SAAC members - shipping is as much part of the deal as payment

[Rodster-500]

Whenever I ship I take the attitude that if something arrives damaged, we both lose and something desirable is lost forever.

That and communications and honesty is essential.

I'm not a power seller on eBay but have always had 100% feedback and zero issues.

As a buyer, I won't buy from someone that can't communicate and assure me of good packing/shipping.

I've actually sent buyers photos of items being packed step by step for expensive and delicate items.

It's not rocket science but it does take some time and effort to do it right.  I've gone as far as buying foam for packing delicate items.  If it's about a quick buck and throwing something in a box, you are asking for trouble.

[Bossgold]

Who is sold you the piece in question?

March 3rd - Payment made via PayPal friends and Family

March 9 th - package scanned Florida

March 16th - physically drove to Post office  to retrieve packaged. Shipped 18 lbs arrived 9.8 lbs. Video tape and Pictures of Postal Employee opening the crushed package. Documented opening so there is no issue as to were the package contents went after leaving the Post Office

March 18th - Phone call made to seller. Phone call ended

March 19th - Text sent by seller regarding short call

March 21 st - Claim filed with Post office - seller files claim Buyer has no timeleine resolution

I am documenting the crap out of this cause I don't want people to think I'm just a newbie here ( yes I have only made 3 posts to SAAC forum). I have met many of the same Forum members on the Boss Registry where I have been a member since 2012(1038 posts).

I have not disclosed the Forum member yet because I am waiting on Due process and a resolution. If it happens that I  get all of my money returned before 30 days is up then I'm good....cause let me be honest - you will rarely get a timely  insurance/claim resolution from any of these shippers - USPS, UPS or FEDex. If this drags on then its going to get difficult to  reslove the outcome for both seller and buyer. Seller has everything....This is about accountability and reputation. Reslove it by giving a timeline and if not reasonable return money and request damaged items back.

Buyer - My responsibility in this process was to Pay Promptly on agreed price and shipping charges.

Seller - Seller's responsibility was to describe item correctly with transparacy, Package item correctly and consideration(dont be lazy its the buyers property), create label and ship promptly, maintain shipping charges/insurance if any as promised, and if there is an issue resolve it with the buyer. 95 % of the time this works and I have had great experiences meeting the sellers both online and attending events like Carlisle and Boss nationals. So lets see what happens here....hopefully soon.

Costco, Amazon, Nordstroms, and many others has this figured out...the customer experience is a long term partnership- hopefully

[67 GT350]

And pay attention to the shipper's advice.   We had a family member who decided to pack glassware in a box.  They hardly packed it at all, just some newspaper between each plate and things like that.  When they took it to the local pack-it-Ship-it place, the shipper took one look in the box and said "For $X we will pack this with bubble wrap and packing peanuts so it should make the trip".  Our family member refused.  Then complained when most of the contents showed up at the destination, broken.

I bought a McIntosh MC 2255 power amp, glass faceplate, the guy insisted on UPS store, to which they packed it....Arrived smashed...UPS insurance said, not packed in the correct box, and no packing material. The seller had to call UPS and tell them that THEY were the ones that packed it.....LOL
COVERED! FULL PAYMENT TO ME AND GOT TO KEEP IT.

USE COMMON SENCE

TO add on the sub-subject:
If you have a wood steering wheel for sale for 5,000.00 and the person offers you the full amount, but include the shipping, and you dont take it, well....I stop now. Hahahahaha

[OldMil]

A little different for me- I package, pay for shipping, and when the buyer receives and inspects, he then pays me in full for the item and shipping.  I also take personal checks I know, sounds trusting in this day and age, but I have never been burned.  It helps to vet your buyer and be confident in their integrity.  I look at it this way, if the buyer has a legitimate gripe, I'm going to refund them anyway. 

[Bossgold]

A little different for me- I package, pay for shipping, and when the buyer receives and inspects, he then pays me in full for the item and shipping.  I also take personal checks I know, sounds trusting in this day and age, but I have never been burned.  It helps to vet your buyer and be confident in their integrity.  I look at it this way, if the buyer has a legitimate gripe, I'm going to refund them anyway.

@OldMil - I have never really had a problem in the past either...But there is always a 1st. Seller owns the shipping service and controls refund. THat is why lately I have started to email or priority mail the shipping labels directly to the seller when possible/convenient.

Vetting a buyer is easy, you either get the agreed upon full amount(price/shipping cost) or not. Its vetting a seller which really starts with the shipment process/communication. Its when there is a problem do you find out how well you really vetted a seller. And then you need as the buyer to decide what is a reasonable solution both from a money and time spent standpoint

[Side-Oilers]

Anecdotal story:  I sold a set of nice wheels this week, on eBay.  I shipped them via UPS. 

I paid for UPS insurance, which more than covered the replacement cost.

I packed the wheels super carefully, in sturdy boxes that previously held the new wheels I replaced these with.

I always over-tape by at least 50%, until I am confident that anything short of a rabid honey badger can't tear-apart the boxes.

This time, I paid the UPS store myself and was charging the buyer the full shipping cost. (Other times, I have the buyer talk to the UPS store I'm at, and have him pay them with his card.)

These boxes weighed 50 pounds each. Total charge: $416 to ship four wheels 1200 miles, via slowest/cheapest ground method. Buyer balked.  I offered to drop $100 off the shipping price. He agreed. 

I always take photos of all the items in the boxes, before sealing. Then more pix of the sealed box on the UPS scale with the shipping label attached. I close-up photo each label and text all the pix and info to the buyer.  If the buyer can't figure out how to track the shipment from all that, he's pretty much hopeless in dealing with anything. 

Am I making more work for myself than necessary, by doing all this bending-backward? Probably. But, I've never had a problem with an unhappy buyer, or with anything that got damaged (beyond a slightly torn box) along the way.

IMO:  All the other precautions that others have posted here are valid, and should be at least considered before shipping anything to an online buyer.

The biggest thing I'm P.O'd about these days, is eBay charging sales tax and the IRS requirement for anything sold over $600/year triggering a 1099.  The items I'm selling are always legitimately at a loss, but now I have to find the original receipts (impossible in most cases) to be able to prove it?  More BS!

[crossboss]

Anecdotal story:  I sold a set of nice wheels this week, on eBay.  I shipped them via UPS. 

I paid for UPS insurance, which more than covered the replacement cost.

I packed the wheels super carefully, in sturdy boxes that previously held the new wheels I replaced these with.

I always over-tape by at least 50%, until I am confident that anything short of a rabid honey badger can't tear-apart the boxes.

This time, I paid the UPS store myself and was charging the buyer the full shipping cost. (Other times, I have the buyer talk to the UPS store I'm at, and have him pay them with his card.)

These boxes weighed 50 pounds each. Total charge: $416 to ship four wheels 1200 miles, via slowest/cheapest ground method. Buyer balked.  I offered to drop $100 off the shipping price. He agreed. 

I always take photos of all the items in the boxes, before sealing. Then more pix of the sealed box on the UPS scale with the shipping label attached. I close-up photo each label and text all the pix and info to the buyer.  If the buyer can't figure out how to track the shipment from all that, he's pretty much hopeless in dealing with anything. 

Am I making more work for myself than necessary, by doing all this bending-backward? Probably. But, I've never had a problem with an unhappy buyer, or with anything that got damaged (beyond a slightly torn box) along the way.

IMO:  All the other precautions that others have posted here are valid, and should be at least considered before shipping anything to an online buyer.

The biggest thing I'm P.O'd about these days, is eBay charging sales tax and the IRS requirement for anything sold over $600/year triggering a 1099.  The items I'm selling are always legitimately at a loss, but now I have to find the original receipts (impossible in most cases) to be able to prove it?  More BS!

Van,
Now ebay is a tax collector for the IRS. And you are correct, ebay takes their 'fee' out of the shipping (we make nothing on this!) AND your declared value sale. RIP-OFF!!! Its a shame, ebay used to be a good place to sell...not anymore.

[Side-Oilers]

Scott, I agree.  eBay sucks more than ever.

I'd said that I was going to boycott them, after your last post about their shady tactics, but I had no other reasonable place to sell these modern OEM wheels. 

So, now where do we go?  It seems everyone has their tendrils into our wallets, at every possibility.

BTW:  I haven't sold a car on eBay for several years. Do they now charge you sales tax on a huge amount like a car? Even on out-of-state purchases? 

[Rodster-500]

Anecdotal story:  I sold a set of nice wheels this week, on eBay.  I shipped them via UPS. 

I paid for UPS insurance, which more than covered the replacement cost.

I packed the wheels super carefully, in sturdy boxes that previously held the new wheels I replaced these with.

I always over-tape by at least 50%, until I am confident that anything short of a rabid honey badger can't tear-apart the boxes.

This time, I paid the UPS store myself and was charging the buyer the full shipping cost. (Other times, I have the buyer talk to the UPS store I'm at, and have him pay them with his card.)

These boxes weighed 50 pounds each. Total charge: $416 to ship four wheels 1200 miles, via slowest/cheapest ground method. Buyer balked.  I offered to drop $100 off the shipping price. He agreed. 

I always take photos of all the items in the boxes, before sealing. Then more pix of the sealed box on the UPS scale with the shipping label attached. I close-up photo each label and text all the pix and info to the buyer.  If the buyer can't figure out how to track the shipment from all that, he's pretty much hopeless in dealing with anything. 

Am I making more work for myself than necessary, by doing all this bending-backward? Probably. But, I've never had a problem with an unhappy buyer, or with anything that got damaged (beyond a slightly torn box) along the way.

IMO:  All the other precautions that others have posted here are valid, and should be at least considered before shipping anything to an online buyer.

The biggest thing I'm P.O'd about these days, is eBay charging sales tax and the IRS requirement for anything sold over $600/year triggering a 1099.  The items I'm selling are always legitimately at a loss, but now I have to find the original receipts (impossible in most cases) to be able to prove it?  More BS!

I believe this has been repealed for 2023.  2024, who knows.   I agree, serious government overreach.

[Rodster-500]

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-delay-for-implementation-of-600-reporting-threshold-for-third-party-payment-platforms-forms-1099-k

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced a delay in reporting thresholds for third-party settlement organizations set to take effect for the upcoming tax filing season.

As a result of this delay, third-party settlement organizations will not be required to report tax year 2022 transactions on a Form 1099-K to the IRS or the payee for the lower, $600 threshold amount enacted as part of the American Rescue Plan of 2021.

[Side-Oilers]

In my transaction from literally two days ago, eBay asked me to confirm my SS # and said they'll be sending me a 1099.

[Grumpy]

Years ago I sold a ton of parts. Took pics of the parts, pic in the box and the sealed up box. I insured everything. Guys I knew I'd just ship it out an when they got a chance sent me the $$$. Can't tell ya how many times I bought stuff an AFTER giving them the $$$$ I ask myself "What the hell am I doing !!" Only had one problem with one sleeze. Said he never got the part till I sent a pic of it by his front door.


Today sadly everything has changed. Your word means nothing now. How sad is that. Scams happening every day on all the car sites I am on. 

[shelbydoug]

In my transaction from literally two days ago, eBay asked me to confirm my SS # and said they'll be sending me a 1099.

That policy has been in effect for at least two years now.

There is a minimum amount that if you sell over it, they are required to send the 1099. I THINK the amount is $1,500?

[crossboss]

Scott, I agree.  eBay sucks more than ever.

I'd said that I was going to boycott them, after your last post about their shady tactics, but I had no other reasonable place to sell these modern OEM wheels. 

So, now where do we go?  It seems everyone has their tendrils into our wallets, at every possibility.

BTW:  I haven't sold a car on eBay for several years. Do they now charge you sales tax on a huge amount like a car? Even on out-of-state purchases?

Van,
ANY sale over $600 gets you a 1099 from ebay. Also, ebay selling 'fees' as they call it, are from $1.00-$13,500 is around 13%. Over that sale price, its getting quite large. RIP-OFF!
Speaking of ebay, I closed my account yesterday...F-'em.

[CharlesTurner]

There is a minimum amount that if you sell over it, they are required to send the 1099. I THINK the amount is $1,500?

It's $600 and not just eBay.  If there are more than $600 received in 'merchandise/goods' payments with like Venmo, Paypal... they will also issue 1099.  That's why so many sellers only want to accept 'friends and family' as payment... which unfortunately gives no protection to the buyer.  I only do this type of payment for those that I know personally.  Zelle is a bank to bank cash app, with no reporting, but no protection with Zelle either as there are no 'take-backs' once the funds are sent.