Ive never expected or got anything for nothing. Dont speculate such. Im just giving advice to some people that may not know. If you send something parcel it may very well take a month. When I buy something Im expecting it UPS type speed. 5 days from the coasts, 3-4 anywhere else. Not real fun waiting on a part you may need b/c its coming through the mail in a month. 5 days vs. one month.....big difference IMO. I would figure most anyone would pay the extra $3 bucks to get a part in a decent amount of time. I didnt post this to be a jerk to anyone, but merely to let others know something they might not have known.

If you aren't willing to pay extra, is it realistic to expect someone else to pay extra for your impatience? That's the crux of this whole discussion, what YOU expect vs. what someone else thinks is reasonable. Free shipping means that you don't get to dictate how it's shipped. If you want it fast and are willing to pay, a seller should ship it however you want.

How many times do you not pay for shipping?? I pay for shipping on nearly every item Ive bought. I guess you just really arent getting the jest of this post. Its purpose was to educate those that may not be aware of the USPS procedures. Could avoid some hard feelings amongst the buyer and seller. We all know shipping costs are getting fairly steep these days. USPS priority mail can be the cheapest way to ship an item or at least within 3-4 bucks. Cheap piece of mind for both parties. Of course every man can do as they wish.

If you are paying for shipping, I agree that you should be able to decide how it's shipped.

I completely agree with SandTrix, it's a cheap way to avoid the whole "where's my part", "why haven't I received the hub I need to race with this weekend" fiascos...

Best way to handle it, and protect yourself in the meantime, has already been stated: charge the buyer the extra couple of bucks upfront.

If you want to protect your reputation, tracking numbers are cheap insurance...

That's why it's UPS for me. Free insurance to $100 and a tracking number everytime.

Although if someone says free shipping then when you buy your at their mercy

Good post Sandtrix, there are people who are not aware of the length of time it can take to get stuff through USPS parcel. Sellers should be willing to offer better shipping for more money, and buyers need to be aware of shipping arrangements up front.

I USE DHL. SAME BENEFITS AS UPS, BUT CHEAPER

I have been on the receiving end of waiting for 4+ weeks for something I paid $400 shipped on. I knew the guy from PS so I didn’t think he would rip me off but after you drop $400 and no one can tell you where a part is or where it was shipped to or even when. Finally the box showed up all beat up but the parts were still good. Any way for me I factor in the cost when selling stuff shipped and always use UPS. I like that with the tracking number you can look it up and see exactly were it is and or who signed for it.

i usually use priorit mail. never parcel post... plus post office delivers on saturdays. their shipping week is 6 days,,, most stuff gets to people in 2-4 days, and i ALWAYS use deliver confirmation anymore.. some of the bigger stuff i will still ship ups they local office here is open till 6:30 the "flat rate box" is great also..