[78-L] Hoo-Ha shipping costs and wacko buyers

[David Lennick]

So here's your new eBay ID:

"No responsibility! Worst person! Can't grade record. Poor mind and crazy!"

dl

Cary Ginell wrote:
> Domestic shipping costs are limited to $4.00. When I send a 78 out, it generally costs me $2.77 in postage. The box and packing materials probably are about $1.40 total so I just about break even. One way around this is to just start the bidding a little higher - say $10.99 or $11.50 instead of $9.99. You'll have to pay another dime for the listing fee, but that should cover your extra shipping costs. As for international shipping - I would say that at least half of my eBay sales are from out of the U.S. I had charged a flat rate of $16.00 for shipping, with the usual postage rate for sending one 78 being $14.20. For some countries - Germany, France, or Australia, for example, the charge is somewhat higher, but eBay's "Turbo Lister" allows you to specify particular rates for specific countries. All in all, it works out well, but I'm still ticked that eBay gets you coming and going: they hit you for the initial listing fee, a percentage of the final selling price, plus anot
her
>   hit when paid through PayPal. Despite the constant nipping at my profits, I still consider eBay the best and fastest way to reach the greatest amount of people. And think about this - if the reputable dealers get fed up with eBay, all that will be left will be the miscreants, thieves, and amateurs. Someone has to keep them honest!
> 
> I recently dealt with a character from Japan known by the tag "bookofballard." Well, Mr. Bookofballard didn't agree with the condition of a 10" jazz LP I sent him. My description of "wear around the edges" wasn't good enough for him. He thought the seams were split (they weren't) but didn't accept a refund, even though I offered him one. Instead, he demanded I send him a perfect copy. I guess he thought I advertised the "good one" and sent him an inferior copy on purpose. Of course, I only had one copy of it and thought I had described it accurately. I offered him a refund, but as eBay rules clearly stated on my listing, the buyer is responsible for return postage. Bookofballard refused and hit me with a rather childish and exaggerated negative feedback ("Liar! Wrote NO SPLITS but cover is many splits, No responsibility! Worst person!"). I could only post a calm rebuttal, to which he responded with more broken English insults ("Can't grade record. Poor mind and crazy!") I 
app
>  ealed to eBay, but they won't delete any negative comments unless they are profane or racist. So I have to suck it up for a year with this moronic response on my record. My sales won't suffer and I blocked him from bidding on my further auctions. Incidentally, Bookofballard makes his own feedback comments private - he's allowed to, so long as he doesn't sell anything and is only a buyer. So there's no way anyone can know what people have said about him.
> 
> I find it infuriating that sellers have no recourse until they are victimized by these people. Sellers are not allowed to post negative feedback on customers, which serves to make sellers powerless to protect themselves until they have been attacked by a disreputable, unschooled, dishonest, or insane buyer. 
> 
> Cary Ginell