| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. 23:47 - Aug 21 with 1279 views | FBI |
Skip the intro if you already know this bit:
You may know (and not care) but I sell vintage homewares online for a living, almost entirely through Etsy, the Waitrose version of eBay. Mid century ceramics & glass, art deco and studio pottery:that sort of thing. Very rarely do I price anything much over £30 and most of it is in the £15-£25 bracket. It turns over nicely and I'm doing OK.
That's not an ad. It's context.
I've just had to cancel an order for a 1970s toast rack. Here's the message I sent:
"Hi (name of customer)
I'm so sorry but I've cancelled your order. Nothing wrong with it per se but you may not be aware of the implications of the Tariffs your President has suddenly imposed on smaller packages from outside the US. In essence, just a few days ago he decided to remove the $800 lower limit which means tariffs are now payable on everything. And what I suspect hasn't been made clear to the American public is that it impacts on the customer rather than the seller: your $16 toast rack will cost you $94 by the time it passes through customs and USPS. In the light of that information I thought it best to cancel the order; it's nice enough but it's not $94 nice and, forgive my presumption, I didn't think you'd be very happy paying that amount for it. As it is, Etsy has actually decided to turn off shipping functions into the US with effect from August 25th but your order came in before that.
I'm desperately sorry to disappoint you but I really want you to understand that there's literally only one person responsible for making a $16 toast rack cost almost $100. His address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 20500 Washington DC if you wish to register a complaint.
Once again, I really, truly can only apologise and hope some kind of sanity and common sense prevails sooner rather than later.
Yours
Dave
Mill Vintage And Retro"
And yes, I could have taken a more professional tone. But no. I won't. It was bad enough getting shafted by GPSR and now this. |  |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 00:10 - Aug 22 with 1206 views | Bigalhunter |
It’s been an issue for months now.
Over the last couple of years I’ve been systematically clearing out a huge collection of rare television related diecast model cars on eBay, that my late father-in-law had stored his loft.
Since early May, ebay have been blocking US customers from bidding on their global shipping programme, due to the uncertainty over tariffs.
As a result, I’ve had loads of Americans angrily messaging me because their winning bids have been cancelled by eBay.
No big deal for me but I can understand how important this is for any small business that relies on US custom. |  |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 00:40 - Aug 22 with 1142 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
I am sorry that tariffs have affected your customer base stateside from a cost perspective.
However, wow, in my opinion that it’s a terribly poor unprofessional and petty email to send to a customer based in an overseas territory based on market conditions in which you have no control. Especially when you (I presume) have no idea of their political persuasion or financial situation. Surely you’d offer an explanation of an increased cost and let them make a decision?
Even if I was the most loyal Democrat in the world I’d never buy from you again after reading that on an order I’d made from Europe. If it couldn’t be fulfilled for the price I’d paid I’d be annoyed enough but I’d at least expect to be consulted and then I could make my own call and form my own opinions.
[Post edited 22 Aug 0:43]
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 00:50 - Aug 22 with 1095 views | Illinoisblue |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 00:40 - Aug 22 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
I am sorry that tariffs have affected your customer base stateside from a cost perspective.
However, wow, in my opinion that it’s a terribly poor unprofessional and petty email to send to a customer based in an overseas territory based on market conditions in which you have no control. Especially when you (I presume) have no idea of their political persuasion or financial situation. Surely you’d offer an explanation of an increased cost and let them make a decision?
Even if I was the most loyal Democrat in the world I’d never buy from you again after reading that on an order I’d made from Europe. If it couldn’t be fulfilled for the price I’d paid I’d be annoyed enough but I’d at least expect to be consulted and then I could make my own call and form my own opinions.
[Post edited 22 Aug 0:43]
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Yeah, the business owner’s email is not the problem here! |  |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 01:01 - Aug 22 with 1065 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 00:50 - Aug 22 by Illinoisblue |
Yeah, the business owner’s email is not the problem here! |
Sending that email to a customer you’ve done a financial transaction with abroad about the president in their country is unprofessional.
There’s basically a 50% chance depending on location they voted for the guy so you may have insulted them as well. People can find out the hard way why their costs have gone up for international trade or domestic product without reading that from an international seller to be honest.
Letting your own emotions get into your client communication isn’t really the way to conduct trade, in my opinion at least.
I had a good few years of mental policy affecting my line of work but wouldn’t talk like this to clients or suppliers over things I had no control. | |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 03:22 - Aug 22 with 907 views | Illinoisblue |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 01:01 - Aug 22 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Sending that email to a customer you’ve done a financial transaction with abroad about the president in their country is unprofessional.
There’s basically a 50% chance depending on location they voted for the guy so you may have insulted them as well. People can find out the hard way why their costs have gone up for international trade or domestic product without reading that from an international seller to be honest.
Letting your own emotions get into your client communication isn’t really the way to conduct trade, in my opinion at least.
I had a good few years of mental policy affecting my line of work but wouldn’t talk like this to clients or suppliers over things I had no control. |
Nah, fk that. Put Trump’s name on it. Put a dollar value on his stupidity. Hammer the point home until people get it. Too much tiptoeing around. | |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 03:58 - Aug 22 with 850 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 03:22 - Aug 22 by Illinoisblue |
Nah, fk that. Put Trump’s name on it. Put a dollar value on his stupidity. Hammer the point home until people get it. Too much tiptoeing around. |
It will make him feel better for sure and put the mailing address in just in case! | |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 04:05 - Aug 22 with 841 views | Arthur_Hayes |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 01:01 - Aug 22 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Sending that email to a customer you’ve done a financial transaction with abroad about the president in their country is unprofessional.
There’s basically a 50% chance depending on location they voted for the guy so you may have insulted them as well. People can find out the hard way why their costs have gone up for international trade or domestic product without reading that from an international seller to be honest.
Letting your own emotions get into your client communication isn’t really the way to conduct trade, in my opinion at least.
I had a good few years of mental policy affecting my line of work but wouldn’t talk like this to clients or suppliers over things I had no control. |
If they voted for that knut, then I wouldn’t care whether I insulted them or not. |  | | |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 04:31 - Aug 22 with 811 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 04:05 - Aug 22 by Arthur_Hayes |
If they voted for that knut, then I wouldn’t care whether I insulted them or not. |
Personally, I don’t check for or ask my clients or colleagues voting habits, especially those from abroad. | |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 08:22 - Aug 22 with 463 views | Swansea_Blue |
Quite a markup that. Maybe you should have given them the option to cancel if they wanted to, but it’s none of my business and you can do what you want. You certainly did the right thing informing them of the cost increase imo. I’d be right pissed off if I’d not known.
Trump’s people are still peddling the lie that the overseas country pays for the tariff. How daft do you have to be to keep swallowing their lies? (That’s a rhetorical question). |  |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 08:25 - Aug 22 with 441 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 04:31 - Aug 22 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Personally, I don’t check for or ask my clients or colleagues voting habits, especially those from abroad. |
"Joey and Donald sitting under a tree...... |  |
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| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 08:31 - Aug 22 with 413 views | bsw72 |
I think the tone was perfect. |  | | |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 08:36 - Aug 22 with 394 views | BABLUE |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 08:22 - Aug 22 by Swansea_Blue |
Quite a markup that. Maybe you should have given them the option to cancel if they wanted to, but it’s none of my business and you can do what you want. You certainly did the right thing informing them of the cost increase imo. I’d be right pissed off if I’d not known.
Trump’s people are still peddling the lie that the overseas country pays for the tariff. How daft do you have to be to keep swallowing their lies? (That’s a rhetorical question). |
Well there’s one poster on this thread that appears to be lapping it up |  | | |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 10:09 - Aug 22 with 248 views | soupytwist |
What was the response from the customer, out of interest? |  | | |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 10:32 - Aug 22 with 214 views | SuperKieranMcKenna |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 08:31 - Aug 22 by bsw72 |
I think the tone was perfect. |
Yeah I hope they didn’t miss the irony of receiving that from a country that voted for economic self-harm, isolationism, and increased trade barriers… |  | | |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 10:49 - Aug 22 with 172 views | FBI |
| Tariffs in action - a small business experience. on 10:09 - Aug 22 by soupytwist |
What was the response from the customer, out of interest? |
Reply came in overnight...
And I stand by my tone. Customer, incidentally, is based in Birmingham, Alabama.
"David,Thank you for your honesty and straight forwardness! . I did notice thatthe shipping was more than the item but was a gift. I do thank you forletting me know that the toast rake was not worth the extra tariff price.I am very well of what a complete jackass that the USA has for a president!He is definitely NOT my president!Best Regards, (name)" [Post edited 22 Aug 11:02]
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