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Who else HATES this????
I ordered an item on ebay December 10, for a Christmas present. It said to expect 7-11 days for delivery, and later the seller sent me an e-mail saying it might be 2 weeks. No problem, that's still before Christmas.
Well, January 11th, still no item.
Turns out the seller sent it via the US Postal Service and chose to have signature required upon delivery. This is a $20 item, not something worth thousands. No need to have me physically there to sign.
I got the little card from the mail man December 17th, and the box saying signature was required was NOT checked off, but I wrote, "leave on front step." Nothing ever came back from the mail man, no updated little card, no package.
Seller told me today to call the post office, which I did, and eureka, the box is still there at the stinkin' post office. They said their policy is to return it to the sender after 14 days, and the guy couldn't understand why I was asking why it is still there. Um, because it's been longer than 14 days; are you saying you violated your own policy?
So the post office brainiac says I can come pick it up between 8:30 and 5pm. I, again, said I WORK. All day, Monday through Friday. I know the unemployment numbers are high, but surely I'm not the only one who has a JOB. He suggested I come in tomorrow. Saturday to pick it up. I suggested that since I am not working tomorrow that THEY deliver it to ME tomorrow. I didn't pay for shipping costs to do half the job myself. The guy was like 'oh yeah, we can deliver to to you tomorrow.' I'm holding my breath...
I guess the ebay seller prefers to sell to unemployed people who are home all day. I hear they have lots of money to spend. Don't want to sell to those people with gainful employment, no way. Now he'll probably have a problem with the fact that I gave him negative feedback.
I had this problem in the past with a retailer, "This Little Piggy Wears Cotton" who insisted that I be home to sign for a set of pajamas which were, I guess too sensitive or valuable to leave on my front step (with all the other packages I order without problems). Interestingly, the company closed down soon after my experience with them (I'm sure it wasn't me, but karma can be a b*tch). The pajama part of the company sold and is now "Piggy Pajamas" and guess what, nothing on their new website about signatures required on delivery now! guess they learned.
Requiring a signature upon delivery is a stupid inconvenience and unnecessary. Sure, in some bad neighborhoods, a package might get stolen, but that's why we choose insurance with shipping on pricy items. Besides stay at home moms (which I'm not) and the unemployed (which I'm not) and retired old folks (which I'm not) who the hell is home all day to receive packages!!!????
Plus, requiring a signature should be up to the buyer, not the seller. It's our item, we paid for it, and paid the shipping. But the idiot who sold us the item gets all the power in deciding if a signature is required? If I lived in a bad area and had someone who could sign, then as a buyer I would choose to require a signature. But I've gotten numerous packages delivered to my front door, even a computer, and there has not been problem.
So I guess the whole issue can be wrapped up as:
1. Mentally deficient seller decides to make signature required upon delivery.
2. Mentally deficient people at the USPS set policy to honor what the sender chooses and not what the recipient chooses.
3. Neither party understands that people have day jobs.
UGH! Anyone else?
(And please don't chime in with this not being the most important problem in the world, after all, puppies are starving in Zambia, blah, blah, blah. I don't need "perspective" or "serenity." This is a vent. I just need to know that there is some other human being out there who sees the absurdity in this, and who has had this happen.)
I know a few people who earn their living from selling on ebay. Apparently, a seller has no real protection from dishonest buyers. It is not uncommon for their buyers to say they did not receive their merchandise, and the seller has no choice but to refund their money. Lately, ebay is all about the buyers and screw the sellers.
So its a case of a few bad apples spoiling it for everyone else. I would be mad too if I were you, but I can understand it.
Gentle: But in the case of ebay, they can check my feedback with is 100% positive for the 9+ years I've been buying there. If I were scamming people, it would be in my feedback, or I'd have a brand new identity with no feedback.
Pitt: If the seller would put in their posting that they require a signature for delivery, then I could CHOOSE as a customer not to do business with them. When they don't give this info up front, they deprive the buyer of making that informed choice. Yes, making such horrible business decisions like that is stupid and/or indicative of some sort of mental deficiency.
Personally, I wouldn't require a signature on a $20 item unless I've had repeated problems with it.
However, I do feel the seller did his/her part. It was nice of the seller to shell out the extra $1 or whatever to make sure it arrives in your hands safely. I've never had a buyer complain about requiring a signature and I've been selling on eBay for over 10 years. I don't think it's an issue for most people. Post offices are open on weekends if you work on weekdays. Unless you inform the seller of your limitations, the seller cannot make accommodations.
But the assumption should be that a person would NOT have to be there to sign. That should be the "default" so to speak. If a seller wants to require signature, this should be stated up front. Having to be present and sign for a delivery should never bee seen as the obvious thing. It's terribly inconvenient to people who work. You must sell to a lot of people who don't work for a living.
I don't want to have to go to a post office on a Saturday when I've paid to have something arrive at my doorstep. Plus there's waiting in the long line and dealing with all those nasty federal employees. It's not like going to a post office is convenient by any means. Ugh, I have better ways to spend a Saturday.
I actually like it, and when ordering anything from, say Amazon, I REQUEST the signature. That way I am sure the parcel will NOT be left on my doorstep for someone to steal. Also there is a proof that it was delivered to the right person.
But the assumption should be that a person would NOT have to be there to sign. That should be the "default" so to speak. If a seller wants to require signature, this should be stated up front. Having to be present and sign for a delivery should never bee seen as the obvious thing. It's terribly inconvenient to people who work. You must sell to a lot of people who don't work for a living.
The assumption should not be that people who can get to a post office are unemployed....
Gentle: But in the case of ebay, they can check my feedback with is 100% positive for the 9+ years I've been buying there. If I were scamming people, it would be in my feedback, or I'd have a brand new identity with no feedback.
No it wouldn't, sellers can not leave negative feedback. I agree its a huge pain in the ass, especially with something so "cheap". Sellers have no protection on ebay, it only takes one small complaint from a buyer and ebay will side with them. All a buyer has to do is say "item not as descried" send an empty box back with a tracking number, and ebay will give them the money back.
No it wouldn't, sellers can not leave negative feedback. I agree its a huge pain in the ass, especially with something so "cheap". Sellers have no protection on ebay, it only takes one small complaint from a buyer and ebay will side with them. All a buyer has to do is say "item not as descried" send an empty box back with a tracking number, and ebay will give them the money back.
This is all true. Ebay has changed so much and the seller can get screwed from several possible angles.
Personally, though, I sell on ebay quite a bit (and have done so for fifteen years) and I have never used signature confirmation.
As a buyer I would like it to be optional, and that goes for ebay plus all other online ordering! Because while some may hate it, like the OP, for reasons stated, others may prefer it. I would opt for it every time.. I don't live in a bad neighborhood at all (anymore, used to! keep reading) but I have still had things taken, specifically when the postal carrier decided to put a package at my "side door' of my apartment instead of the front (stupid), and then I had a nightmare at Christmas where the company I ordered from screwed up, used my OLD address, sent everything there and it was sitting on the porch of a house that no one lives in. Everything ended up stolen, and it was $500 worth of stuff. Awful. Signature delivery would have prevented that.
But yeah, I think it should be up to the customer.
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