I'm Done Selling Eggs Online

[dbtcowgirl]

With the Pandemic I saw a huge increase in business. Unfortunately, I have had to deal with scammers, especially on Ebay. These are usually people who buy rare breeds. I guess they think its a way to make a fast buck. Well, I have news for them. Its a lot of work, and expense. That's why my eggs cost more than common breeds. It would be too funny if these scammers who are getting my eggs without paying for them have to deal with scammers once they start selling eggs.

Someone bought an order of these eggs and soon afterwards I got a message saying that she (the customer) thought the box I shipped her eggs in was too small and that her eggs were "internally damaged". That's a claim I get (internal damage) , from scammers who know they can use it with Ebay, and Ebay will believe them. There's also no way they can prove it, other than to say the eggs didn't hatch.

This time, I looked up the Buyer because the claims she made were so creative. I found out the Buyer also sells on Ebay. She sells the Hatching spray which is a total scam. Its a big crock of *&^%^ that you can't affect the health of a developing chick by spraying vitamins on its shell. This woman also was a felon, convicted of scamming the US Government in a mining claim scheme. According to the record, she repeatedly made false statements to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over a two year period. I notified Ebay Customer Service about this, but they ignored it. Why should they care? They're not even located in the US. It does show a history of scamming, but all they want to do is get the complaint to go away. Since Covid19, you can't even speak to an agent, you have to communicate with them through email. Most of their communications come via form letters. None of it seems to come from a real person.

I just can't afford to keep shipping rare eggs to people who don't pay for them. I can't afford to keep feeding animals this way. I have to make the initial investment, build housing, buy feed, and care for them day after day, even though I'm getting scammed and these people are getting free eggs compliments of Ebay. I wish there was a viable alternative, but there isn't unless you have time to build a brand, a presence on the web, and waste time on social media postings. Sorry, I'm just not into that. I raise animals, that's what i want to do, and selling the eggs was simply a way to help me afford my hobby. But I'm done.

I'm really sorry you have had a bad experience, I know eBay can be so hit or miss. If you read my post from today I'm searching for some unique breeds for my son to hatch while recovering from an injury. I understand if you are done selling but if you happen to be interested in a different buyer I am in the market.

 

[ChristinLewin]

So frustrating.

you can do other things though.

1. Sell only locally. Pick up only, cash in hand. No guarantees.

2. Hatch eggs and sell chicks. I’ve sold chicks and chickens at a livestock auction. Clearly dependent on bids, of course. And auction house takes a %. But, you will get your money bc the auction house will pay you. Here, a buyer has to provide ID and apparently the sheriff can knock on the buyer door to get the money if the buyer didn’t settle up with the auction house. But, irregardless, it’s the auction house headache, not yours.

3. Find swaps in your area.

4. Attend Poultry shows. There always seems to be a contingent of sellers of Poultry. Many who are serious breeders. You’ll have time and travel, and possible booth fees. I attended the Ohio National last year, and many Poultry were sold prior to the show (pick up at show) or early on show day 1.

5. Start a fb farm page. Although you are not allowed to sell animals on fb, you will likely attract local traffic. Just post pics and captions several times a week. It shouldn’t be too onerous. People get excited with pictures and stories. So, maybe your head rooster is often featured, for example. Cute chick pictures and videos are always popular.

6. Have no idea of your setup or how many eggs you get. But, here a farm gives away free turkey poults to 4-H kids that promise to show the turkeys at fair. Well, everyone here remembers the name of that farm! are you interested in donating hatching eggs to classrooms or similar? Maybe 4-H, but it might depend on how the fair classes chickens for show. In Ohio each county does it a bit differently, so can’t provide guidance here.

you now know eBay selling isn’t for you. Online selling may come with similar headaches bc A buyer can make a credit card claim, which can cost the seller money and time to clean up.

suffice it to say, you can only move forward. Either stop completely or find a new direction.

Fantastic reply!!!

 

[ArcherChaos]

If you join your local buy swap sell page one facebook you can sell eggs, its a little tricky but it can be done, warning though sometime they decide eggs are animals. Many poultry pages on Facebook allow buy and sell but use code so the facebook bots cant send up a red flag on those posts. And its harder to scam in person.

 

[RainForestBird]

What breeds are you looking for? I have Svart Hona, Serama, Sablepoot, D'uccle, Japanese Bantam as well as duck breeds, standard and dwarf.

I'm really sorry you have had a bad experience, I know eBay can be so hit or miss. If you read my post from today I'm searching for some unique breeds for my son to hatch while recovering from an injury. I understand if you are done selling but if you happen to be interested in a different buyer I am in the market.

 

[RainForestBird]

UPDATE: Well I was persistent in telling Ebay that the buyer was pulling a scam and this morning there was a message in my inbox saying the Ebay had reversed its decision and that the funds they had previously withdrawn were being transferred back to my account. I think if you persist without dropping it, they will eventually come around. But along with the good came the bad and a competitor egg seller left me negative feedback claiming there were "air bubbles" in the eggs I shipped him. Where people come up with these things i don't know. I believe he was seeking vindication because one of his buyers left him a negative about air cells. He should know that detached air cells are not the shipper's fault its due to rough postal handling. The eggs would not develop "air bubbles" in the nest box, and i did pack them well. We are at the mercy of the post office. I have tired UPS but they are much more expensive and I don't think people want to pay twice as much for 3 Day service.

 

[dbtcowgirl]

What breeds are you looking for? I have Svart Hona, Serama, Sablepoot, D'uccle, Japanese Bantam as well as duck breeds, standard and dwarf.

All of those breeds sound wonderful. Normally I focus on my Bielefelder's and BCM but while my son is rehabbing and getting better I thought something new and different would be fun for him. Let me know the cost and quantity, I'd love to get him some.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Until recently, I've sold hatching eggs on eBay, but USPS has been really hard on shipped eggs, so I've stopped for now. I ordered eggs earlier this year from a location about 4 hours' drive time away, and they arrived with very saddled air cells that indicated ROUGH handling - and zero hatched. I received feedback from some buyers that the eggs they received weren't hatching (I verify fertility and hatch these eggs, too), so, clearly, the rough handling messed them up. It's very frustrating for sellers when buyers post that no eggs hatch because it implies that the eggs weren't capable of hatching, which isn't accurate.

 

[Tonyroo]

Everyone really needs to focus on the condition and reliability of the USPS nationally. We all use it and that's an established institution, but the new general post master is aiming to destroy this great historical institution we all rely on. So pay attention to what's going on and make your voices heard.

 

[nao57]

Everyone really needs to focus on the condition and reliability of the USPS nationally. We all use it and that's an established institution, but the new general post master is aiming to destroy this great historical institution we all rely on. So pay attention to what's going on and make your voices heard.

Its likely to slow down even more, because most states are experiencing severe economic damage. This means they'll probably start cutting overtime and bonuses. And then go from there.

It WILL slow down.

I'm not disagreeing with you however. And you have good intentions.

I'm only bringing up what it looks like will happen based on how high unemployment in populous zones will affect government budgets etc.

 

[NightingaleJen]

I'm sorry you have had such bad experiences. Why places like eBay and Etsy don't treat their *sellers* better than they do, I have no idea. Seems like a bad idea to me, but then again, there are a lot of established sellers on both sites that will never leave, so the sites will live.

@RainForestBird, do you know anyone who is just getting started building websites, or who might be willing to barter payment with you to build your site and get you off on the right foot? I believe it was @Acre4Me who suggested Facebook—that is a wonderful idea. Share photos and stories about your birds. Let people get to know you and your animals and why this is so important to you—both personally and as a view toward the future of your breeds. It will certainly get attention and likely even garner a lot of good connections from which customers can come.

Also...earlier this year a $10 billion loan was given to the PO. Just saying. I'll be honest—and one of my pastors is a mailman, and our mail-lady is absolutely fabulous—I think a fair portion of the employees just don't take pride in their work. (Not my pastor and own neighborhood mail-lady, though. Of course they are just peachy. ;D) Having also once sold via Etsy and as someone who has long been an online shopper...Boy, have I experienced some rotten things at the hand of USPS (nothing like opening a very dented box of shattered Pyrex...with USPS tape all over it). It can be extremely frustrating, and yes, the seller often pays the biggest price.

Sending live eggs through the mail would be nerve-wracking—props to anyone who even attempts it! Maybe we need to come up with our own Pony Express-style delivery system—hand that precious box of eggs off to one chicken-keeper after another between seller & buyer, so it gets handed over by someone who not only cares, but will also be excited about the prospect of chicks.