Don't you just LOVE returns, part II

And the returns keep on coming. I think my customers could just save time, mine and theirs, if they just asked for a return before I shipped the item. No drama.

I had a return in the works for a KitchenAid stand mixer. A very heavy sucker, that was shipped from NC to Iowa. 26lbs heavy. I tissue wrapped, bubble wrapped, boxed and double boxed the little puppy. I wanted it to get there in one piece.

Of course I get the dreaded return request. She did email me directly, thank goodness. It was making an awful noise and must have been dropped in shipping. Well, it was hard to hear that noise in an email so I decided to have her send it back. In retrospect, I probably should have called her and had her turn on the mixer, but I didn't want to get "up close and personal' with the customer. I had her do a return request thru ebay so I could just send a label that way. Done and done......until I get the package back yesterday.

Not a good sign
The bottom of the box was split. Well no wonder with only the four little flaps of cardboard and several pieces of tape to hold 26lbs in check.
I don't know how this did not just fall out.

This is the cover that goes over the place on the front of the mixer where you put the attachments. Loose in the bottom of the box. How in the heck did that "fall" out of the place it was?
Maybe this ding on the side? See the screw, it is so loose that I can pull it out with my fingers. When it was shipped that screw was so tight I didn't think it would ever come out.I know because I contemplated removing the screw so I could loosen the cover to clean the grime from the crack. I decided not to because the screw was in so tight.
This is exactly how I pulled the mixer out of the box. Nothing wrapped around the mixer, no extra box or padding. Some plastic bags were in the box on top of the mixer, but nothing to keep it from shifting from side to side in the box. No double box.The head was not locked in place so it was free to move, and the bowl had been beating up against the back of the mixer and scraped paint off.

What were these shippers thinking? (well, not thinking) That since they decided it was broken, they didn't want the mixer and they didn't care how it arrived back to me? Maybe, or maybe they just didn't care. I don't know which it was but I want to think that they don't have any experience in packing heavy items. I do think the post office handled this badly and caused the damage. But it would not have been as bad had it been packed well.

Ebay does have full coverage on return items so I'm hoping insurance will cover the damage. I filed a claim so time will tell.

Oh, and bless the lady who purchased a skirt and had the courage to tell me it didn't fit and she was returning it. About time for a good customer.

Don't you just LOVE returns?

What is it this week with returns?

First a vegan purse that the buyer opened a return request for "careless packaging. item permanently crushed in transit"  My first response was to ask for pictures and a picture of the shipping box. Yes, I shipped it in a regional rate box, cheaper than parcel select which is what she paid for and besides it would protect the purse. Wrapped in tissue, placed in the box and shipped.

Now I am a reasonable person and the only way that I could think of an item being "crushed in transit" is if the box was damaged. So I requested photos. Crickets and no photos. No other communication.

So......time expired and ebay wanted to know if I wanted to escalate to a case. Sure, I asked for photos and received nothing, absolutely nothing. Now why would I expect ebay to find in my favor? I just requested photos to verify damage, nothing like proof of what had happened or anything special. Now the purse is supposed to be returned to me and then I must refund their purchase price plus return shipping. All for something that, I believe, was not damaged at all. Plain old buyers remorse for an item that had been used and had some light signs of wear, like on the edges of the vinyl, (listed as pre-owned and disclosed in the pictures) and buyer did not want to pay return shipping. I don't know if I will get it back or not but I hope I do because I want to see for myself the permanently crushed in transit part.

And now I open my personal email and there is a message about  a Pampered Chef item that "everything looks great accept it is missing one of the rubber foots (to assist with not scratching surfaces you lay it on) at the bottom. Is there any assistance I can get from you in getting the rubber foot for it". It was new in box and I know the "foots" were there. Of course I am grateful that she did contact me first and didn't just open a case. So now I am trying to get a new "foots" from PC.

So, like everyone else, things have been slow. I have sold things but not a lot. Barely enough to make expenses. But I have this itch to go shopping. Not because I need to shop but because I am so tired of listing all of this small stuff. I'm trying to get the small stuff out of the way to get to the good stuff and I had two week ends of yard sale success and I'm tired of walking around it in the house and the itch will probably win.

Maybe SweetiePie will go with me and help scratch. I'll even buy lunch.....

A Dress Form, Taxes and 43 Years

Well, it has been a busy week.

My daughter asked me to help her make a dress form of herself. I have toyed with the idea of making one of myself for altering thrift store clothes but haven't gotten around to trying it. So on Saturday we met early and went yard sale-ing and then got down to the job of a dress form. It is harder than it looks and takes a lot longer that we thought. We got the form done but the stuffing is what took forever, especially when the spray foam that she bought didn't have a nozzle and we had to go to WallyWorld and get more. So we will finish this week-end. An interesting process.

I hate paying taxes. Absolutely hate all the prep and the nail biting and the "will I have to pay or not" stress that is on top of all of the other daily stress. This is the first time in my entire life that I have not filed my taxes on time. I had to file an extension. I know it's not a reasonable thing to think but I think of it as failing at my job. I know it will be ok and I will have my taxes ready by Monday. But it just sucks. But the day after tax day is always a better day.

It's our wedding anniversary on the 16th. I can't believe that we have been married for 43 years. It seems like yesterday, or at least last week. A friend and co-worker, at the time I met SweetiePie, said it wouldn't last. She ended up marrying his brother but only stayed married 2 years and has been married twice since then. So who is she to talk? She was concerned that we met just before Thanksgiving, got engaged just after Christmas and married just 100 days later in April. 5 months!! Of course we have had our little bumps, but just lttle bumps, and here we are. Two great girls, 3 grand children and still going strong.

So after I pull all of my hair out this week I should be able to get everything under control. I haven't listed on ebay since Sunday. Had a killer week-end last week-end and and shipped out 15 big packages on Monday.
Just sliding by with a few sales this week, barely making expenses. But sales are sales.

 I have two totes sitting here by the computer just ready to go but I can't bring myself to list until I get the taxes done. Just my thing. I want to finish one thing before getting buried in something else.

Oh...and ebay took out my fees for last month today.

I better get myself together and make some money before I totally freak out!!!! I'll be back to regular thrift store stuff in a few days.

 I can't wait for "normal" again.

14 year old Turtles?

I picket up this TMNT backpack at GW last week. It was a day that I didn't find much and this was tucked in with the luggage. It looks like there are spots but that is just a reflection. From completed items it looks like a good purchase. Check it out

What I don't understand is the tag on the inside.
"Intended for Ages 14 & up"
I don't know any 14 year old's that would use this backpack. I don't see any kids getting off a school bus at middle school or high school with this on their back.

Estate sale finds

Haven't seen too many yard sale signs yet. A few but not a lot in one area, so I haven't made any yard sale treks yet. What to do? Hit the estate sales!!

I have only been to a few since Christmas. When I preview the photos online they are the antique pristine collectibles stuff. Not what I want. I want junk. Vintage or almost vintage or just junk. Because I can always find a treasure in the junk. Finally found one last weekend. Man had lived in the house since the 70's and not much female stuff. The estate sale ad pushed the tools really hard. Ok, maybe some gems left of the little woman that will go for cheap. Saw a dress form in the preview pictures and lots of sewing stuff, vintage sewing stuff.

And for the very first time my SweetiePie wanted to go with me. He had been peeking over my shoulder at the photos and spotted a chair he liked. Ok, so it was a Lazy Boy recliner. His was over 20 years old and needed replacing with a newer model. What can I say, we he is old!!

Off we went. I schooled him in the art of estate sale-ing. Not the time to be a gentleman and let ladies go first. Don't be rude, be firm. We got in with the first group and I told him to go find the recliner and sit in it if he got there first and don't get up for anyone. He did and he got the chair. A happy SweetiePie.

I looked around for ladies stuff and got a vintage sewing basket, some sewing books, office supplies, vintage Koh-I-Noor drafting pencil and little stuff. Didn't want the tools, we have more than we need.

Found this for $5 hiding on the back porch.

Complete and should bring in about $40-50, which pays for SweetiePie's chair.

Also picked up this from the top shelf of the closet. As far as I could tell it is complete. Not priced, but a lot of things in the house didn't have prices and a guy was standing in the hall with price stickers and would price something for you.

 

SweetiePie looked at it and then looked at the price that I had just negotiated, $6, and said it cost that new.
I beg your pardon in 1958 it cost $3.95. But in 2015 it goes for up to $100 and beyond.  check it here

I think SweetiePie needs a few more lessons on estate sale-ing.