe someone has his phone number? (just a suggestion) http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=userposts&id=15812

Edited December 3, 2011 by skypinkblu

[Peter Loves Gwen]

FYI, the parcel volume just went up yesterday, likely from extra Black Friday purchases. I think this year will be as busy as ever.

 

I suggest doing postage/labels online, the tracking number is free that way, and the cost is almost 10% less for postage.

 

Use the free Priority Mail boxes if you can, BTW the #1092 fits just inside the #1095 box.

 

Postal rates for Priority Mail have improved this past year, it's more fair by the distance. Close distance shipping prices have come down some, while across country is up a little. It used to be nearly the same price for all distances. Regards,

I know you're with the PO, but I thought the only way to track an international package (incl CA) was to ship it Express?

 

I was burned for over 2k on a deal that I shipped to CA using priority. Couldn't show online proof to paypal of receipt, so I had to refund the buyer. Like our neighbors to the north, but I'll only ship non-Express to a few folks from here on the boards. The rest can figure $35 to ship a slab.

 

I'm sorry to hear that Paypal didn't accept the kind of tracking number that was part of that Priority Mail article. I have also been told that in many countries only the Global Express mail can be insured to certain levels, has full and accurate tracking etc. It seems that some businesses may not accept certain tracking number types.

 

I'd look into the different tracking methods more, and again, because things have changed come since 2011 Summer. Now the plain tracking service is now called "Tracking Number" instead of "Delivery Confirmation." The key thing to note is that now there are a few scan events available online, before only the beginning and end event was recorded publicly.

 

I noted last year that shipping internationally required over the counter service if the value was high at all. Only low valued items can be done completely online. You can print the label for anything online, but insurance must be paid for at a PO counter machine. That is a PITA because the clerks usually have a very hard time finding the international addresses on the computer, to generate an article number.

 

I appreciate any new information myself, I work at the PO but I keep discovering new stuff, usually bad. Regards,

[Gatchaman]

The seller, kenm, has not delivered bought books, but always has some reason why not to send? I paid for some books on Sept 27, I followed up on Nov 11th. he said was sorry he missed me and would ship out. A week later I inquired about DC#. On Nov. 18th he said that he could not send me the books because he had been sick and had no money to mail them and would set up another sales thread to make money to pay for shipping (what happened to the money I paid for the shipping?). On Nov. 27th he said he will try to get out on the next Monday to ship. I emailed him yesterday and still have not heard from him.

[59Chevy-migration]

The seller, kenm, has not delivered bought books, but always has some reason why not to send? I paid for some books on Sept 27, I followed up on Nov 11th. he said was sorry he missed me and would ship out. A week later I inquired about DC#. On Nov. 18th he said that he could not send me the books because he had been sick and had no money to mail them and would set up another sales thread to make money to pay for shipping (what happened to the money I paid for the shipping?). On Nov. 27th he said he will try to get out on the next Monday to ship. I emailed him yesterday and still have not heard from him.

 

 

Kemn has books listed for sale on the boards