ebay email ennoyance

[caddyman]

Last week I posted up a note on how annoying it can be to e-mail someone and not receive a prompt response. I also agreed that although it can be annoying, it is also unreasonable to expect someone to drop everything and respond immediately to an electronic communication. It's just one of those things where rationality and impatience clash, and you just have to grit your teeth and wait it out - a bit like waiting for something you've ordered to arrive, when you know it's been posted and is out of your (and the sender's) hands.

Still, having bitten the bullet on that one - and feeling unreasonably proud of myself for stamping on my own impatient nature - I was less than pleased to receive an e-mail from said person 'reminding' me that I have yet to pay (this is all about an ebay purchase). That the vendor refuses to countenance international paypal transactions, and insists on International Money Orders seems to be irrelevant, despite it being physically impossible to guarantee international delivery within seven days. So, gentle reader, I was less than chuffed.

I couldn't restrain myself from returning the e-mail thanking them for the reminder, reminding them that I have already e-mailed them with notification of posting, and pointing out that they are now victims of their own policy. Their second reminder e-mail four hours later met a slightly more sarcastic response. As will further such e-mails.

I have a poor feeling about all this.

Comments

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

What is their issue with international Paypal?

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I have no idea. I fail to see any risk on their part; if there are additional charges, youi just pass them on to the buyer as handling costs, and if the money doesn't show, you don't post the goods.

If I'd realised that I was going to have to raise a money order, I doubt I'd have bothered, to be honest.

[romney.livejournal.com]

Did you use/did they accept Western Union, which gives them confirmation of payment?

I've used this for eBay US transacions and found it very easy to use at a small cost.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I just used a standard Barclay IMO and sent it via snail.

I can find out easily enough if they've cashed it in due course.

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

There are additional costs with Paypal, international or not, and it is now against eBay policy to pass these on to the buyer. As a result some people have started refusing Paypal.

There are also those who refuse to use it as a point of principal as it is owned by eBay (sensible or not? To my mind if you object to that you shouldn't suport eBay at all), and those who refuse to use it just because they don't want to.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

But they're happy enough to use Paypal within the US. It's only foreign orders they insist on using Money Orders.