we've stayed away from ratings for lots of reasons, including the psychological pitfalls of cranks being cranky and gentle people being unwilling to describe problems. Most of all, this is a binary platform. It works or it doesn't. If someone doesn't pay, they're gone; no bad rating, just gone. If the service or consideration isn't perfect, i surrender it in the face of what matters. And, most importantly, I would have trouble sleeping with my 43% positive rating.
David, the auctioneer
Thomas, I don't send a packing list because sometimes it takes half a dozen pages to print out. The buyer presumably gets to see a list of what they have bought and also notes what numbers they have purchased from each page so checking back to the book when the stamps arrive is no problem. Also we all have email addresses or the facility to be messaged through Stamporama so letting someone know the envelopes arrived presents no problem. My envelopes always have a return address label on the reverse in case of non delivery.
In regard to ratings they are so false I take no notice of them, what matters more to me are the number of ratings/sales, the higher the number the more likely the seller is genuine, they will not last if they do not sell.
Vic
Tom is absolutely spot on - I've had the same problem - I have gotten stamps without a return address so I have no way to know who they are from except by dredging through my list of purchases on the buyers pulldown menu. I understand trying to save the buyer the postage to ship an invoice, but no address? You don't need to send the entire invoice - I only mail the first and last page - with the last page printed on the back of the first page so I'm only mailing one piece of paper. This gives the buyer the most pertinent info - names, dates and totals. Or at least send the top portion that shows both names and the Stamporama logo.
So head's up sellers! You can do better! Buyers? The most effective method to fix this problem? Vote with your wallet! Don't buy from the folks who don't send the information!
I must agree with Sheepshanks
I am doing 4 orders today with 6-7 pages each printed that I use for order verification.
I sort my shipment by books so it should be easy to check the contents against the invoice.
I would not want to see a rating system - too arbitrary.
I would hate to get a bad rating because I did not send an invoice.
I will add the header of the invoice from now on.
I must make a clarification. Getting a packing slip would be nice but I know it can be rather lengthy. For example two vendors I paid today had 11 pages each. My comment were more directed as to receiving a simple name ( could be your Stamporama user name) and the invoice number. I don't think that is too much to ask.
Also I wasn't advocating a rating system such as Ebay's.
How do I know I received my purchases from a vendor if I have no way of checking them? As I mentioned above I do not write down ALL the stamps I purchased from a vendor. 11 pages each from just 2 vendors, 4 from another and 6 from the 4th. That's a lot of handwriting.
Point taken Thomas, I will endeavor to include an invoice number in future.
vic
I always include a one page invoice consisting of page 1, and on the back, the last page with the invoice total, and message and the terms. (keeping the weight down).
Importantly it shows the invoice number, all the addresses (seller and buyer) and as a bonus, the beginning of the list...but not the whole list, which may be quite lengthy.
You can go on line and review the whole list, so it is not needed with the shipment as long as you know the invoice number. A full list is redundant: as all it does is add to your shipping charges. Also the images are available on line, should you wish to verify an item.
rrr...
I will try to remember to add the invoice number to the stiffener - I will put that on my checklist.
Thanks for the heads up - I used to put the stamps on 102 or 107 cards and write the catalog numbers of each stamp on top of the card. That works for a dozen stamps - it does not work for several dozen,
I plead guilty. I've never considered putting down the invoice # on the paper and I don't print out the invoices because I figure the people who bought from me can easily look it up themselves. I always put my address in the envelope but again plead guilty - I've never put in my username.
Thanks for pointing these out - I'll be more aware next time.
Since copies of your invoices are available on the site, Sellers can simply print out slips of paper such as that below, write the invoice number in the blank space, and enclose the memo with the shipment.
Homer Simpson (username d'oh)
742 Evergreen Terrace
Springfield, Confusion 99999
(999) 555-5555
Stamporama Invoice number(s)_________
Check one:
Auction lots ( )
Approvals ( )
Mixed ( )
You can print multiple copies per page, cut them out, and have them ready to enter appropriate invoice numbers and toss in the envelope with the stamps.
Just a thought......
Bobby,
That little form will work for me. I would be thrilled to receive something as your example in my orders from Stamporama sellers. Today I had 4 orders delivered, all had their invoice number and return address.
Hooray!!
I have been trying to let my sellers know that I received their shipments. However I must sadly comment that 40% of the sellers do NOT send a packing list, return address or any indication of what invoice #.
Time being very limited I will not spend anymore time trying to let somebody I spent good money with know I received their shipment.
I am just frustrated as this weekend I was opening the week's receipts from various Stamporama Vendors. As I mentioned above, nearly half make it very difficult.
I know EBAY lets buyers rate sellers. It's a rating that I check before I bid on something from that individual if they have a poor rating.
Would it be possible to implement something like that here?
re: Notification of receipt
we've stayed away from ratings for lots of reasons, including the psychological pitfalls of cranks being cranky and gentle people being unwilling to describe problems. Most of all, this is a binary platform. It works or it doesn't. If someone doesn't pay, they're gone; no bad rating, just gone. If the service or consideration isn't perfect, i surrender it in the face of what matters. And, most importantly, I would have trouble sleeping with my 43% positive rating.
David, the auctioneer
re: Notification of receipt
Thomas, I don't send a packing list because sometimes it takes half a dozen pages to print out. The buyer presumably gets to see a list of what they have bought and also notes what numbers they have purchased from each page so checking back to the book when the stamps arrive is no problem. Also we all have email addresses or the facility to be messaged through Stamporama so letting someone know the envelopes arrived presents no problem. My envelopes always have a return address label on the reverse in case of non delivery.
In regard to ratings they are so false I take no notice of them, what matters more to me are the number of ratings/sales, the higher the number the more likely the seller is genuine, they will not last if they do not sell.
Vic
re: Notification of receipt
Tom is absolutely spot on - I've had the same problem - I have gotten stamps without a return address so I have no way to know who they are from except by dredging through my list of purchases on the buyers pulldown menu. I understand trying to save the buyer the postage to ship an invoice, but no address? You don't need to send the entire invoice - I only mail the first and last page - with the last page printed on the back of the first page so I'm only mailing one piece of paper. This gives the buyer the most pertinent info - names, dates and totals. Or at least send the top portion that shows both names and the Stamporama logo.
So head's up sellers! You can do better! Buyers? The most effective method to fix this problem? Vote with your wallet! Don't buy from the folks who don't send the information!
re: Notification of receipt
I must agree with Sheepshanks
I am doing 4 orders today with 6-7 pages each printed that I use for order verification.
I sort my shipment by books so it should be easy to check the contents against the invoice.
I would not want to see a rating system - too arbitrary.
I would hate to get a bad rating because I did not send an invoice.
I will add the header of the invoice from now on.
re: Notification of receipt
I must make a clarification. Getting a packing slip would be nice but I know it can be rather lengthy. For example two vendors I paid today had 11 pages each. My comment were more directed as to receiving a simple name ( could be your Stamporama user name) and the invoice number. I don't think that is too much to ask.
Also I wasn't advocating a rating system such as Ebay's.
How do I know I received my purchases from a vendor if I have no way of checking them? As I mentioned above I do not write down ALL the stamps I purchased from a vendor. 11 pages each from just 2 vendors, 4 from another and 6 from the 4th. That's a lot of handwriting.
re: Notification of receipt
Point taken Thomas, I will endeavor to include an invoice number in future.
vic
re: Notification of receipt
I always include a one page invoice consisting of page 1, and on the back, the last page with the invoice total, and message and the terms. (keeping the weight down).
Importantly it shows the invoice number, all the addresses (seller and buyer) and as a bonus, the beginning of the list...but not the whole list, which may be quite lengthy.
You can go on line and review the whole list, so it is not needed with the shipment as long as you know the invoice number. A full list is redundant: as all it does is add to your shipping charges. Also the images are available on line, should you wish to verify an item.
rrr...
re: Notification of receipt
I will try to remember to add the invoice number to the stiffener - I will put that on my checklist.
Thanks for the heads up - I used to put the stamps on 102 or 107 cards and write the catalog numbers of each stamp on top of the card. That works for a dozen stamps - it does not work for several dozen,
re: Notification of receipt
I plead guilty. I've never considered putting down the invoice # on the paper and I don't print out the invoices because I figure the people who bought from me can easily look it up themselves. I always put my address in the envelope but again plead guilty - I've never put in my username.
Thanks for pointing these out - I'll be more aware next time.
re: Notification of receipt
Since copies of your invoices are available on the site, Sellers can simply print out slips of paper such as that below, write the invoice number in the blank space, and enclose the memo with the shipment.
Homer Simpson (username d'oh)
742 Evergreen Terrace
Springfield, Confusion 99999
(999) 555-5555
Stamporama Invoice number(s)_________
Check one:
Auction lots ( )
Approvals ( )
Mixed ( )
You can print multiple copies per page, cut them out, and have them ready to enter appropriate invoice numbers and toss in the envelope with the stamps.
Just a thought......
re: Notification of receipt
Bobby,
That little form will work for me. I would be thrilled to receive something as your example in my orders from Stamporama sellers. Today I had 4 orders delivered, all had their invoice number and return address.
Hooray!!