I have sold a bulky and fairly fragile item on ebay. It clearly stated collection only on the auction, the buyer has blamed her husband for bidding on something that is a 10hr round trip to collect.
I don't want to cancel the deal as there were no other bidders.
Am I right to assume that if the buyer arranges courier collection of the item, that means I am not liable to ensure the item is delivered safely?
To post it insured and tracked as per guidelines will cost a fortune, but if the buyer is happy to use arrange a standard parcel service collection does this mean they are responsible for the safe delivery of it?
Any recommendations I can give them for a collection service? Even better if they will package it on collection...its a horse saddle that weighs 10kg unpackaged and cannot be crushed as it can break its wooden back.
Thanks ebay experts 🙂
If the buyer arranges their courier to collect the item, then the insurance will be their responsibility. But clearly state this in any comms. As for packing it up, they may have trouble finding a courier to do it. I'm sure it could be done but how much is anyone's guess.
Try to be helpful, but at the end of the day they bid to buy and not tart about with postage that you didn't offer.
I'd be wary. I sold a large collection of wax cylinder 'records' for a fair bit. The description clearly stated UK bidders only and preferrably local pickup. The auction was won by a Belgian guy who insisted (in very bad English) that he was willing to take the chance.
So I packed it all up extremely carefully, lathered the package in FRAGILE! stickers and it got bashed to bits. The Belgian chap immediately stuck in a dispute (didn't even bother to email me first) and it was only settled months later when the courier's insurance finally paid up. In the meantime, I'd had to reimburse the guy and he ignored all emails asking for photos of the damage (required by the courier for me to claim). Was a huge headache.
Get them to arrange collection, and take lots of photos.
You can get boxes specifically for saddles; Mrs hh is a competitive horseist and often sends saddles away for re-stuffing, tweaking, etc. Could ask at a horsey shop and see if they have one spare?
Thanks guys, and thanks househusband, that sounds better than trying to glue and tape a bespoke cardboard box together!
The box she has is basically a strong cardboard box with a corrugated cardboard wide rail that runs along the middle of the box, lengthwise. It not only supports the saddle but also makes the box pretty damn sturdy!
Oh, and just hope they don't use Yodel - or whatever they call themselves these days.
Shock horror, I just emailed them to say they had to arrange collection and I would only pack it up when paid...they just paid. I was expecting to file a non-paying bidder thingummy in the not too distant future...
We get large cardboard boxes at work.
90 x 90 x 110 give or take.
Would one be of any use to you ?
Stretch wrap that onto a pallet and its £39.50 on a 3 day economy rate to Engerland.
Thanks for the offer but I have nicked one off the huge stack we have acquired for moving house 🙂
Go to your local halford and get a bike box, take it to bits and seal it up with a load of parcel tape from the pound shop.
Go on the Parcel force web site book an online collection( or get them to do it) you can specify collection time and place. You get a tracking number so you know when it's been delivered.
It's not really a lot of bother costs about £26
Sold a few bikes on ebay over the years with no bother
Shame to go through this hassle now. If you'd offered postage on the original ad you'd have had more bidders and a better sale price.
Nick, I normally offer postage on everything including bikes, but I have a heap of other stuff to sell.
The saddle has some cosmetic damage and I wanted the buyer to see this before they took the saddle, as I didn't want it to be used in a dispute if the saddle then didn't fit their horse. At least if they arrange the courier, the onus is on them to arrange it back to me again.
It would have been the same hassle to box the saddle up beforehand, with the added complication that there is a considerable chance that it would have received no bids at all! If there was a second bidder it would have gone to them as a second chance offer, no contest!