front porch trash

front porch trash

Friday, February 20, 2015

Just Pick a Number & Postal Update

I was lucky in January with my 50% off coupon. I was in line at the check out before the 10am deadline and I spotted these under the counter.

North Face down filled boots, NEW North Face down filled boots. After a little research, I priced them at $65 and they sold in 2 days. Score!!! because there was a customer behind me in line at the TS that had already shouted out "if you don't want those, I do". I was thinking that "you'll have to rip these from my cold, dead hands", but I said "yes, I'll take them my grand daughter will love them". I got the the NF boots listed pretty quickly since winter is in full force and someone may just need them. 

 But I had these Diesel boots sitting in my listing tub for a couple of weeks. Just procrastinating getting them listed because they fit me and I was trying to decide if I wanted to keep them. Yes, I have jumbo feet. My SweetiePie said to sell them that I didn't need any more shoes. He's right, of course and I went ahead and listed them.

I researched and found only one pair listed at $50, in much nicer condition than these, a larger size and gray. But the reason I picked them up was the way they looked. All distressed and grungy on the outside, but the soles and insoles looked liked they had only been worn a few times. So I just decided that since I had sold the NF boots for $65 that I wanted $65 for these boots too. Poof, I just picked a number. Too low, too high I didn't know.

Sold in 2 days. So much for that gut feeling!! I love it.

Postal Update
A while back I asked about what everyone else did when they took their packages to the post office with postage already attached. Most replied that they just dropped them off with no problems. No one said anything about having to have a bulk shipping manifest. Some post offices apparently have special lines for bulk mailing.

Well I had several talks with the current postmaster and she kept trying to force me to use the bulk listing. I really have tried to figure it out, to no avail. I tried explaining that I couldn't figure out how to use the bulk shipping on ebay and print my labels/receipts the way I wanted to. She even called USPS to get a printout of the correct procedure. That printout was for Click N Ship and paypal customers. When I tried to explain that if I used either one of those services I would have to manually enter all of the tracking numbers and match them to the items shipped she didn't seem too concerned. She even told me since I get a commercial discount with ebay shipping if I didn't use the bulk listing that I would lose my discount and have to pay full price.

Let me repeat that. She told me that since I get a discount with ebay shipping, if I didn't use the bulk listing that I would lose my discount and would be charged full price. Charged by who? That little bit of information exploded in my head. I haven't checked with the USPS website but I'm pretty sure that the postmaster at my little post office would have a hard time collecting the additional postage from any of the ebay customers that come in our post office. After all there is another post office only two miles further down the road. I could always go there if she wants to act like a _____. (fill in the blank with words of your choice)
Until next time...just go with the gut.

11 comments:

  1. I love both pairs of boots. Nice finds. I can't believe your postal lady. How bizarre.

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    1. I think that she believes intimidation will work. Sorry, that just makes me dig my heels in and fight back.

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  2. If I were in your shoes (lined boots? LOL) with the post office, I'd be making a call to their 1-800 for specific clarification direct from the source, then asking to file a complaint against your local PO. Let things settle out for a month or two after the complaint while using the 2 mile down the road PO and go back to see if the procedures have changed at the old PO. If not, follow back up with the 1-800 people - (ask for a case or ID number to do just that). I'm so tired of the post office's attitudes - it's almost like they're bitter that they don't get the money in for the pre-printed packages, yet it doesn't matter since it's still counted in their end of day so they technically "get credit" for them. With the influx of Ebay, Amazon, Etsy, Bonanza, insert your favorite online selling platform here, it isn't the rarity that it used to be.

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    1. I have thought about contacting USPS and finding out exactly what I should be doing. I really don't want to get anyone in trouble, just the postmaster. The other two clerks don't have a problem with my packages and they are really nice. They also have customers that just drop off big totes of stuff with no manifest in sight. I think its the fact that I'm selling successfully and some people can't deal with that. When I dropped off packages this past Wed I had 27 packages with over $140 in postage. (The holiday weekend was great) I would think that she would love to add that to her daily total.

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  3. Awesome sales on the shoes!!

    My local postmaster used to be a witch too. I never had a problem with her, but her attitude stunk and lots of people had issue with her. I think enough people called and complained cause she is sweet as pie now. Do call and complain!!

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  4. In the last 4 years that I have really been concentrating on selling on ebay there have been 4 postmasters at our post office. The first one had been there years and years and he retired. Since then it has been a swinging door. The first one was good and he moved on up, the second one was there less than 6 months and then the control freak showed up for about 7-8 and now this one. I don't know how the clerks handle all of this jumping through new hoops every six months. Both clerks are great and always helpful. They deserve better bosses that understand that the customers are the ones who pay their salaries with our ebay postage and we shouldn't be looked at like a "red headed step child".

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  5. If I was in your shoes, I would eliminate the stops at the post office altogether and start scheduling pickups. The post office offers this as a free service as long as you are shipping at least one item via Priority Mail (which I'm assuming you are). I've occasionally had my carrier miss a day, but I don't fuss over it too much (having a broken foot will do that to you, hah!).

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    1. If you go to the USPS website, you can schedule a pickup. Sorry, meant to put that in my comment.

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    2. I know I could schedule a pick up but my SweetiePie is disabled and retired and the only thing he looks forward to is going out to lunch. So when I "have" to go to the post office we go for lunch. He says he had 42 years of gobbling food and rushing to work and he wants to relax now. So we will go to the post office and lunch every day as long as he can.

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  6. go to usps website and fill out a complaint. i have 0 tolerance for stupidity :)

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    1. I passed my tolerance level a while a go with this postmaster. When she told me that if I didn't do the bulk list that my discount would be void and I would have to pay. Come on. She didn't give me the discount, the post office gave ebay the discount and she could never collect anything from me. I was born in February, just not yesterday!!

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