I’m a relatively new seller. That mean, there is lot more to learn. The very first important and expensive lesson I learned was – “Use Tape!”

I was selling some playstation games and it all went quite well. Been a new ebay seller, I was quite cheerful when auctions ended successfully, and wanted to ship those games faster as possible. I had this idea, if you ship them fast, buyers may consider giving good rating. And everybody likes good rating.

I grab nice looking bubble envelop. Put the brand new, sealed game inside. Print shipping labels and added shipping insurance. Those bubble envelop have generous layer of glue, the type that you don’t have to lick. Closed it and drop it in the post office. The lady in the USPS counter looks quite gorgeous. So I thank her generously, and came home. Well done.  I was waiting for good rating from my buyer.

Buyer contacted me in two days. But not with the good rating I was expecting earnestly. For everybody’s disappointment, my buyer received the package, closed and neat – but with an empty DVD box inside – that mean – no game disk or the booklet. So what shall I do? I check the buyer’s reviews and he have 100% good reviews so far. I refund the buyer total payment, and file an insurance request with USPS, hoping I may recover my lost. But I’m not sure how good the insurance thing will work out for me, since the package was delivered without any sign of damages. I will keep you update how USPS treat me with my lost.

I talked to my mail lady next day and told her the trouble I had. She was kind enough to stop all her work for 10 minute and listen to my whining. And at the end she said, ‘yes. Things like that can happen. They can open the envelop, take things out and reseal it’. So I believe that is what may have happened. Some USPS worker with lot of free time on his hand, opened the package quite easily, since I didn’t use any tapes to close it. Take the dvds out. Glue the envelop back again with the free stationary given by the USPS, and went to do the same thing to some other package with ebay logo on it.  

I lean my lesson. Now I use strong tapes over the envelop when I close it, so when someone try to open it, it rip off the paper and leave a visible mark on it. Also added note underneath it, “do not accept if the seal is broken”. I hope that can discourage anyone thinking of stealing my items on the way to the delivery. Well, if the total package gets lost altogether – I don’t mind, so I can easily get my insurance.

Folks, use tape.