Are Indians really bad when it comes to buying/selling?

[[godfather]]

Ok

I am from India and I see no other fellow here as a regular poster.

I have bought a Sigma 24-60 from a member on POTN. The money was sent on 4th of Feb 2009. The seller sent the parcel, insured, through USPS Priority mail to India on 5th from California. The expected time of the delivery is 6-10 days.

I stil havent recieved the parcel. The USPS status says that the parcel reached India on 13th and is in customs. As far as my experience, I have bought a few items from ebay USA (user: team.ss) and they reached here not more than 15 days.

And if the parcel would have lost during transist, the status never gonna update on USPS site as LOST. Isn't it?

I filed a claim with PayPal and the seller is now upset at me, he is saying that PayPal deducted some fees from his account. And he said, "Thats why people do not want to send to India"

That phrase really hurts me.

Do you guys really think that we are so bad or dishonest that doing any sort of transaction with us is not worth?

[FocalPrincess]

I ship to several other countries as a result of my other (non-photography) business, and its not so much the recipient of the package that is the issue as the customs officials. Sometimes (France for example) things get "lost" in customs more often than in other countries. I don't think its personal, I think its difficulties with the postal systems (and I'm not excluding the US postal system as its got its own share of difficulties). Good luck, I hope your packages appears!

[[godfather]]

Agree about the fact. But sometimes, the perception of people just hurt deep into the heart.

I have got 3 mails from the sender and in all three mails, only one thing I could see, "THATS WHY PEOPLE DO NOT SHIP TO INDIANS"

If the system is at fault why such comments roam around?

[joeseph]

;7405306']Do you guys really think that we are so bad or dishonest that doing any sort of transaction with us is not worth?
sounds like the seller's attitude needs adjusting althought they're likely as frustrated as you are.

Shipping anything internationally does create headachs when things go astray as it's really difficult to pinpoint where the problem is. If it's any consolation, there's a Canon 1.4x TC with my name on it floating somewhere in the ether between USA and New Zealand (been there for over a year & I don't expect to ever see it...)

[jgrussell]

The seller may be an insensitive boor, so don't take his comments too much to heart. I suspect what he means is: "That's why people do not ship to India" not Indians. In other words, I expect -- I hope -- it's a criticism of the postal service there, not of you.

[[godfather]]

Agreed, froon INDIANs I mean he did not write exactly that way, but how he replied me was like he made a mistake by making a transaction with me, because I am living in India and I am an Indian. I had paid him within a few hou rs after he shown intrest in selling. He not a regular member here, even then I had a trust over it.

I had contacted him after contacting USPS about the parcel. USPS said "if parcel does not reach after the 10th day, you should contact us. Ask the sender in USA to contact us" They sent me some number. I forwarded him the email and asked him to contact USPS.

Got no reply from him for a day. I though to contact his wife, as her email ID was in one of the emails he forwarded me to send the tracking details. Got no reply from her either. And when I filed a claim at PayPal, the sender came shouting at me in a few hours.

He keep on saying that I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED HIM FIRST. Now he is forcing me to file a claim locally here in INDIA, if the parcel is lost, on the basis of only TRACKING CODE. Upon asking him, he said, I HAVE SENT, NOW IT YOU AND YOUR COUNTRY.

I had again contacted USPS they told me that sender has to file a claim for insurance once it get confirms that parcel has been lost. Forwarded him an email. Lets see what he hsa to say now.

[kartik]

[godfather]:
Dude, there are all kind of people in this world. Some are prejudiced against some. It is not about shipping to India. Some people do not understand the complications involved with international shipping and when the transaction tanks they look for something to blame in this case the country. Just take it in your stride.

I hope you get your lens/refund soon.

Cheers,
Kartik

[Mark]

It's not like Indians are dishonest, just the Indian postal service is a bit dodgy at times....
Just like many other dodgy/suss postal services...
If I were to send anything to india it would go by courier, but eh :).....

[snyderman]

I have experience implementing shipping programs to India. India Customs is very complicated. Even moreso, depending on where delivery takes place within India.

If I remember correctly, items/shipments valued at less than $500 can do a 'quick customs clearance' process where duties & taxes are assessed at face value of paperwork. If anything would happen to be misrepresented on the customs documentation, the shipment would be opened and full investigation would be made by India Customs to assess all applicable Duties & Taxes AND State Taxes within India.

I could go on for days. I believe you jumped the gun in filing with PayPal. In doing so, you certainly acted in an accusatory manner toward the seller.

Also, you might want to choose a global carrier with experience cleraning shipments through Delhi or Mumbai rather than the USPS. This would provide better insight into the status of your package when a delay happens.

And no, you won't hear anything more from the USPS. You might get a delivery scan after you receive the package, but what good is that?!!!

dave

[lalitearns]

Hello brother.

being an indian how can you say that indians are not regular posters. i just got registered and you will see me quiet often.
keep in touch.http://photosnag.com/img/3147/n09x0302vnsn/clear.gif

[sx_Sgm]

Dear Godfather,

I am an Indian too and I live in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Last month (20th February) I've bought one Canon 70-300 IS lens from ebay from one person from South San Diego, CA - USA. The deal was he needs to ship it with USPS Priority mail to India but he shipped it with DHL WPX shipping to India. It reached Chennai, India on 26th February and got hold in Chennai Customs (with the message Customs Clearance Delay) from DHL website. Hence, I've contacted the DHL representative and took the initiative to pay the respective Customs Duty and got it cleared on 04th of March 09.

Since I got mine through a courier service (DHL) they cleared it on behalf of me and I paid upon receipt of the shipment at my home. In your case it might be with the Customs still and needs to be cleared. Since it was sent through USPS Priority Mail it needs to be cleared with the Customs by you directly in which case I guess you will receive a letter from Customs personnel that your shipment got hold with them and needs to be cleared as well. I've read it somewhere in some forum regarding the Customs Duty/Clearance procedure in India before I ordered my product.

I trust it helps you a bit.

Best regards

[AngryCorgi]

It's probably a pure criticism of the customs process in India, not the people. And it's not just sketchy in India, but anytime you ship internationally you potentially may have to deal with slow customs in another country. And its purely random in most countries. Sometimes items get through immediately and sometimes it take time. The same goes for things coming into the US at times too. Clearing customs is always a crap-shoot from a timeline standpoint, and its another opportunity for your items to disappear magically too.

Also, I have found that the USPS tracking information is WORTHLESS after it leaves this country, so don't expect it to report to you when it clears Indian customs.

BTW, if you knew the item was in customs, why on earth did you file against the seller? I'm totally confused on that one. 24 hours of no response, and the seller is at fault all of a sudden?? If the status reported it as being in customs its not the seller's fault. I think he/she might be pissed because you are complaining about them when they have no control over how your government handles the package once it hits customs.

The claim for insurance is no good unless it never made it to customs and was lost by USPS.

[[godfather]]

^ See, I have an experience of international transactions. I get my items in 15 days at most. And it took 18 days only to clear the custom. Also, in case it has been lost BEFORE it cleared customs, I dont think they gonna change the status to LOST. Also items are only dissappear in customs and not in the transist. Because in that case, the person who gonna deliver the item will be in trouble.

[20droger]

You should try shipping something from the U.S. to a small village in Libya if you want to have fun with delays and losses. Guaranteed to take at least two months, no matter how you ship.

[Mark1]

Sounds like you are blaming the wrong person. You said the package is in customs. Yet you want to get your money back from the seller who held up his part of the deal. Definatley sounds like a scam to me. YOU get the lens AND the money. Scam Scam Scam!

Your fight is with the shipper and customs. Not the seller. You are penalizing him for no good reason. He now has a black mark on his record only because you have no patients to wait for customs. Is that fair? File a claim with the shipper and complain to customs. Pay Pal has nothing to do with this either. They are taking money back from him at your request, for no good reason, only your inpatients. Again, not fair.

Things like this only contribute to the stereotypes. And don't exactly set anything straight.

I ship pretty often to the Philippines, It can take 45 days to deliver.

[[godfather]]

^^ Ok. As I told above, parcels only losts in customs and after or before its in customs.

[Mark1]

Either way, it is not his fault. And you have penalized him for your impatience, in a way he may not be able to recover from. All because you can't wait a few more days.

[[godfather]]

Oh yes, I should have waited for 45 days to cross n then not able to get the money in case parcel losts. Coz USPS entertain claims only from seller. And he dont bother to reply for days.

[Mark1]

Do not get me wrong. I agree with you for wanting your package. I would be just as angry. I just think you took the wrong path to resolution. By reversing charges on the seller. He is now out the lens and the money. He assumes he got scammed. and now has no motivation to help the person he think scammed him. Meanwhile you have the lens and the money on its way to you. Just turn it around and think how that would look to you if you were the seller. I would call back Pay pal and explain it. And put a hold on the penalization of the seller till it gets resolved. Then call USPS and customs 2-3 times a day till it gets resolved. You do not have to spend hours a day on the phone. But I would keep pestering them till you get some usefull info.

[[godfather]]

Sir I had filed a complaint at POSTAGE before going to paypal. Because when I asked customs, they did not have any info of the parcel. They were the people who told me that any parcel do not take that long to clear the customs, so chances are its lost so file a complaint to trace the parcel. Upon what they quoted, I filed a claim so that I get the money from paypal and seller get from the USPS.

[Mark1]

You did not explain that you tried to file before going to pay pal. Did you talk to the seller before going to pay pal? I would have had him file for an insurance claim with the shipper before going to pay pal. As the problem is with the shipper not pay pal.

By now I would try to make it right somehow with the seller so he has some motivation to help. As it stands, as you have explained it, he does not have any.

[[godfather]]

See, He was stubborn in that matter. He was constantly saying me that its your country I had sent the lens so Its you now who have to see the things. HE told me to first prove that the parcel has been lost only then we would go to USPS and all takes 20 days. And what if later? I have to completely depend on the seller, whether he takes his responsiblity or not thats upto him. Because after that, the 45 days will pass and I will ALSO lose everything.

[-g-]

You show a Sigma 24-60 in your signature. Has it now arrived?

[tharmsen]

I refuse to ship internationally for this reason. When things go awry, and they often do, no one is happy. But usually, in the end, it's the shipper that gets the short end of the stick... as in this case.

It has nothing to do with Indians. I won't ship to any country, period. If I can't find a local buyer (or in Canada), I'll keep it. It's simply not worth losing both my goods and my money.

[Mark1]

;7503047'] I have to completely depend on the seller, whether he takes his responsiblity or not thats upto him.

EXACTLY why you need him as a friend!. Reversing the charges right away is not how you do that. I understand your urgency for the time limit. But that is just another reason you want the seller on your side. I still cant believe you turned on him so fast, knowing you need him to make it work out.

[tharmsen]

EXACTLY why you need him as a friend!. Reversing the charges right away is not how you do that. I understand your urgency for the time limit. But that is just another reason you want the seller on your side. I still cant believe you turned on him so fast, knowing you need him to make it work out.
I didn't get that part either. Seems really short sighted.

Report him to PayPal, cause him to lose money, then ask him to help you out?

Not likely.

[Roy Mathers]

Hello brother.

being an indian how can you say that indians are not regular posters. i just got registered and you will see me quiet often.
keep in touch.http://photosnag.com/img/3147/n09x0302vnsn/clear.gif

He is not to know that you are Indian, as you do not have your location in your avatar!

Dear Godfather,

I am an Indian too and I live in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Ditto.

[DDCSD]

Did the lens arrive yet?

[[godfather]]

Yes, it arrived.

[[godfather]]

@Mark, See, what was my point is, I WILL GET IT FROM PAYPAL and YOU GET IT FROM USPS. AndI clearly put up the point to him.

Reason is, PARCELS LOST ONLY IN CUSTOMS>

[DDCSD]

Did you send the payment back to him and straighten things out with Paypal?

[[godfather]]

oh Cmon!! Yes I certainly did!!