Dolly Mix purchase on eBay - advice required?

[Sugar]

So... on December 23rd, I purchased six Dolly Mix ponies on eBay from a seller in the UK.  (I'm in Canada.)  I paid via Paypal that same night, and since it was just about Christmas, I didn't expect to have the DMs sent straight away.  Today's the 13th of January, and there's still no mention of the ponies being shipped.  I sent a message last week asking (politely) whether the ponies had been shipped:

Hi there!  I know the holiday season is a busy one.   Have you been able to ship my Dolly Mix ponies yet?  Thanks much!

I had no reply.

Today, I sent this message (still polite, but I'm beginning to grit my teeth to stay that way):

I was just wondering, have you shipped the six Dolly Mix ponies I purchased from you on December 23rd, 2012?  There's no notice of this in eBay, nor have I received an email advising me of the items being marked as shipped.  I double-checked, and my payment was made and cleared.  I do understand that my purchase was made very close to Christmas, and that the holiday time can be quite hectic for a lot of people, so I am hoping that the shipment of my items was simply overlooked.  Could you please look into this and advise me at your earliest convenience?  Thank you most kindly.

It's the first time I've had a not-positive experience on eBay, and I don't know how to handle it.  How long do I have to wait before I contact eBay about an item that I've purchased not being shipped?  Should I advise them at once?  This seller can forget about good feedback, I'm firmly in the "neutral" camp at the moment...

Thanks for any advice!

[HorsingAround]

Hmm... I wonder if I bought from the same seller.   I bought a bunch of Dolly Mix that week as well from a UK seller on Ebay.  I have not received them to date but I did receive an e-mail just last night letting me know that the package had been returned to them because it had been damaged during shipping.  They said that they would resend the package except for the ponies they ran out of.  I've been having the WORST luck with ebay!!!   

I hope the seller contacts you soon to work it out! 

modified for typo

[rybett]

Sounds like I am #3 on this one.  Lilacstilio?  Bought 2 DM on Dec 9th.  E-mailed the 29th as had not received and another package bought later from UK had arrived.  No response, opened a case on Jan 1st, requesting a refund.  Received refund later that day with a not from the seller saying that it was still in the mail and please send it back when it arrives.  As of the 12th of Jan, still not arrived.

[Sugar]

Same seller as you, Rybett.   That's very troubling; she seemed so pleasant in the initial contact I'd had with her (it was only last week, when I started asking whether my purchase had been sent, that I got no replies), had a good rating, etc.  Oh well.  I guess I'll head on over to eBay and see how to go about getting a refund.

Darnit, and those Dolly Mixes were sort of a gift from me to me (for surviving the Christmas craziness at work)... >:p

[HorsingAround]

Yes, the seller was Lilacstilio.   She has over 15583 feedback so I would think that she is a reliable seller.  Like I mentioned earlier, she did e-mail me telling me that there was an issue with the package.  I think it's possible that she did not have all of the Dolly Mix she promised in hand.   Hence, the delay in shipping and "damaged" parcels. 

I'll give it some time but I will definitely be opening a case too as it gets closer to that 45 day mark, if there is no sign of my mini ponies!

[Sugar]

What a shame, 'cause like I'd said, she'd seemed so nice when I'd initially contacted her (I needed to know about shipping to Canada, and also about getting an invoice for a multi-unit purchase).  When I mentioned how they were for my collection, she'd said she understood, as she had been a collector of Beanie Babies back in the day.

I don't know about not having all the DMs she'd promised in hand; she's still got an active listing for all those same Dolly Mix ponies.   Very confusing, and more than a little bit dodgy if you ask me.

If I have 45 days to open a case (from the 23rd of December), do you suppose I should do it now, or wait the 1-2 days for a response from the message I sent her today?  I've never had to do this before with eBay, my experiences had all been positive, so I'm a bit at sea about it.  (And judging by the way she handles her negative feedback, I'm not at all sure I want to "get into it" with someone like that... )

[rybett]

I'd wait a day or so, then go for a claim.  I did not bother leaving feedback because of the way she handles it.  Since she easily refunded, I figure I'm good.  I figured I'd wait until the end of this month before mentioning her to ya'll, but I got beat. 

[Sugar]

*Spock-like eyebrow raise*

So I just checked into eBay to see about opening a case...

... and lo and behold, the items have been marked as shipped.  On the thirteenth of January.  Still no communication from Lilacstilo, however.

I'm a smidge worried about this, since items that have purportedly been shipped to other members here have wound up either not being shipped, or "returned as damaged", or other fun and amusing excuses.

I guess I'll wait a couple weeks to see if they roll in, and if the forty-five day deadline approaches and still no Dolly Mix, I'll have to open that case.   I'll keep you all posted, and who knows, I might actually get my DMs!  (Trying to be optimistic. )

[Ringlets]

You've handled it really well - especially for your first non-positive ebay experience    However, the  really late shipping, open cases, poor communcation, and then excuses from the seller, and more than one buyer having the same issues - that doesnt sound good at all!    definitely keep an eye on your 45 day deadline! 
Please let us know how it goes  - heres hoping that this seller gets her butt into gear and mails out all these DM ponies she owes you without any more issues (especially if she is still selling more of them on ebay!)

(edited for a silly typo   )

[Sugar]

Well, guess what arrived today?  Yep, a mailer with my six Dolly Mixes in!   What a relief!  They're all perfect, and I am just plain glad to have them in hand; I hate confrontation of any sort and was getting a little worried that I'd have to open a case and go all my word against her word and so on. *shudder*  Sugar would never have made a lawyer, let me tell you.

What's weird is that on the customs sticker, the original date of Dec. twentysomethingth (I forget exactly what date, but it was in the twenties somewhere) was crossed out, and the 13th of January added in.  Unbelievably for the post, that means that the parcel got here in about three days.   Jet speed!

Thank you, HorsingAround, rybett, and Ringlets, for your kind words of support - and HorsingAround, I hope you get your DMs soon, too.   I'll keep my hooves crossed for you!

[Ringlets]

yay! thats great news Sugar    
Hmm.. with the date thing it sounds like she filled in the customs form at the time you bought the ponies, but then didnt send them until 13th Jan , so thats why she crossed out the date and put the new one in(when she finally marked them shipped). she either forgot about your parcel, or she was reeeaally late shipping with her parcels and didnt bother to do anything about it until her buyers started messaging, or there is one other possibility - that she sent them but the parcel was returned to her , so she sent them out again on that date (but I dont think thats the case TBH  ). Anyways, I'm glad your parcel arrived safely Sugar, and hope the other parcels start to arrive soon too

[ponylady]

That's great news Sugar!!

And I have to agree with Ringlets on what probably happened. 

[rybett]

Guess what finally arrived?  Also marked January 13th.  Purchased December 9th.  Tempted to e-mail and ask for an explanation, but not sure it's worth stirring up a hornets nest.

[Sugar]

That's great news, Rybett!  Weird timing, but great news nonetheless.

HorsingAround, I really hope your Dolly Mix ponies show up, too.

So my question now morphs to:  what shall I do about feedback?  The ponies arrived and they're lovely, and once they were marked as shipped, they came ultra-fast... but the sudden shutdown in communication is peculiar, and the fact that I kind of had to prod the seller to ship is perplexing.  Should I leave noncommital feedback, chalk it up to experience, and not purchase from this seller again (well, unless they sell a $25 Rapunzel or something )?  Or not leave feedback at all?  Please let me know what you'd do - I'm still newish to eBay, and trying to bolster my own feedback number so I'll be able to start selling stuff more easily...

[Ringlets]

thats great news Rybett!   prolly not worth messaging the seller about it again, but I think for feedback I would give positive although in the comments  mention the slow shipping to warn other potential customers  (eg- great item, but slow shipping - in your own words of course), and then lower the star ratings for shipping and communication (or if you didnt want to mention the slow shipping in the comments, then just lower the star ratings)