I’ve had a lot of emails and private msgs lately asking me when will I be doing a pre-loved sale again. Well firstly not this month as I’m not around to mail stuff out. But the more important question is should I bother to do another pre-love sale?
Unlike my WuChaCha where it is an online store selling 1st hand goods where (admittedly rather small since it’s not a full time focus for both partners) there is profit made, selling clothes that I’ve worn here once or even twice is at a lost not a profit. The only reason I’m doing so is cause I need to clear up more wardrobe space and I know that I have way too many clothes that will never see the light of day so I would pick some to sell off cheaply to another gal who would love to wear them and enjoy the prettiness just like I had.
But recently in one of my pre-loved sales… (if you remember I had a blue ombre dress and a candy pink dress for sale), I had a case of lost mail. I stated in my post that normal post was included and registered mail will be an additional $2.25. All 3 buyers only paid me the price I asked so I sent them off on normal mail and as early as I could so that they could get their purchases faster! And they were all very efficient in payment so I mailed them off at taka post office on the same day at the same time. Before I packed those dresses… one of the girls who bought the blue dress told me that she wanted to wear the dress for a wedding and asked me how she should match the dress. Out of goodwill, I volunteered to match the dress and take a modeling shot and mail to her for her reference since I had some time on my hands.
Fast Forward 2 days later, and the gal who bought the blue dress reported that she had not received the dress. I assumed that it was just slow mail due to the national day holidays especially since I haven’t had lost mail in the longest time. I checked with the other 2 customers which promptly told me they had received their packages. After many days of msgs to and fro… her checking her mailbox and me checking mine for return mail. I called the post office as well to check for her missing mail. It was truly both emotionally distressing for both parties. She was upset cause she didn’t receive it while I felt stressed cause there really wasn’t anything else I could do to find the missing package especially when questions such as “so how?” was directed at me. Despite my busy schedule I took time to find another tunic dress (though an absolutely different one) to mail it to her. I did so cause I’ve been on the end of a missing mail before and I understand how upsetting it can be so I wanted to give her a little token to replace the missing one… whether or not they eventually found the missing dress.
In the end, she felt that it was my fault for not telling her to top up another $2.25 when I msged her the amount to pay for the dress even though it was stated on the post and that if she were in my shoes, she would do a full refund. So I gave her the full refund with no questions asked.
Now think about it… I sold a dress at a lost, included normal postage, took time to package it and mail it, answered messages everyday on the missing mail, called post office countless of time to try to track it. Sent out another tunic dress with yet another postage paid and refunded her the full amount.
So while it’s not her fault that the mail went missing I don’t know if it’s just worth all the hassle and emotional distress for some clothes that I’m selling off at a loss in the first place! It might just be better that I just ask friends that I know instead of opening up to the public. It’ll also save me more hassle if I donated them to the salvation army… and a good deed done! Instead of just goodwill.
Yes… it is indeed very distressing… maybe the next time you do it, get them to meet you up in person to collect it – at your convenience, place and time.
I wouldn’t mind if I really liked the dress 🙂
Yes… it is indeed very distressing… maybe the next time you do it, get them to meet you up in person to collect it – at your convenience, place and time.
I wouldn’t mind if I really liked the dress 🙂
It’s really nice of you to do so much things out of goodwill.
But I can also see why you are no longer keen to offer your pre-loved items for sale.
I do have some of your pre-loved items and I hope that this experience will not stop you from selling.
Maybe you would like to impose mandatory registered mail?
It’s really nice of you to do so much things out of goodwill.
But I can also see why you are no longer keen to offer your pre-loved items for sale.
I do have some of your pre-loved items and I hope that this experience will not stop you from selling.
Maybe you would like to impose mandatory registered mail?
sorry to hear that … looking at the other point of view …somehow u sound like u are complaining about her so that you wont be so stressful?
i guess it is how u handle it as an adult and how u deal with situations. actually i do wonder if she receive the token and what did she said when she receive the token ?
then u can actually not give her the refund since u send her the token or get her to call singpost and ask rather than u yourself get stress up ?
sorry to hear that … looking at the other point of view …somehow u sound like u are complaining about her so that you wont be so stressful?
i guess it is how u handle it as an adult and how u deal with situations. actually i do wonder if she receive the token and what did she said when she receive the token ?
then u can actually not give her the refund since u send her the token or get her to call singpost and ask rather than u yourself get stress up ?
Yan, it’s quite crazy to travel so far for such a cheap dress… lol… but ya I know you’ll do it =)
Minou, thanks for your suggestion… mandatory registered mail could be a good idea.
yenling, I guess there are many ways to deal with such situations , but the point is if it is worth dealing with it in the first place.
I’m not complaining about her… rather about the situation and how it has discouraged me to do any more sales. It is easier to post about it then to explain to each of my readers whenever they email me about when they can expect a next pre-love sale. I understand that on her part she too cannot help it if the mail got lost.
In fact, at the time of your comment, she just messaged me that she read the post and that she did not receive the token I sent. I’ve copy and paste her address back to her to double check cause lost mail once is possible but twice to the same person is just way too much of a coincidence for me to stomach. Is Singpost in her area really that unreliable? I can’t believe it!
I gave her the refund because she was obviously more upset about it then I was. If the refund could ease someone else’s worries why not… it’s not that I was intending to profit in the first place. And for calling singpost… she was the one that asked me to call singpost cause she felt it would be better for me to call. And I didn’t mind calling… it was the inability to do answer her questions and the disappointment that such a pretty piece got lost instead of passing on to someone else that is upsetting.
If I had know the dress would have gotten lost ( which is silly cause thats not possible) then I would have kept it in the hope that I would someday wear it out again since I personally liked that piece.
Yan, it’s quite crazy to travel so far for such a cheap dress… lol… but ya I know you’ll do it =)
Minou, thanks for your suggestion… mandatory registered mail could be a good idea.
yenling, I guess there are many ways to deal with such situations , but the point is if it is worth dealing with it in the first place.
I’m not complaining about her… rather about the situation and how it has discouraged me to do any more sales. It is easier to post about it then to explain to each of my readers whenever they email me about when they can expect a next pre-love sale. I understand that on her part she too cannot help it if the mail got lost.
In fact, at the time of your comment, she just messaged me that she read the post and that she did not receive the token I sent. I’ve copy and paste her address back to her to double check cause lost mail once is possible but twice to the same person is just way too much of a coincidence for me to stomach. Is Singpost in her area really that unreliable? I can’t believe it!
I gave her the refund because she was obviously more upset about it then I was. If the refund could ease someone else’s worries why not… it’s not that I was intending to profit in the first place. And for calling singpost… she was the one that asked me to call singpost cause she felt it would be better for me to call. And I didn’t mind calling… it was the inability to do answer her questions and the disappointment that such a pretty piece got lost instead of passing on to someone else that is upsetting.
If I had know the dress would have gotten lost ( which is silly cause thats not possible) then I would have kept it in the hope that I would someday wear it out again since I personally liked that piece.
karen,
u went a great deal to help her and even sending her another replacement though not the exact piece.
i felt that she should not be so upset on the refund. lost mail was not ya responsibility, infact, it’s not both of you. guess the postman really mess up this time. but twice???!! it’s terrible.
she shouldnt have blame u for not telling about not topping up on the registered postage. as a seller, u did ya part to indicate clearly. as a buyer, she need to read carefully instead of shifting the blame.
i guess she so upset coz she didnt get to wear the pretty dress for the wedding.
u already tried to help as much and it’s really kind of u to send her another replacement. dont get to bother over this ok?
karen,
u went a great deal to help her and even sending her another replacement though not the exact piece.
i felt that she should not be so upset on the refund. lost mail was not ya responsibility, infact, it’s not both of you. guess the postman really mess up this time. but twice???!! it’s terrible.
she shouldnt have blame u for not telling about not topping up on the registered postage. as a seller, u did ya part to indicate clearly. as a buyer, she need to read carefully instead of shifting the blame.
i guess she so upset coz she didnt get to wear the pretty dress for the wedding.
u already tried to help as much and it’s really kind of u to send her another replacement. dont get to bother over this ok?
I donate all my “low mileage” clothing to Salvation Army. I will make sure that I have a substantial lot before I call up the Salvation Army to arrange their pick up for collection. Salvation Army is extremely professional in these chores as they will make you sign that they have collected your donations at your doorstep. I like the way this charity is run as they take care to account for all donations.
I donate all my “low mileage” clothing to Salvation Army. I will make sure that I have a substantial lot before I call up the Salvation Army to arrange their pick up for collection. Salvation Army is extremely professional in these chores as they will make you sign that they have collected your donations at your doorstep. I like the way this charity is run as they take care to account for all donations.
mash,
Thanks for the concern, the gal is now trying to figure out with Singpost why she did not receive the mail. Apparently, her normal mail purchases from a livejournal seller also did not arrive.
chacha,
I didn’t know that salvation army collects donation at the doorstep.. that does save a lot of hassle. Will definitely give them a go especially for clothes that I’ve worn more than twice! thanks for the info!
mash,
Thanks for the concern, the gal is now trying to figure out with Singpost why she did not receive the mail. Apparently, her normal mail purchases from a livejournal seller also did not arrive.
chacha,
I didn’t know that salvation army collects donation at the doorstep.. that does save a lot of hassle. Will definitely give them a go especially for clothes that I’ve worn more than twice! thanks for the info!
hi dear, you still can have pre-loved sales by only doing registered mails – incorporate the reg mail cost into your price. and also state ur conditions of the sale (eg: only able to post the reg mail on saturdays, all payment and emails to be in by thursday or else wait for the next saturday..etc..)
i would hate for you to stop having them due to lost mails!
hi dear, you still can have pre-loved sales by only doing registered mails – incorporate the reg mail cost into your price. and also state ur conditions of the sale (eg: only able to post the reg mail on saturdays, all payment and emails to be in by thursday or else wait for the next saturday..etc..)
i would hate for you to stop having them due to lost mails!
elaine,
Thanks babe… will take your suggestions into consideration should I ever decide to do another pre-love sale.
elaine,
Thanks babe… will take your suggestions into consideration should I ever decide to do another pre-love sale.