[78-L] International transactions

[Cary Ginell]

I suppose I just need a better way to protect myself. USPS talked me into using one of their flat rate boxes instead of the sturdy Paper Mart boxes I usually use. I'm sure they stack like-sized boxes up on their airplanes and my box ended up on the bottom or got wedged somewhere by another heavy item. 

Nobody at PayPal or USPS care about what is fair. I did everything I was supposed to do to protect the records and myself, and still lost both. This will not dissuade me from selling on Ebay, but it will make me reconsider using USPS for any items worth more than $100. They're going broke and this is but one sad reason why. 

Cary Ginell

On Jun 13, 2013, at 1:49 PM, Matthew Duncan <recordgeek334578 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi Cary,
> 
> Probably best not to change anything.  Simply forget and move on.
> 
> The main reason I say this is because...
> 
> I have had two bad experiences so far this year on Ebay with buyers after 10+ years of no bother at all..
> 
> The two cases relate to me being conned after selling Classical LPs.
> 
> I used to make good money from this but stopped as a result of the 2 problems.
> 
> After 'spitting my dummy out' so to speak, I went off ebay for a while (mainly cos my Paypal account was frozen both times!) and started selling non-Classical vinyl at record fairs.  I ditched the remaining Classical LPs in one job lot as I viewed them as a burden after the recent events described above.
> 
> I haven't had massive success from the fairs and regret my decision - I will be returning to ebay selling whatever I feel...still doing the fairs but choosing which ones to do very carefully...
> 
> This is just my twopence worth, but, it's easy to feel rubbish about all this now but....Does this mean the next non-English guy will do the same??   What about losing custom as a result of restricting where you send stuff??
> 
> Worth at least considering just leaving things as they are - plus, you MUST (as far as know) accept returns under Ebay policies these days...at least in the UK...I imagine the US are at least as stringent.
> 
> Cheers
> Matt in Blighty
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Cary Ginell <soundthink at live.com>
> To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com> 
> Sent: Thursday, 13 June 2013, 21:36
> Subject: [78-L] International transactions
> 
> 
> Just a word of warning to those who sell 78s abroad. My recent issue with a Chinese buyer did not end well. Possibly due to language problems on the other end, the buyer never understood that he was to be reimbursed for the damage the USPS caused to the records I sent him by the Postal Service. All he needed to do was bring the original packaging and broken 78s to his post office to verify the damage and they would process the claim. Instead, he tossed the box, wrapped everything up in bubble wrap and shipped it back to me. He had claimed 2 of the 3 78s in the set were broken, but by the time they got back to me, all three were broken. PayPal reimbursed him without any proof for the full amount he paid, putting my PayPal balance under water. When I called USPS, they, in essence, said "Sorry, pal." Since they never verified the damage, the insurance I paid for is voided. So I am out the money as well as the records. Fortunately, I was able to file an
> internet fraud case with t
> he U.S. Government for the third disc, which was broken in transit between China and here and at least I will get 1/3 of what I lost back.
> 
> So how does one deal with buyers who speak little English? Do I restrict sales to English-speaking countries from now on? Do I say "no returns" accepted? The post office was completely at fault for this, but found a way not to live up to their own insurance policy. Do I not use USPS for international transactions anymore? As horrific as they have been in this situation, they are still cheaper than other services - or are they?
> 
> Cary Ginell
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