eBay buyer never home for delivery

[RosieTosie]

An eBay buyer of mine is never going to be home during morning delivery times of either Royal Mail or couriers, any one out there know alternative couriers who can do evening deliveries? This buyer has also said that leaving with neighbours is not an option as their neighbours never hand over anything that is left with them so that is not going to be a viable option either but it is the option that all courier companies want to use!

[oompaloompa]

there is the option to ask postman on label to leave it at local post office for collection.

or just tell customer to pick it up from post depot when they get while you were out card.

[RosieTosie]

Yes that might well turn out to be the only option oompa. I found it hard to believe in this day and age that not one courier company seems to be able to handle deliveries outside of normal daytime delivery times, with the hours that people these days. Have been beginning to think I might end up having to drive to Crosby where buyer lives to deliver it myself one evening, as I live about an hour from the Lake District that would be a quite a big undertaking.

[oompaloompa]

I think uk mail does, but it might only for business or big accounts....I have had timed deliveries from them before as a customer....

you did not offer timed delivery on auction and people do not expect it, they expect to pick up if they are always unavailable, I would think.

suppose click and collect option is there for them.

a lockers system might be a good idea for eb, bit like az has....

[RosieTosie]

Yes that is a thought oompa, there are some locker style courier options near us but the idea with those is that the courier company collects it and delivers it in the normal way at the normal times, I did an online chat with them and they confirmed don't offer evening deliveries, that was inpost.

You were right about buyer trying for a pick up from me but considering where I live in reality and where I live as far as that eBay account says I live, buyer would not have been prepared to travel that far I am sure, an inbuilt problem with stealth accounts of course.

[oompaloompa]

no I meant click and collect from argos......

you are being very nice about arrangements, I wouldnt bother! you go above and beyond.....

maybe a next day delivery for arrival on a saturday morning.....

[RosieTosie]

Yes why I am trying to be accommodating about the delivery on this item oompa is that I am trying to avoid a missing not delivered item and taking that hit on my seller scores that I can foresee coming out of this. With the kind of neighbours this buyer has who simply don't pass on things that that are left with them, and as we all know that is the option used by couriers, if buyer not in they will always go for the easiest alternative of leaving with any neighbour who opens a door to them and having it written into their terms and conditions that they will do that if a buyer is not available.

That option of going with the drop off and collect from Argos is an interesting route and might well be the best option out there. I have never needed to use the Argos option before, so it really is as simple as taking the item in appropriately labelled is it?, without having to leave any of our real details of course.

[LOMBOK]

There's also Collect+ where they go to the local store to pick it up. Stores are open early 'til late often 7 days a week. Never used that service before but I have seen sellers offer it in their EB listings.

[RosieTosie]

Originally Posted by LOMBOK

There's also Collect+ where they go to the local store to pick it up. Stores are open early 'til late often 7 days a week. Never used that service before but I have seen sellers offer it in their EB listings.

Collect+ is the Argos option if I remember right, and as you mentioned yourself to use it officially I would have needed to have been using it in my listings which i haven't been doing, it isn't something that we can use as an 'add on' when we get a buyer who is never home for normal morning/lunchtime delivery times. Worth keeping in mind for things like this that might crop up in the future.