My complicated Sale - What to do?

[Allofaflumble]

I put a collection of books on Ebay, collect only starting price of £10.00.

I did not want to get involved with couriers, Royal Mail costing a fortune etc.

The day of the sale, someone contacted me saying they would arrange a courier and pay for the books if I would agree to put them in a box. This was my stupid mistake. I explained that I was going on holiday for a week (my daughter would have been there for collection) but ok if she won.

I immediately regretted it but as there were 7 watchers, I was hoping for a} a bit more for the books and b) that hopefully she would be outbid.

Imagine my disappointment then to find not only did she win the books but got them for £10.50. But a deal is a deal is it not and I would just have to suck it up and get it over.

This was over 3 weeks ago and after much messaging with days delay on her part she finally had to ring me so I could give her the email address to send the courier address slip. You cannot give email address through ebay.

Anyway I gave her the address and she said her hubby would send the label within the next few minutes. I waited and waited then went to bed. Woke at 3 am to still no email. Messaged her but I don't expect to hear now for a while.

To top it all I was going through my phone memory to get her number and accidentally pressed delete!!

This is making me ill with worry. She said that you have to send the parcel within 7 days of paying. I have to take it to a collection shop.

The time and energy this has taken up for no profit whatsoever is so annoying, but I am an honest person and appreciate some you win some you lose and she won that auction fair and square.

So with the delay on the label, not sure if she will get in touch in time etc. do you think I should just square my shoulders, grit my teeth and pay my own money to send the damn books which weigh 4 kg?

I feel totally jinxed, kicking myself and I will never sell on ebay again!!

[Hawkmoth]

Could you get the phone number from your online billing?

[Allofaflumble]

Thanks for the reply. I am a bit green, do you mean in Paypal account. Cannot believe someone is up to answer me!

[Delayingtactic]

I'd just contact eBay and ask them to sort it. I certainly wouldn't be paying to get them delivered.

[Allofaflumble]

Actually Hawkmoth, you are a genius. Her postal address is where she works, so I can try and ring there!! Hoorah!

[Allofaflumble]

Delayingtactic, do you mean go through that resolution process. I honestly don't care about negative feedback as I never intend to sell another thing after this. It s turned into such a palaver.

[fattyfattybumbum]

Just message her via eBay & explain a) you've not got the postage label yet and b) you've mislaid her number. Don't pay to send them yourself, it's her fault you've not been able to send then yet, not yours.

What is making you worry so much?

[Allofaflumble]

Thank you FBB. I suppose worry is not quite the right word, I suppose just cross with myself for not just sticking to my instinct and insisting on collect only. If they had gone unsold then I would have saved myself a lot of energy.

Off to work now. Thanks.

[fattyfattybumbum]

Ok good! It's a pain when people insist on collection, hopefully if will be sorted soon & you can get on with spending your profits

[BillyGoatintheBuff]

whats the palaver? you are getting your knickers in a twist over nothing really.

[LilyBossom]

you should never take paypal for an item which is collected - if I were you I would refund the money and ask them for cash on collection.

[LilyBossom]

and btw her sending a courier is not you taking items to a parcel shop - you need to say no.

You should never let a buyer arrange their own courier, if the items are lost or damaged you have no comeback as cannot claim as you don't have the contract with the courier, so potentially lose your item and the money.

[Allofaflumble]

Thanks for the comments. It is a bit late, but lessons have been learned.

[Allofaflumble]

Billy I do think it is a palaver but my knickers are now untwisted. That's what happens when you wake at 3 am and start thinking too much.

Lily I did as you suggested, refunded the money.

On reading the Ebay Scammers thread, I realised why you should not let them pay by Paypal.

[issey6cats]

what would have been easier in the first place was to price up a courier yourself, then send her an invoice with you sending by courier with postage added, then you could have put the books in a box, sent them by courier when she paid simples and you would have had no hassle and the buyer would have had her books, i had a buyer ask about postage on a bundle of books that wheighed 25kgs and it was simple expensive but easy