Ebay seller insisting on Sig confirmation, why???

[budsbundy]

Bought a book on Ebay yesterday through best offer.

On top of the $10.50 or so already charged for shipping, they want another $7.05 for insurance and signature confirmation, whatever, I paid it in a separate invoice they sent me.

After paying the seller messages me that it will be sent out well packed first thing Monday, and should arrive Wednesday or Thursday, great.

 

That all sounds good to me, except one thing, no one will be there to sign for it during the week, and going to the PO to pick it up is a huge P.I.T.A. for me to the point of almost being impossible with my schedule, so I message them back asking if they can just send it delivery confirmation, like the 1000 plus other books I've bought on ebay, so they can just leave it on my porch where I can easy get it when I get home.

 

Seller messages back "No Andrew, it will be going out monday sig confirmation, you will have to pick it up at the PO, or wait till saturday for it to be delivered.

 

My fear is that it will sit around the PO for days since I can't pick it up, and get lost.

Or they will put it on the truck for delivery day after day during the week since there is no one home to sign for it during the week, and it will get lost in all that on the truck off the truck shuffling each day.

 

My question is, why would the seller not send it delivery confirmation like I'm asking, and instead insist on sig confirmation?

 

It's a $260 dollar book, so not cheap, but not some massive sum of money either.

I don't sell on Ebay, only buy, but I do a TON of buying, and this is the first time I've run into something like this.

 

Any thoughts from people on this?

[Bird]

Because delivery confirmation is meaningless and the driver can often sign for that themselves and then just leave your package.

 

 

[budsbundy]

Because delivery confirmation is meaningless and the driver can often sign for that themselves and then just leave your package.

 

Why would a driver sign for delivery confirmation?

Delivery confirmation is just that, confirmation that it has been delivered.

And if you're saying that a driver can just sign for sig confirmation, than what's the point of it?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are saying?

 

My question is why would the seller insist on sig confirmation? Is that something new ebay is requiring?

It's a little annoying that the seller is just ignoring my request, and saying that she is going to do it her way, despite what I want, and that's it.

[MadGenius]

Bought a book on Ebay yesterday through best offer.

On top of the $10.50 or so already charged for shipping, they want another $7.05 for insurance and signature confirmation, whatever, I paid it in a separate invoice they sent me.

After paying the seller messages me that it will be sent out well packed first thing Monday, and should arrive Wednesday or Thursday, great.

 

That all sounds good to me, except one thing, no one will be there to sign for it during the week, and going to the PO to pick it up is a huge P.I.T.A. for me to the point of almost being impossible with my schedule, so I message them back asking if they can just send it delivery confirmation, like the 1000 plus other books I've bought on ebay, so they can just leave it on my porch where I can easy get it when I get home.

 

Seller messages back "No Andrew, it will be going out monday sig confirmation, you will have to pick it up at the PO, or wait till saturday for it to be delivered.

 

My fear is that it will sit around the PO for days since I can't pick it up, and get lost.

Or they will put it on the truck for delivery day after day during the week since there is no one home to sign for it during the week, and it will get lost in all that on the truck off the truck shuffling each day.

 

My question is, why would the seller not send it delivery confirmation like I'm asking, and instead insist on sig confirmation?

 

It's a $260 dollar book, so not cheap, but not some massive sum of money either.

I don't sell on Ebay, only buy, but I do a TON of buying, and this is the first time I've run into something like this.

 

Any thoughts from people on this?

Any item over $200 I send out requiring a signature for insurance purposes. If something happens, my insurance will cover the item if it was sent with signature confirmation. it may be inconvenient for the buyer, but it's there to protect both parties.

[Bird]

You are not misunderstanding me; drivers can sign themselves and leave the package and the post office does not care if you complain. That is why it is meaningless.

[budsbundy]

All i want is the book sent with tracking and left on my porch, the same as every other ebay, Dave and adams card world, MCS, etc..... purchase that I have made, and I've made 100's of them, for well over the cost of this book, and it's never been a problem.

I live in a private neighborhood with all the houses sitting about 50 yards back from the road, never had a problem with theft from my porch in 20 years.

 

If insurance (which she insists on) requires a sig, then fine, what I'm thinking of doing then is asking her to wait till wednesday to send it(in hopes that it arrives on saturday), or asking her to send it two day delivery on thursday, or overnight it on friday, both options so I can have it arrive on saturday so I can be there to sign for it.(if she sends it two day or overnight I will pay more of course)

 

Again, my fear is that it gets to town on wednesday, and then spends the next few days being shuffled around because there is no one home to sign for it, and it ends up getting lost.

 

Any recommendations for how to handle this differently than what I have outlined?

Thanks for all the responses

[Point Five]

My question is why would the seller insist on sig confirmation? Is that something new ebay is requiring?

It's a little annoying that the seller is just ignoring my request, and saying that she is going to do it her way, despite what I want, and that's it.

If I'm not mistaken, Paypal seller protection requires sig confirm for purchases of $250 and up.

 

 

[budsbundy]

My question is why would the seller insist on sig confirmation? Is that something new ebay is requiring?

It's a little annoying that the seller is just ignoring my request, and saying that she is going to do it her way, despite what I want, and that's it.

If I'm not mistaken, Paypal seller protection requires sig confirm for purchases of $250 and up.

 

If it's a requirement then I understand and that's fine, I wasn't sure which is why I wanted to ask people here before speaking to the seller again (I don't want to pizz her off while she's holding my book and my money)

Her response to my first message didn't explain why she was sending it sig con, only that she was, and that was it.

It left me with the impression that she wanted to do it her way, and didn't care what I thought about it, or wanted, which was more than a little annoying to me as a buyer.

But if it's a requirement of paypal or the insurance provider then that's a different thing.

[N/A]

My question is why would the seller insist on sig confirmation? Is that something new ebay is requiring?

It's a little annoying that the seller is just ignoring my request, and saying that she is going to do it her way, despite what I want, and that's it.

If I'm not mistaken, Paypal seller protection requires sig confirm for purchases of $250 and up.

 

If it's a requirement then I understand and that's fine, I wasn't sure which is why I wanted to ask people here before speaking to the seller again (I don't want to pizz her off while she's holding my book and my money)

Her response to my first message didn't explain why she was sending it sig con, only that she was, and that was it.

It left me with the impression that she wanted to do it her way, and didn't care what I thought about it, or wanted, which was more than a little annoying to me as a buyer.

But if it's a requirement of paypal or the insurance provider then that's a different thing.

 

That is no longer a requirement and perhaps the seller is unaware. I believe it is now $750+ that requires signature confirmation for PayPal insurance. It was $250+ about a year ago.

[wombat]

I don't understand why you paid the separate invoice that contained a charge for sig confirmation and then talked to the seller about it. Seems like that should have happened before. And was it in the original listing that you had to pay for it?

[1koko]

It could be that the seller wants the minimise the risk that delivery goes wrong.

 

We've all read on the boards:

 

1. Book delivered but not on my porch threads

2. Book never sent

3. Seller sends books but buyer indicates they never received book

4. Box left in porch but is in terrible condition

 

Etc.

 

If it needs to be signed for then it proves it was placed in the hands of the signed and there is the belief that delivery services tend to look after signed packages better than non-signed packages.

 

 

[krighton]

Take a long lunch and pick up the package at the post office

[FlyingDonut]

Because your seller has been burned in the past and doesn't want to be burned again.

[N/A]

It could be that the seller wants the minimise the risk that delivery goes wrong.

 

We've all read on the boards:

 

1. Book delivered but not on my porch threads

2. Book never sent

3. Seller sends books but buyer indicates they never received book

4. Box left in porch but is in terrible condition

 

Etc.

 

If it needs to be signed for then it proves it was placed in the hands of the signed and there is the belief that delivery services tend to look after signed packages better than non-signed packages.

 

 

Under the current rules the seller is protected even if the buyer claims non-receipt on a tracked package under $750 with no sig confirmation. As a seller I would accommodate the buyer's request.

[N/A]

Because your seller has been burned in the past and doesn't want to be burned again.

 

 

Fear is a strong motivator.

[Jeffro.]

Because your seller has been burned in the past and doesn't want to be burned again.

 

That was my first thought. All it takes is one time.

[budsbundy]

I don't understand why you paid the separate invoice that contained a charge for sig confirmation and then talked to the seller about it. Seems like that should have happened before. And was it in the original listing that you had to pay for it?

Yes it was in the listing to wait for her invoice and ignore the ebay one because she would be adding a charge for insurance and sig con.

I paid for the counter offer she sent me right away thinking it was already included in it, it wasn't, that was why she sent the second invoice for $7.05

I went ahead and paid it.

After thinking about the hassle that sig con was going to cause me, I messaged her and asked could it just be delivery con, to which she said flat out no.

I didn't care about already being charged for sig con, whatever, she can keep the measly couple extra dollars.

 

 

I got the impression that she had been burned in the past like other people have suggested.

 

I'm the easiest buyer you will ever encounter, I pay immediately, I leave wonderful feedback, and I give repeat business to the sellers I like.

I cannot get to the post office during the week, period.

I guess I will just ask her to wait to mail till later in the week, or send it two day or overnight, so it can arrive on Saturday when I'm home to sign for it.

 

[entalmighty1]

Because your seller has been burned in the past and doesn't want to be burned again.

 

That was my first thought. All it takes is one time.

 

My thought as well. It might not be a lot of money to you, but it could be to the seller. If it gets lost, they're out the original purchase, AND the book.

 

There are some sellers that do the same with me through ebay, and sometimes even on the boards. If it's that much of an inconvenience to you, just make a note to make this the last purchase from them. Just as a note, I've never had the post office lose something that was being held for signature confirmation.

 

[N/A]

Because your seller has been burned in the past and doesn't want to be burned again.

 

That was my first thought. All it takes is one time.

 

My thought as well. It might not be a lot of money to you, but it could be to the seller. If it gets lost, they're out the original purchase, AND the book.

 

There are some sellers that do the same with me through ebay, and sometimes even on the boards. If it's that much of an inconvenience to you, just make a note to make this the last purchase from them. Just as a note, I've never had the post office lose something that was being held for signature confirmation.

 

 

The buyer paid for insurance. If the package is lost then the seller is covered. Signature adds no extra level of insurance. It does appear to add a level of confidence for some.

[Chaseman210]

Whenever I sell on eBay, I ALWAYS do sig. confirmation if it's $125 or more. I just feel like it protects both me and the buyer.