Buyers asking for faster postage

se2020

2 of these over the weekend.

On both listings I offer free postage (other carrier 3-5 day) or Royal Mail Tracked 24 at the actual Royal mail cost (ie I actually loose money if the buyer pays for 24)

First buyer 7am Sunday, selected the free postage option at checkout,  pays. Sends me a message 'I am going away on Wednesday,  could you post Monday on a next-day service please"

Now another,  8pm Sunday, again,  pays using the free postage option 
Message "can you send 1st class please"
This one is a 40cm/small parcel.  Not even sure if Royal mail do first class for that size?

How do you handle buyers like this?

I am tempted just to cancel both sales and tell them to buy the item again selecting (and paying for) the faster option at checkout. 
Or I just ignore the messages and send using the service specified originally..

soolin

se2020 said:

2 of these over the weekend.

On both listings I offer free postage (other carrier 3-5 day) or Royal Mail Tracked 24 at the actual Royal mail cost (ie I actually loose money if the buyer pays for 24)

First buyer 7am Sunday, selected the free postage option at checkout,  pays. Sends me a message 'I am going away on Wednesday,  could you post Monday on a next-day service please"

Now another,  8pm Sunday, again,  pays using the free postage option 
Message "can you send 1st class please"
This one is a 40cm/small parcel.  Not even sure if Royal mail do first class for that size?

How do you handle buyers like this?

I am tempted just to cancel both sales and tell them to buy the item again selecting (and paying for) the faster option at checkout. 
Or I just ignore the messages and send using the service specified originally..

The RM parcel sizes are here.and you may need to check that your small parcels are generally compliant with the size requirement. 
Parcels, letters, envelopes, weight and size guide (royalmail.com)

I have upgraded on rare occasions when the difference has been small but I won't pay the difference where the cost is much higher- and even if buyer offers to pay the extra via paypal the costs make it difficult. I probably would be tempted to cancel and apologise profusely to the buyer explaining that they had inadvertently paid for the slower option and as that is very unlikely to meet their time frame you thought it best to cancel the sale rather than have them disappointed. Then make sure you use the option to cancel as 'agreed with buyer'. Should there be any comeback from the buyer all you would need to say to ebay is that they made a request you could not fulfil and therefore rather than disappoint your buyer you thought it best to cancel.

martindow

I would also be inclined to block them.  Buyers who start off like this are unlikely to become less troublesome.

rollingmoon

Cancel and block would be my response.