Postal system from China has gone to pot

[aps1080]

This free postage that ebay likes, in the past - a year or two ago - if I purcahsed something, I had it really quickly.

Now, yes, free postage but in the last 2 weeks, I have had to ask for refunds from 3 sellers because items hadn't turned up.

And since getting the refunds 2 days ago, 2 of the items have turned up, nearly double the expected delivery time - going by the chart the seller provides.

Yes, I wanted the items faster but I wasn't chamoing at the bit because they were very low $ value and I only asked for a refund based on people on here telling me that don't let it go past 43 days.

Anyway, I have messaged the sellers and told them I am sending the money back to them !

[aps1080]

Well the last of my "missing" items turned up today (Melbourne). It was posted on 13th October.

The seller had already given me a refund so that will be the third one I have sent the money back - it's like a yo yo !!!

I left positive feedback as I really don't think they are to blame, it's just the postal system.

It does make me wonder why some parcels have "Air" on them but they obviously come by ship.

Their must be millions of these small parcels turning up each day in containers.

[cq_tech]

They do come by air mail, but the package can sit around for a couple of weeks before the container is full and it's put aboard the aircraft. That's why the service is so cheap and can be given away by the seller as "free postage". They all do it; China Post, Singapore Post, Hong Kong Post, etc. You can be lucky and you're item may be one of the last items into the container, then you'll get it in under 10 days, like the package I received from China the other day, which only took 7 days to get here.

[i-love-my-sheep]

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@alicia89blue wrote:
Having this extract same problem, Mainly with items purchased last month (October). Items from China purchased this month have actually arrived before those

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It's interesting you should mention that. I've contacted 4 sellers today for shipments posted in October, mid month, that haven't arrived. I received an order from one of those sellers this morning that was posted only 2 weeks ago, yet the previous order is who knows where.

These are sellers who I've bought from many times, so I know they have sent it. It's just a matter of where the heck they are! I've never really had any problems getting stuff from China, so this is all a bit foreign to me. I'll be really pished if they don't arrive because I really wanted those particular mineral specimens!

I told each seller that I'll wait another week and if they haven't arrived I'll let them know. They are reliable, so there will be no issues getting a refund if needed. I just feel bad for them having to refund and not having anything to show for it, especially if other buyers haven't received theirs either. A couple of them were large orders too, so it could hurt them.

[aps1080]

I love

Well, if it's any consolation, as mentioned above, all of my "late" or missing October orders have now turned up.

With what others have said, I really do think that some glitch or hold up has occurred for those October shipments.

It will be interesting when I re order in January those items I want again.

[i-love-my-sheep]

I hope they turn up! I'm in rural NSW, so maybe that will add an extra few days. The poor sellers feel bad and are worried about negative feedback and trashed stars. It's not their fault, so I have assured them that I wouldn't dream of doing that. Most have 100% feedback and 5 star DSR's, so I wouldn't trash them without good reason. Some of the items have gone past being able to leave feedback anyway.

They have all said they would refund if they haven't arrived by next week. That's good enough for me. I have also assured them that in the event they do turn up, I would immediately send the money back to them. I want to keep buying off them, so won't risk upsetting anyone!!

[aps1080]

"The poor sellers feel bad and are worried about negative feedback and trashed stars."

I noticed that. I haven't had to open any "disputes", they have all refunded me without question. To be honest I have been pretty impressed and I have left them all excellent feedback and top rating on the stars. I think that is only fair as I value good communication and they have all done that.

"'m in rural NSW,"
Orange is a top place, very nice.

[i-love-my-sheep]

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@aps1080 wrote:
"The poor sellers feel bad and are worried about negative feedback and trashed stars."

I noticed that. I haven't had to open any "disputes", they have all refunded me without question. To be honest I have been pretty impressed and I have left them all excellent feedback and top rating on the stars. I think that is only fair as I value good communication and they have all done that.

"'m in rural NSW,"
Orange is a top place, very nice.

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I guess it depends on what you are buying as to the honesty of sellers from China. I can't fault any of mine and I'm a regular repeat buyer.

Hoppers Crossing is nice too from what I can remember. It's been a loooong time since I went through there. I had a buyer from there today!

[aps1080]

It wasn't me, honest unless you sold an OzPig and a Swag !!! (under one of my other names !)

It's OK, has changed a lot in the last 5 years, diversity and a lot more crowded.


Stuff is going real cheap on ebay at the moment, really cheap.

[digital*ghost]

Now that I've double-checked, all of my very late packages were purchsed around mid-October as well. Some of them had tracking I could check, and on one it showed as "sent abroad" on 24th of October (purchase date 15th), then nothing until it was processed in Oz on the 28th of November - still yet to receive, though that's not highly unusual if that's when it landed here, another one purchased on 22nd October was apparently first processed in Oz on the 23rd of November and I received that yesterday. 

[i-love-my-sheep]

There's obviously some reason why the mid October shipping from China was delayed, but who knows what it could be? Hopefully we'll get our stuff soon!

I hate mentioning a refund to sellers. I don't want anyone to think I am in the habit of getting a refund. I could count on one hand the amount that I've got, but even so. Although, to be fair to me, I haven't actually asked for any refunds, I was just sending a courtesy message saying the items hadn't arrived and that I was happy to wait a bit longer to see if they turned up. It was the sellers who said to wait another week and if nothing, they would refund.

It's hard with some of my Chinese sellers. Some speak very good English, others obviously use a translator to communicate. I try to make my messages as simple as possible, so it won't sound outrageous when they translate it. I have to remember not to use slang! I'm spewing that my Chinese friend moved back to Sydney. He was useful with things like this! I'd get him to write a message in Chinese and then he'd translate the reply for me.