How to lose customers without even trying. 1 1

[shadroch]

I've been doing business with a small las vegas based auction house since 2016.  I'd guess I've done close to $150,000 in business with them.  Recently they switched from an inhouse shipping to out-sourcing everything to a UPS store. They also switched from two auctions a week to three and sometimes four. 

Three weeks ago, I got four packages in the mail. Each cost me $8.97 and two contained a single comic,and the others had a couple of baseball cards. I called the auction house and was told it was out of their hands.  I called the UPS store where I was told the auction house wanted each auction shipped out ASAP and were told not to combine shipping. I also learned for the first time that the auction house was adding $3.50 for each transaction picked up from them by UPS.  I called the auction house back and explained that $26 in auctions wins was now costing me $50 in shipping and was pretty much told that the company washed it's hands of shipping and maybe I might consider hiring a local agent to pick stuff up and ship it for me.

[ttfitz]

On 6/2/2022 at 1:41 PM, shadroch said:

I called the auction house back and explained that $26 in auctions wins was now costing me $50 in shipping and was pretty much told that the company washed it's hands of shipping and maybe I might consider hiring a local agent to pick stuff up and ship it for me.

I'm assuming you told them what maybe they might consider doing with that suggestion?

[MattTheDuck]

It won't have any impact on the auction house, but a sentence including the words "pound" and "sand" may help you feel better.

[shadroch]

On 6/2/2022 at 2:03 PM, MattTheDuck said:

It won't have any impact on the auction house, but a sentence including the words "pound" and "sand" may help you feel better.

 

Or,

A decent amount of their buyers stop looking at their auctions and prices fall. Then you don't want to have burned all the bridges.  They know I'm unhappy and hopefully they notice I'm not bidding.  I'm hoping it is a " brain fart" and they hear from enough prime customers that they reconsider.   I've seen companies make really dumb decisions that ended up becoming great buying opportunities so I'll keep an eye on them.  

[Axe Elf]

Sometimes the key to getting what you want from customer service is to be a more prominent member.

Edited June 2, 2022 by Axe Elf

[Bird]

didn't you also stop using an auction house due to shipping some heavy items from a lot? you are going to run out of auction houses at this rate

 

[Point Five]

Whoops, I thought this was the Economy Tier thread! Title threw me.

 

[shadroch]

On 6/2/2022 at 4:55 PM, Economy Joe said:

didn't you also stop using an auction house due to shipping some heavy items from a lot? you are going to run out of auction houses at this rate

 

There are hundreds of auctions and auction houses. I try several new ones every year. Most I don't use regularly.  It just amazes me that you  can build up a business so shipping is a major portion of it and then wash your hands of it.   Someone suggested I open an account with the UPS store and have them bill me direct. 

Edited June 3, 2022 by shadroch

[theCapraAegagrus]

On 6/2/2022 at 4:44 PM, ttfitz said:

I'm assuming you told them what maybe they might consider doing with that suggestion?

Rhymes with, "round land".