I woke up last week and had to get ready for work. I usually start my day by grabbing my computer and checking my ebay. Then I check my mail - I have to give myself some time for this because there are usually questions that need to be answered, labels to be printed and scrabble plays to be made.

I play scrabble online with a few people and really enjoy it. We play two games - one regular and one super scrabble. If you have any interest - there is really a great site - for $10 a year you can play all the scrabble that you like. You have to go to the site - it's really great! and you can find as many people to play with as you can manage and they are from all over the world! SCRABBLE...

Anyway - when going through my mail this is the one that really upset me:

Hi.The bag was not arrive and what arrive was skirt.I think you did mistake for shipping?? I'll wait your contact.Really I was looking forward to arrive the bag so...I hope it will be OK. Thanks.

OH BOY OH BOY! You know I have been selling on ebay for about 4 years now. I was always amazed that nothing went wrong - well you know that all changed around Christmas time last year and hasn't been the same since. Too many things have just gone wrong! Interesting that things always manage to get straightened out - but of course I am so upset with myself because these things have happened. I think that I have too many things being sold, having to be shipped, etc. and just not enough time.

So - OK - I had to figure out what went wrong. It was a beautiful Jamin Puech handbag that was going to Japan. I checked out the things that I sent out that day and it didn't take too much detective work to figure out that I also sent a skirt out the same day to Japan.

Great - I obviously packed each item and then managed to get the wrong label on each of them. I try to be so careful - when the label comes out of the printer I write down exactly what the item is, etc. etc. - I make a list of who is getting what - but this time it didn't work. Remember - the skirt was a small slim package - the skirt weighed very little while the bag was in a box and was a much bigger package.

I immediately emailed the first gal and told her that I would get it straightened out and then emailed the other gal. Then I contacted ebay for the contact information and called the second gal in Japan.

Well, what can I say - this was just the nicest person. Her English was so good and she was so sweet and so kind. She had just arrived home after being with her family - her father was quite ill and she had been with him the last week or two. She promised that she would get the package and send it on to the right person.

Then I called the first gal - well, it turns out she doesn't live in Japan (but that is a whole other story) and tried to speak with her mom. Her mom doesn't speak English and of course I don't speak Japanese. Interesting though - her mom was able to tell her that it had to do with ebay and that I sounded very nice.

Worlds apart - different languages - but somehow we manage to communicate.

I find this all so interesting.

I'm sorry that the packages got messed up - each has been sent on to the right person and by Monday or Tuesday the right items will be in the right hands.

BUT - both of these young women were so nice, so kind, so genuine that I feel lucky that we had the opportunity to meet.

This is the gal who bought the handbag..............

Isn't she beautiful? and her daughter! even more beautiful!

How lucky am I to have gotten to know this person - even if just a little bit? I think that ebay is an amazing place.

I'm sorry that I managed to mess up the packages - I really am - but I'm not sorry to have met this wonderful person.

It's great that these two people were so nice to understand how something like this can happen and be so willing and so helpful to make it right.

Wouldn't it be great if everyone could get along like this? I think so.

Needless to say - but I was late for work that day!

It's funny.......(or not)

When you are writing a blog you think a lot about it during the day - anyway I do. You compose all of the things that you have to say in your mind. If only that was all you had to do........you also need the time! Something I don't seem to have very much of (left over at the end of the day is what I mean). Hopefully I do have more TIME left!

And now that I'm sitting here - fingers on keys - where are all of the blogs I composed in my mind yesterday and the days before? GONE!

I guess that is why people carry pads and pencils with them (do people still USE pads and pencils?) or at least something to record your thoughts. While I'm thinking these things though it is all so clear and it's right there - why would I think it would be gone when I needed it?

So for the moment I'll just thank Gael and Edye - they know why! Some of my ebayers are GREAT! some of the others - not so GREAT! Like the person from Switzerland who did a BUY IT NOW on the Balenciaga bag for $750 and then NOT A WORD!

Now the problem with this (and there are many problems) is that your first step with ebay is to "report a non-paying dispute" - well, this ties your item up until the dispute is over! At the end of this dispute (which can take a very long time) ebay will CREDIT you back for the FINAL LISTING FEE! Well, great - but what about the actual LISTING FEE? No, they don't credit you back for that.

I went onto LIVE CHAT the other night with ebay explaining that I know that this gal is NOT going to pay for the bag. "How could I know that" Robbie wanted to know. "I know it in my gut" was my reply - this gal had only two feedback. One positive for something she bought at least a year ago and the other NEUTRAL - because after buying the item she told the seller that she couldn't pay for it! So my GUT knew that she wasn't going to pay for a $750 handbag! Also - she did not buy anything else in a very long time.

Robbie agreed that this didn't look good - but told me that I should put in for "an agreeable end for non-payment" - meaning we both agreed to end it amicably. That would be the only way to end it NOW! Of course both parties must agree - and the other party - well, she obviously is not coming to the party (ha ha ha) because although I have emailed her repeatedly - I get no responses.

So I told Robbie that I wanted my Listing Fee credited and he told me that ebay does not do that.

Does this seem fair to you?

Someone bids on your item - wins it - has no intention of paying for it - you have to put in a "non paying dispute" - you have to wait the month for it to end - and then all you get is your FINAL SELLING FEE back. You can't give the buyer a NEGATIVE (how will anyone else know) unless you just give them a negative (no dispute involved) and risk having this creep give you a negative back (even though you've done nothing to deserve it) AND not get your final fees back.

I think that there are still some things that ebay has to iron out.

In the end though Robbie did give me a credit for the listing fee ($5.70) and told me it was a COURTESY! (one time only). I have relisted the bag even though the dispute is not over - really, this gal is not going to do anything! and I shouldn't have to wait a month to relist my item.

I love ebay - you know that I do - but I do have some complaints!

A lot of good it does me!