eBay, UPS & other 3 and 4 Letter Words

[GaryMayo]

A week ago today, I decide my 20" Edson destroyer wheel needed to go away in favor of something larger.

eBay to the rescue. I found a 30" original Edson wheel, that suited my needs. However, that auction was just getting started. I contacted the seller, and asked him to think about a Buy It Now price. $200 he says. I say fine. I ask him to add Buy It Now, and I would pay him instantly.

6 hours later, he finally gets around to adding Buy It Now. (should have been called By It Almost Tomorrow)

I pay him, and then realize it is now Friday afternoon. I politely wait an hour or so, and ask him when he thinks he will be able to ship it.

No answer.

Saturday afternoon, he generates a shipping label, and Monday late, he ships it UPS Ground. It is a big item, I figured as much.

Watching this package cross the Country VIA truck, from Southern Florida to Nebraska has been like watching grass grow in a drought.

Today, 8 days after I purchase this, it is in Earth City, Missouri. Wherever that is. lol

Monday, is the tracking info delivery date. That is a week and a half later. 3 calendar weeks. If I were a small child, waiting on Santa, I would need doctors supervision. lol

[Pete7]

Yes, but the expectation, the build up and then finally it arrives, just think how much more appreciative you will be - just like being a child at Christmas.

Sadly sounds like your urgent need was appreciated by the seller.

I have just sold a pair of old sails on e bay. They went 48 hr courier delivery the day after the auction ended.

Pete

[roverhi]

You get what you pay for in most cases. If you want it now, go 2nd day air from UPS or FEDEX. May get there in 4 days or so. Most times, USPS Priority Mail will get goods here to Hawaii in two or three days which is faster than UPS and way cheaper.

Sounds like your timing was just a few hours off and UPS is giving the wheel a tour of flyover country. Patience, you should try living at the end of the world and at the mercy of the shipping companies/PO for everything.

[Cheechako]

I have had 25lb items reach east coast from west coast in 3 -4 days with Fed Ex ground recently. Normal would be about a week or less. Sounds like you got caught in one of those anomalies. A day or two to ship is not unreasonable for the seller.

[Celestialsailor]

I find FEDEX a little more expensive but on time and the packages in good shape. UPS a little cheaper but the boxes are usually a little dog eared. USPS...well...one story that describes their service...I bought an antique RCA radio (circa 1930). The shipper packed it well, had stamped all over the box.."FRAGILE". I went the the post office to pick it up. The little 4' 10" woman carried it out to the counter and literally dropped it on the counter from a foot up. I could hear jiggling inside the box which looked more round than square from the abuse it received.

[MarkSF]

USPS lost my business for good a few years ago.

I bought a vintage tube power amp on Audiogon. I was slightly alarmed when the buyer sent it parcel post but thought, it'll be OK.

10 days later it had not arrived (this is shipping from Southern Cali to Northern) and neither had the little brown delivery notice. I called customer service, who told me it tracked as delivered. Well, to cut a long story short, or, more precisely, to cut 5 days of phone calls short, the customer service dept told me it was at my local post office.

I went down there and they told me without the delivery notice, they could do nothing. I told them I never got a delivery notice and customer service say the package is in THIS post office.

So the manager went back for about 10s, returned and told me the package wasn't there. I had her within sight the whole time and she had not looked at all, just pretended to.

I insisted she looked again, and this time she went back for 20s, looked around a bit, and came back with my package!

She said, "next time bring the notice". I told her I never got a notice, and she explained that this is impossible, they always leave a notice.

With Fedex and UPS, I have never had a single problem.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

A week ago today, I decide my 20" Edson destroyer wheel needed to go away in favor of something larger.

eBay to the rescue. I found a 30" original Edson wheel, that suited my needs. However, that auction was just getting started. I contacted the seller, and asked him to think about a Buy It Now price. $200 he says. I say fine. I ask him to add Buy It Now, and I would pay him instantly.

6 hours later, he finally gets around to adding Buy It Now. (should have been called By It Almost Tomorrow)

I pay him, and then realize it is now Friday afternoon. I politely wait an hour or so, and ask him when he thinks he will be able to ship it.

No answer.

Saturday afternoon, he generates a shipping label, and Monday late, he ships it UPS Ground. It is a big item, I figured as much.

Watching this package cross the Country VIA truck, from Southern Florida to Nebraska has been like watching grass grow in a drought.

Today, 8 days after I purchase this, it is in Earth City, Missouri. Wherever that is. lol

Monday, is the tracking info delivery date. That is a week and a half later. 3 calendar weeks. If I were a small child, waiting on Santa, I would need doctors supervision. lol

So reading between the lines, you bought it on June 29th and it will be delivered on July 9th. So it took one working week (how you arrived at 3 calendar weeks is a mystery to me), and that's with a public holiday on the 4th.

I think you might be too impatient to be sailing.

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

So reading between the lines, you bought it on June 29th and it will be delivered on July 9th. So it took one working week (how you arrived at 3 calendar weeks is a mystery to me), and that's with a public holiday on the 4th.

I think you might be too impatient to be sailing.

The ready to go sailing is true enough, but the small wheel works for that.

The seller started the bidding at $100. No bids. The auction was going to end Sunday or Monday. I tossed him a hundred bucks more than he was willing to sell it for, to speed along the process. Nothing sped along except the sucking sounds from my wallet! lol

Now, maybe it would have gone for $200 anyway, one never knows. Doubt it would have gone higher, unless it traces back to Elvis. lol

Progress, it is in Kansas City!

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

So reading between the lines, you bought it on June 29th and it will be delivered on July 9th. So it took one working week (how you arrived at 3 calendar weeks is a mystery to me), and that's with a public holiday on the 4th.

I think you might be too impatient to be sailing.

Friday, last business day of a work week
Monday Thu Fri, another work week.
Monday, first day of a third work week.

Three weeks. Now, I know it has not been 21 days, however, calendar wise, this process has touched 3/4 th's of a calendar month. Nearly one twelfth of a year sitting and waiting for that big brown truck.

Impatient?

Seller contacted me in Jan, asked me if I wanted to purchase a sailboat.

A month later, he returns my email.

Another month passes, and another.

Closed on the deal in April. Boat was out of state. WAY out. I live in Nebraska, the boat was in LA. Patience came into play hiring UShip to bring me my sailboat. I rescued my boat in the Rocky Mountains.

Patience is hiring (looking to hire) a marine diesel mech. in Nebraska.

Waiting on a ships wheel? Easy as cake.

[Ex-Calif]

First world problems...

Anyone remember when there was no eBay - LOL...

[GaryMayo]

I have been a member of eBay from Jan 1, 2000. I guess the doomsday clock got me to sign up! lol

First day of week three, wheel arrives safely.

Quality: High, like stuff used to be made when stuff was made in the USA by someone that was well schooled in craftsmanship

Condition: 9/10. No scratches, but a very fine dusting of dirt / rust on the surface. Needs a good cleaning and polishing.

Would I use eBay again. I have purchased thousands of items over the years, and sold a few things. eBay is a great resource.

[GaryMayo]

The other day, my wife's iPhone case failed. Got on eBay and ordered her a new one.

Hong Kong. 99 cents. Free shipping.

Came in less time than this wheel did.

How does someone manufacture a product, ship it half way around the world, and sell it for 99 cents?