Guys,
I recently received a complaint/disputed item from Paypal, in regards to an item that has been "in transit" for a bit over a month. I'm not naming names, nor am I placing blame on anyone other than myself. I've become used to trusting members here, and I have sent many items to other continents with little to no problem. However, given the most recent problem, I will no longer be sending items to customers without a tracking number. It is a practice I started doing to keep cost down for my customers, in good faith. It has worked pretty much flawlessly for over a year now, but admittedly, every time I have been nervous while waiting it out. I have to be honest, I don't think the customer and I ever discussed with which method I would ship. I factored in the "affordable" shipping, and out of habit, sent it using untracked air mail. However, we now have no idea where the package is, and a customer is left waiting for his knife and saya, while I feel like a complete ass, and am more than a bit annoyed to have poured a lot of effort into a piece, only to have it sitting at customs, or in the kitchen of a postal worker, rather than where it should be - in the hands of someone who appreciates the tools.
I feel I've earned a reputation for being an honest vendor, and more importantly, member of this community. I would never knowingly rip-off anybody, but yes, I have made people wait longer than I feel is acceptable for me to ship or finish a package. Every time this happens, I get pissed off with myself and wonder what I'm doing. I will say one more thing before I finish up with this post, and the forum for a couple of days: I try hard to be a positive member who brings a bit of levity to a forum with fantastic, passionate members. Sometimes we don't all get along, and lately I'm left thinking "who the hell is this guy"? The direction of the membership has changed, and I'm not sure how positive this has been. I feel I'm left shaking my head more and more these days, but then I'm immediately won over by something as simple as a bunch of us trying to but a Rader for a deserving member. I'll be stepping back for a few days to let the dust settle, and hopefully you don't take this as a snub. I just need a breather....
Thanks everyone. You guys still rock!
I recently received a complaint/disputed item from Paypal, in regards to an item that has been "in transit" for a bit over a month. I'm not naming names, nor am I placing blame on anyone other than myself. I've become used to trusting members here, and I have sent many items to other continents with little to no problem. However, given the most recent problem, I will no longer be sending items to customers without a tracking number. It is a practice I started doing to keep cost down for my customers, in good faith. It has worked pretty much flawlessly for over a year now, but admittedly, every time I have been nervous while waiting it out. I have to be honest, I don't think the customer and I ever discussed with which method I would ship. I factored in the "affordable" shipping, and out of habit, sent it using untracked air mail. However, we now have no idea where the package is, and a customer is left waiting for his knife and saya, while I feel like a complete ass, and am more than a bit annoyed to have poured a lot of effort into a piece, only to have it sitting at customs, or in the kitchen of a postal worker, rather than where it should be - in the hands of someone who appreciates the tools.
I feel I've earned a reputation for being an honest vendor, and more importantly, member of this community. I would never knowingly rip-off anybody, but yes, I have made people wait longer than I feel is acceptable for me to ship or finish a package. Every time this happens, I get pissed off with myself and wonder what I'm doing. I will say one more thing before I finish up with this post, and the forum for a couple of days: I try hard to be a positive member who brings a bit of levity to a forum with fantastic, passionate members. Sometimes we don't all get along, and lately I'm left thinking "who the hell is this guy"? The direction of the membership has changed, and I'm not sure how positive this has been. I feel I'm left shaking my head more and more these days, but then I'm immediately won over by something as simple as a bunch of us trying to but a Rader for a deserving member. I'll be stepping back for a few days to let the dust settle, and hopefully you don't take this as a snub. I just need a breather....
Thanks everyone. You guys still rock!