Question:
I am a small time seller, but I prefer to protect my FB rating I have earned thus far. I will be going on vacation, and will not have e-mail contact for about 16 days. My last auctions will end a few days before I leave, and any auctions that go up now will NOT allow MO, or checks so I can at least try and avoid slow forms of payment. But, should I tell people I will be out of the country? Seems like a red flag, but it will be true. Has anyone else dealt with this? I will have someone water the plants, but what about e-mail? What if someone has an issue, or "knock on wood" a chargeback is initiated against me, 16 days without a response will look bad. Any opinions/ideas? Thank you.
Response:
that I have caved in and started bottom-posting, except when I forget: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I am a small time seller, but I prefer to protect my FB rating I have earned thus far. I will be going on vacation, and will not have e-mail contact for about 16 days. My last auctions will end a few days before I leave, and any auctions that go up now will NOT allow MO, or checks so I can at least try and avoid slow forms of payment. But, should I tell people I will be out of the country? Seems like a red flag, but it will be true. Has anyone else dealt with this? I will have someone water the plants, but what about e-mail? What if someone has an issue, or "knock on wood" a chargeback is initiated against me, 16 days without a response will look bad. Any opinions/ideas? Thank you.
There will always be some who don’t read the restrictions your vacation will place on your sales/delivery/service, or don’t care. Others will have questions about an item that you sent out, but which didn’t arrive yet. If you’re going to take a vacation that is that long, you need to plan far ahead to be fair to yourself and your customers. * Make sure the last auction you post ends no later than two weeks before you leave. * Mention in your auction and your EOA e-mails that payments must be received by (Vacation Day – 3) to ensure prompt shipment. You’re giving your buyers about two weeks to pay, so that should be OK if they know in advance you’ll be gone. * Strongly encourage PayPal or BillPoint payments for your last batch of auctions. * About a week before your vacation starts, e-mail anyone who hasn’t paid yet and remind them that if payment isn’t received by (Vacation Day -3) you’ll be unable to send it until you return. * The day you leave for vacation, e-mail anyone who still hasn’t paid and tell them if payment is received while you’re gone, you’ll send the item as soon as you return. * Don’t post any new auctions for two weeks prior to the lengthy vacation, nor start any more until you get back. * Use an e-mail system that allows automatic responders, so anyone writing to you can be informed automatically that you’re gone until X Date. Hope none of them are burglars who know where you live. You should have a separate e-mail address for eBay to sort out your eBay mail from regular e-mail anyway. If you run auctions right up until you leave, and have auctions running while you’re gone, expect at least a few nutsoids to ignore whatever notifications you put in your auctions about being out of town. They’ll raise a stink. You may also annoy normal customers whose payments were delayed in the mail, who don’t receive their items promptly, etc. Just think of eBay as a business. If you were a dry cleaner, what would you do if you had to close up your shop for 16 days?
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – that I have caved in and started bottom-posting, except when I forget: I am a small time seller, but I prefer to protect my FB rating I have earned thus far. I will be going on vacation, and will not have e-mail contact for about 16 days. My last auctions will end a few days before I leave, and any auctions that go up now will NOT allow MO, or checks so I can at least try and avoid slow forms of payment. But, should I tell people I will be out of the country? Seems like a red flag, but it will be true. Has anyone else dealt with this? I will have someone water the plants, but what about e-mail? What if someone has an issue, or "knock on wood" a chargeback is initiated against me, 16 days without a response will look bad. Any opinions/ideas? Thank you. There will always be some who don’t read the restrictions your vacation will place on your sales/delivery/service, or don’t care. Others will have questions about an item that you sent out, but which didn’t arrive yet. If you’re going to take a vacation that is that long, you need to plan far ahead to be fair to yourself and your customers. * Make sure the last auction you post ends no later than two weeks before you leave. * Mention in your auction and your EOA e-mails that payments must be received by (Vacation Day – 3) to ensure prompt shipment. You’re giving your buyers about two weeks to pay, so that should be OK if they know in advance you’ll be gone. * Strongly encourage PayPal or BillPoint payments for your last batch of auctions. * About a week before your vacation starts, e-mail anyone who hasn’t paid yet and remind them that if payment isn’t received by (Vacation Day -3) you’ll be unable to send it until you return. * The day you leave for vacation, e-mail anyone who still hasn’t paid and tell them if payment is received while you’re gone, you’ll send the item as soon as you return. * Don’t post any new auctions for two weeks prior to the lengthy vacation, nor start any more until you get back. * Use an e-mail system that allows automatic responders, so anyone writing to you can be informed automatically that you’re gone until X Date. Hope none of them are burglars who know where you live. You should have a separate e-mail address for eBay to sort out your eBay mail from regular e-mail anyway. If you run auctions right up until you leave, and have auctions running while you’re gone, expect at least a few nutsoids to ignore whatever notifications you put in your auctions about being out of town. They’ll raise a stink. You may also annoy normal customers whose payments were delayed in the mail, who don’t receive their items promptly, etc. Just think of eBay as a business. If you were a dry cleaner, what would you do if you had to close up your shop for 16 days?
everything said above is excellent advice, however it sounds as if it is too late for you to take most of it. YES definitely put in your auction description that you will be out of town and the dates. it’s a red flag as far as their getting their item, but it’s also honest and most will respect it. YES definitely put it in bold at the top of your end of auction email. in this day and age one is almost never completely out of email contact. i don’t know where you are going but kinko’s copy, internet cafes, and even the public library (which is free!) will allow you to check your mail every day or two and respond to any inquiries. i’ve taken trips as long as your’s (and even had auctions up while i was gone) and it takes about a month of preparation to make it go smooth. robert
Response:
-I am a small time seller, but I prefer to protect my FB rating I have -earned thus far. I will be going on vacation, and will not have e-mail -contact for about 16 days. My last auctions will end a few days before -I leave, and any auctions that go up now will NOT allow MO, or checks -so I can at least try and avoid slow forms of payment. But, should I -tell people I will be out of the country? Seems like a red flag, but -it will be true. – -Has anyone else dealt with this? I will have someone water the plants, -but what about e-mail? What if someone has an issue, or "knock on -wood" a chargeback is initiated against me, 16 days without a response -will look bad. – -Any opinions/ideas? Sold my last item and received money already. Now, I just need to file for a FVF and get off the hook for two items that I know will still sell when I get back. So, I have about 9 days still to deal with any refund/RMA issues, and then I will be looking forward to a vacation! Thanks for the ideas everyone. Darryl http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–= Over 100,000 Newsgroups – Unlimited Fast Downloads – 19 Servers =—–
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Definitely #2. You really do need to have auctions end no less than two weeks before your departure date. Any time you’re gone for a week, you have to expect that you’re absent from eBay for about 3-4 weeks. Kris The only way I’ve gound to make the hiatus any shorter is to set up seven day auctions with no BIN, and have a relative start them while I’m gone so that the auctions close a couple of days after I get back. (Internet cafes don’t really do it for me, lots of places I choose to vacation don’t have telephones, much less internet cafes.) Richard Ward
This is the sort of thing I am not quite brave enough to do. I worry that weather or something will cause a delay in me getting back or some such. Or that people would have questions to ask while I was not there to answer. What I do is try to have auctions ready to go so that when I return, I can either trigger them quick from Mister Lister, or upload them quick, so that I’m back in action fast. Cynthia
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I will leaving for a month (someone will be house sitting, watering the garden, feeding the critters and so on, but will NOT be on the ‘puter) and I feel is NOT FAIR to bidders to have to wait to get an item for over 4 weeks! I will avoid any listings that will run out when I am gone. A dilemma is that if a FREE listing is on July 4, and ends on July 11, The high bidder will have only about 5 days to get the payment to me. I will have arrangements to get any item shipped that I get payment for BEFORE I leave. I also will note that in the description! Kinda nice to have your business running, no one minding the store and the customer having to wait! I will NOT do that. If working (ebay) meant more to me that being away, I would have stayed home! BURN AWAY, Howard —
We often travel after a long period of sales on eBay and we give our business 14 days from last sale to "cool down", get the money in, ship the items and do general clean up. We also add a vacation coming script to our mailed notices for each sale 30 days BEFORE we leave. — Friend, Howard Lute -kell- eBay Rating: 1400 LPFM Page: http://home.att.net/~optcamel/fmradio.htm
Response:
that I have caved in and started bottom-posting, except when I forget: -everything said above is excellent advice, however it sounds as if it is too -late for you to take most of it. Yep, I am bad at planning. I have only two up, and I just lowered the days on a ten day auction, to a seven day, so my last auction will end on July 4th, so if anyone is feeling Patriotic, then buy my Xeon VRM! I leave a week after the 4th, so I should be OK here.
You might consider cancelling awkwardly-timed auctions, then reposting later. Your second listing fee will be refunded if the item sells.
Response:
I will leaving for a month (someone will be house sitting, watering the garden, feeding the critters and so on, but will NOT be on the ‘puter) and I feel is NOT FAIR to bidders to have to wait to get an item for over 4 weeks! I will avoid any listings that will run out when I am gone. A dilemma is that if a FREE listing is on July 4, and ends on July 11, The high bidder will have only about 5 days to get the payment to me. I will have arrangements to get any item shipped that I get payment for BEFORE I leave. I also will note that in the description! Kinda nice to have your business running, no one minding the store and the customer having to wait! I will NOT do that. If working (ebay) meant more to me that being away, I would have stayed home! BURN AWAY, Howard —
Response:
-everything said above is excellent advice, however it sounds as if it is too -late for you to take most of it. Yep, I am bad at planning. I have only two up, and I just lowered the days on a ten day auction, to a seven day, so my last auction will end on July 4th, so if anyone is feeling Patriotic, then buy my Xeon VRM! I leave a week after the 4th, so I should be OK here. http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–= Over 100,000 Newsgroups – Unlimited Fast Downloads – 19 Servers =—–
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mindelec wrote YES definitely put in your auction description that you will be out of town and the dates. it’s a red flag as far as their getting their item, but it’s also honest and most will respect it. YES definitely put it in bold at the top of your end of auction email. IF he’s going to do this, use "business trip" or "hospitalization" as the excuse — that way, it’s not a red flag that there will be an empty home. Myself, I wouldn’t mention the absence at all; I’d just let everyone know when payment is expected and that payments received after (date) will result in delayed shipment. in this day and age one is almost never completely out of email contact. i don’t know where you are going but kinko’s copy, internet cafes, and even the public library (which is free!) will allow you to check your mail every day or two and respond to any inquiries. Definitely! i’ve taken trips as long as your’s (and even had auctions up while i was gone) and it takes about a month of preparation to make it go smooth. robert Definitely #2. You really do need to have auctions end no less than two weeks before your departure date. Any time you’re gone for a week, you have to expect that you’re absent from eBay for about 3-4 weeks. Kris
The only way I’ve gound to make the hiatus any shorter is to set up seven day auctions with no BIN, and have a relative start them while I’m gone so that the auctions close a couple of days after I get back. (Internet cafes don’t really do it for me, lots of places I choose to vacation don’t have telephones, much less internet cafes.) Richard Ward
Response:
Mindelec wrote YES definitely put in your auction description that you will be out of town and the dates. it’s a red flag as far as their getting their item, but it’s also honest and most will respect it. YES definitely put it in bold at the top of your end of auction email.
IF he’s going to do this, use "business trip" or "hospitalization" as the excuse — that way, it’s not a red flag that there will be an empty home. Myself, I wouldn’t mention the absence at all; I’d just let everyone know when payment is expected and that payments received after (date) will result in delayed shipment. in this day and age one is almost never completely out of email contact. i don’t know where you are going but kinko’s copy, internet cafes, and even the public library (which is free!) will allow you to check your mail every day or two and respond to any inquiries.
Definitely! i’ve taken trips as long as your’s (and even had auctions up while i was gone) and it takes about a month of preparation to make it go smooth. robert
Definitely #2. You really do need to have auctions end no less than two weeks before your departure date. Any time you’re gone for a week, you have to expect that you’re absent from eBay for about 3-4 weeks. Kris
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