Burned on a swap. Blech!

[lilycat88]

I just tried my first purchase off a swap board. First, the item I wanted was already promised to someone else. I understand that. I put off letting the mama know I wanted it until it was too late. No problem. I let her know I wanted another smaller item and that if the original dress came available to let me know because I was still interested. The next morning, she let me know the mama had passed on the item and it was mine if I wanted it. She told me the total for paypal. I wanted the two items so I emailed her to that effect and sent the money. Then I get an email from the mama saying the original person had sent her money via paypal that morning and she had already shipped the item. WTF. Luckily, she did at least refund the money I had sent. She asked if I wanted the smaller item that was selling for $6 and that she would be glad to send it to me for $10 postage paid and that she was sure it would be more than $4 for shipping so she'd just eat the overage. Ok...fine. Whatever. I didn't have an exact size or weight of the item. I also don't send much out so I don't have a great concept of shipping costs. STUPID me. The actual cost of shipping was $1.82....not $4.00+ So, it's not a ton of money I'm just disappointed in my first experience trying a swap board.

*sigh* Bitch over. Lesson learned.

[MartiesMom2B]

There is a section on the swap to leave feedback on the transaction, if you'd like to share your experience with the seller there.

-Sonia
Mommy to Martie
& Li'l Girl Bunny to come Feb. 2007
http://bd.lilypie.com/Kchhm4/.png (http://lilypie.com)

[mypa]

So sorry to hear what happened to you. It totally sucks! I've recently been buying alot of stuff on swap and my experience has been great so far although you have to be careful about how some people describe the condition of their items as this can be subjective. Maybe you could ask for some of the $$ back on shipping since actual cost was much lower, maybe she thought she was going to have to send it via Priority Mail because of the weight. Anyways, sorry.

[amp]

Definitely either let her know you're mad, or leave feedback to that effect so someone else doesn't get burned. That's what the feedback section is for on swap, so that buyers and sellers have more information.

[dules]

I would contact her and ask for a refund. If she paid something for the wrapping, envelope, etc. then fine, that's another 25 to 50 cents, maybe.

If she doesn't respond well, then I agree with the PPs regarding feedback.

Good luck and I hope this doesn't turn you off of swap boards. There are lots of nice people there (but always seemingly a bad apple or two)...

Mary

[lilycat88]

Probably not the right place to complain about this. I was just having a "disappointed in the human race" day and felt like venting about something.

[amp]

Nobody said you shouldn't or couldn't complain. But you might be able to get it resolved, or prevent someone else from posting this same thing a month from now by buying with a bad seller. And it may just be something you can get her to fix. You don't need to stop complaining, but that doesn't negate the fact that you have some recourse.

[bcky2]

i know how you feel. i just paid for three diapers from a mama on a swap board and guess what, i never got the diapers. i am out $30 unless paypal does grant me my claim. it sucks that things like this happen :(

[Melanie]

Wow, that's a big difference. How do you know what the actual cost was? Whenever I print postage it doesn't list the cost.

[SammyeGail]

I am so sorry to hear about that, she should have told you she actually found out it was less and refunded your money.

I am sure if you take items to the P. O. the postage price is printed. I got something today from a swapper and the shipping price was on there. It was a little more than she quoted (less than $1), this reminds me that I should contact her and see if she wants me to pay her back the difference : ).

I would leave feedback if I were you.....

Samantha

[zen_bliss]

This is a good place to vent when you can't resolve things on your own. However, it's also good to admit when you were mistaken.

The OP neglected to follow up that the shipping total was in fact $4.01. i underestimate the weight (i don't have a scale) for what i print at home to get the DC label, and pay the difference at the lobby automated machine to make postage exact. The paypal label i printed at home says "postage paid" which was in the amount of $2.21 and it was augmented with another $1.80 sticker, which is what the buyer reacted to. I provided the scan of my detailed label receipt. I am certainly happy to post that as an attachment here if need be.

As i said in the email i sent, generally, it's a more productive & positive approach to assume an oversight and simply ask for any refund you believe you are owed, which i would have been happy to do had that been the case.

I honored the first person's change of heart, and I offered to put lilycat in touch with the first buyer in the event she decided not to keep it. I'm sorry that you still feel that's being "burned". I guess I get to file this in my "disappointed in the human race" ledger for the day.

[lilycat88]

Yes, it was my mistake on the amount. I am sorry for that mistake. My DH had already thrown out the packaging, the only thing sticking in my mind was the $1.80. I was not seeking a resolution or to get into a public confrontation....I was simply bitching and whining about a perceived injustice. An injustice that was partially a misunderstanding on my part. People do that every day here. Some bitches are justified and some probably aren't. It's nobody's place to make that judgement. Since I had neither called out one specific swap board nor a particular individual, not left negative feedback related to the exchange, not communicated to anyone else about the exchange, and felt (as I had indicated in an earlier response) that it was probably inappropriate to even vent about the situation in this forum, I felt it was most appropriate to just let this drop off the front page without further ado. As I indicated in my return email to you, I am sorry for the misunderstanding. Apparently, you felt the need for something more public. So...

I am sorry.

[zen_bliss]

seriously, it's not an issue, and there's not need for an apology. It's an "oops" that's finally wrapped up. we all misunderstand things or have a bad day from time to time when we react more than we might another time.

i don't have a "need" for anything public, but in the absence of any response from you other than here, this felt unfair. it matters to me that people be happy in their transactions and i'll do what i can. i have not received any emails from you after sending the scan. it might be sitting in your drafts box with good intentions, might have been an email glitch on my end, i'm not going to worry about it either way. we're good.

this is indeed a good place to bitch, and when it's about someone in this community as opposed to a big bad MIL, there is more of a desire for closure.