Do I tell a seller he is a fool - or 'I am glad my local Post Office knows me!)

[Magpie]

Hi All,

What do you think about telling someone on eBay that they are an idiot?

Got a call this morning at around 8 am, it went something like this;

Hello Brendan - it's ***** from the post office, we have a parcel here for you and its buzzing? OH and its also leaking a smelly liquid. Were you expecting a parcel?

After a bit of chat I determined that the parcel was most likely from an eBay vendor how had sent me some stuff and not packed it correctly - would I come down and get it immediately? - Certainly.

In the car and down to my local post office, only a few minutes drive but I have not had my first cup of coffee yet and still a bit bleary. Get there and there is the parcel - definitely leaking developer and making a buzzing sound.

Open it up and show the staff that it is a darkroom timer that is going off and the half full bottle of developer, advised anyone who had it on their hands to wash it off etc, grabbed the parcel and headed for home.

Got home and checked the contents, most look OK so no real harm done, then I started thinking what might have been - if the local post office staff didn't know me, had made a big production out of it etc. It could have been a real bun fight with media and all, guess I am just lucky.

My question - after all the above is, the timer and developer were 'extras' that the seller included at no charge to fill up the box! Do I tell the guy he is an idiot? say nothing? send him a polite email and thank him for the extras but suggest he work on his packaging technique?

Then what sort of feedback do I leave?

I tell you it has been an interesting start to the day. Have had my coffee as I write this and now can see the funny side.

Regards

Brendan

 

[BrianShaw]

Send him a polite email and thank him for the extras but suggest he work on his packaging technique.

 

[roteague]

Just feel lucky, if you were in the US, you probably would have the hazmat team and FBI visiting you already.

 

[celluloidpropaganda]

Send him a polite e-mail and thank him for the extras. No reason to create aggravation on either end by bringing up the packaging technique - unless you buy something else from him later on. Then you should mention it.

 

[vanspaendonck]

Sleep on it. No use to create a great drama over this, it was well intended but poorly executed. Consider yourself lucky you don't live in the USA.

 

[Dave Parker]

Other than dropping him a polite note, I would not worry about it. Let him know thanks the package arrived and by the way......

If you got the package in a timely manner, I would leave a positive for him, this is not rocket science, and sometimes thinking to much is just as bad as not thinking at all!, the guy sounds like he got the package to you, you got some extras, and a mishap happened along the way...does not sound like he was trying to do anything except be an honest seller.

Then get on with life.

Dave

 

[MattKing]

I'd thank him for the extras, and mention that the developer needed to have special packing, because it leaked in transit. I would also reassure him that no damage was done.

He may have never shipped liquid before. He might appreciate the information.

I would base my feedback on the rest of the transaction.

Matt

 

[srs5694]

I concur with most of the others that you should politely mention the fact that the packaging went awry with the buzzing timer and leaking developer. My reasoning: We all learn by our mistakes (well, most of us), and if the seller doesn't know he made a mistake, he can't learn from it. IMHO, though, there's no point in calling the guy an idiot; that's not likely to accomplish anything helpful. There's also the question of how much of it really was the seller's fault; this could have happened even to a well-packed parcel if it was abused in transit. You'll have to judge for yourself whether it was competently packed to begin with.

As to feedback, I'm not sure. Negative feedback seems a bit harsh, so I'd rule that out. Positive feedback seems a bit unearned -- leaking developer could have damaged the timer, and perhaps whatever else you bought. (OTOH, positive might be reasonable if it looks like it was competently packed but the package was abused in transit.) I might go for neutral, or maybe positive with a comment that it was poorly packed. You might consider perusing the seller's other feedbacks; if you see a pattern of comments about poor packing or something, I'd lean towards a neutral feedback. If the seller hasn't already left you feedback, though, I'd recommend not leaving feedback at all unless you decide to leave positive feedback -- too many sellers would give you a retaliatory negative feedback.

 

[JBrunner]

Yup, lucky you don't live in the former land of the free, you'd be answering questions under a bright light right now.

 

[copake_ham]

Sleep on it. No use to create a great drama over this, it was well intended but poorly executed. Consider yourself lucky you don't live in the USA.

Er...Excuse me. But since you do not live in the USA - what gives you the basis for saying this?

Let me guess - you read it on the Web - so it MUST be true!

 

[JBrunner]

Er...Excuse me. But since you do not live in the USA - what gives you the basis for saying this?

Let me guess - you read it on the Web - so it MUST be true!

Well,
honestly George, if a buzzing, vibrating, package leaking a strange substance shot out of a mail chute in a NYC post office addressed to you, what would happen?

 

[copake_ham]

Well,
honestly George, if a buzzing, vibrating, package leaking a strange substance shot out of a mail chute in a NYC post office addressed to you, what would happen?

First of all - it would have already been inspected before it got to me - they don't wait for me to claim it. I think the guy's thread title indicates he was surprised they actually waited for him to show up

More importantly, I'm really not interested in seeing this anti-US "trash talk" on a photo website.

I am certainly no flag waving "patriot", by any means - but I don't bad-mouth their countries here - so why do they presume it's fair game to bad mouth mine?

I am quite capable of criticizing my country up and down the wall until Sunday comes to hell. But I'll be damned before I will tolerate someone who knows nothing about the breadth, depth, decency and diversity of the USA doing so.

If it's so friggin' bad here - why do so many people try to get in?

 

[Tony Egan]

snip... I am certainly no flag waving "patriot", by any means - ...snip

Oh really? I think George doth protest too much!

Leaking chemical and buzzing timer... hmmm.... sounds like a practical joke gone too far. Let's hope not. That would be like mentioning the word bomb as you board the 747.

I would also send a polite email thanking him for the extras but mention the poor packaging in case his generosity gets others into bigger trouble in Sydney, NY or Amsterdam.

 

[haris]

Well, it easily could happen that sender made correct pakadge and it was destroyed during handling in post offices or transport or...

I am certainly no flag waving "patriot", by any means - but I don't bad-mouth their countries here - so why do they presume it's fair game to bad mouth mine?

If it's so friggin' bad here - why do so many people try to get in?

1. Because not many other countries go to other countries teritories and not many other countries interfere into other countries political, economy and other decisions... And USA (government) doesn't have to that, but they want to do that.

2. As only global power, what USA do afect whole world, and, for example, what my country do, affect my country only and nobody else. And USA (government) doesn't have to that, but they want to do that.

3. It is bad, but somewhere else is even worse.

 

[mark]

Just mention the packing and thiank him for the extras. His heart was in the right place.

 

[Magpie]

Hi All,

Sent the seller a polite email and explained the problem, thanked him for the extras and mentioned that fluids needed careful wrapping - especially part used bottles.

He was most apologetic and mentioned that he had another bottle of developer (full) and would send it over no charge by way of apology.

Regards

Brendan

 

[Dan Henderson]

Just feel lucky, if you were in the US, you probably would have the hazmat team and FBI visiting you already.

I can't speak to the FBI part of the statement, but I'm one of the guys who would show up with the hazmat team. On these calls we have to assume the worst until proven otherwise, else people (including us) can get hurt.

 

[haris]

I can't speak to the FBI part of the statement, but I'm one of the guys who would show up with the hazmat team. On these calls we have to assume the worst until proven otherwise, else people (including us) can get hurt.

Oh, man...

What happened with "everyone is innocent until proven guilty", what with people who are proven innocent but marked forever and having being torturing untill proven innocent, etc...

World become wild west, shoot first then ask questions..

Well what to say, if they force us to act like this, they are winning.

Sad, sad world...

 

[JHannon]

I can't speak to the FBI part of the statement, but I'm one of the guys who would show up with the hazmat team. On these calls we have to assume the worst until proven otherwise, else people (including us) can get hurt.

Finally.. someone who sees the possible hazard to others.

We would normally isolate the package and our hazmat team would check it out. Much of it is harmless (like a box of strawberry jam that leaks due to poor packing) but I would rather check than have people get hurt.

I am glad it worked out and the seller has been contacted.

 

[kb244]

Um Guys knock it off with the drama... The most that might happen is US Postal authorities having the package checked out at one of the shipping centers, identifying the substance (like FirePhoto Said, assume worse before anything else, but last thing you need is to go 'hey we might have a bomb, go call the media before we arrive on the scene' or that kind of stupidity), if the substance was deamed hazardous, then the original shipper would either get a fine or arrested (most likely fined), both of which would probably stay out of the media, since there are some chemicals in the US you cannot send, and on top of that in the US anytime you drop something off, its always the same question alone the lines of "anything hazardous, fragile, etc, etc".

The main time it ends up in the media is if a customer is standing around and gets 'excited' and runs off to tell someone (normally these problems are found behind the scene, not out in a line of customers).

Some countries base their policies different than others.

 

[JHannon]

Um Guys knock it off with the drama... The most that might happen is US Postal authorities having the package checked out at one of the shipping centers, identifying the substance (like FirePhoto Said, assume worse before anything else, but last thing you need is to go 'hey we might have a bomb, go call the media before we arrive on the scene' or that kind of stupidity), if the substance was deamed hazardous, then the original shipper would either get a fine or arrested (most likely fined), both of which would probably stay out of the media, since there are some chemicals in the US you cannot send, and on top of that in the US anytime you drop something off, its always the same question alone the lines of "anything hazardous, fragile, etc, etc".

The main time it ends up in the media is if a customer is standing around and gets 'excited' and runs off to tell someone (normally these problems are found behind the scene, not out in a line of customers).

Some countries base their policies different than others.

]

True. No "Drama" here.. I was just surprised at some of the comments. I sometimes have to disassemble the equipment to remove the parcel and I don't take this lightly.

Maybe I should mind my own business...

 

[srs5694]

I can't speak to the FBI part of the statement, but I'm one of the guys who would show up with the hazmat team. On these calls we have to assume the worst until proven otherwise, else people (including us) can get hurt

Oh, man...

What happened with "everyone is innocent until proven guilty",
...
Sad, sad world...

Considering this as a reply to FirePhoto's post, I think you're missing the point. Calling in a hazmat team in response to an unknown leaking substance in a package isn't about innocence or guilt; it's about safety. Hazardous materials (hence "hazmat") are shipped all the time, and if you don't know what a substance leaking from a package is, it's simple prudence to assume it's something dangerous. If you don't, and get some on your hands, and it then turns out to be nasty (say, a concentrated acid), you could end up in the hospital. If you assume it's hazardous and call the hazmat team only to discover that it was something harmless (say, orange juice), then you've wasted some money but nobody's gotten hurt. That's a much better mistake to make.

 

[haris]

Considering this as a reply to FirePhoto's post, I think you're missing the point. Calling in a hazmat team in response to an unknown leaking substance in a package isn't about innocence or guilt; it's about safety. Hazardous materials (hence "hazmat") are shipped all the time, and if you don't know what a substance leaking from a package is, it's simple prudence to assume it's something dangerous. If you don't, and get some on your hands, and it then turns out to be nasty (say, a concentrated acid), you could end up in the hospital. If you assume it's hazardous and call the hazmat team only to discover that it was something harmless (say, orange juice), then you've wasted some money but nobody's gotten hurt. That's a much better mistake to make.

Yes, maybe I wrongly understand. It is one thing if some packadge leaking, calling hazmat team to check what is in matter.

It is another thing to send hazmat team to someone address, then putting him/her into troubles before discovering what is leaking from packadge. And this is how I understand previous post(s).

But, again I could misuderstand them.

And at the end, this is of no importance on this forum...

Regards

 

[Dan Henderson]

Yes, maybe I wrongly understand. It is one thing if some packadge leaking, calling hazmat team to check what is in matter.

It is another thing to send hazmat team to someone address, then putting him/her into troubles before discovering what is leaking from packadge. And this is how I understand previous post(s).

But, again I could misuderstand them.

And at the end, this is of no importance on this forum...

Regards

If I wasn't clear enough in my original post and ignited a shitstorm, I apologize. Hazmat teams don't get sent to people's houses to roust them. If we know people who might have information about the contents of an incident we would contact them and ask for their help in determining the contents to help us solve the problem as efficiently as possible. But not to harrass them.

 

[Ian Leake]

Hazmat teams don't get sent to people's houses to roust them.

You mean it's not like in the movie Monster Inc? I'm really disappointed.