giftworld47
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posted on October 16, 2000 12:47:12 PM
I had a customer whose total was $11.29. They sent cash of $11.00. I get this quite often and it's very irritating. What would you do? Tell them to send the rest or just say nothing?
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sjl1017
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posted on October 16, 2000 12:53:53 PM
This has come up a few times before. Send them an email that states you recieved their payment. Unfortunately, it seems to be short by $.xx and you will be happy to prepare their package and ship their item when the balance is received. Those few cents add up...on both sides. If a buyer shorts each seller by a few cents they eventually end up saving dollars off their bids. If you let it go every time you end up shorting yourself those same dollars. Resist the urge to "let it go."
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BEEKMANBOOKS
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posted on October 16, 2000 01:01:13 PM
As irritating as it is to be short changed, I would send the item because a sale is a sale. But I would also include a note pointing out the error, mentioning the value of positive feedback, and asking for the $0.29 to be remitted in uncancelled stamps. If you don't get the stamps, give the customer a neutral feedback.
Good luck,
Beekmanbooks
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giftworld47
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posted on October 16, 2000 01:05:48 PM
sjl: That is just what I did, thank you. I think it's terrible that these bidders bid a certain amount and then only pay as much as they feel like.
beekman: You say a sale is a sale, but a sale isn't final until you get the price the bidder agreed upon. Until you get payment in full there is no deal as far as I'm concerned. When you go to Wal-Mart you don't tell the cashier "I'm only giving you $10.00 instead of $10.50 cause that's all I feel like paying". Wal-Mart wouldn't accept that either - it wouldn't be a sale unless you paid the full amount. Also, stamps are of no use to me - haven't used a single stamp in over a year because I print all postage through Stamps.com.
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BlondeSense
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posted on October 16, 2000 01:06:45 PM
If they paid by check or money order I would be irritated enough to hold out for the difference, but since it is a bit awkward to send 29 cents in coins, I would let it slide.
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giftworld47
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posted on October 16, 2000 01:23:11 PM
I've gotten a lot more than 29¢ in coins from customers before. I just don't think it's right for the bidder to decide to just short change the seller. I could never think of doing that to someone.
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avaloncourt
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posted on October 16, 2000 02:21:38 PM
Tell the bidder to send you an extra dollar bill. Inform them that when it arrives you will return their change with their item... minus the extra postage for the weight of the added change. I think that would put a stop to their shortchanging quite quickly.
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unknown
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posted on October 16, 2000 03:14:36 PM
You've got to be kidding.
It's only 29 cents.
And he paid cash!
Take it!
I always tell cash buyers to round to the nearest dollar, and never send change or stamps.
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macandjan
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posted on October 16, 2000 03:14:47 PM
I beg them not to send cash. They probably feel you are getting a 20% bonus because now you don't have to pay tax! I have had people quote a job to me that way $100 or $80 cash so I don't have tax. They are really pushing the safety envelope. That is enough admition to get someone to turn them in for the bounty.
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giftworld47
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posted on October 16, 2000 05:09:33 PM
unknown: When you get short changed like this several times a week it's not "just 29¢". It adds up.
macandjan: I tell my customers I don't recommend they send cash and that they send it at their own risk, but many still do. I get cash payments every week. So far none has gotten lost or stolen. And regardless of how they pay me - cash, check, MO, CC - I claim every penny as my income and pay taxes on the entire thing.
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Meya
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posted on October 16, 2000 05:19:40 PM
How payment is remitted is not the point. Try asking the cashier at the local grocery store to "round down" to the nearest dollar since you are paying in cash. Ask the guy at the gas station, or the local wine shop. They will want the full amount due, and so should online sellers. If you send the item anyway, you are just reinforcing a bad habit that the next seller will have to deal with. "The last seller I bought from was cool with it"
It's not the amount, it's the principle.
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mballai
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posted on October 17, 2000 06:21:21 AM
It's very effective to state "full payment" in your auctions and EOAs. Do not let someone get away with it. Not now, not ever. And make sure that the bidder knows there's a deadline to complete the auction by sending in the rest of the money. If not, NPB and FVF the auction becasue it is in violation of TOS. You can send the money back less postage to do so.
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sjl1017
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posted on October 17, 2000 06:26:26 AM
Now I have a twist on this one. I had a bidder round up to the nearest whole dollar. She sent me $5 for a $4.25 item. Sending her change upped the shipping cost. I just sucked it up this time, but what should I do in the future?
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sissyclarke
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posted on October 17, 2000 06:40:08 AM
I have had that happen to me, the buyer added wrong. I sent them the item and pointed out that they did not add correctly, but was mailing the item anyway. They sent me $1.00 bill, which really cost them $1.33. The item was short only 19cents.
All of these situations have to be dealt with case by case. If someone sent me more money than the item ended at, I would probably send them a little something extra.
I have sent new postcards from my state, they do not add to the weight, and the pictures on the postcards gives the buyer some insight as to the place where the item came from. I like personal touches.
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coyote0
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posted on October 17, 2000 06:52:32 AM
It depends on the amount. You are being shorted about 2.6 % of what they owe you. If it was a $100 item, I'd say let it go, but I'm not sure in this case. I'd probably just let it go, but make a point to tell them of their oversite. They probably do this all the time.
$$$coyote$$$
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parrothd1
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posted on October 17, 2000 08:29:10 AM
I recently Had a customer send the amount for the item.. Not the amount for shipping and insurance costs, when I emailed them to let them know... They just sent my email back TWICE..... No response What Then?? I had 5 bids on the item....When I emailed Close of Auction Letter with the cost of item and the shipping, insurance info....Frustration settin In....
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