My daughter ordered a product on eBay and it came today in a Priority Mail box, turned inside out, with postage due of $11.70. I am going to get on my soapbox here and scold any eBay sellers who are doing this, or who think this is a clever workaround. It isn't for 2 reasons:
1. It is illegal. Priority mail supplies clearly state, "This packaging is the property of the U.S. Postal service and is provided solely for use in sending Priority Mail shipments. Misuse may be a violation of federal law."
2. It puts your customer in an awkward position because they will have to pay the postage due, and will contact you about the inconvenience. We have asked this seller to send the $11.70 due via Paypal ASAP.
3. It puts your account in jeopardy. The customer may open a case against you, or leave you negative feedback.
When turning Priority Mail supplies inside out, the inside of the package, which becomes the outside, is clearly marked so the post office can identify it - the box is marked so it is a visual cue for the post office. Sellers who are doing this aren't outsmarting anybody. Here is what the outside of the box looks like, clearly marked with "Thank you for using Priority Mail - Priority Mail postage required." I am wondering how the seller missed this and thought they could sent it Parcel Select:
Finally, the seller included this note with the order, "If for any reason you are unhappy with your order, please contact us before leaving feedback." My daughter did contact them, but many buyers may not in the heat of the moment and just leave a negative. She is awaiting a response.
It is so easy to follow the rules. The rules are clear on this. Is it really worth risking your account doing these tacky and unprofessional workarounds? My daughter says, "Come on, it isn't that hard to just do it right." I agree.
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5 comments:
I see certain ebay sellers on Youtube doing this and talking about it on their video. They act as if it is a joke sort of wink wink don't tell anyone….telling the world they do it. It really annoys me. These are people claiming they make 100,000 plus a year selling on ebay and amazon yet have to abuse the postal system. Can't they afford to buy packing material or boxes?? Really a pet peeve of mine. I'm glad to see your post on it.
I think this is a case of an ignorant and a stupid seller as opposed to an evil one. Either way, there is NO room for morons like this on any selling platform
Ms. Wells, great post! You might also look at 50 Ship for a box solution. They provide boxes that are designed to completely fill USPS flat rate bubble, letter and legal envelopes, and they provide a "closure sticker" that informs the USPS that the package conforms to the rules. We use them all the time and they have saved us a huge amount of money on shipping.
I have read posts where sellers recommend - and even show pictures - of how they use these boxes to store shoes and other eBay inventory. "It's free" they say. Also be aware that even USED priority boxes cannot be misused. One seller was recycling the used PM boxes; of course, thinking he was doing the right thing for the environment. Turns out, the post office disagrees and was charging PM rates on his shipments.
I figured that the practice of "box flipping" using free USPS Priority Mail boxes ended when they started printing on the insides.
I will still reuse and even flip boxes from Amazon or other packaging, as long as the box is sturdy and clean. I feel it is actually an ecologically responsible way to reuse cardboard to its maximum potential.
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