Seasoned Trader Wisdom

Did he say he was personally dropping it off, or just taking it to a drop box? Sometimes those sit a few days before they are actually picked up. I've had other packages that didn't show updates on the tracking # for a few days too. Either way he still needs to be in better communication with you if you have expressed concern.

 

This sort of thing has happened on several of my recent trades, even with traders with a long history and good reputation. So, while my gut says

I'm not entirely sure that's what's going on. The UPS and FedEx systems do seem somewhat mysterious, and UPS seems particularly flaky. Of course, there's always the possibility that they are like this guy:

If everyone did this, no one would ever get a box.

I'd delay another day or two before considering "outing" the guy. I would send him a message saying something like "Hey, it's sort of weird, but UPS doesn't show any tracking on your box, maybe there's a problem, have you heard anything from them?"

 

A good trader will always differentiate, boxed up from package on its way.

I always request a receipt when I drop off because those bastards stole one box from me already. This will ensure instant update on the tracking number.

 

I always ask FedEx to scan the box in front of me when I drop it off to make sure that it gets in the system. I don't see how it would sit around for a few days without hitting their tracking system.

It has been a week today. Shouldn't it have shown up by now if it was shipped on the 20th?

 

Just out him. If he comes through, nobody really remembers him as a bad trader anyway.

 

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I would guess you know the expected delivery date based on where he's sending from, so I would wait for one day after that to see if the box arrives without UPS updating their system. If the box doesn't land by then, and he hasn't been in contact, or has been ignoring your messages (reading w/out responding) then I'd put his name out there for poor communication and delayed shipping reasons, and he'd still have a chance to at least deliver on the box in a somewhat reasonable amount of time.

 

So net-net he took an extra week and a half or so to get your box sent out to you and didn't communicate that terribly well. Perhaps he's a C+ trader, but definitely not a bad one.

Despite the rash of bad traders going on out there, I do think it's important to remember that people are innocent until proven guilty in the court of bad traders.

 

My most recent FedEx label didn't show up as existing for 24 hours after I created it and 12 hours after dropping it off at FedEx Office. And my partner's didn't appear until 24 hours after he dropped his off.

Sometimes it isn't the trader.

 

Where do you get that from? He created the thread On Tuesday, so Feb. 26th. He said the guy created a label Saturday (so Feb. 23rd) Depending on what time he dropped it off, even on Saturday, it might not have been looked at until mid-afternoon/evening Monday. The box might have been put on a truck, and at a station ready for another truck on Monday, and not updated in the system... Either way, he says it's "En Route" now.... that could mean he dropped it off today and it got scanned, etc... or it could mean that they have had his box since Saturday or Monday morning, or whenever, and it's already a couple of states away from where it started.

Doesn't sound like this guy is even remotely a bad-trader, and if he hasn't been online (I don't know that he has) he would have no reason to believe an angry mob is sharpening pitch forks because UPS didn't update the tracking for his box within 5 minutes of getting it, and when a "Is this guy a scum bag" thread pops up, BEFORE the ETA for the box arrives let-alone passes, and people are screaming to out him....

You have to be cautious, but shit..... a witch hunt 3 days after a tracking number is given out on a SATURDAY?

A lot of bitter folks these days.

 

Actually if you look back to the linked thread he originally said he would ship the 9th, then the 20th and now the newer shipping dates were the sorry I didn't ship yet dates.

 

You missed the first thread a week ago where he already missed one shipping deadline. This is just the follow up where he missed again, and cumulatively the box is two weeks late or so. That said, I'm actually half defending the guy and saying OP probably jumped the gun on this one a bit.

 

Gotcha. Thought this was new business..... not old business.

Good thing it looks like the box is on the way though.