I read a post about a buyer who is dealing with a seller that had a heart attack. I'm sure they will work the situation out, but as an independent dealer, it did make me think about what would I do in case I was the one who became hospitalized. So I thought I would through this out here and if there are any other thoughts we can combine our intelligence and come up with a good backup plan for other sellers to consider.
- Have someone you can trust turn off all active and scheduled auctions/listings every where you do business. My wife can get on my system and she knows the passwords to the necessary selling sites. If something happens to both of you have one of your children step in if that's a possibility. Have a backup for the backup.
- If not a wife or husband, a trusted family member or relative is recommended. Second is a close and capable friend that can assist you in your time of need.
- Have them contact all the customers whose orders are pending and explain that they are representing you during this critical time. They should explain that the buyers shipment will be late and the possible date of shipment. If the customer agrees with this then it's a done deal. If your assistant can do the shipping that's a perk, but that might will take a little more work on their part if they don't mind. If there is a request for a refund and you do give refunds then your assistant will have to handle your monies.
- If you use a payment gateway such a PayPal, Google Checkout or so on, then your assistant will have to be allowed to access that account to proceed with the requested refunds. Most smaller dealers use this type of payment program for convenience and because most selling sites offer one of these types of payment options. Have your assistant print out each refund record for your future referencing.
As I said, I'm set with the Mrs. Now it's time to wrangle in one of the kids and show them what needs to be done. I hope it is as easy as it sounds.
If you can tweak this for improvement, please by all means jump in. Hope this was worth the read
Have a great day
Greg