Why dont the sellers need to identify how an item will be sent, POST or COURIER

[mtas]

I have noted that there is no requirement for a seller to advise how they are going to send the item to the buyer.  The term postage is used which would infer the item will be sent via the postal service.  It isnt until you have purchased the item that you find out it is coming with a courier.  There is one Courier used a lot call Fastway/Aramex who are extremely slow and I would like to be able to know if the seller is using this service so I can buy from someone else.

[padi*0409]

Normally it would show under "postage and payments" who the carrier is ie:-

Australia

Standard Postage (Australia Post Standard Parcel + Registered)

But if the item is beyong AP's weight or length limits then it has to go via a courier. If you have any doubts then contact the seller before purchasing the item.

[mtas]

And I agree with what you are saying, however in the last two weeks alone i have been caught again even though i check the postage details on everything including the one which i have included the picture below, Now how that ended up on Fastway couriers Ill never know......  Items i have purchase since this one and came by Australia post have already been delivered and according to the tracking, this is still in their "sortation" facility in Sydney.  Some sellers are very deciptive.

[countessalmirena]

@mtas,

You have not been sufficiently careful.

Your seller has only a miserable 98.3% feedback percentage, although he has a total feedback score of 27165. Admittedly he is based in Australia, but I gauge that his stock is purchased from China... Unbranded generics being passed off as Apple. They may be being drop-shopped; that's certainly a possibility.

Some of his recent negative feedback:

THIS IS NOT THE SAME ROCK AS PHOTO. This is not what was being sold. This is a scam DONOT DEAL WITH THIS PERSON SCAMMER Private listing	Buyer: n***c (29)
Wrong part For GENUINE iPhone 6 / 6 PLUS Full LCD Screen Replacement Assembly Touch Display (#173093227993)	Buyer: l***n (292)
It isnt the proper front screen replacement for the Samsung S8 phones at all. It needs to be a whole casing which it isnt. Therefore this item is unusable to most people without the very costly technology to replace the screen with this item. For ALL Samsung Galaxy S9 S8 S5 J2 J5 J7 J8 LCD Touch Screen Replacement Display (#173491674999)	Buyer: 2***e (35)
Item is different from what is advertised. Seller refuses to refund. Do not buy from this seller. For Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra S20 Plus S10 Battery Charging Case Cover Power Bank (#174663798028)	Buyer: s***r (722)
Never received my charge cable. Fast Charge USB Cable Charger for iPhone 12 Pro X 8 7 11 iPad 1M 2M Cord (#173045692489)	Buyer: g***i (527)
Very bad quality product. 2 in 1 USB C Type-C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter AUX & Sync Data Charge Cable (#174119114879)	Buyer: 9***i (130)
Yes this portable Bluetooth speaker is not on when switched on ! It was charged for 3 hours but it can not be turned on! it’s just a waste of money will not recommend it to friends! can this be returned and get my money back Outdoor Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speakers Stereo Bass USB | Radio | Subwoofer (#174736875225)	Buyer: a***a (10)
Incorrect item sent nothing like pictured, not happy at all For Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra S20 Plus S10 Battery Charging Case Cover Power Bank (#174663798028)	Buyer: e***6 (1179)
When it was first used Battery did not last more than a day after being charged up to 100%. Now it doesn't even charge to 100%. It goes to a max of 70% FAST Batteries for Samsung Galaxy S10 S3 S4 S5 S6 Edge S7 S8 S9 Note 2 3 4 5 8 9 (#174091418412)	Buyer: p***k (50)
item broken Samsung Galaxy S8 S8 Plus Back Rear Glass Housing Battery Cover Case +TOOLS (#173603312571)	Buyer: b***n (139)
The quality of the toner probably is about 60% 2x Toner Cartridge TN1070 TN-1070 for Brother DCP1510 HL1110 HL1210W MFC1810 AU (#174621646690)	Buyer: a***v (9)
Not good, broke after using for 2 days FOR iPhone 12 11 Pro Max X 8 to 3.5mm AUX Headphone Jack Adapter Audio Splitter (#173398123965)	Buyer: h***r (125)
This battery has a very poor quality. I started to have issues with this battery from day one and it basically has become as bad as my 2 year old battery after about 2 weeks. It won't keep charge long and goes from 100% to 80% as soon as I unplug it from the charger. Similarly, it goes flat in minutes even when it shows 40% charge. Won't recommend this item at all. High Capacity Battery for Samsung Galaxy S10 S9 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 Note 10 9 8 Edge (#173120319403)	Buyer: u***u (15)
Purchased same item twice and each time the item went missing at St Marys Australia Post. I would not recommend this seller. Beware!! 3x TOPPIK PACK Hair Loss Building Fibers 82.5g Conceals Thinning Bald Hair (#172494172385)	Buyer: 0***x (139)
Incorrect product and not as shown in pictures, Seller wanted photos of what they sent . Then they wanted me to sent it back at my expense ,disagreed. Finally they wanted me to send back and then a receipt so they can send refund if they agreed. The cost for me to send is close to what I paid. They are just made it as hard as they could so I wouldn't pursue. Still not resolved!!! Battery Charger For Dyson SV03 SV04 SV05 SV06 SV09 V6 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner (#173974726920)	Buyer: r***i (231)
This seller rob me by simply telling item has been delivered. Original item was missing (confirmed by Austpost & it was sent to Qld from St Mary while my address is Sydney), and what this jerk argued as the replacement has been delivered (never been advised and arrived, and no evidence where it went). I've been waiting for this junk product from this jerk for last 5 weeks and now it tries to keep my money that already paid for. Disgusting and should be excluded from Ebay world. 3x Genuine TOPPIK (82.5g) Hair Loss Building Fibers + Toppik Applicator > Caboki (#173114540184)	Buyer: l***1 (122)
Sent a wrong cord to go with the ac charger making both useless, no reply to message. for LENOVO ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook 3rd Gen AC Charger Power Adapter (#174411763012)	Buyer: m***m (67)
Item doesn't work. Charger Power Adapter for Lenovo IdeaPad C340 C340-14IWL L100S-15IBY S145 (#174574344782)	Buyer: o***o (238)
Battery lasted one charge,now doesn't charge at all 4800mAh Battery for Dyson Type A B Replace DC31 DC34 DC35 DC44 DC45 Animal BT (#174091418416)	Buyer: d***i (2240)
Item does not work as described, seller offered no solution. 600Mbps Dual Band USB WiFi Wireless Dongle AC600 Lan Network Adapter 5GHz 2.4GHz (#174378760327)	Buyer: 5***5 (358)

I do not purchase from high-volume sellers with less than 99.5% positive feedback percentage.

I also don't purchase from sellers whose feedback strongly suggests to me that they are selling reconditioned items, fake items, etc.

Under Brand for the item you purchased, the listing states Unbranded/Generic. That says enough. It's a generic fake listed as "genuine" in order to draw you in.

Look, if you don't want to have your iPhone 6 repaired by Apple (which I can understand; it's over $200), you can have it repaired by a number of different local repairers for no more than $60, I would guess. It's up to you - but I would not be trying to repair it myself with a dodgy fake from China.

[zanadoo_56]

I agree with you - why don't sellers specify what method purchases will be sent.  I've been caught out where sellers used a courier.....and in my experience couriers ignore safe drop instructions nearly every time and leave parcels in unsafe locations, and they can be very slow as well as the item is handed over to various other couriers to deliver depending on the destination.

But the issue doesn't end there.  A seller specifies:

Standard Postage (Australia Post Standard Parcel)

.....but that might mean standard post, tracked or registered post with nothing in the listing to indicate which, and often the postage charged is no indicator either.  The options are there to state if a parcel includes tracking or requires a signature but they don't bother.

As a buyer I'd appreciate come CLARITY on how my purchase would be delivered.

[davewil1964]

So you tar all sellers with your personal experience brush.

I, for one (and I doubt I'm alone), specify the service I will be using. Which is AP, and the AP service I am charging for.

You probably aren't aware that eBay is pushing Sendle as a cheaper alternative. Which it is, but you get what you pay for. I suspect there are sellers out there who, like a lot of buyers, go for the cheapest price without regard to quality.

[zanadoo_56]

Excuse me, but I said SELLERS not ALL SELLERS.

BTW I save sellers that I think I might want to buy from again with details on what I bought and how they post items, but the ones that insist on Registered Post I also add the note Do Not Buy.  Saves me a lot of hassle.

As for Sendle....groan. 

I had more than one parcel - with the safe drop instructions written in big letters on the front - dumped in public view at my front door which is also open to the elements.  I only just managed to retrieve one before a downpour.  The courier of course didn't knock or call out and the trackng hadn't been updated - it was luck that I discovered it.

Just recently (as in last month) I bought an item from on another platform and the seller insisted on using Sendle despite my preference for Aust Post....because she never had an issues with them.  She probably didn't getting them out, but who knows how things have gone at the receiving end?  In my case all went well until my purchase got to: "Parcel transferred to a third party to complete delivery "  Then all action stopped....and stayed stopped.  I had to wait until the expected delivery date had passed before I could contact Sendle about it.  They started a search and thank God it was found and I got it 4 days later.  The seller was also notified by Sendle who had the cheek to tell her they had handed it over to Australia Post who were at fault.  Yeah, right.  It was actually delivered by Couriers Please, one of their 'third party deliverers'.   My opinion of Sendle....cheap....and nasty.

[digital*ghost]

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@zanadoo_56 wrote:

But the issue doesn't end there.  A seller specifies:

Standard Postage (Australia Post Standard Parcel)

.....but that might mean standard post, tracked or registered post with nothing in the listing to indicate which, and often the postage charged is no indicator either.  The options are there to state if a parcel includes tracking or requires a signature but they don't bother.

As a buyer I'd appreciate come CLARITY on how my purchase would be delivered.

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Ok, so you kinda need to stop assuming everything is as simple for sellers as you want it to be, because it just isn't. eBay doesn't provide them with a postage system that can cater for every scenario and works across multiple different service types in so far as combining items in the cart goes. 

There are so many reasons a sellers will choose a universal postage service as the one in the listing, but send with different (optional) services like SOD when not specified, and often it is decided on a case by case basis depending on what was ordered, as well as the delivery address provided. 

In other words, the clarity you want sometimes is just not possible due to the limitations of the system, and this is not just a PITA for you, it's a PITA for every seller who can't quite set up a postage system that caters to how they post (or want to), too. 

I know from experience that having terms of sale that's basically If "this" then "that", unless "the other", in which case "alternative thing" happens - which is how many sellers actually post - causes more confusion than clarity in the vast majority of buyers and is just not worth the angst. i.e. It might make it easier for the odd buyer here and there, but at the cost of answering ten times as many messages asking who does what in the where, now? Easier to deal with that one odd buyer here and there who wants / needs something very specific, because then the answer is just a straight "yes I can do that" or "no I can't". 

[zanadoo_56]

I understand sellers have to be flexible about postage.  Some might clarify conditions under Contact Seller (I'd advise every buyer to read postage there - and of course under item description just in case the info is buried there instead) before they decide to buy.

I have come across sellers however who say standard post when they mean registered post - with NO exceptions.  This is frustrating.  IMO they should be upfront about it. 

I am housebound, too slow (I use a pick up walking frame) to get to the door in time and ( I end up with the parcel at the post office.  I don't have family nearby and have to just about ask anyone I come across to help collect it for me.

Same issue with couriers - there's those that redeliver but there's a few I've come across where buyers are expected to collect the item from the depot (which isn't close by).  That really is a lottery.

I've probably found the only 'good' thing about Covid at the moment.  Aust Post drivers sign for parcel deliveries instead of the customer and (as the postie and AP parcel contractors know me) they also know I am at home and so will leave the parcel in a safe place.  Unfortunately that isn't going to last forever!

Clearly you reply to buyers enquiries about postage.  That's great - because there are also sellers who don't bother.  So I just move on (and make a note they don't answer questions) which is important when it's a collectable I'm interested in buying.

[*sons_and_daughters*]

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@zanadoo_56 wrote:

I understand sellers have to be flexible about postage.  Some might clarify conditions under Contact Seller (I'd advise every buyer to read postage there - and of course under item description just in case the info is buried there instead) before they decide to buy.

I have come across sellers however who say standard post when they mean registered post - with NO exceptions.  This is frustrating.  IMO they should be upfront about it. 

I am housebound, too slow (I use a pick up walking frame) to get to the door in time and ( I end up with the parcel at the post office.  I don't have family nearby and have to just about ask anyone I come across to help collect it for me.

Same issue with couriers - there's those that redeliver but there's a few I've come across where buyers are expected to collect the item from the depot (which isn't close by).  That really is a lottery.

I've probably found the only 'good' thing about Covid at the moment.  Aust Post drivers sign for parcel deliveries instead of the customer and (as the postie and AP parcel contractors know me) they also know I am at home and so will leave the parcel in a safe place.  Unfortunately that isn't going to last forever!

Clearly you reply to buyers enquiries about postage.  That's great - because there are also sellers who don't bother.  So I just move on (and make a note they don't answer questions) which is important when it's a collectable I'm interested in buying.

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With all due respect, it's not a seller's issue that you have mobility problems. 

3 years ago I broke my leg, and failed crutches school. The results of that was, a lift up walking frame in the house (AKA a Zimmer frame), and a wheelchair when out. I couldn't use the wheelchair inside as I have an internal step in my small house. I probably would have broken my neck, along with my leg.

I put a sign up at my front door. "Parcel deliveries, please knock and wait. I am home, but might take a minute or so to get to the door, due to recent mobility issues". Surprisingly, they all waited, and I had no problems getting a delivery.

Maybe you could put a sign up?