I don't have many negative experiences to report.
The mail system has been good to me this holiday season. So far, I've only had one package go missing, and none of my packages were delayed. I have also encountered only four negative experiences with sellers, which are detailed below.
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I purchased hundreds of trading cards from a seller only to find out that two-thirds of my items are missing. They shipped the remaining items, but this took over one month to resolve.
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I purchased a video game last month, and the seller failed to ship my order, nor did they respond to my request to inquire about the shipping status. Since I used a time-limited coupon that the e-commerce website provided (the seller had no involvement in the discount), I lost out on this opportunity.
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I purchased a video game, and the seller didn't disclose that it smells like a cigarette order. Every component, down to its cartridge board, stinks. It was 80 percent cheaper than the market value, so I got what I paid for.
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I purchased an item at the beginning of this month, and the seller has yet to ship out this order. They have yet to provide an update either.
It's been years since before COVID that dealing with mail and sellers has felt this calm and reliable. During this period, I frequently dealt with sellers who struggled to perform independently without supervisory oversight. I found myself needing to motivate these sellers to ship out my order weeks after I made a purchase.
The mail system was spotty back then due to an increased volume of mail and significant staffing challenges due to employee illnesses, quarantines, and increased absences. It took nearly five years for the mail system to feel normal.
Photo by: Mollyroselee via Pixabay