Global Priority Mail envelope refused by a seller...

[WernerVonDoom]

I need to send a $7 CGC book to the UK. Any suggestions?

 

An envelope might be fine for raw books, but for CGC cases?

[FlyingDonut]

1. crack the book

2. Send it in the GPM envelope.

[kahml]

[osborn_fr]

Don't laugh, it's what i ask to sellers when i buy low grade cgc books.

[osborn_fr]

Got my answer to my email to him...

 

Here's my mail:

 

===========================================================

Hello again Max,

 

just a few words to explain why i would like you ship the book in a Global Priority Envelope (i hope you'll not mind about that, i'm just trying to explain you how it can save me some $ to, maybe, buy you more books one of theses days

 

1) As long as you package the comic as i described, you wouldn't be held liable for damages that may occur due to being shipped in an envelope.

2) I think that shipping one book in a box is a waste of money

3) GPM is faster and safer than Air mail

4) I made hundreds of comics come safely to France with this method.

 

BTW, let me know if you can do me this favor ?

 

Cheers,

David

==========================================================

 

His answer, 2 days later:

 

*********************************************************************************************

 

I am sorry, I am not trying to be difficult, I just cannot make special shipping arrangements with every sale. If you would rather not purchase the book having it shipped by my method I understand and we can cancel the deal with no hard feelings.

 

Regards,

T.

 

*********************************************************************************************

 

First time this thing happen to me ?!

What should i do now ?

[kahml]

Seems to me that this is merely a lesson in the vagaries of dealing with eBay sellers (I know because I am one - and sometimes I've been accused of being a hard-[!@#%^&^] when it comes to shipping).

 

You could try to point out that he is not making an exception in "every sale" but just this one; however, I don't think he'll accept that. In this case he does not seem to understand that "the customer is always right."

 

Bottom line: Spend the money, let him ship the book the way he wants, give him a neutral feedback for shipping methods, and move on.

 

Larry

[ArAich]

Bottom line: Spend the money, let him ship the book the way he wants, give him a neutral feedback for shipping methods, and move on.

 

I agreed with you up until the point about the feedback...if the book arrives safe and sound then there is no reason to give a neutral feedback rating....

[kahml]

That's fair enough. How about an alternative - leave Pos feedback with cautionary (negative) statement:

 

rec'd book OK, but could have been shipped safely for $9 not $16 in GPM envelope

 

Assuming the book ends up there OK...

 

 

Larry

[lighthouse]

I am a big fan of the GPM, as both Chromium and Osborn_France can attest just in the last week...

 

But I also understand why a high-volume seller doesn't want to have to change his shipping method for an individual sale. If I have sixty packages going out today and all sixty of them are going the exact same method with the same kinds of packing and the same kinds of labels, it makes it a lot easier for me to get those packages out.

 

I send my single CGC books via double-boxed Priority Mail. I pack them exactly the same way every time. I have my bubble wrap pre-cut, the boxes pre-made, I know exactly how many pieces of tape I will use. Because of that I can pack them in a third the time. The only time I have to make a special package is when one customer orders several items, and then it's "worth" it to me to spend the time.

 

I also have very specific methods I use for shipping small numbers of trade paperbacks. I buy the envelopes in bulk, I cut the cardboard 200 at a time, everything is based around economies of scale. Larger trade orders have to go a different method, and it takes more time to pack them. But then the sale total is high enough to justify the time. On single trade orders (especially at the prices I offer) the only way I can make money is if the process is as streamlined as possible.

 

Ask FlyingDonut about sending your package media mail... One of the biggest reasons he can do the volume he does and maintain the reputation he does is that he ships 99% of all his packages the exact same way. Those economies of scale allow him to be profitable selling low-cost items while avoiding wasted time.

 

A lot of sellers don't sell internationally at all. For some it's because PayPal won't protect them. But for many, it's just a lot more headache. If you can prep six domestic packages in the time it takes to prep one international shipment, it's easy to see why it's tempting to only sell domestically. And if you attempt to charge for that additional time, you're a shipping profiteer. It takes me four times as long to write out the labels on an international shipment. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but those customs forms add up. And because there are so many options for international shipping, there will always be more time spent on exchanging emails when figuring out the right one.

 

I have plenty of domestic customers that I never exchange a single email with. I would say roughly 70% of all my domestic eBay sales do not involve a single email. Payment is automated through PayPal, I ship the package after printing out my PayPal history, and never interact with the customer at all. They bought and paid without asking me anything. I shipped without asking them anything and we both left feedback saying it was a great transaction...

 

If you want the book at the total price, I would say pay the amount quoted and leave positive feedback when it arrives. Add a note in your seller file reminding about the shipping charge so you know to account for it if you see them offer something else. If the book is too steep with the shipping charge, I would send him $1 via PayPal for his listing fees and as a token of goodwill and walk away from the deal.

[garthgantu]

Bottom line: Spend the money, let him ship the book the way he wants, give him a neutral feedback for shipping methods, and move on.

 

I agreed with you up until the point about the feedback...if the book arrives safe and sound then there is no reason to give a neutral feedback rating....

 

Why? The guy is charging $7 more than it actually costs to send the book. A neutral is perfectly reasonable, IMO. And if the book shows up and the seller's actual cost to ship was less than say, $13, I'd neg him. But that's just me

[garthgantu]

That's fair enough. How about an alternative - leave Pos feedback with cautionary (negative) statement:

Larry

 

Only problem with this scenario is, the seller could leave retaliatory neg or neutral feedback even if he gets a pos. I've had sellers go ballistic due to 'negative comments in a positive fb post,' and leave neg feedback in return.

 

So if you're planning to take this tack, wait 'til the seller has left pos. feedback before going with the "damning with faint praise" approach...