Will Posted July 29, 2005 Report Share Posted July 29, 2005 I guess this question is intended more for the lure makers that sell online and use PayPal as an option for payment. Just recently I received a message from a customer who won a couple of auctions on eBay for a total of 100 worms, so as soon as the payment was received, the worms were mailed via priority mail (no insurance or anything additional to the postage charge). A couple days later after I had sent the package, I get a message from the customer appreciating the speed of the shipping but explaining that the envelope got to him empty: Hi Will, Thanks for the prompt shipping of my order. Only a small problem, the end of the envelope was torn open and someone else is fishing with my worms. It is stamped on the outside that it was received here unsealed and w/o contents. I believe there was PayPal buyer protection on it and I'm not sure what to do now. Now, being this the first time something like this happens to me, I also did not know how to approach the situation, so I decided to call PayPal. In a nutshell, they are asking me to resolve this problem amicably, meaning, refund his money or send the winning bidder 100 more worms again, otherwise my perfect perfect positive feedback record could be ruined. I also found out that we are both protected under our respective programs (buyer and seller), so I'm tempted to see what kind of protection they offer to the two of us in this situation. Obviously the envelope got to its destination, now, that there is thief mailman or someone else working for the post office between CA & WA with enough worms for a few seasons that decided to violate the buyer's rights and mine that got in the way and created this problem, I do not see why we need to suffer. I can see the buyer's point of view, he's out of almost $24 and has nothing to show for, and I am out of a few hours of labor, several cups of plastic, a bunch of glitter, and a lot of energy. I guess I'm curious as to what would happen if the buyer decided to open up a dispute/claim case through PayPal and see how the protection programs will get to work for us, and if indeed, they are worth anything. Has any of you experienced anything like this? How did you solve the problem? Due to this problem, now all my auctions have the optional insurance charge where it is clearly stated that no responsibility will be taken if the insurance is not purchased too. I guess you have to cover your behind no matter what... Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted July 30, 2005 Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Hi Will, That's really a shame that happened to you. I have received customer's envelopes opened with the payment missing. Also have had a few lost packages, but never anything like that. Unfortunately, Paypal is not the one who is responsible. Sadly, because there was no insurance placed on the package, I can't think of any other solution than to "take the hit" and either refund him the money or make another batch. IF the customer were to file a report with Paypal, he would undoubtedly win, unless you can provide proof of shipping. Without insurance and/or confirmation, you would not be able to provide proof. This is really the only thing Paypal cares about: whether the package was actually shipped. For damaged and lost packages, you would have to file a report with USPS. Personally, I insure and confirm most of my packages now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted July 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Al, I hear what you are saying. I think I will just refund his money, but wouldn't you think that the torn envelope he received is proof of shipment? Thanks for the advice, I will follow it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millsryno Posted July 30, 2005 Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Were the worms sent via USPS Priority Mail? If so, I think $100 insurance is included in the price of the shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted July 30, 2005 Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Al' date='I hear what you are saying. I think I will just refund his money, but wouldn't you think that the torn envelope he received is proof of shipment? [/quote'] True Will, if he's not the type of customer who claims the package was never received. That would be easy for him to say if confirmation was not purchased. Most of these guys are very honest, but there's a bad apple in every bunch. As for the insurance, USPS provides a minimal amount (not sure if it's 100 bucks?), but I hear that receiving the money is like pulling teeth unless additional insurance is actually paid for. Bottom line here is cover yourself and get the insurance/confirmation on your packages. It's a bit more costly, but it saves you from problems like this in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted July 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Thanks Guys, I have reimbursed the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Be sure to use the online USPS click-n ship...You get delivery confirmation for FREE if you go with priority mail!!!!! If you choose a flat rate envelope, you do not need to know the exact weight of the contents, you can just guesstimate. The postage and label are printed at your site for attaching to the flat rate envelope. You also get a confirmation that you cut off and can stay with you paperwork order...There is also a data base on-line where you can store your addresses so for repeat customers it is super easy!!! Hooking up the postmaster with free samples keeps me in the know on how to send my stuff the cheapest and easiest!!! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted August 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 You are right Jim, that is exactly what I will start doing as soon as I receive my self-adhesive labels. I read a bit about "click-n' ship" about a week ago when this incident happened, and immediately placed an order for 100 self-adhesive sheets which should arrive sometime this week, I hope... Since you use this method of shipping your baits, how do you pay for the postage and insurance? Is it a monthly statement that you get, or you get charged as soon as you use it? Also, do you use the self-adhesive sheets that the USPS recommends or, do you buy yours from some place else? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 I have ordered some self adhesives but just haven't gotten them yet so for now I just print out plain old paper right now and attach it with clear tape. You get charged right at the moment of purchase. If you decide to wait or have multiple labels to do, there are options for doing all this. you can also add on insurance etc. at the time of purchase. everybody should be using this as it really makes life good for the shipping side of things!!! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojo Posted August 10, 2005 Report Share Posted August 10, 2005 When I priced the adhesive labels they came out to almost $1 apiece! Kept me from purchasing them from the USPS recommended vendor. Where did you guys get yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millsryno Posted August 10, 2005 Report Share Posted August 10, 2005 Guys, I have been shipping through USPS as well. However, I only accept payments through PayPal and I print my shipping from PayPal. They do not charge a fee. I ship everything in a flat rate envelope for $3.85. Weight does not matter. I use regular paper and tape it to the envelope. I then go to USPS's website and schedule a free pickup. I never have to go to the post office. Another nice thing about shipping through PayPal is that you can track the package with the click of a button. you don't have to enter a tracking number or anything. Does anybody know of any advantages of NOT going through PayPal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted August 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2005 Jim, I got my self-adhesive sheets a couple of days ago, and last night I printed my first mailing label. It looks very professional. Mojo, I bought mine from here: https://www.labeluniverse.com/store/index.cgi?cart_id=1123696874617984&session_id=&function=item&pid=290&cat=US_Postal_Service_Shipping_Labels∏= I went for the 100-sheets deal for $18.00. This actually came out to be around $25.00 with shipping and handling charges so it is actually $0.25 per sheet which I add to the shipping fee of my baits. millsryno, USPS does not charge a fee either. You only get charged for what you buy. I do not know if you can buy insurance with PayPal, but this is the reason why I am shipping my baits this way now, I need the insurance to avoid headaches in the future. Through Click-N-Ship, you can buy insurance, and get a confirmation number which it is FREE. I also schedule for carrier pickups. For example, last night, I sent 100 worms to a customer in PA. I used the flat rate envelopes from the USPS (I order these babies for free). I also bought insurance for them, and whether you buy insurance or not, the confirmation number is FREE anyways! Total cost $5.15 ($3.85 + $1.30), and this is the amount I got charged... no more, no less.... IT IS JUST COOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted August 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 millsryno, YOU ARE RIGHT! Printing your labels through PayPal is much better. Not only was I able to do everything I wanted to through PayPal, but as you said, the tracking number is also added to that transaction record. It uses the same self-adhesive paper that the USPS website recommends and it takes the money out of your PayPal account. Thanks for the tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
