Collection in person dilemma

Moomum

I put a few items up for auction on collection or arrange own courier. Buyer won item early in week and I offered her collection any time this week up until 1pm on Sunday and then we were away for week. She responded last night that she would be coming Sunday at 7pm. I've told her again that we won't be here so she asked if I could leave it with a neighbour, I wouldn't mind this but I don't know any of the neighbours from Adam and only person I could ask is away on holiday. It turns out buyer lives in Hampshire ( we are in London) and can only do Sunday as she has to be at airport (2 hrs from us) and this will be time when she is closest. Don't know what to do! Any advice?

Sambucus_Nigra

Why did you sell with collection only when you were just about to go away for the week?

I'd tell her that nobody will be there now until X date so she will need to rearrange for when you are going to be there.

Moomum

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Why did you sell with collection only when you were just about to go away for the week?

I'd tell her that nobody will be there now until X date so she will need to rearrange for when you are going to be there.

I sold it a week ago and everyone else has already collected. I also said courier so she could have arranged that for £6 instead of driving for four hours

Kimitatsu

To be honest then - tell her she either comes on the date and time you have said or organises a courier. For £6 it hardly seems worth the drive!

soolin

All I can say is you are one brave seller for offering the buyer the option of arranging their own courier.

ootie

Telling a stranger that no-one's there for a week is pretty brave too....! :eek:

adviceforall

Was just thinking the same thing

Marv02

I just don't understand people with the whole "knock two birds with one stone" idea when it comes to saving money. Unless she'll be flying to you house drinking red-bull, or if you where on route to where she where going, which in this case, you are two hours away.

Driving two hours one way, and another two hours back the other to the point where you first started will cost you WELL over £6 in fuel. In this case, wouldn't it be easier if you just arranged the courier in the first place?

Next time you email her, tell her this. If shes doing it to save money, explain to her she'll probably be burning more money then saving. Hope this helps.

Bowling_4_Gold

But the courier could well result in needing to book a day off work - which for some people is a far greater loss than the fuel used.

Marv02

Bowling_4_Gold wrote: »

But the courier could well result in needing to book a day off work - which for some people is a far greater loss than the fuel used.

Perhaps, but whats the odds that person lives alone? Even if the case, ask a neighbour to collect, or get permission to post to the neighbours house. Simples?

Bowling_4_Gold

Marv02 wrote: »

Perhaps, but whats the odds that person lives alone? Even if the case, ask a neighbour to collect, or get permission to post to the neighbours house. Simples?

Yeah, fair enough, see your point but some households (e.g. ours) are empty for the whole working day, and would at least require some special arrangements to accomodate a courier. If I was going relatively close to the place, and didn't know my neighbours well, I would go and collect it.

As it stands now, though, for all we know the buyer is some Russian billionaire, who can fill their tank with their pocket change