Is this worth complaining about?

[Deleted User]

It's interesting to read the different points of view on this thread.

As a seller who sells a large amount of second hand clothing, I recognise the great importance of a really thorough description, and I always go over my items with a fine toothcomb prior to listing (it's very easy to miss a little tear or a small mark, or a dodgy mend if you don't do this).

In this case, however, it seems that the seller has totally failed to give a fair description of the item. Surely with the extent of issues with the item outlined by the OP, the seller shouldn't have failed to notice these before listing the item.

The item doesn't really sound fit for sale, in my opinion.

As such, I tend to think that why should the buyer, having received the shoddy item, have to enter into conversation/negotiation with a lazy seller who can't be bothered to list an item properly. The buyer has bought an item in good faith, paid, and then received a dress unfit for purpose.

I think it would be absolutely fair enough for the buyer to leave a neutral (or poss even a neg, dependent on the condition of the garment) and appropriate stars without any further contact. And what's more, it's what I'd expect as a seller if I sold and sent a shoddy item like the one described.

prowla

As another illustration from a buyer's perspective, I purchased an item on Sunday (15th), and received an email from ebay on Sunday (15th) saying it was despatched, with an expected delivery of Wed 19 - Thu 20th, but it's now Friday 21st and it hasn't arrived.

Two things I'm not happy about here:

1. It was marked as despatched Royal Mail 2nd Class on a Sunday - how can that be? Actually on inspection, the despatch notice was sent on the Sunday with a despatch date of Monday 16th, so therefore the seller notified me it was despatched before it was really sent.

2. It's not met its expected delivery - does it really take 5 days (hopefully not more!) for something to go from Derbyshire to Berkshire?

I don't think either aspect of the above has been entirely truthful.

I've geared the last two days (Wed 19/Thu 20) around being in in order to receive the item, but it's not come and it's wasted my time.

If the date of posting is not actually the Monday, then I intend to post at best a neutral.

This isn't intended to be a thread hijack, but rather another illustration of what you might rightly expect from a seller.

soolin

prowla wrote: »

As another illustration from a buyer's perspective, I purchased an item on Sunday (15th), and received an email from ebay on Sunday (15th) saying it was despatched, with an expected delivery of Wed 19 - Thu 20th, but it's now Friday 21st and it hasn't arrived.

Two things I'm not happy about here:

1. It was marked as despatched Royal Mail 2nd Class on a Sunday - how can that be? Actually on inspection, the despatch notice was sent on the Sunday with a despatch date of Monday 16th, so therefore the seller marked it as despatched before it was really sent.

2. It's not met its expected delivery - does it really take 5 days for something to go from Derbyshire to Berkshire (hopefully not more!)?

I don't think either aspect of the above has been entirely truthful.

I've geared the last two days (Wed 19/Thu 20) around being in in order to receive the item, and it's not come and it's wasted my time.

If the date of posting is not actually the Monday, then I intend to post at best a neutral.

This isn't intended to be a thread hijack, but rather another illustration of what you might rightly expect from a seller.

Mine get marked as despatched once they go into my mail sack- so at the weekend that will be a Sunday. I will also have sent a despatch email saying items will physically go on Monday. I have multiple BINs so on a good weekend can sell 20 identical items- if I did not mark them as despatched as I went along I would end up confused (I am easily confused!)

2nd class can sometimes take a week, if not more- and any buyer considering leaving less than a positive and 5* for anything that arrives late just shows why we are all so fearful of our stars.

[Deleted User]

prowla wrote: »

As another illustration from a buyer's perspective, I purchased an item on Sunday (15th), and received an email from ebay on Sunday (15th) saying it was despatched, with an expected delivery of Wed 19 - Thu 20th, but it's now Friday 21st and it hasn't arrived.

Two things I'm not happy about here:

1. It was marked as despatched Royal Mail 2nd Class on a Sunday - how can that be? Actually on inspection, the despatch notice was sent on the Sunday with a despatch date of Monday 16th, so therefore the seller notified me it was despatched before it was really sent.

2. It's not met its expected delivery - does it really take 5 days (hopefully not more!) for something to go from Derbyshire to Berkshire?

I don't think either aspect of the above has been entirely truthful.

I've geared the last two days (Wed 19/Thu 20) around being in in order to receive the item, but it's not come and it's wasted my time.

If the date of posting is not actually the Monday, then I intend to post at best a neutral.

This isn't intended to be a thread hijack, but rather another illustration of what you might rightly expect from a seller.

Blimey, can I have your username please, so I can block you. Feel very sorry for your seller, they've despatched the item you purchased promptly, notified you of this through eBay's messaging system, and you're still not happy.

RM second class states 3 to 5 days for delivery, but can be up to 15 working days before they consider it 'lost'. Presumably you accepted the method of postage before you purchased the item, therefore what on earth have you got to moan about?

campdave

prowla wrote: »

2. It's not met its expected delivery - does it really take 5 days (hopefully not more!) for something to go from Derbyshire to Berkshire?

I put some items in a post box on a Sunday, so I mark them dispatched then. Same for anything I post on a bank holiday.

Royal Mail items sometimes get delayed - I've had first class items take 10 days to get to me, as a seller, I've had first class items take over a week to arrive. Not my fault, not the senders fault, out of our hands once we hand it over.

prowla

Yes, putting it in the post box is despatching it, but this particular item is too large to fit into a post box, so it could not have been posted on the Sunday.

Putting something into your out-tray/mail sack is not despatching it; it's not actually been sent.

I fully understand that delivery is a variable, but what I said was that I would check the date the item was really posted. If it was on the Monday, then the seller indeed despatched it at the earliest time they could; however if it wasn't then their "despatch" notification was false.

mrsmstweets - I am not "moaning" - the expectation was set in the item description; if that is incorrect then the item description was incorrect. (And I don't care whether you want to block people who don't see the world in the same way as you choose to, and you with to refer to them as "moaning". Tell the truth and it's all clear; set an unrealistic expectation or give misinformation and you are creating an issue.)

The issue for me is that an expectation has been set and incorrect information has been sent supporting that.

I would have been happy if the seller had said they will post within N days; that would have given me the correct information to make my decision about making the purchase.

I actually think that some of the issue is that sellers feel under pressure to show that they are complying with ever tightening requirements for delivery, and are tying themselves in knots doing so.

[Deleted User]

prowla wrote: »

The issue for me is that an expectation has been set and incorrect information has been sent supporting that.

I would have been happy if the seller had said they will post within N days; that would have given me the correct information to make my decision about making the purchase.

You may not be aware, but sellers do not put the expected delivery date information into their listings. Sellers select the postage method, and and amount of days within which they will dispatch the item, and eBay automatically calculates the delivery date from that information. Each and every listing also carries the waiver, inserted by eBay: "Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods."

So, yes, I think you're being unnecessarily harsh.

campdave

prowla wrote: »

I would have been happy if the seller had said they will post within N days;

This information is on every single ebay listing.

prowla

campdave wrote: »

This information is on every single ebay listing.

Yes, I know the delivery is listed, but it is about whether it is correct; I meant if they had said despatched within 3 days/next working day/next saturday/whatever, to correctly set the expectation, and that delivery would be 2-5 days on top of that, then that would be clear.

In my case, the delivery stated:

• Dispatched within one day.
• Estimated between Wed 26 Jun and Thu 27 Jun.

It's also worth noting that ebay's T&Cs state that delivery includes seller's despatch time.

So posting it on the Monday using a 2-5 days mail service does not tally with the stated delivery (ie. 2-3 days).

prowla

Deleted_User wrote: »

You may not be aware, but sellers do not put the expected delivery date information into their listings. Sellers select the postage method, and and amount of days within which they will dispatch the item, and eBay automatically calculates the delivery date from that information. Each and every listing also carries the waiver, inserted by eBay: "Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods."

So, yes, I think you're being unnecessarily harsh.

The quoted T&Cs also state that delivery includes seller's despatch time.

Yes, delivery times may vary, but the 3rd week of June is not generally considered to be a peak period.

In terms of being harsh, my point is give me a reasonable expectation of delivery and I'll be happy; give me an overoptimistic one that is unlikely to be met and I will be disappointed.