Argh! eBay!
Jul. 8th, 2007 12:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valis2Usually I can tell how a weekly auction round is going to go just by how much the items have been bid up to at certain points in the week. I was pretty sad earlier this week because only one person had bid...though they had actually bid on 60% of my listings, the last thing I wanted was to have them all go for their initial price.
Anyway, I started to get a bit worried when, later on in the week, I noticed that this bidder had only one feedback point. People who are new to eBay often do strange things, like give you negative feedback because they don't understand the system and don't realize that they shouldn't mark people down for shipping charges that were listed right on the listing, for example. Or they freak out if you don't give them feedback within 2.6 seconds of payment.
Yesterday I became a little more worried about it, and checked out the feedback. It turns out that they have turned their feedback to "private," and while the feedback is positive, I can't tell much more than that.
Then I noticed their location.
Japan.
*cringes*
All of my listings mention that I ship only to the USA. (I make exceptions when people email me in advance, but I have checked my email, and not only do I not remember talking about shipping to Japan with anyone recently, there is no email from this person.)
After what happened with the last customer from Japan, I'm sick to my stomach. I hope this goes smoothly. I hope they don't freak out when they see the shipping charges. I hope they speak English. I hope it all works out.
ETA: Oh, and whoever it is, they're fairly aggressive about staying on top. I may have to do a big set of second chance offers if this goes south...but wow, I hope it doesn't. This is the most broke I've been in a long time, and I really need this.
Anyway, I started to get a bit worried when, later on in the week, I noticed that this bidder had only one feedback point. People who are new to eBay often do strange things, like give you negative feedback because they don't understand the system and don't realize that they shouldn't mark people down for shipping charges that were listed right on the listing, for example. Or they freak out if you don't give them feedback within 2.6 seconds of payment.
Yesterday I became a little more worried about it, and checked out the feedback. It turns out that they have turned their feedback to "private," and while the feedback is positive, I can't tell much more than that.
Then I noticed their location.
Japan.
*cringes*
All of my listings mention that I ship only to the USA. (I make exceptions when people email me in advance, but I have checked my email, and not only do I not remember talking about shipping to Japan with anyone recently, there is no email from this person.)
After what happened with the last customer from Japan, I'm sick to my stomach. I hope this goes smoothly. I hope they don't freak out when they see the shipping charges. I hope they speak English. I hope it all works out.
ETA: Oh, and whoever it is, they're fairly aggressive about staying on top. I may have to do a big set of second chance offers if this goes south...but wow, I hope it doesn't. This is the most broke I've been in a long time, and I really need this.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-08 04:36 pm (UTC)Shipping overseas has become such a hassle within the past five years and that's the reason I don't like to do it. But I figure if someone wants what I have so much, I take a trek to the post office. So if someone asks -- or even if they don't -- I just let it go and do it. I'd rather have the money! :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-08 04:55 pm (UTC)I only have a problem when it goes to Hell in a handbasket. (http://valis2.livejournal.com/210474.html) Because after that nightmarish transaction, and the subsequent shipment, I broke even. Barely. What had seemed to be a nice money-maker turned into a month of struggle.
*grumble*
I wouldn't be as worried if: a) the person wasn't overseas, b) the person had emailed me in advance to ask if it was all right (since they haven't, then they obviously haven't read the listings thoroughly), and c) they were not a brand new eBayer. All three of these things together are making me rilly rilly nervous. :(
(Honestly, the rest of my overseas transactions have been fine, with the exception of one Italian transaction where I basically lost $50 on the sale. Normally I wouldn't be that worried, but having all three of those things together...ergh!)
*hugs*