Busman wrote:Here's his ebay page: eBay listings

I recently purchased a couple of Traveller items from him, but he also sells Dragons and other gaming paraphernalia.

The product was in nice condition, as described.

My only complaint was that he sent the two booklets together in just a bubble wrap container. No backing, etc.

My feedback was positive and 5 stars, in my comments I wrote:
"Item as described. Quick ship. Packaging could have been better. Would use again"

His response?
"I'm sorry that the padded envelope that I mailed your books in was not to your liking. To avoid any futher problems with our shipping to you, I have blocked you from any futher purchases from my site.

- thegreek67"


Things devolved from there...

My response:
"That's a bit of an overreaction on your part,  don't you think? I gave you a positive rating and 5 stars and mentioned I would use your service again. Typical packaging that I've both been sending and receiving for items like you've sent is to place the collectables between cardboard. I don't believe my comments were overly harsh. If you insist on keeping me blocked, I'll just have to use another account to purchase any future items that you may have. Happy Ebaying!"

His reply:
"I will continue to block you, and have sent an e-mail to e-bay with your e-mail to me, I have an opinion also."

So, buyer beware and all that.

What an A-hole. I'd have filed for a refund with paypal and negged his butt for a comment like that... hell, I just had to do that for another bubble-boy.

I recently bought one of the Top Secret S.I. source books that he had listed.  It was clearly stated as new in shrink and arrived ... not in shrink.  Not even remotely in shrink.

I asked if he made a mistake and shipped the wrong one.  He said no, that he had already sold all the ones he had in shrink and forgot to change the advert.  Offered a refund, but I paid $3 for the book and shipping was only $3.

Called it a wash.  Too bad it at least wasn't something fun to read.  Just filling a hole in the collection =/

What Mike said.

stylean wrote:I have not left my feedback yet.  Its on my to-do list, but its not as high on my aggravation list as say buying a photocopied, re-shrunk orange B3.

I hear ya Mike, and had I known he'd be an ass about it, I probably would have hammered him in the stars, but I figured what seemed like constructive feedback would allow him to become a better seller.

Ultimately though, everything got to me in great condition; so I was satisfied with my purchase, which was reflected in my feedback.

I don't think my comments were over the top, even for a public comment. Basically everything in my life "could have been better".

I'm not a fan of doing everything in email to get things fixed. He provided the stuff, I gave him feedback, he gives me feedback. This process of ginning up feedback and such irritates me.

And honestly, the chances of me purchasing from him again are slim. I was just surprised by his response.

Bubble mailers are better than those thin, plastic envelopes with absolutely no padding.  White on the outside, grey on the inside, and sadness in my heart.

The only real thing I hate about bubble mailers is I can't get them free. The packing material I use inside them I can, fortunately.

I still don't trust them on their own, though. But, it's better than plain manilla envelopes. I had someone send me a module in one of those. One side of the envelope was horribly shredded by  the post office. Fortunately, the seller had included a thin piece of cardboard. Even more fortunately, it was between the shredding and the module.

Could have come out of it horribly. Contacted the seller to let them know how it arrived so they could plan accordingly.

SimperingToad wrote:The only real thing I hate about bubble mailers is I can't get them free. The packing material I use inside them I can, fortunately.

I still don't trust them on their own, though. But, it's better than plain manilla envelopes. I had someone send me a module in one of those. One side of the envelope was horribly shredded by  the post office. Fortunately, the seller had included a thin piece of cardboard. Even more fortunately, it was between the shredding and the module.

Could have come out of it horribly. Contacted the seller to let them know how it arrived so they could plan accordingly.

I also have a box of those thin manilla envelopes and I use them just as you described; and I use them almost always for shipping low cost modules and thin books.
The shipping costs are VERY low for them... meaning I can charge much less for shipping.
I have never had anyone complain and they are MUCH cheaper than the bubble Wrap envelopes and the cardboard backing is also cheap (Though I sometimes have to cut my own to fit from boxes and such).
The buyer is usually happy if it arrives in the condition listed and even more so if the shipping costs are kept as low as possible.
(As a buyer) I would not be pissed off if my stuff was shipping in a walmart sack if it arrives in excellent condition with no trouble.
Of course I would shake my head at the silly bag.... and roll the eyes...  

I use Bubble Mailers often, but normally only when I feel that extra protection is needed (See below).
And they are not cheap either, costing about $1.50 each at the post office, and around $1.00 each if bought in quantity from office depot or some other store in packs.
I guess I simply do not understand the problem you guys have with sellers using them.

The comment in red below is not directed at anyone above.
It is a blanket statement only...
If you want that Module packed inside Big Boxes with GOBS of bubble wrap then Ask for it in advance and be willing to pay the seller for the MUCH higher shipping costs, his/her extra effort and all the extra materials!

Doug Williams wrote:....Adding a snide remark in your positive feedback for a transaction you are satisfied with is poor form, IMO. ...

Since I have been selling a lot more stuff in the past few months I tend to agree with this statement.
A few months ago I would not have though, as I seldom ever sold anything and did not see the other side well enough.
Live and learn, or at least HOPE you learn from living.

I feel more empathy for sellers now than I did before.
Especially for guys like Badmike, who does it for a living, not just as a way to help his collecting habit (like me).

I've certainly sold my fair share of modules, and I love bubble mailers. I think they are a GREAT way to protect modules and such during shipping. One caveat, however. They cannot be the ONLY thing protecting. I ship my modules bagged, boarded, AND with a stiff piece of backing cardboard. Now, I do charge $4 for shipping via media mail, but hey, with that level of packaging, I've never had any complaints. And honestly, if you buy the items in bulk, it drives the cost down significantly. I pay less than a quarter for my bubble mailers, you can too if you check eBay. Make sure you get the yellow Kraft mailers, as the white plastic ones just suck and don't protect as well.

Zenfinite