Hello!
I have been busy winding down my active auctions on eBay and entering some "scheduled" listings to start at auction while I will be away, but ending when I return.
Travelling when you are an eBay seller is a challenge! Do you shut down your store? Do you keep it open but with a big Vacation Notice posted that there will be a delay in shipping items til your return? Do you make sure you have NO auctions ending while you are away?
With DSR ratings hanging in the balance, taking either option is a risk. Buyers don't always read that a seller is away. They don't always read a listing description!! Not all buyers understand the impact their ratings have on a seller. I am at risk of losing my TOP RATED SELLER status due to several low ratings in Shipping & Handling costs, and have decided I cannot dwell on it. As a seller we are unable to retrieve or question WHO leaves a low DSR rating. We, therefore, do not have the ability to address the concern or explain or fix it. We simply have to "live" with it and move on. Personally, I have simply charged the ACTUAL Canada Post rate with a small S&H charge, hoping to partially cover my fees, my shipping supplies, gas to the post office and various other costs that impact a sale. If a buyer does not regularly use Canada Post or a buyer is outside of Canada, they have no basis to compare a rate they may see in the shipping calculator on one of my listings. They just assume that I, as a seller, is making $$ off the shipping and decide to give a low rating. I have even offered the Canada Post website link and the weight and dimensions of the box and my originating postal code so that a buyer can check the rates available! All to no avail, in most cases. I can only continue on and hope a buyer understands that shipping/postage is higher from Canada than from the USA. I WISH we had rates in Canada with Canada Post that were comparable to the USA postal rates!
Don't get me wrong. There are LOTS OF FABULOUS buyers out there! I have met some truly wonderful people in my years on eBay. However, the sad truth is, that 1 out of 100 buyers can severely impact your rating as a seller on eBay!! Just a couple of low ratings out of 100 can bring your % down so that a seller cannot qualify for the Top Rated Seller status.
My ramblings bring me to my main topic. I will be away on vacation for 2 weeks! I almost NEVER have NO auctions running so this is a real shock to my system! I will have no active auctions for nearly a week! I have left my store open, with a big notice saying I am away and that there is NO SHIPPING til April 26 upon my return. Though I will stay in touch with my laptop, I will be 3,000 miles away from my inventory so shipping is not an option!
I hope everyone has a fabulous couple of weeks and that all sales are GREAT SALES!
If you are a buyer, please understand that I cannot ship until I return and please contact a seller if you have concerns on a purchase BEFORE leaving feedback, so that the seller can correct or explain the issue!!
PS - I hope to do some TREASURE HUNTING while I am travelling, so I may have some fabulous items to list upon my return!!
Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts
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