Book Dealers-eBay sellers-dt.org buyers/sellers/ to Avoid like the Corona Virus

[Rahfa]

some people are just unhappy assholes. there is no making them happy

That would be me.

Not me specifically, but I have been in this situation.

For example.....

Let's say a seller sends me a $100 book wrapped in brown paper. No cardboard box. No padding. Nothing. The book is damaged. If the seller offered to send me a full refund, I would still not be "happy".

Why not? Because now, due to the seller's carelesness, I have to pack the book, ship the book, and write a bunch of emails just to be back to where I was right before I sent payment over. My time has been wasted. And I can't get that back.

What makes me "happy" is when I get what I pay for, in the condition it was described.

I know I am coming across like a jerk here (it's late and I am tired and cranky), but I am serious in what I am saying. Do things right the first time, and everybody wins.

Haha...I know...sometimes I try to give amatuer sellers some benefit of the doubt, but still...actually, I just sold a book (one of several sales...not for big money) and totally forgot to ship it...so about two weeks go by, and I realize it's sitting on my bookshelf where it started.

Luckily, I had charged for parcel post shipping, not priority...so it's not like it was officially "late," and I haven't heard from the buyer anyway. But I sent it out via Priroty Mail and let him know it was - finally - on the way. Hope he's happy! Haha...

[jhanic]

Did you tell him what happened?

John

[Rahfa]

Yeah, I emailed him to say it was screwed up and coming late...but I didn't hear back. Because the listing was for parcel post shipping, it's not overly late anyway, but still...def. not early, either.

[Patrick]

...
For example.....

Let's say a seller sends me a $100 book wrapped in brown paper. No cardboard box. No padding. Nothing. The book is damaged. If the seller offered to send me a full refund, I would still not be "happy".

Why not? Because now, due to the seller's carelessness, I have to pack the book, ship the book, and write a bunch of emails just to be back to where I was right before I sent payment over. My time has been wasted. And I can't get that back.

What makes me "happy" is when I get what I pay for, in the condition it was described.

I know I am coming across like a jerk here (it's late and I am tired and cranky), but I am serious in what I am saying. Do things right the first time, and everybody wins.
...

I don't think you sound like a jerk here. This is completely reasonable.

Aside from wasting your time and effort, one more reason to be unhappy that you didn't mention: It drives me nuts when a seller causes damage to a collectible book out of their sheer stupidity and/or laziness.

[Room 217 Caretaker]

I agree as well. It's even worse when:

You win the auction, seller is charging $3.95 for Media Mail, you offer and pay $2 more to have them wrap it in bubble wrap and ship in a box (still Media Mail though) and they don't do it.

Even when the book luckily arrives safe, I'm still mad and demand a partial refund.

Stepping off my box now.

Mulleins
Cumberland VA

[SkippyD023]

some people are just unhappy assholes. there is no making them happy

That would be me.

Not me specifically, but I have been in this situation.

For example.....

Let's say a seller sends me a $100 book wrapped in brown paper. No cardboard box. No padding. Nothing. The book is damaged. If the seller offered to send me a full refund, I would still not be "happy".

Why not? Because now, due to the seller's carelesness, I have to pack the book, ship the book, and write a bunch of emails just to be back to where I was right before I sent payment over. My time has been wasted. And I can't get that back.

What makes me "happy" is when I get what I pay for, in the condition it was described.

I know I am coming across like a jerk here (it's late and I am tired and cranky), but I am serious in what I am saying. Do things right the first time, and everybody wins.

By the way, I actually received a $100 book as described above. I emailed the seller and never heard back form him.

Not being a jerk at all, I agree 100%.

I have not purchased alot of really expensive items on e-bay but no matter the cost of the item if sellers would just take a little extra care in packing there items everything would be much better. I have received several magazine that are just stuffed in a flimsy envelope with no padding or protection and they charge the maximum $4.00 for shipping with the actual cost being more like $2.50. If they would just add a piece of cardboard to each side of the magazine before placing it in the envelope it would go a long way.

As a seller I take care in packing the items I send. I found though that many sellers don't seem to appreciate it by the rating they provide me on my shipping charges. My items cost a little more than others to ship because I pack them carefully and add extra padding to insure they arrive as they left but my shipping charge rating is lower than my other three ratings on e-bay. I could just throw the item in a box or envelope, add the postage and mail it and hope it arrives safely but I don't want to have an item returned for damage where everyone loses out.

[tippy4]

Adding ebay seller dkrause100 to this list.

Recently, I won a sealed S/L audio of The Gunslinger on ebay.

I paid $125 for the item.

Prior to the auction ending, I contacted the seller to see if he would add a $165 BUY IT NOW, but he refused and it worked out to my advantage.

I asked the seller to ship it in a sturdy cardboard box, and even told him that if he did, I would send him an extra $5 upon receipt.

It arrived today in a padded envelope. An item that the seller himself declined an offer of $165 was shipped in a f***ing padded envelope.

Why are some people so god-damned stupid?

Here is my email correspondance with the seller prior to today:

-----Original Message-----
From: tippy4
To: dkrause100
Subject: Other: tippy4 sent a message about Stephen King Autographed & Unopened- The Gunslinger #200556296515
Sent Date: Dec-28-10 09:33:31 PST

Dear dkrause100,

I am the winner of this auction. Please ship in a sturdy, well-packed cardboard box with at least 2 inches of padding between item and box on all sides. Please pack snugly so item cannot move around inside of the box when shaken. Condition is VERY important to me. If you ship the item as I have outlined above, and it arrives undamaged, I will send you an extra $5 upon receipt.

Thank you.

tippy4

-----Original Message-----
From: dkrause100
To: tippy4
Sent: Tue, Dec 28, 2010 2:46 pm
Subject: Re: Other: tippy4 sent a message about Stephen King Autographed & Unopened- The Gunslinger #200556296515

Dear tippy4,

I will do - no problem and thanks.

dkrause100

-----Original Message-----
From: tippy4
To: dkrause100
Subject: Re: Other: tippy4 sent a message about Stephen King Autographed & Unopened- The Gunslinger #200556296515
Sent Date: Dec-28-10 14:58:13 PST

Dear dkrause100,

Thank you.

I have had a run of bad luck lately with sellers shipping me nice items in a poorly packed box...or worse...in no box at all (I once had a guy ship me a $100 book wrapped in brown paper...no box...no padding).

Now, I check with all sellers before they ship my item.

Thanks again for your taking care of this.

I will leave you positive feedback to let you know I have received this, and like I said, if it shows packed as requested and arrives undamaged, I will send you an additional $5.

tippy4

-----Original Message-----
From: dkrause100
To: tippy4
Sent: Tue, Dec 28, 2010 3:02 pm
Subject: Re: Other: tippy4 sent a message about Stephen King Autographed & Unopened- The Gunslinger #200556296515

Dear tippy4,

I understand and sorry to hear that. I will pack it up nicely in bubble wrap for you.
Thanks and best regards,

dkrause100

__________________________________________________ _____________________

I have left this seller NEUTRAL feedback, and have stated the facts of this transaction.

I really wanted to leave him NEGATIVE feedback.

[thegreattim]

That really sucks, tippy. I'm sorry to hear it. How was the condition of the item?

[e_taylor]

Ouch. Yah its tough these days, I had a book show up recently that I had corresponded with the seller about and had confirmation that he would ship it in a well packed box. It came in a flat rate envelope with not even bubble wrap around it.

[tippy4]

This is a delicate item, so the few small bits of damage may have been there before it shpped.

Regardless, I had no qualms about leaving neutral feedback.

This seller actually agreed to ship it in a well-packed box, and then did the exact opposite....even after I offered him a small cash incentive.

On top of that, that shitty padded mailer cost him $1.88. He could have bought a box for about the same price.

I am so tired of dealing with stupid sellers!

[Fsmdr]

This is a delicate item, so the few small bits of damage may have been there before it shpped.

Regardless, I had no qualms about leaving neutral feedback.

This seller actually agreed to ship it in a well-packed box, and then did the exact opposite....even after I offered him a small cash incentive.

On top of that, that shitty padded mailer cost him $1.88. He could have bought a box for about the same price.

I am so tired of dealing with stupid sellers!

Been there too, Tippy. I am very tired as well with crappy sellers who do dumb things like that.

Because of that, I still do not own a 1st/1st Carrie. I can't seem to trust any of those unknown sellers to give me a straight and honest answer on condition. And if they pack it in a bubble mailer, I will explode like a nutcracker on Christmas!.

[Randall Flagg]

tippy, are you saying that as a result of poor packaging the

few small bits of damage

occurred?
After the sale a buyer can/should request the seller to package carefully, but that is a request-not a right. If the seller put it in a sock and postage was affixed, as long as it came as described you can be perturbed, but what loss have you suffered?
You got a good deal-enjoy it.

Edit:
But I feel your pain and this is a good place to vent.

[tippy4]

While I have not suffered any real loss, the next guy might not be so lucky.

Yeah...I am mostly venting. This is a pet peave of mine.

If the seller and I had no communication prior to his shipping it, and he shipped it as he had, I would have just been annoyed.

However, in this case, I made requests that the seller agreed to. As a result, I am twice as annoyed.

The purpose of me leaving him neutral feedback is that it will hopefully teach him a lesson, and next time, he will ship his item correctly.

Unfortunately, it probably will not teach him anything. You can't fix stupid.

[Rahfa]

Not stupid, probably, just apathetic.

I blame Ebay and the $4 max for shipping...I get annoyed losing money on shipping, or at least not being able to break even on it...and the difference in cost between a box and a padded envelope can be significant.

Having said that, I've never shipped in an envelope.

[WeDealInLead]

I'm going to side with the seller. Unless you message before you win to make arrangements, he could send in greeting card. It's up to him. It's also in your power to leave him a negative feedback and get your money back, eBay would side with you 100%. I think this is the second time you're posting about messaging the seller about your shipping requirements after you've won the auction. Maybe he just forgot about the message exchange?

I've recently sold a bunch of stuff on eBay and nothing pisses me off more than buyers with a feeling of entitlement to some special treatment. You'll get your package safely and if you don't, you get your money back. No guarantees in life. You can buy things at a store and still end up with a defect. Take it back, world moves on.

Some dick from Norway demanded extra cardboard when I was sending him a record that was already in a record mailer. Extra cardboard cost ME $13 extra because it put in the different weight bracket. I'm afraid to ask for him to pay for it because a) he didn't want to pay for registered which means b) if I asked for him to pay the difference because of demands he made, he could out of spite say I never mailed the record... and walk away with a free record, his money back and my $13.

So yeah, your seller should have packaged it in a box because he said he would and I'm not making excuses for that but it was your responsibility to make arrangements prior to bidding. A casual inquiry about his shipping practices would've sufficed.

[Patrick]

From the email chain posted above, after the sale was closed, the seller agreed to send the signed collectible in a properly padded box. Then didn't. Tippy even proactively offered to cover the extra cost.

The seller should have declined the request if they were not going to follow through. I would be upset too.

[biomieg]

Remember that I won a certain paperback containing King's 'Hotel At The End of The Road'? It was the 4th edition of the Market Guide for Young Writers, which is the earliest publication of this story that most collectors can hope to obtain. I won the auction on November 23d, 2010. Well, after repeated inquiries from my side I finally got a quote on the postage and a cheerful mail asking me for my PayPal details etc.! I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry (especially since he's trying to charge me very high shipping costs, so I'll have to get into a discussion about that too, before there's any chance of him sending the book).

I'm not giving his name here right now, but I might if it takes a lot longer.

[WeDealInLead]

Dear tippy4,

I understand and sorry to hear that. I will pack it up nicely in bubble wrap for you.
Thanks and best regards,

dkrause100
--

That could be taken either way though. He first agrees to send it in a box, then later mentions bubble wrap. Given the context, it does seem like he meant bubble wrap in a box but maybe he meant just bubble wrap because in his mind, that's somehow safer?

Both parties are guilty but because I'm sick of buyers dictating the rules, I'm siding with the seller. Like I said, have special instructions/questions? Email BEFORE you bid.

[Rahfa]

Dear tippy4,

I understand and sorry to hear that. I will pack it up nicely in bubble wrap for you.
Thanks and best regards,

dkrause100
--

That could be taken either way though. He first agrees to send it in a box, then later mentions bubble wrap. Given the context, it does seem like he meant bubble wrap in a box but maybe he meant just bubble wrap because in his mind, that's somehow safer?

Both parties are guilty but because I'm sick of buyers dictating the rules, I'm siding with the seller. Like I said, have special instructions/questions? Email BEFORE you bid.

I've been selling a lot lately, and haven't actually been asked for any special requests...just the usual "please pack carefully," which goes without saying.

I could go either way on this sometimes...like I said above, it's not stupid, just apathetic. I think if anybody made any special shipment requests, I would come back with "I'll send it insured priority mail for actual cost." That way it's all taken care of before shipment, and lets me break even on shipment, which is a good trade for everybody...

If somebody offered to pay me $5 AFTER the sale/shipment was completed, I doubt I'd even reply to the email - everything should be paid up front.

I know from experience that Tippy is very, very, very crazy about shipping...haha...but that's fine, because he does the same thing as a seller. But, Ebay fees and shipping costs are too much to expect any special treatment that isn't paid for beforehand...if you want 'velvet glove' treatment, you have to email before bidding and volunteer to pay priority shipping with a padded box or whatever....not hope it turns out okay AFTER the bid.

Of course, that doesn't solve the problem of somebody agreeing to do something, like in this case, and then not doing it....but you know, ebay's like the garage sale down the block, and I think we as buyers often forget that we're not dealing with a storefront, but some person just like us trying to make some extra cash.

[Jimimck]

I thought I'd share a recent online experience with the group, although this was a purchase from Borders, not Ebay.

I purchased three copies of FDNS, to be shipped internationally. When they arrived, the box they were shipped in was very damaged, dented etc, and was almost coming apart at one end. The three books had NO protection what so ever. No bubble wrap, no wrapping paper, nothing. Two of them have dented dustjackets and marks on the front covers.

I emailed Borders, but was unable to return as their return policy is to do so within 30 days of the items being shipped, but they took longer than 30 days to arrive in the first place!
They replied with a lot of "we're sorry you had a bad experience" and " we hope you'll look to continue to use us in the future" but their was no suggested solution, or option to return the books outside of their policy.

I won't be using borders.com again any time soon.

[carlosdetweiller]

I won't be using borders.com again any time soon.

Sorry to hear about that. It sounds similar to my experience with Waterstones in the UK. Never again.

[Randall Flagg]

If you charged the books, dispute the charge through your credit card company.

[pixiedark76]

The bookseller to avoid like the plague is recordspinners. The description of the book was way off! He described it as "brand new" and "near mint" Does this look like a brand new or near mint book to you?










Plus the seller said that it was a "stated first edition" I found out that the first edition price was $15.95 not $17.95. I guess I should have known better! Judging from the seller name recordspinners; I think this loser should stick to selling records and never ever sell another book for as long as he lives. This idiot obliviously knows NOTHING about books!

[pixiedark76]

You know what? I don't think I will trust e-bay anymore either!

[Rahfa]

Trust...but verify.