eBay seller paperwtlady1 ...rude experience but I made it funny to read!

[shortrackskater]

I was just on eBay, buying a HA1 receiver from member poplar. During my search I found a listing for 8 WE HA1 receivers from eBay seller "paperwtlady1"

HER DESCRIPTION: "8 WESTERN ELECTRIC RECEIVER ELEMENTS FOR THE F1 HANDSETS. Untested and SOLD AS IS. Visually in good condition but I have no idea if they work. They are as removed from service. I did dust them off but I am sure they could use more cleaning if you so desire. Please check pictures for further description. I will Consider any Reasonable Offers on this Wonderful Telephone Part and Thank You for Looking. I do plan to auction off over 400 Antique Phones and 1000's of my Parts over the next 6 months from my personal collection and my extra parts and inventory, so please follow me so you will not miss any items you have been looking for. Many of these items do not come up for auction very often and if they do they may not be as reasonably priced as mine. Feel free to message me if you are looking for specific phones or parts and I will do my best to respond quickly."

So, they're "dusted off." Great but do they work??? She says she's selling phones and "thousands of parts from her collection." So hmmm let me think... shouldn't she have the ability to test receivers?
Furthermore the main reason I contacted her was that the shipping on 8 receiver elements was $23! YIKES! A USPS priority small box is $8.30. They certainly would fit in that box easily. Even with adding a buck or two for handling should NOT make it $23. I messaged her NICELY on this, suggesting the priority small box would be a great way to ship. Her response was "Thank you" and "I'll look into it."
The "response" was seen today as she generously lowered the shipping from $23 to $20.
So I sent a screenshot of the USPS box, from their site and just told her to check it out. Her response to me was rather RUDE and here it is:
Hi, thank you anyway. I plan to keep it priority. I don't have time for this I already explained what I can do for you. Please have a nice day and please do not message me back, Kim
I'm tired of rude, uncaring, illogical people, lacking common sense and having "no time" for their customers as quoted by paperwtlady1 (Kim).
I know I'm not perfect but I always strive to be fair and I've never inflated shipping rates and I always take time out for
I couldn't let her get away with this so here is my final response:
Hi
The priority small box is $8.30. I send a screen shot from USPS. That is priority mail.
There is no $20 price for any of USPS boxes. Even in a regular box, that shipping would be the same or likely a little less.
No collector of antique phones would care if they're "visually in good condition." Visual condition has nothing to do with whether they work or not. It would be like buying a big stereo speaker in great visual condition, but with no idea if it works or not.
Phone collectors don't buy parts to fill an unseen space in a handset.
Perhaps you should sell these as paperweights?
Thanks for the kind response. I'll be posting this correspondence on the classicrotaryphones forum, the largest of its kind on antique telephones.
This is my final message.

"Please have a nice day and please do not message me back."

Whether any of you choose to buy from her or not, I feel she's dishonest. Here is her eBay seller information. https://www.ebay.com/usr/paperwtlady1?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

[Key2871]

I have delt with her before, shes was fair and polite. Must be having a bad day or something.
But i do agree 23 bucks is steep for a handfull of eliments.

[shortrackskater]

Well she lost me as a future customer, forever. If a seller can't comprehend shipping prices then she's going to lose business. 
She also doesn't understand that you get the boxes free at any US post office.

[LarryInMichigan]

I have bought things from people in the past who insisted in stuffing items which wouldn't fit safely into flat rate boxes instead of using larger boxes and and paying a few dollars for postage less than the flat rate for postage because the item didn't weigh very much.  I gave up trying to explain Priority Mail options to such people.

Larry

[Key2871]

I understand, its her own failt.
And yea you have to wonder what they are thinking when they just put Something in a box with either minimal or absolutely nothing for protection of the peice in the box.

In fact the phone i got from her had padding, but basic as heck. Im glad it arrived fine. Otherwise it vould have been very differant.
And i have had those who insist on over charging for postage, and i avoid them in the future.

[shortrackskater]

Agree... with all!!
I just don't understand how ANY experienced shipping can look at 8 WE1 receivers and come up with $23 shipping! And I know these beefy metal elements would fit in that priority box with padding. Maybe some buyers don't care paying inflated shipping rates, but I feel it's important. I've had NO job since March and it's a little tough on the pocketbook when sellers just blatantly state
"I don't have time for this I already explained what I can do for you. Please have a nice day and please do not message me back"
Maybe I'm over-reacting but I sent her a simple, friendly message.

[Key2871]

Hey, I hear ya. She may be trying to recoup from something else, who knows.
But at least you found out first, not after the fact.