Yes, that does warrant some explaining. I sold some baseball tickets and mailed them in a small box with a piece of brick wrapped in a plastic bag to make up the weight I needed to send them via a USPS shop. I've done that multiple times. Some have made a comment about the brick and I joke around that the brick was 'free of charge' and explain that I didn't want the envelope to look like expensive tickets, cash, or other valuables.
At the end of the day, the buyer received what they bought and I don't know them from Adam, so I really couldn't care less what they think.
I have had buyers ask me why I spent $14.20 in postage to send them a $5.99 coffee mug? They must think I am the worst business person on eBay...lol! Again, I really don't care what they think. They can think me crazy -- crazy like a fox I say!
Years and years ago, I think I received an item I bought on eBay from a mystery shopper. This was years before I learned about mystery shopping. The same scenario I listed above where the seller paid more to cover the free shipping than I paid for the item in total. I felt bad the seller had "lost out" on the deal so I contacted them and offered to help out with the shipping costs. They were very upbeat and said not to worry about it as they got free shipping, so all was well. I figured they must be embezzling free shipping from their employer or something. Looking back on it now, it was likely a mystery shopper using a shop to mail their ebay item.
That event stuck with me and I researched how to get free shipping several times, but never came across mystery shopping using search engines (or maybe glossed over it). Thanks to Confero for being creative in finding new shoppers using craigslist for getting me involved in this amazing field!
Bottom line is I do what works for me and do not care one bit what others think, especially people I have never met, nor would likely ever meet (ebay buyers).
//edited for spelling//
"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2020 03:04AM by msimon-2000.