Another fine mess you got me out of..................

[squern]

Last year, on the Dark Side, I developed quite a following in the US & Canada, Australia and the Far East, and often shipped by Surface Mail. Surface Mail costs about half of Airmail, but takes up to 56 days for delivery.

However, it was not long before someone spotted a loophole - it was possible for someone to specify Surface Mail, after being told on the listing and reminded at the time of sale of the delivery time, and then claim non-delivery after a couple of weeks.

This happened to me twice, and despite contacting EB and explaining, I was forced to refund the full payment.

Needless to say, neither people contacted me later to tell me the thing had arrived, and denied that it had when I contacted them. So 100% record of loss for Royal Mail - I think not.

My remedy was to stop using Surface Mail, with a couple of exceptions for people who bought from me regularly.

Now, to get to the point:

An item which weighs 1250 gms to Australia now costs £17.86 by Airmail (including the eBay tax) on eBay.
Royal Mail charge £9.65 by Surface Mail.

Since there is no possibility of a similar scam on eBid, it is now safe to offer Surface Mail again.

So we can offer real price advantages over the opposition. The difference on very heavy items is even more marked:
2 kgs Airmail via eBay £27.32, by Surface Mail via eBid £14.45.

That's something worth promoting and shouting about. Isn't it?

Incidentally, experience tells me that it only takes 56 days in far-flung places: Australia, and US West Coast.
Taiwan takes about 3 weeks, Thailand and the East Coast of US, about 4 weeks

[LovesVintage43]

That's the problem with ebay...people can start a claim for non delivery fairly quickly...they have extended it a little for certain countries but they shouldn't have made you pay out, they are supposed to go by the estimated delivery date. Very bad luck :-(

It's definitely worth offering the choice and highlighting the delivery time in the listing, and on the invoice . The only downside for buyers is that they only have 45 days to file a claim with Paypal.

[squern]

The problem with the eBay estimated delivery dates is, like a lot of other things, they are completely divorced from reality.
The Royal Mail publish estimated delivery times, but eBay, with their extensive experience of running a delivery service, know better.

[Pink_Panther]

Last year, on the Dark Side, I developed quite a following in the US & Canada, Australia and the Far East, and often shipped by Surface Mail. Surface Mail costs about half of Airmail, but takes up to 56 days for delivery.

However, it was not long before someone spotted a loophole - it was possible for someone to specify Surface Mail, after being told on the listing and reminded at the time of sale of the delivery time, and then claim non-delivery after a couple of weeks.

This happened to me twice, and despite contacting EB and explaining, I was forced to refund the full payment.

Needless to say, neither people contacted me later to tell me the thing had arrived, and denied that it had when I contacted them. So 100% record of loss for Royal Mail - I think not.

My remedy was to stop using Surface Mail, with a couple of exceptions for people who bought from me regularly.

Now, to get to the point:

An item which weighs 1250 gms to Australia now costs £17.86 by Airmail (including the eBay tax) on eBay.
Royal Mail charge £9.65 by Surface Mail.

Since there is no possibility of a similar scam on eBid, it is now safe to offer Surface Mail again.

So we can offer real price advantages over the opposition. The difference on very heavy items is even more marked:
2 kgs Airmail via eBay £27.32, by Surface Mail via eBid £14.45.

That's something worth promoting and shouting about. Isn't it?

Incidentally, experience tells me that it only takes 56 days in far-flung places: Australia, and US West Coast.
Taiwan takes about 3 weeks, Thailand and the East Coast of US, about 4 weeks

Another thing to consider is that some 'surface mail' is sometimes chucked in with the airmail to make up a full cargo!

It has happened to a few items I have shipped in the past to Australia.

[Oldandintheway]

Since there is no possibility of a similar scam on eBid, it is now safe to offer Surface Mail again.

What makes you think that can't happen here?
Since surface mail is untraceable, it certainly could happen here.

I ship most of my items by surface or regular mail, & haven't experienced a problem here as yet, but, for valuable items, they go registered, tracked or whatever for sure, for the very reason you mentioned.
All buyers of my items sent by surface mail, get an emailed counter docket scan.
While this is at least proof the item was shipped, it won't stop the determined scammer claiming they did not receive the shipment.
It then becomes a case of your word v/s their word.

[squern]

The difference is that you are negotiating on equal terms. Either party has equal access to means of resolution, and the issue may well be solved by negotiation.

With eBay, the seller is outgunned, because the "buyer" can start or escalate a claim which he knows the seller will lose, within a few days..

If a buyer agrees to, or specifies Surface Mail, and the sellers agrees, a contract exists. The contract will be fulfilled within the 60 days (Surface Mail delivery time), or it won't. If it isn't because the parcel went astray, the seller must refund. But the seller is entitled to wait for the delivery time to expire first.

Despite this contract being agreed on eBay messages, which eBay have access to, it will not be upheld by eBay. and if you argue, or suggest legal redress, eBay will ban the you from the site, unless you cave in immediately and pay up.
That is a real vulnerability for a seller, - an eBay-made scammer's charter.

Since eBid takes a more hands-off approach, the same conditions don't apply.