I'd like to provide a local pickup option for those in my area. But I don't
want someone choosing that option and just assuming I'm available to meet
them, and I don't want people not local choosing that option. How can I ensure
that people choosing the local pickup option clear it with me first before they
pay for the order? Can I require a manual invoice to be approved by me before
a buyer can place an order with that shipping option?
I'd like to provide a local pickup option for those in my area. But I don't
want someone choosing that option and just assuming I'm available to meet
them, and I don't want people not local choosing that option. How can I ensure
that people choosing the local pickup option clear it with me first before they
pay for the order? Can I require a manual invoice to be approved by me before
a buyer can place an order with that shipping option?
Yes, manual invoice is best, you can confirm with the buyer about local pickup,
and then invoice accordingly. Also I’d recommend checking your home insurance
policy ahead of time as they may not be fans of people coming to your house for
business.
Is there a way that the shipping option can automatically trigger the need for
a manual invoice?
In Selling, Nubs_Select writes:
In Selling, curtiswlindsey writes:
I'd like to provide a local pickup option for those in my area. But I don't
want someone choosing that option and just assuming I'm available to meet
them, and I don't want people not local choosing that option. How can I ensure
that people choosing the local pickup option clear it with me first before they
pay for the order? Can I require a manual invoice to be approved by me before
a buyer can place an order with that shipping option?
Yes, manual invoice is best, you can confirm with the buyer about local pickup,
and then invoice accordingly. Also I’d recommend checking your home insurance
policy ahead of time as they may not be fans of people coming to your house for
business.
Is there a way that the shipping option can automatically trigger the need for
a manual invoice?
No - BrickLink doesn't determine proximity or zip codes.
If you set up a Manuel Invoice system (call it "Local pickup" or "Manual
Invoicing", doesn't matter), people will select it mostly believing they'll
get a better price this way.
I don't recommend offering local pickup for various reasons, like this invoicing,
complexity of the rendez-vous, people watching your set up, insurance as Nubs
said, etc.
You could offer to buyers willing to picku up the refund of their shipping cost.
I'd better do it this way.
Yes that all makes sense. Thanks for the help. Although my one experience has
been okay, I'm not sure it will be worth it in the end.
In Selling, 1001bricks writes:
In Selling, curtiswlindsey writes:
Is there a way that the shipping option can automatically trigger the need for
a manual invoice?
No - BrickLink doesn't determine proximity or zip codes.
If you set up a Manuel Invoice system (call it "Local pickup" or "Manual
Invoicing", doesn't matter), people will select it mostly believing they'll
get a better price this way.
I don't recommend offering local pickup for various reasons, like this invoicing,
complexity of the rendez-vous, people watching your set up, insurance as Nubs
said, etc.
You could offer to buyers willing to picku up the refund of their shipping cost.
I'd better do it this way.
I'd like to provide a local pickup option for those in my area. But I don't
want someone choosing that option and just assuming I'm available to meet
them, and I don't want people not local choosing that option. How can I ensure
that people choosing the local pickup option clear it with me first before they
pay for the order? Can I require a manual invoice to be approved by me before
a buyer can place an order with that shipping option?
The fact is you can offer them that assurance. I have done it several times with
other established Bricklink stores and those I have deemed acceptable to enter
my inner sanctum after verifiable google, linkedin etc searches.
The assurance you can't give to yourself is the appearance of security and
safety. Your concerns only need to be perceived by you to be real.
In my instances and there has been maybe 10 orders on bricklink in which this
has occurred I tell the buyer 4 things regardless of who they are:
1. I wont act outside the terms of service of bricklink-meaning they will place
an order
2. That order will be paid for before any meetup transaction through the order/invoice
process.If its cash or an alternate method I manually mark the invoice as paid.
3. In the event there has been a shipping charge like you typically see in Instant
Checkout, that amount will be fully refunded on pickup.
4. The buyer will mark the order complete at pickup, after I mark it paid.
5. If the buyer can't agree or tries to shirk the above then I kill the deal.
I don't care about the money involved. I care about the buyer desires, my
personal needs and acting within Bricklinks Terms of Service. The lego is purely
an object, integrity is everything.
There are other deals where I come into possession of often hundreds of pounds
of parts. I contact a couple of bricklink stores I am on friendly terms with
and sell those parts to them privately as they were never a part of any bricklink
inventory, nor were they ever acquired from a bricklink member.
In that instance those buyers are making a private purchase from me and add those
parts to their bricklink inventory.
Honestly, having been asked countless times for local pickup, it's just better
for your own peace to not do it unless you are certain they are trustworthy.
Just don't do it, in hindsight unless it's truly a completely private
deal it's just not worth it. If someone does not have a "50" rating
I won't even entertain the notion of pickup.
Each to their own, but that is how I operate and that wont be changing anytime
soon.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply. Yes I think I'll need to consider local
pickup only a case-by-case basis and not let it be a routine offering.
In Selling, ScubaSteve writes:
In Selling, curtiswlindsey writes:
I'd like to provide a local pickup option for those in my area. But I don't
want someone choosing that option and just assuming I'm available to meet
them, and I don't want people not local choosing that option. How can I ensure
that people choosing the local pickup option clear it with me first before they
pay for the order? Can I require a manual invoice to be approved by me before
a buyer can place an order with that shipping option?
The fact is you can offer them that assurance. I have done it several times with
other established Bricklink stores and those I have deemed acceptable to enter
my inner sanctum after verifiable google, linkedin etc searches.
The assurance you can't give to yourself is the appearance of security and
safety. Your concerns only need to be perceived by you to be real.
In my instances and there has been maybe 10 orders on bricklink in which this
has occurred I tell the buyer 4 things regardless of who they are:
1. I wont act outside the terms of service of bricklink-meaning they will place
an order
2. That order will be paid for before any meetup transaction through the order/invoice
process.If its cash or an alternate method I manually mark the invoice as paid.
3. In the event there has been a shipping charge like you typically see in Instant
Checkout, that amount will be fully refunded on pickup.
4. The buyer will mark the order complete at pickup, after I mark it paid.
5. If the buyer can't agree or tries to shirk the above then I kill the deal.
I don't care about the money involved. I care about the buyer desires, my
personal needs and acting within Bricklinks Terms of Service. The lego is purely
an object, integrity is everything.
There are other deals where I come into possession of often hundreds of pounds
of parts. I contact a couple of bricklink stores I am on friendly terms with
and sell those parts to them privately as they were never a part of any bricklink
inventory, nor were they ever acquired from a bricklink member.
In that instance those buyers are making a private purchase from me and add those
parts to their bricklink inventory.
Honestly, having been asked countless times for local pickup, it's just better
for your own peace to not do it unless you are certain they are trustworthy.
Just don't do it, in hindsight unless it's truly a completely private
deal it's just not worth it. If someone does not have a "50" rating
I won't even entertain the notion of pickup.
Each to their own, but that is how I operate and that wont be changing anytime
soon.
USA, Texas
Canada, Ontario
France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
