Shipping Expectations

[ccheezy]

I don't expect this to go viral and change behavior on the classifieds page but I am curious as to what the expectation is for a seller to ship. I have been on both sides of many transactions and usually there is a respectful understanding that sellers are not Amazon Prime equipped when it comes to their shipping logistics and if you send a payment on a Saturday evening it may take a few days for your item to get shipped.

 

I understand as much as anybody that when an item is purchased you want to get your hands on it and in the instances where I am about to travel and need something like a shaft to take with me I communicate urgency and ask if I can pay extra to overnight whatever piece of equipment I have identified as the cure to my golfing woes. 

 

Curious what your experiences have been because I have found myself on the receiving end of "has it shipped, curious how you took my money and have stopped talking" less than 12 hours after payment multiple times in the last few months. Especially in instances where that money is protected by PayPal in the event the buyer use G&S payments as requested.

[jacot23]

9 minutes ago, ccheezy said:

less than 12 hours after payment multiple times 

Really? 12 hours? I understand a day or two, but 12 hours?  People work and sleep and don’t live on their phone/computer.

 

Granted in most cases I’d go ahead and generate a shipping label, but sometimes it takes me a day or so.  

[golffeen007]

A lot of DND threads on these scenarios over the years. Communicate and use common sense. That’s all it takes. 

[ccheezy]

2 minutes ago, golffeen007 said:

A lot of DND threads on these scenarios over the years. Communicate and use common sense. That’s all it takes. 

Dungeons and dragons?!?!?!?!?

[rjp322]

As a buyer/seller, I assume that its getting shipped the following day after payment.  If you had time to take pics and list items and take someone's money, you have time to ship them.  Anything after 1 day, I think it just needs to be communicated.  Nothing wrong with 2 days after but communication is key.  I like to treat everyone like I want to be treated to its shipping asap

[Primo1868]

59 minutes ago, ccheezy said:

Dungeons and dragons?!?!?!?!?

"deal, no deal"

[dfeldss]

I think this is when both parties need to be adults.

 

I haven't sold anything on here, but have on FB alot, and i always say something like "Hey, I can probably get this out tomorrow, but Thursday at the latest. I will keep you posted." 

 

If someone pays you, I think you do need to let them know when you think you'll be able to ship.

 

On the flipside, buyer needs to cool his jets, but there should definitely be expectations set and communication on both side

[third-times-a-charm]

If the seller is well versed in digital sales a tracking number within 24 hours and shipping movement within 72 hours I think is pretty standard for personal sellers.

 

If the seller is a boomer that takes digital transactions but still waits in line at the post office to ship, I would say tracking and movement within 72 hours still, but just both at one time since they ship in person.

 

Even ebay requires most sellers to post tracking within 24-48 hours these days so with how easy it is to accept payment and ship on the internet there isnt much excuse unless the person is just extremely busy and in that case they should be up front about that because it is outside the norm and outside the expectation.

[buckrogers71]

I've sold stuff here and I try to ship the same day if possible. If not the next day. This time of year I teach and coach so UPS and USPS are often closed when i get done for the day. I will make it a point to let the buyer know I will have it out on Saturday.

[Dpavs]

Creating a shipping label in 12-24 is not a big deal but getting it to the shipper, yeah that can be from 24-72 depending on circumstance, location etc.

[larryd3]

When I've sold items here, I either ship same day or the following day and communicate well, maybe too much, during the transaction.  I don't want the buyer to ever have any questions about the shipping status, tracking info, etc.  It only takes a minute to communicate.  

[Pudgelewis]

If I can't ship by the day after payment, then I'll mention it in the ad. If payment comes early enough in the day, then I may ship same day, but that's kind of rare due to work and such. I think to expect anything more than day after payment is something that needs to be discussed beforehand if it's expected. As always, though, staying in communication when a buyer messages while you've got their money, even as annoying as some buyers may be, or letting them know about any delays that come up is definitely key and isn't too much for a buyer to ask. If you start ignoring messages or keep pushing the shipping back, it's always going to lead to buyers becoming suspicious about getting their item.

[umassgolfer]

Life happens. But communication these days is something anyone can do if you have someone else's money. If something is listed from a few days prior, I may not always be able to get to the post office the next day. But I'll let a buyer know if it's going to be more than a day or two. And getting to a computer for 5 minutes to create a shipping label these days should not be a holdup.

 

At the same time, if a buyer needs an item by a certain time, I would hope that buyer is able to communicate that so a buyer can agree to those expectations or not. If it is not communicated and agreed to as a specific timeline, the seller cannot be expected to be a mindreader. 

[jrg75]

I've all but stopped selling my used golf gear because of the Amazon effect.  I never really used BST but was on eBay as early as 1999.  Everyone seemed patient and understanding and I never got burned on a transaction until 4-5 years ago.   My last few sales turned me off, guys emailing me for a tracking number a few hours after the auction closed or opening a PayPal dispute if they didn't see hour by hour movement of their package.  Literally got an email from a guy complaining his box was in Phoenix for 12 hours and it should have moved by now.  Btw, the package was delivered the next day, USPS was just lazy with their scans.  The final straw was me learning that sellers really have no recourse on returns, someone can buy something, use if for 30 days, decide the item is not as described (e.g. doesn't hit the ball far enough or straight enough), and basically get a full refund.  Sucks because it used to be fun to buy and sell as a way to try new gear but just not worth the hassle now.  

[Anser3]

I try to ship out next day and no more than 2 days later.  I don't live near a UPS facility to drop off packages  (about 30 minutes either direction and both ways are out of my way so I plan dropoffs carefully). When I buy, I don't even get antsy unless it has been 3 days or so with no communication from the seller. People have lives outside of golfwrx and the BST.  

[Anser3]

21 hours ago, ccheezy said:

I don't expect this to go viral and change behavior on the classifieds page but I am curious as to what the expectation is for a seller to ship. I have been on both sides of many transactions and usually there is a respectful understanding that sellers are not Amazon Prime equipped when it comes to their shipping logistics and if you send a payment on a Saturday evening it may take a few days for your item to get shipped.

 

I understand as much as anybody that when an item is purchased you want to get your hands on it and in the instances where I am about to travel and need something like a shaft to take with me I communicate urgency and ask if I can pay extra to overnight whatever piece of equipment I have identified as the cure to my golfing woes. 

 

Curious what your experiences have been because I have found myself on the receiving end of "has it shipped, curious how you took my money and have stopped talking" less than 12 hours after payment multiple times in the last few months. Especially in instances where that money is protected by PayPal in the event the buyer use G&S payments as requested.

 

 

Your quote about Amazon Prime is right on.  Amazon is a business whose sole purpose is to move merchandise.   Most sellers on ebay and (especially) BST are not doing this for a business as a means to make a living.  They are selling extra stuff at their leisure to either clear inventory or make room for more stuff (mine is almost always just to sell unneeded stuff). It can sometimes be a minor chore just to find time to dig stuff out to take photos and post. Again, I try very hard to ship all stuff within one day.  Sometimes it's just not possible due to logistics. I never go over three days unless somebody buys something late Friday evening and he following Monday is a holiday. I am always forthright if there will be any delay beyond a day. 

 

Unless the buyer is willing to pay actual shipping cost  (I usually list items as a flat rate that includes shipping), I use the most economical method to send the item.  For sure I'm not taking a bigger hit on shipping by using USPS for clubs with their ridiculous surcharge on all items over 22". All clubs or bigger items go through UPS.  The closest UPS shipping centers to me are about 30 minutes in either direction (with neither in a direct line to anywhere  I frequently travel).  One local business accepts UPS dropoffs but they have no tracking information to show it was dropped off nor do they offer receipts.  They don't even guarantee the package gets picked up as they don't get daily UPS deliveries.  They have also started charging $5 for UPS dropoffs because of people bringing in too many packages.  

[Abh159]

Just my opinion, but...

 

I think as a seller you should communicate with the buyer the same day a payment is received (assuming it's during the day/evening and not late at night). Something as easy as "I received the money, and plan to ship the item on XXX day. I'll send you tracking once I have it".

 

As far as the shipping part goes I think anything within 2-3 business days after receiving the payment is acceptable. Longer than that and you should have a really good reason (and communicate it to the buyer) for the delay. 

[achappy]

1 hour ago, Abh159 said:

Just my opinion, but...

 

I think as a seller you should communicate with the buyer the same day a payment is received (assuming it's during the day/evening and not late at night). Something as easy as "I received the money, and plan to ship the item on XXX day. I'll send you tracking once I have it".

 

As far as the shipping part goes I think anything within 2-3 business days after receiving the payment is acceptable. Longer than that and you should have a really good reason (and communicate it to the buyer) for the delay. 

 

Bing and exactly what I do.  My personal timeframe for shipping is next business day and if I can't, I'll communicate to the buyer and verify it's OK.  I'm fortunate to live hear a UPS hub.  However, as a buyer I understand people have lives and may not live near shipping hubs so assume a few days before it ships.  If the buyer hasn't informed me, I'll ping him after about 3-4 days just to get a status.

[jlevitt9]

In all my FS ads I say "within 48 hours of payment." I always try and ship the next day, but life happens, so I give myself a day buffer. 

 

Communication is key, always.

 

Josh

[Unteachable]

i just let everything sit in a closet until i finally trade it in.  I usually get butt sore after the trade in from how much of a loss it is but ultimately I just dont care enough about making the extra money to deal with the time involved in the pictures, listing, packing and shipping.

 

A part of me hangs on to them because i dont want to trade them in because I know how much of a screw job it is and I plan on selling them, but I usually just trade it all in anyway

The thought of having to deal with annoying buyers hasn't even entered my mind yet.

[Buzzkill]

On 9/12/2023 at 8:37 AM, rjp322 said:

As a buyer/seller, I assume that its getting shipped the following day after payment.  If you had time to take pics and list items and take someone's money, you have time to ship them.  Anything after 1 day, I think it just needs to be communicated.  Nothing wrong with 2 days after but communication is key.  I like to treat everyone like I want to be treated to its shipping asap

Yep, this right here!  I’m retired now but when I was working and sold something.  Next day, I’d take item to work and ship at lunch time.