Buyers

[scottish]

So my auctions are all completed. I'm prompted to ask a question:

 

How long do you (as other sellers) give buyers to respond to payment requests? The three day period is up tomorrow evening which is when I'll send out my first reminder notice (to those that haven't confirmed their wins and payment type). How much longer after that do you send the next notice? At what point do you become warning/more emphatic?

 

Just under half of my auctions have been confirmed. As a buyer I've never paid later than 24 hours after an auction's close, but then I realize not everyone is an Internet maven like myself!

 

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[greggy]

I always send a reminder EMAIL after the 3rd day. I always phrase it in a way to enquire if they missed my first EMAIL and to please advise what their intentions are with respect to payment. Haven't had any problems with that approach! What! People are jamming out on your lowball prices?

[drbanner]

It depends on what you said in your winning bidder notifications. I say something to the affect that payment is expected within 10 days, and don't require the buyer to email me back. If no payment after 10 days, I re-contact them.

 

If you're requesting confirmation of your email (with their address, payment option, etc.,.) within 3 days, then I would send them another friendly/non-confrontational email as g(not G!)reggy suggests.

[FlyingDonut]

I NEVER expect confirmations. I don't do it when I buy something. I also NEVER send out confirmations when people pay me. Its harsh, but I ship fast. Why should I have to send you an email when I get your payment?

 

Another pet peeve from me. You send me a bill, I pay it. Why do I have to confirm that I got the bill?

 

Just feeling ornery today.

[aardvark88]

I always find that int'l buyers will reply fast b/c they want the vendor to estimate int'l shipping charges to their home country. Usually wait 5 bus. days b4 sending follow up email/invoice.

[Gorgo]

As a buyer I've never paid later than 24 hours after an auction's close

 

Me too, I usually pay within one hour of close of auction, but there is one buyer that I can't bring myself to block that will not pay until I send a non-paying bidder notification, every time. This buyer doesn't e-mail at all, but does send payment in every time after I send the notification.

 

If I don't hear from the winning bidder after three days, I will send a brief e-mail requesting confirmation that they intend to buy the book. If I don't hear from them after this, I'll wait 7 days, and file a non-paying bidder alert. Never had one go beyond this stage, but if it does, you can wait 10 more days & request a fee credit & file a negative against the bidder. Hope that helps.

[scottish]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I received two more confirmations this morning. I don't expect too many problems...just want to have my ducks in a row if problems arise.

[scottish]

Sorry I ruined your morning breakfast Dan.

 

I give confirmation and expect confirmation for two reasons:

 

1). My current job prevents me from shipping except once a week (Saturdays). This is indicated in my 'About Me' page and each auction. I wish I could mail next day, but until ebay becomes my chosen mode of making a living it ain't gonna happen. If a buyer pays me on Sunday - it's only curteous to let them know I did indeed ship the item the following Saturday. I know your situation is quite a bit different.

 

2). Don't trust email. It's great if a buyer can follow directions and add shipping to the auction total and mail off a check the next day, but I'd like to know that so I can watch for it (in the event it gets lost) and know that they know the auction is complete.

 

I realize the above example are rare, but I have had emails not make it often enough that I like to know the buyer is aware of their win.

 

YMMV!

[Darthdiesel]

My current job prevents me from shipping except once a week (Saturdays). This is indicated in my 'About Me' page and each auction. I wish I could mail next day, but until ebay becomes my chosen mode of making a living it ain't gonna happen. If a buyer pays me on Sunday - it's only curteous to let them know I did indeed ship the item the following Saturday. I know your situation is quite a bit different.

 

Actually I wasn't planning on paying you for my two wins...so there! I think that you got people on here to shill for you and regardless of who calls you a great dealer, a shill is a shill and I got f'd, blah blah blah...

 

Just my parody/synopsis of a recent thread on this forum recently applied in your case.

 

Because I've spent a lot on your books lately, I know that part about you not being able to ship but once a week ( get off your lazy @$$ already!) And since I'm in no rush to pay for my winnings from the Smokehouse Pedigree collection, I was figuring on waiting till tomorrow or Friday morning to pay you. Last time I paid you early, they didn't ship out till much later. I also figured you owe me a couple of freebies

 

Anyway, I figured not paying you right away would give you something to bring to the board to " and moan about"...and...looky what we have here...

 

[Illiterati-migration]

Its harsh, but I ship fast.

 

Damn right you do, Donut! Jeebus! I was still logging out of Paypal on my 2400kbps modem when my stuff arrived from you!

Niiiice.

[CosmicBob]

My problem is that eBay makes it difficult to include optional insurance with their checkout stuff and so I don't exactly know the insurance cost when I want to pay for an auction and I have to wait for the seller to get back to me.

 

The same problem happens when I'm selling something, insurance is optional and its hard to get an optional cost figured in to the checkout. So I do need to communicate with the buyer to determine if they want it or not.

[scottish]

I wasn't worried about you or supapimp so you not paying wasn't what prompted my post.

 

Tell you what: Maybe you'd like me to take a day off so I can personally ship your books? I leave for work at 7:30 take 30 minutes for lunch and leave for home at 5:00pm not arriving to my house until about 6:00pm. Maybe you can lobby congress to keep the PO open until 7pm.

 

I'll be sure to put a lit cigar in your box this time to make that Pedigree really authentic.

[Darthdiesel]

Closest US Postal facilities to you:

 

1. 0.8 mi N Claremont Finance Station - Boxes Only, 425-259-5323, 5033 Claremont Way, Everett, WA 98203

2. 2.6 mi N Everett, 425-257-3208, 3102 Hoyt Ave, Everett, WA 98201

3. 3.3 mi SW Everett Carrier Annex, 425-514-8063, 2201 100th St SW, Everett, WA 98204

4. 4.2 mi W Mukilteo Main Office, 425-710-7039, 8050 Mukilteo Speedway, Mukilteo, WA 98275

5. 5.6 mi E Snohomish Main Office, 360-568-0904, 1323 Avenue D, Snohomish, WA 98290 [Approx]

 

Unfortunately these all do close either at 5 or 5:30 PM, so this lets you off the hook. I suggest you go on a diet one day this week and mail my package out on one of your lunch breaks Or places like Mailboxes, Etc. or Parcel Plus are open til 9 PM. Usually - maybe not up by you.

 

I'm lucky enough to have Chantilly, VA PO open til 9PM and Merrifield open til midnight I believe.

[CosmicBob]

There's a PO at our airport that's open 24 hours. Of course if someone is in that big a hurry to get their stuff mailed to them, there will be a slight handling charge, if I have to go to the PO at 2:30 in the morning!