Buyers taking their time to pay, then hassling you on shipping quick?

joemagiera

Thread Manager
Joined
Mar 22, 2003
Messages
6,162
Reaction score
1,073
Buyers taking their time to pay, then hassling you on shipping quick?

I've made several deals selling items via the KLOV FS or WTB forums. In the past couple of months, I've encountered at least 4 people that I just don't understand. They committed to buy, agreeing on the price, sending me several emails like "I absolutely positively want this item" but also follow up emails like "I can't pay you for a few weeks" for whatever reason. I'm not what I would consider an "active" seller, constantly pushing sales and turnover. So I don't get many situations where I've promised an item to someone and had to turn down someone else while waiting for the original deal to complete. So I usually don't mind waiting a bit for the payment.

But then, after they do (finally) pay, they expect immediate same day response, expecting a tracking number to be provided within a few hours after they paid (and some of these people paid in the evening after post offices are closed). And if I don't answer their email within an hour, I'm getting a second email with concern that the deal has gone bad and they are ready to file a paypal claim.

I am not making this up, I have the emails. But I'm not naming names as that's not the reason for this post. But I do have two points:

1) Lighten up! You took several weeks to pay, don't expect me to bust my butt for you in return. I'll ship it quick, I don't think I've ever taken more than 2 business days to ship an item after I've received payment. If someone has an example otherwise on a deal with me, I welcome the post to hear details of the situation.

2) Your concern scares me. I'm immediately thinking this is going to be a troublesome buyer and I'm fearing a paypal claim because it appears nothing will be able to satisfy them. It makes me never again want to deal with a buyer I don't know.

Do any other sellers encounter this? Before KLOV (i.e., when it was all on the RGVAC newsgroup), I don't think I ever even once wasted my money paying for delivery confirmation. Since KLOV, I can only recall one time I didn't get delivery confirmation (that was a person that sent me cash in the mail, I figured if they could trust sending me cash, I could trust them getting the package).

I had one guy hassling me even after I provided the tracking number showing it was in route. He just couldn't understand why I couldn't control USPS or Fed Ex.
 
If you feel they're going to be a problm just give them a refund and save yourself the aggravation. You shouldn't hesitate to tell them how you feel. If they took a long time paying you and are then being unrealistic about shipping expectations cut them loose.

My only issue with buying parts is improper packing. There is no reason why a PCB should be improperly packed. USPS has free boxes and there is free newspaper everywhere so it's not like you even have to pay anything for packing materials. A few minutes to make sure that there is enough paper to cushion the PCB is all it takes.
 
Wow, that is almost as annoying as klovers posting in other klovers FS threads discussing pricing.

But yeah, that is because a majority of the current collecting community no longer cares who rips who off, as long as they get what they want. In the old days, we would all hammer on someone and run them out of Dodge. There is no solidarity now when someone gets ripped off. Now all you hear is " He did me right" or " He is a standup guy" even though the standup guy just stole someones money. I remember when the list of thieves was like 2 or 3 names long. Now it's endless and most of them are still on here wheeling and dealing. It's made everyone paranoid. I get the same reaction as you Joe. Pretty sad when people that have been in the hobby over 10 years without ever getting a complaint get treated like that, but that is the way Klov rolls now.
 
Wow, that is almost as annoying as klovers posting in other klovers FS threads discussing pricing.

Point taken, and guilty as charged. I honestly felt it should have gone to a separate thread and I apologize.
 
Here's what it comes down to, Joe.

When they say they want something, but they're going to need a couple weeks to pay, that's your first red flag. This is somebody who doesn't have a good grasp on how capitalism works. LOL. So of COURSE they're going to be equally as stupid on the other end of the deal, after they pay. They just don't understand money, period. They don't understand that you need your money right now, just like they'd like their part right now.
 
Back
Top Bottom