Thread: Merchant's dilemma

OK, going to rant a bit, most of you might not be able to relate, but some of you can.

I run 2 businessess. One of them is a security business and I buy and sell a whole lot of knives, sharpening supplies, razors, etc and anything else I think I can sell for profit.

I buy from a WIDE variety of sources: ebay, here, knife forums, etc.

My major pet peeve is sellers who will send a box with no receipt and no username. I receive about 7 packages per day. There is no way in hell I remember what I ordered last week.

So I'll get a package from Jane Doe, with an item in it, no note...and I have to think back and go through PayPal records and everything else to find out it's from Skunk59 on Ebay!

I am going to have to start requesting that people include some kind of receipt giving their username, forum and price paid! I know they usually sell to sweet little Emma Lu who buys maybe one thing online a week and eagerly awaits it, knowing full well what's inside...but that ain't me.

Pricing is critical, too, since I need that to determine what to charge.

Anyhow, thanks for listening to this one merchant's woes.

That's the way it is: as soon as the merchandise is sold the seller wants to shift it ASAP. Best is to print your PayPal balance every so often and make notes on it that characterize the item in such a way you will recognize it as soon as you cast your eyes on it.

BTW: opposites seem to attract in your case: being in the security business you hazard to run into one of the knives you sold yourself!

I typically keep both an in-basket and a purchases page in my day planner. All ebay wins get printed out immediately along with a copy of my Paypal receipt and I match them up each days as packages come in. For purchases from wholesalers I keep a "waiting for" list in my planner so I know what is outstanding and what is enroute.

Even my commercial suppliers send little paperwork. Most e-mail a complete invoice bt the packing slip is typically just a pull ticket with the item, number, etc... but no company name to tie it to.

Tony

Thanks, Tony!
One way I make do is, after I buy a custom hand-made knife from a knife-maker, I IMMEDIATELY put the details into a Word doc template I use that lists price paid, where made, and other details "straight from the knifemaker's keyboard", and of course, pictures.

Then when it comes in, I can match it to that. Trick is, giving the file a distinctive name so I can match it to the knife, like, "Hunter green micarta 8 inch." Knife-makers are notoriously unsocial, but I have found that the high end ones WILL usually enclose a nice documentation, and the up and coming journeymen will usually put in a nice note asking for feedback.

Ebay is the worst. You really never know. I live and die by my "Ebay Summary!"

But now I'm specifically requesting them to include their username, what forum I bought it from, and the price I paid for each item. I dangle the lure of great feedback to get that.