RFF and other Ebay sellers: I can't blame you if you quit selling on Ebay. It is very biased toward the buyer.
I do buy on Ebay, including hatching eggs, and overwhelmingly the good transactions outnumber the bad. I actually had better experiences getting eggs from Ebay sellers than from 1 on BYC. I currently don't sell on Ebay, but I have thought about offering my eggs there. Before I do, I have to figure out how to deal with the kind of buyers this thread is about, because I know they are out there. I have a few ideas.
First, I would get a stamp made that would be very hard for a buyer to reproduce unless they are an artist. I would use food coloring and stamp each egg that I send. Any complaints about broken eggs would have to be accompanied by a picture of the broken egg, clearly showing the stamp.
Second, all packages would require a signature, with instructions (included on the auction page and again in a follow-up email before shipment) that if there is any visible damage, they are to refuse delivery. If they accept delivery, they do so at their own risk - NO refund or replacements will be given. I will deal with the PO to get the shipping refunded in this case. I don't see how Ebay can side with a buyer that knowingly accepts a damaged package that they have been instructed to refuse. As a buyer, I would assess the condition of the box and decide whether I was willing to take the risk. If I figured the damage was not significant enough to break the eggs inside (providing they are well packaged, of course) I would accept it - I'd be too excited about getting the eggs to refuse it!
Third, I would get a wooden box that will fit inside a medium or large flat rate box. I would decorate it, perhaps with my farm logo, so as to add value to the box, but not so nice that the buyer would want to keep it. It could be customized to be a very safe place for eggs. Ship the eggs in that box and insure the box! Mark the package as fragile and if it is damaged, the PO pays. Put a return label in the box so the buyer can return it to you. The buyer would pay a deposit as part of the shipping cost that will be refunded when the box is returned. I know this will add significantly to shipping costs, but if the buyers want the eggs, they will pay it. If they don't, well then you won't be selling eggs on Ebay which is where you are at now anyway.
Just my thoughts. I would be interested in what you think of them. (I'd also be interested in the name of the Ebay seller if you would like to PM it to me so that I don't buy eggs from her.)
I do buy on Ebay, including hatching eggs, and overwhelmingly the good transactions outnumber the bad. I actually had better experiences getting eggs from Ebay sellers than from 1 on BYC. I currently don't sell on Ebay, but I have thought about offering my eggs there. Before I do, I have to figure out how to deal with the kind of buyers this thread is about, because I know they are out there. I have a few ideas.
First, I would get a stamp made that would be very hard for a buyer to reproduce unless they are an artist. I would use food coloring and stamp each egg that I send. Any complaints about broken eggs would have to be accompanied by a picture of the broken egg, clearly showing the stamp.
Second, all packages would require a signature, with instructions (included on the auction page and again in a follow-up email before shipment) that if there is any visible damage, they are to refuse delivery. If they accept delivery, they do so at their own risk - NO refund or replacements will be given. I will deal with the PO to get the shipping refunded in this case. I don't see how Ebay can side with a buyer that knowingly accepts a damaged package that they have been instructed to refuse. As a buyer, I would assess the condition of the box and decide whether I was willing to take the risk. If I figured the damage was not significant enough to break the eggs inside (providing they are well packaged, of course) I would accept it - I'd be too excited about getting the eggs to refuse it!
Third, I would get a wooden box that will fit inside a medium or large flat rate box. I would decorate it, perhaps with my farm logo, so as to add value to the box, but not so nice that the buyer would want to keep it. It could be customized to be a very safe place for eggs. Ship the eggs in that box and insure the box! Mark the package as fragile and if it is damaged, the PO pays. Put a return label in the box so the buyer can return it to you. The buyer would pay a deposit as part of the shipping cost that will be refunded when the box is returned. I know this will add significantly to shipping costs, but if the buyers want the eggs, they will pay it. If they don't, well then you won't be selling eggs on Ebay which is where you are at now anyway.
Just my thoughts. I would be interested in what you think of them. (I'd also be interested in the name of the Ebay seller if you would like to PM it to me so that I don't buy eggs from her.)
