Qxpress SG qoo10.sg: Why Ur Parcel Missing?

Answer: Because passer-by took it.  Qxpress delivery man had no choice but to record it as "delivered".

I confess I had the urge to take the top box in a white sealed packet.  Either it or one of the white packets said "Clothing. Clothing. Clothing.". Well, I ain't interested in other people's clothes. Not going to wear them. But I can sell them.

In fact, why take one when you can take the whole trolley?

Hard to resist taking at least the top box.

How did it happen that such a great opportunity presented itself for me to take?

I finished my swim & was walking home at about 3p.m.. Hot afternoon, nobody around. Suddenly as I was walking along the sheltered pathway, this trolley of goodies was right in front. Unattended.

Oh Ho ho ho. X'mas has come early.

I stood beside it, examined the boxes by looking at where the heck they came from. 3 big boxes with the top one filled with many white sealed packets & a brown envelope.

On the side of the last box at the bottom, it said Qxpress in big printed words across. I also saw the word Korea.

Korea? So these are from Korea? But the white packets look like what local sellers like to use. A label on 1 parcel said it came from Guangdong. China? Taobao?

Another label on another package said Incheon. Seoul? Then it can't be Taobao or one of the China couriers like 4PX.

Looking at the heap of stuff.... So. This is an assortment of packets from different countries.

Now why does Qxpress sound familiar? I've seen the name before. Not Taobao. Not one of the China couriers.

Then I recalled seeing Qxpress on Q100 that is the only one I've seen using this delivery provider. So, these stuff are from sellers on Q100. No wonder it's a hodgepodge of things from different countries (because they are from different sellers.).

The delivery person must be away delivering upstairs to one of the blocks, leaving the trolley completely unattended.

I contemplated whether to take a package. Very tempting.  But I walked away. When I turned round to look, a man & a woman together walked by it, followed by a man behind. All 3 paid no attention to this bonanza parked right in front of them.

Some more minutes later, I saw a guy in a black T-shirt come down from the block just in front of the trolley & walk towards it. That must be the delivery guy.

Well, his whole trolley could have been gone & nobody would have known what happened.

Under the void deck, some old folk were chatting but they wouldn't be able to see the trolley or anything from there.

I told myself not to use Qxpress. 

Collapse of Singapore Singpost Speedpost/EMS Even More Important Than Tree Pruning (Review)

30 June 2016. Thursday.

Speedpost breaks record with failure to deliver on 2nd day!! Spilling over to 3rd day!! Never happened before.   

1st call: India Indian man answered. False assurance that it'll arrive by 6pm today.  
2nd call: Another India Indian man answered. Assured me will deliver by 6.30p.m.  
3rd call: India Indian woman answered with strong Indian accent. She didn't even understand/hear what I'm saying & there's something wrong with their phone! Like long distance sounding (I suspect they are in India but the Speedpost distribution centre is in SG. Some years ago when I had problem with Starhub, their Filipino customer service also sounded distant. And the phone number was overseas number.).  She said delivery man won't be coming at all because it's past 6p.m.. Delivery only from 9a.m. to 6p.m.

I said earlier staff said to wait. Can't you call your delivery man to confirm if he's coming? You don't have the numbers of the delivery men? She said no.

Holy shit.  Even Peeka has the number of their delivery guy & he called me all friendly on my phone (back when I used Peeka).

I said I waited 2 whole days from 9 to 6 p.m..Tomorrow is the 3rd day! Again 9 to 6?  Speedpost has never been like this. This is the first time. Can you call the delivery man to confirm at least whether he's coming tomorrow morning or afternoon? At least a time frame?

Indian woman: Sorry? 


29th June: 1st unsuccessful delivery--reason: Vehicular breakdown.
30th June: 2nd unsuccessful delivery--reason: Delivery could not be completed as new address could not be located. (Really absurd. What new address? I've been living in this same place for years.).

Check this out: Hardware zone: Click to enlarge.

-----------------------------

It is very sad, very worrying & very horrifying when a key infrastructure of a country breaks down. It goes beyond just delivery service. Without realizing it, these Singpost & Speedpost people are causing the country to fall apart.

This is not just about a small delivery company. If it's bad, people can just use some other. This is the country's main nationwide delivery company.  If it breaks down, it is a reflection of the country's breakdown because just 2 years ago, it was not like this.

Speedpost parcels always arrived in 1 day for me once it arrived in Singapore. It was delivered either morning or afternoon. As recent as last year, it was still fine, although starting to show signs of deterioriation (1 parcel from Japan was delayed by 1 day because it left on the first day but returned to service centre that day without being delivered.).

Why are foreigners even allowed to run our Singapore delivery system?  They shouldn't even be hired in key positions yet they frequently appear as managers in fastfood restaurants. And look how badly run those fastfood restaurants are. Look how badly run their countries are.

I still recall that very rude Filipino woman manager at McDonald's @ ARC. Because of her super slow service & poorly managed staff, I looked at her name tag with intention to lodge a complaint. She noticed that I was looking & demanded rudely as if she owned the place, "WHY? Want to see my name?".  


What Singpost & Speedpost need, is a competitor or competitors. With the kind of money at stake, they will be forced to improve.


As I write this, the noise of tree pruning in my area is outside my window. But it's not the noise that is disturbing. What I'm worried about is whether my Speedpost parcel will be delivered this morning or even by the end of today. Shall we bet?

It should have been delivered yesterday, but didn't arrive whole day. It was with delivery courier since 8.41a.m. yesterday. After 6pm, I knew the delivery person had most likely stopped work. Speedpost don't do nights.

I constantly refreshed the online tracking page the whole day. At about 11p.m., it updated to "unsuccessful delivery", reason "Delivery could not be completed due to vehicular breakdown".

Vehicular breakdown.

I have seen Speedpost vans along the roads. Is it possible it broke down?  That the van broke down is a bad sign.   Sounds like China or some other place.

Didn't they service their vehicles to ensure smooth deliveries on the roads? The vehicles are the main "ingredient" in their service & they are not taking care of it?

I imagined the van breaking down. More likely, the delivery guy just clicked on the most convenient reason in the list of reasons on his iphone system update.  Possible that he had too many parcels because he started late at 8.41a.m. & couldn't complete. In any case, he should return early morning the next day.

But till now 11.50a.m., the morning is almost gone & no sign of Speedpost at the door.

Bro said they could be undermanned. So they are unable to complete their rounds. I say it's either that, or the men are lazying around. Already, they start picking up the parcels later than in the past.

The later you pick up, the less time you have to complete the deliveries.


Four years ago (2009-2011) when I used to order regularly from Korea & Taiwan, a Speedpost Singaporean Chinese lady used to deliver to me punctually every time at 10.30 a.m.. The online status would state that the parcel was picked up very early morning at around 6 or 7 a.m.. At 10.30a.m., she would be at my place. Amazingly, she was always very punctual.  She always wore a white polo T, a bit plump & jovial (although not talkative). Hardworking lady.

I don't recall seeing a Speedpost logo on her polo T & she seemed to be a contractor rather than a real staff.

In fact, during those days, I would sometimes still be sleeping & get a shock out of my bed when the doorbell rang. My bro would go to answer it. Before her, I think there was also a Speedpost Singaporean Chinese man who was also very super early punctual like 9.30a.m..

Then one day, the timing changed. No longer morning.  When I opened the door, it was no longer her. Different guys delivered unpredictably (but always before 6p.m.).


All my overseas EMS parcels arrived the next day after arriving at airport. In the rare instance I was not home (happened once or twice), I would call Speedpost which would automatically re-deliver punctually the next early morning or afternoon.  The person who answered the call was always Singaporean.

Last night,  I read that Speedpost hasn't been doing re-deliveries since Sept 2012. 
How can a country's postal delivery service collapse in just 2 years? Bro said an entire country can collapse overnight. Not surprising.

If you think I'm exaggerating, you should read what people say in those accounts/reviews about Speedpost. It sounds like they must be joking. But there is no reason for them to spend time & effort writing such jokes. And Singaporeans are not so creative to make jokes like that.

Every comment I read about what Speedpost delivery men did, is absolutely crazy.  I don't know why they do these things. Are they all foreigners?

A postman's job is not just a job. It is a responsibility. Just like a doctor's job. When you take the salary, you're not working just for the money. Behind, is a duty, an important role. Such people have forgotten that.

If you cannot fulfil that role, then do not take the job.

It is now 12:06p.m., still no sign of Speedpost.  Is the delivery guy having lunch? Maybe they should have an status update that says "Delivery courier on lunch break".

I will avoid ordering anything that sends by EMS next time. It's a pity.

This morning, I felt so comforted by Ezbuy's service that's even more reliable & trustworthy (for now) than Speedpost. How can China win Singapore? Ezbuy just refunded domestic shipping fee without me saying so & left a note.

At 1.16p.m., I just called Speedpost. I concur with the reports (& confirm) that the person who answered the phone is a foreigner. An India Indian man with curly accent. Polite but a foreigner & completely useless.  "I assure you that it will be delivered by 6p.m. today.".

[Update at 6p.m.:  His assurance is false as expected. No Speedpost. They can't control their drivers. I just called again & another India Indian man answered to ask me to wait some more, 6.15 or 6.30p.m.. He doesn't think it'll be later than that. Says if any problem, can call again.].

I noticed that the phone machine intentionally waited with a distant pause after smoothly announcing what #1, 2 & 3 are for before providing #4 "for other enquiries".

Also, it announced a closure of a Singpost branch. Why is Singpost under Speedpost's phone line? Was there ever an announcement on Singpost-Speedpost merger? The 2 have always been separate.


It's strange that in a few of the reports I read, people say Speedpost didn't bother delivering their parcels but put a notice slip into their mail box to collect from their post office.

In the past, during missed delivery when occupant is not home, Speedpost would then put a notice on the door or gate for re-delivery to be scheduled via phone or online.

Also, about 2-3 years ago,  larger parcels could be sent via registered Singpost.  Suddenly, only packages within than their very restricted size limits can be sent that way & everything else goes to Speedpost (& their very expensive prices).

Not only that. 2 days ago, I found out that Singpost "tracking system" is no longer tracking. Some time ago this year, it was still working, but was not updated well.  (In the past, the update was on time.).

Now it's completely Zero for local & overseas registered articles. I sent a package to a Carousell SG buyer & I am also expecting a parcel from Greece. Both tracking numbers are failing to show up in the tracking system (in the old & new websites).  Why bother doing a new website when the basic system isn't even working??

And why install the inconvenience of an extra step when previously it wasn't there? I have to additionally type in a security code!

I checked the SG tracking number so many times, I have memorised it. 


From 2009-2012, I very often mailed local parcels at my nearby post office. Everyone always received their packages whether registered or normal post. If it's registered, it took 2 days to receive. If normal, it took 1 or 2 days.

The only time a normal mail package was lost was because I mailed at a different post office for the first time & their deposit box was outside. So after they closed for the day, it is possible that someone managed to steal parcels out of that box at night. Or it was temporarily lost but later finally arrived (I don't know about this since the recipient never contacted me again.).
 

Recently, I have been reading reports of Singpost losing people's mail, which I find very strange.

Also, I noticed that only as recently as last year, counter staff at my post office would demand that I write a return address (even though it's local package). I say "demand".  They wouldn't budge. Last year, the counter woman serving me even called over the manager who was walking around. Said I wouldn't write a return address on my registered parcel. The manager let me be only after some argument.

Back when I used to mail plenty of local parcels, the staff never cared whether or not there was a return address.

Why now?  Because many people complain of lost mail. Ok. Then why are mails getting lost when previously there wasn't such a problem? Because you are hiring foreigners? Because you are hiring contractors?

I read that Singpost is making a lot of profit & even rich enough to purchase additional $36 million shares in a China delivery company 4PX. Singpost has expanded. But why then has it deterioriated?

I noticed that even the layout of the Singpost branch I go to, has changed. So rundown, so makeshift, blank white & poorly done.  Even the entire staff with the manager have changed. What is happening?  

A few years ago, they were even trying to sell irrelevant groceries such as canned Abalone & cookies that the staff were asking people to buy at the end of the postal services.  Absurd.  Even selling electrical appliances. I thought Singpost must be closing down to be desperate enough to be doing this.

But far from going bust, Singpost has made millions of profit & acquired stakes in China's 4PX.


2 days ago on 28th Tues, I was angry with a Singpost woman. Yes, I have her name. Yeo Chay Boo (you can call her "chuay bo" for "cannot find" in Hokkien). Is she even Singaporean or Malaysian?

Fat balding Chinese woman in spectacles who loves to talk but does as little work as possible & holds up the queue.

A Singpost staff herself holding up the queue.  I'm surprised she don't get yelled at every day.  I bloody well almost yelled at her.


A Carousell buyer had ordered an item from me.  I was to mail it via local registered Singpost.  Queued for a long time. In front of me was a local Indian man who obviously had been waiting for a long time.  In front of him was a local Chinese office man who left the queue when I entered because he couldn't wait any more. Further in front, were another 3 persons.

Delay after delay. She chatted with a woman customer who said she was shortchanged by a certain number of stamps. Baldy Singpost woman who was sitting very comfortably in her chair for a nice chat, admitted that it was possibly her fault because she was busy.

It went on for some more minutes until the matter was solved, then the customer went away.

Next. The franked mail Malay man arrived with a sack. She went to open the side door for him. Then seeing the sack & confirming it's franked mail, told him to put it outside. I was thinking "What if it goes missing if you leave it outside??".

Luckily, the manager (a woman I never seen before) appeared & said that the sack of mail has to be left inside the room. That stupid chuay bo woman relented. But she suddenly had the idea that it was too heavy for the Malay staff to carry off later & insisted that the delivery man take out some of the mail in the sack & put into another sack that was on the countertop.

I think she had left the folded sack there for precisely this purpose, waiting for him. 

He was completely upset by this demand because it wasn't his job. It was double work for him. He said it wasn't her who would be carrying the sack later. She said, "Yes, but pity the poor staff...It's too heavy.".

I don't know what's the matter with her. There must be some benefit for her to force him to do this. She kept saying, "It's too heavy. Too heavy.".

He said, "It's not heavy. I was able to carry it here.".

He said that he was fasting (implying he has no energy to be doing extra work). She replied that "They are also fasting".  (meaning the Malay staff who would be carrying it off later).

He said she should be separating the mail herself because this is not his job. She said she was already full-handed.  He said, "Then you think I'm very free? Come on. I already delivered this to your door.".

Meanwhile, customers were waiting for her in the queue. I was watching her. Wondering what the heck is she doing.

While the delivery man finally relented & started taking out chunks of mail to put into the other sack, she finally went back to her seat.

By the time it was the Indian man's turn (in front of me), his patience was completely used up. But she said he was unable to collect his item because it's been "too long". After waiting in line for so long, he discovered he couldn't get his mail because according to her, it's been returned to sender. She didn't even bother to check inside whether the mail might perhaps still be lying around.

He left in a huff but amazingly held his temper very well (partly because it was his fault for not picking his mail up earlier).

Then it was my turn.

She weighed it. I already knew the weight since I did it at home & knew how much it cost.  I paid. She scanned the barcode, stuck it onto my parcel & gave me the receipt with tracking number. Then started complaining.

She said there is only address, no name.

I said the person only gave me his address (& I didn't take down his Carousell userID. In the past, it was fine just to have an address for the postman to send to.).  

She said, "Then write your address here.". She turned the parcel behind on the counter.

I said it's fine as it is. She demanded that I write my address.

I said I have sent parcels this way before & it's been fine.

She said without a return address, how to recover the parcel? "Throw it away?".

Pissed & wanting to get her off my back, I said, "Yes. Throw it away.".

She didn't know what to say for a second. Then cotinued to demand for a return address.

To distract her, I asked whether she can give me more of those registered article slips of paper for next time. It seemed to boost her ego.

She rudely ignored my request & even increased her demand that I write a return address.
So I took the pen, thinking of writing a fake return address. Meanwhile, she grumbled, "No return address. Then what for register it?".

What a stupid woman. Registered mail means I pay extra for the postman to deliver to this address. Make sure this address receives this package. If it is delivered honestly, there will be no problem. Therefore a return address has never been necessary in all the years that I have been posting mail.

I should have told her that.

Instead, I took the pen,  trying to think of a fake return address. Then decided, what the heck. Why should I rack my brain thinking of a fake address or be forced to write any address??! 

I said in a firm & getting angry voice that I did not know the person & did not want to write it because it is private & confidential information.

She still kept demanding & insisting that I write it. Bloody woman.

My temper suddenly rose & I tossed my hand up & said, "I have spoken to the manager before & it's fine!".

When I looked down at her again, the bold & demanding attitude in her eyes had disappeared. Her stupidly confident attitude had shrunk. She looked taken aback & instantly relented when I repeated, "It's fine. It's fine!". She then muttered in agreement or something while I walked away.

When I turned round, the queue had built up! The stupid staff had held up the queue! All because she kept demanding that I write a return address.


I was so goddamn upset.  Initially, seeing the queue, I had wanted to post via normal mail but was afraid that buyer might not receive it. If it's lost, it would be troublesome to say I didn't post via registered. Should've posted at another branch.

When the tracking number didn't show up after that, I began to wonder if that woman had stolen it.  Previously, once it's at the post office, tracking will display that it's been posted there. Since the day I posted, the page displayed nothing.

I got so worried that I ordered another of the same item to stand by, just in case the buyer didn't receive this one. Was thinking no loss because I can sell this 2nd one also. Either that, or I could refund the buyer. Small loss.

Only earlier today at about 2 or 3p.m., the update suddenly showed up that it's delivery in progress.

It's now 6:03p.m. & the Speedpost man is still not here.  Even the garbage collectors are more punctual than Speedpost. 

[Update: 10:31p.m. Fri 1 July. I finally received my parcel today at about 6.45p.m.. After 3 days of waiting, today being the 3rd day, I had given up hope of receiving today. And I now know what is going with Speedpost after asking the young & forthright delivery guy.]


Speedpost Mystery Solved: http://therevolutioner.blogspot.sg/2016/07/speedpost-sg-mystery-solved.html

Brexit Young People Have No Pride In Their British Country

All their comments in this post against Brexit, contain the mistake that they are not seeing. Youth is really wasted on the young:

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/grey-brexit-vote-angers-younger-britons-135739091.html

In another report, they say that they see themselves as Europeans first, Britons second & Londoners last.

The fact they see themselves as Europeans first, is already a mistake. No pride in the worth of their own British country. As if they will die without being in the EU. Have pride for heaven's sake.  Why can't you have pride? Because the country is overrun by immigrants?

Those who didn't experience the past, can't say that the elders are longing for "a past that never existed".  That is selfish thinking. Narrow-minded. Shallow. Too much iphone.

Rebecca, tweeting at @ReallyRew said: "Our country's fate has been decided by people longing for a past that never existed and they've created a future that's bleak".

She means, it never existed for her.  Her mind is small & narrow with no knowledge or experience of a past to compare her current life with.  A future that's bleak? The future is not yet for her to see. Or rather, how can she possibly see the future with such a small, selfish mind as hers?

A united people is a country's strength. 

Look at how shallow young Britons are. They even say that they are leaving their country just because Britain has left the EU. No pride. Only selfishness.

If you have no pride in your own country, nobody will respect you or your country.

They never think that they can still make something good out of this. They don't see it as an opportunity to make things better. Instead they see it as a disaster because they are spoilt. They can't fight. They want things easy. Lazy.

This is the tragedy of the younger British generation.

They don't think, why the elders want a past? Because it must have been better & stronger.

Why don't they think that with their own hands, they can make their country a better & stronger place without the EU?

Young people vented their anger on Saturday against more eurosceptic older voters as they came to terms with a momentous referendum to pull Britain out of the EU, with the hashtag #NotInMyName trending on Twitter.

 "I feel angry. Those who voted leave, they're not going to fight the future," said Mary Treinen, 23, a technological consultant who lives in London's trendy Shoreditch district.

A 12,000-strong survey of referendum voters published by pollster Michael Ashcroft found that 73 percent of 18-24-year-olds and 62 percent of 25-34-year-olds had voted "Remain", while 60 percent of people aged over 65 had voted "Leave".

Within hours of the results, there was a small demonstration outside Downing Street.

Richie Xavier, a 21-year-old barman, said: "I don't feel it is right for the old people to speak for us. Not to be insensitive, but we have a lot longer to go than they do. So I do feel a little bit robbed of my future."

Paddy Baker, 21, agreed saying: "Older people voted for this -- but we are the ones who are going to feel the ramifications."

At a meeting of the opposition Labour Party in central London on Saturday, many also voiced concern about the generational fault-line exposed by the vote, between those who cannot remember a Britain without the European Union and those who can.

"The young people that voted overwhelmingly to remain must not be short-changed," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told the audience.

Terence Smith, at 19 Britain's youngest mayor, said he had voted "Remain".

 "I'm still coming to terms with what we are facing," said Smith, mayor of Goole in Yorkshire, northern England.

He said there was "a terrible generational divide that we must seek to overcome".

- 'I'm out of this country' -

Many young people took to social media to vent their frustration after the shock result from Thursday's vote, in which "Leave" won by 52 percent to 48 percent.

"This vote doesn't represent the younger generation who will have to live with the consequences," Luke Tansley wrote on Twitter under the handle @rams_luke.

Eleanor on @PrettiestStar_ wrote: "I refuse to hide my anger, fear and sadness at a decision that will change my future to one I never wanted".

Rebecca, tweeting at @ReallyRew said: "Our country's fate has been decided by people longing for a past that never existed and they've created a future that's bleak".

Matthew van der Merwe wrote to the Financial Times newspaper describing how his great-grandparents fled violent nationalism in Europe in the 1930s for South Africa and how his parents fled apartheid.

 "My brothers and I were the first in four generations to be born into an open, liberal democracy, and in a world that had moved towards co-operation," the Cambridge University student said.

"On Thursday we moved backwards, and it's not clear quite how far. A great deal of the optimism I shared with most of my generation in this country, is gone," he said.

An anonymous young letter writer in the FT also complained about the vote, raising the burden of paying to bail out banks and fund pensions for older people.

"What do we get in return? We lose the right of freedom to move, study, work, live and be treated as equals in any European country."

 The letter concluded: "As soon as I've finished my studies I'm out of this country".

Look at the reasons why the so-called "older" British want back their country:  It used to be vibrant but the EU destroyed it all.   https://sg.news.yahoo.com/english-town-voted-brexit-love-040144126.html

What happened is that the EU ran over Britain.

"When self-esteem is stripped away, there is anger."

 "I voted Leave on the principle that the Prime Minister David Cameron promised us that he wasn't going to let more than 100,000 immigrants into this country," he said.

"A lot of the people coming in are from poorer nations and willing to work for less money. I think that's all wrong.

Well, sir,  it's also all wrong in Singapore, but bloody Hell, nobody in Singapore seems to see it that way.   Hats off to you, sir, for your pride in your country. At least you have the choice to vote out.

Sukin Intensive Firming Serum (Australian Sukin Organics Review)

Sat 25 Jun. 1:51p.m..

Many skincare products are just shit. Sukin is one of them.

The entire Sukin line don't work. For what appears to be affordably "cheap" pricing at first, that's some expensive shit that don't work.

My own natural ingredients facial treatment works even better than Sukin.

Due to the "surprisingly" less expensive pricing, I bought quite a few Sukin products about 1-2 years ago. Only now am I writing this because this so-called firming serum is the last one that I am throwing out (after just 2 or 3 uses).  I threw out all the other products last year (or recently) because they have expired.

Despite listing it on Carousell for plenty while, this firming serum didn't sell. The product expired 2 months ago. As I take it (still inside the box) to throw away, I get quite upset with this shit.

How much did it cost? I recall it was $20+.  Purchased from Watsons @ Takashimaya.

What are the goddamn ingredients that cause it Not to work?  Reading the ingredients list, there is actually nothing in there that will make it work.

The first ingredient is water (Aqua). So it's watery.  The other ingredients are just fruit & seed extracts that are for show.

According to a website I read, the ingredients of skincare products have already lost their effectiveness even before they reach the shelves.  Consumers are buying dead products.

After using a few brands of "organic" skincare products (including those made with soy), I have found them to be as useless or even more useless than non-organic.

Goddamn gimmick to use the word "organic".  No this, no that, a whole list of "Nos" (11 of them on this firming serum box). But the damn thing doesn't work.

I think many people have already realized the Sukin brand doesn't work because I haven't seen anybody buying the products anymore.  

Now, I'm going to throw it away.

I haven't bought a single "skincare" product for a long while. And I don't step into Watsons or Guardian anymore to look at facial/skincare arrivals.  All goddamn crap.

Now I don't even need to bother reading ingredients on the "skincare" product boxes anymore. I simply stopped buying.

I just use natural single ingredients for my facial needs & they work even better than all the Korean/Taiwan/Australian/USA products I have imported online or purchased in stores.  (USA serum from Amazon is the best but not good enough).

Recently,  I had to clear out all that heap load of "skincare" stuff I accumulated. Most products I used only a few times & abandoned. All expensive.  They were purchased some time in 2013 or 2014 within some months when I was experimenting with these products.

I even threw away the Mule Korean brand face toner (emulsion) & foundation compact set with brushes. Goddamn useless. That was damn expensive because I ordered online through a shopping agent.

Carousell Is Not Carouhell (Buyers' Guide)

Just because of a few scammers, the whole thing is blown out of proportion. Read the poor sellers' feedback. So many sellers are in fact being run over by buyers. I say Run Over.

Look at how buyers treat sellers. And how generously "patient" & "understanding" sellers have been. The lengths they go to just to please thick-skinned buyers.

I have read 232 profiles' feedback columns & I can say that it is the buyers who are at fault. If buyers get scammed, it is because they deserve it.

What more you want me to say?

Tell you how to rip off sellers? How to be super late at meet ups?  How to cut sellers' prices by unreasonable amounts?  Buyers are already doing all that very well.

Buyers are so professional at bullying sellers.  I am amazed. It's appalling.

I can't possibly write a buyers' guide/manual to teach buyers how to further bully poor & honest sellers.

So many buyers lack common sense, they can't be taught.  A stupid person cannot become smart even if you send him/her to university.

Carousell SG is the best & only platform currently, that is fair to both sellers & buyers. It gives freedom to all users to buy & sell without too many restrictions.

Carousell SG is unique. Only fools avoid it.

As I mentioned in another post,  there are more things to be discovered on Carousell than in any physical flea market. It's a great gathering of all the vintage stuff you can ever find in 1 place.

Not just vintage stuff, but really great finds (new or used).

Erase the mentality of grabbing cheap deals & you can get some unique stuff from the many genuinely honest sellers on Carousell.

Plan B Salon @ Far East Plaza Don't Need More Customers, Don't Need More Money Review

Tues 7 Jun

So I went to another salon instead. Not only did Plan B salon lose $50, it lost a potential, future customer.

Plan B was actually Plan A this morning. But became Plan Zero when I went there.

Their opening time is 11a.m.. But when I phoned at 11.05, nobody answered.  Bad sign. It means whoever is supposed to open shop hasn't yet arrived. Unprofessional. When a professional establishment says it will open at a certain time, it has to open on time.

I imagined the person pottering around inside & hung on for a bit longer, but still nobody answered.

I didn't have time to call again. The salon don't have a website & don't have online booking.

Every time I read great reviews about a salon, it's always lousy when I get there. That's why never trust positive reviews 100%.

Since I didn't have time to call again, I decided to walk-in & see how it will go. Also, a test.

My intention was to ask Zen to cut my hair.  A woman in a negative review said her haircut was $50.

At about 3.10p.m., I stood outside of the salon. As expected, it's a strangely small place,  unlike the online photos which somehow manage to depict a panoramic & (falsely) luxurious view of the place. Also as expected, no receptionist.  Small-time player in the salon business.

According to the online data, there are supposed to be 3 or 4 stylists. But only 1 was there. A fair-faced man handling 3 women customers in a horizontal row.  A weekday (Tues) afternoon & no stylist to attend to me?

Where are the rest of the stylists? On extended holiday since yesterday (Mon) is their "closed" day?

I guess because no customers wanted the more expensive director's cut,  they weren't called for.  But shouldn't they help out at the salon even if no customers made appointment with them?

It's crazy. 1 stylist & 3 persons who don't mind waiting while their stylist is split 3 ways.  Looks like a small heartland "salon".

I didn't know if I was talking to Zen because the fair-faced man didn't look like the online pic.  It could be another stylist called Darrius whose photo wasn't shown in the online data.

With 3 women already occupying the stylist, my chance was therefore zero.

I walked in & as he was in the middle of handling the first woman's hair, I began with, "Sorry... 1 person handling 3?".

He looked up & politely replied, "Yes. Sorry.".

I walked out & walked back in to give him a 2nd chance. "How much for a haircut?".

He turned from his work & politely replied, "For ladies, $50.".

I said, "Ok.".

He said, "Thanks." & returned his attention to the woman.

Clearly, he didn't need an extra customer. And didn't need the money.  His hands were already full with 3 women & more than $150 sitting in a row in front of him.  I was in the way.

Polite & courteous, but he made no effort to retain me as a customer.

I waited for him to ask me to make an appointment for another time, or leave my number for him to call back. Or something to keep me as a customer.

But he made no effort. 

So I left.

Always very irritating when the salon that I spent time checking up online, fails. The expectation to get a haircut from Plan B salon was there, but now where am I going to get a haircut?

I went upstairs, then back downstairs, quite displeased with zero salon to go to.

Then I left & went back to the salon at Taka that I've been thinking about for some time recently. I got my haircut, got a nice, long shampoo massage. Happy.

Phelps Stumbles?

Schooling won not because he is good.  Only by a mere few secs, scrapped by with a lucky break just like sore loser Le Clos. Even Cavic was so so close, even matching his pace but still lost at the end.

Phelps' opponents only win when he is tired or lets them win.

He could be testing out his opponents at Austin. Also, he is tired directly from "hard training" as stated in the report. I hope it's not his infant son distracting him from his medals.

The 30-year-old US superstar came straight from hard training into the tuneup meet...

Frankly, I would hate to see Schooling beat Phelps. I hate Schooling's face. There's something wrong with him. The dark under eyes bags. That dark look. The look from his eyes. There's something very bad about him. Repulsive. I usually don't feel such repulsive force from anybody, but the moment I saw his photo for the first time, I disliked him instantly. Very strong repulsive force. I repeat: There's something wrong about Schooling.

Manual/Guide for Sellers (Sell/Selling) on Carousell SG

If there was a manual or guide book for sellers & buyers on Carousell, many problems would be avoided.

Many sellers have positive ratings simply by using all & any means to get them. But at what price? Travelling across the whole Singapore island just to deliver a $5 item?

C'mon. Transport cost, time, effort. All these aren't free. Unless getting a positive review satisfies your ego problem like S&M, you will want to sell your time & effort more usefully.

This will also regulate the marketplace such that buyers don't take advantage of sellers.


#1 Don't be too desperate to get rid of your item.

Every seller wants to sell. But you will want to sell it at a price that is fair to your item & to you.  If buyer severely cuts your price, do not sell.  Do not even reply.

Be confident & watch the interest level for your item (number of likes). Even if interest level is very low, do not entertain too low offers. For pre-loved or 2ndhand, you're better off throwing it away than accept an offer that is unfair.  Even Sungei Road sellers have pride.

If you have only 1 of a particular item, all the more it has to be sold at the correct price to the right buyer.

This is to prevent such common incidents:

Buyer offers low price & you accept. But shortly after (sometimes just a few minutes later), another buyer offers full price. If you sell to the 2nd buyer, the first buyer will leave you negative feedback that will ruin your profile/shop page.  If you reject the 2nd buyer because you already promised the first, you will disadvantage yourself by earning less.

To be fair, all buyers must pay the listed price. If you want to give discount or allow negotiation, then you shouldn't list it at that price.

Don't be afraid that your item won't sell. Depending on the item, it will take some time, but it will sell. It's just a matter of pricing.

I once sold a tray of sand with miniature decorations to go with it for $55. The whole thing was imported & I had specially selected each item to form a set. It is not available anywhere. So it was very unique even though simple.  Almost custom-made.

It took 3 months to sell. 4 offers in total. The first 3 buyers made $30, $40 offers which I rejected because I knew the value of my item. It was unique & took quite a lot of trouble & time to select every piece before it finally shipped over. And shipping the sand was a very long wait.

I imported it with confidence, knowing that it would sell. But I didn't buy it with a strong focus to sell. I bought it because I personally liked it, loved the novelty of it & was curious about how it would feel to have the actual item.

The 4th buyer asked for a discount but I refused.  But she was fine with getting it at full price.

My bro said he can't believe anybody would buy it. Because he couldn't see the beauty of it. Well, the item appeals more to ladies.  It captures the heart in ways that small things do for ladies.

It certainly captured mine & I didn't care if it captured the hearts of others as well. I just liked it a lot & shipped it in. 


#2  Don't be so nice to buyers.  Majority of buyers are rude & shitty.

They deserve to be scammed.  99.99% will not even bother to say "Hi" in an opening message. They have little pockets, they are silly & think the world revolves around them. No money, stingy & want cheap things.

If they have no money to buy, I would rather they just go away than reply with something totally unnecessary like "sorry, not interested" or "I won't be buying".

If not interested, then just get lost. Such a person is just doing it on purpose. Bullshit "sorry" just to get back at the seller. No money, just get lost.

I have already tested all these buyers. All they want is cheap pricing. The lower the better. They make a lot of assumptions based on zero knowledge. They are easy to scam/sell to if you hit the right buttons.

They have zero knowledge on shipping & how much it costs. Zero knowledge on product pricing & quality.  It's as if they have never been to shopping malls or gone shopping at all or ordered anything online before. They have very unrealistic ideas on how much things should cost.

Their mentality: I want to buy a car for only $5.

Anyone who owns an iphone has money.  But they have very odd, unrealistic & stingy ideas of how much they are willing to pay.

Some sellers have taken very good advantage of this by adding "perceived value" to their items to get sales. A poor quality item can be turned into good sales simply by adding "perceived value" with a low pricing.

For instance: Anello bags. There is a seller on Carousell who is doing very well selling these bags which she orders. She prices them too low & earns very little profit which is not worthwhile at all.  She states the bags are "authentic".  However, I know where she gets them from, I know the actual prices & it's true they are cheap stock (although at her prices, she's making too little profit).

I could do the same since I know the source of these bags, but I'm not interested in such low profit & I avoid selling leather (whether poor quality or not. The dangling zipper straps.)

A few buyers have even said that they don't care whether the bags are genuine because they are cheap & "good quality" for the price.  Other buyers buy into her "authentic" statement & the good reviews.

Due to buyers' unrealistic perceptions of product quality & price, they "force" sellers to scam them. They ask for it. Buyers make it very difficult to almost impossible for sellers to sell at honest & fair prices.

As a seller, you have to either scam them or think of a strategy (such as perceived value) to squeeze money out of them.  Scams are useless (short-term gain that ruins entire selling stage) whereas a well-conceived strategy works very well & makes buyers happy to get 'scammed'.

Example of a rude person:  Even though there's "hi" & "tks", look at the tone & attitude of this buyer. Note the 1 negative review under the profile.  It doesn't matter whether this person has accumulated 76 positives. 76 positives buying cheap 2ndhand things from desperate sellers.

Just this message reflects badly on this buyer.  Don't want to buy, don't need to slap off with  "Nevermind, i won't be buying" because you have no money.  I merely provided the price & payment method.

I have received replies from people who say it nicely when they don't want to buy or can't afford it. Not "Nevermind, i won't be buying".  A person who thinks just adding a "tks" can cover rudeness & poor behavior. I don't even need to see what was the negative review about.

#3  Which messages to ignore?

That's easy. Even without profile photos or even punctuation marks, it's easy to tell what sort of person is on the other side. 

Example: divyadua

The first time, I deleted the message. This is the 2nd time I'm receiving it again. Out of so many messages I received, this is the only person who says "Hello U there".  I don't care to reply to such a person.

The likelihood of such a person actually buying? Either this person is crazy or has no money or both.

#4  Never travel out of your way to please a buyer.

That's common sense that is commonly forsaken when the seller is desperate for a positive review or a sale.

Time lost cannot be recovered. No amount of money can replace that loss. All for what? Delivering a 2ndhand item for just a few bucks & a positive review?

Remember what you are selling an item for:  Money.

Do not travel all the way to buyers' doorstep just to send your item. You are not a puppy.


#5  Never give a positive review/feedback to a buyer unless buyer gives you one first.

Unless you don't mind not getting a review at all or getting a negative one in return, don't auto-give a positive review to any buyer regardless of how "nice" he/she is.

Positive reviews have influence even if it's not 100% reliable. They boost a seller's/buyer's credibility & standing. Therefore, positive reviews are valuable.

Positive reviews are more valuable to a seller than to a buyer.

Sellers will still sell to a buyer with negative reviews (even 6 negative!). But sellers with negative feedback will find it harder to sell.

Therefore as a seller, don't unnecessarily give the buyer such an added & important benefit without guaranteeing getting one in return.

After all, what a seller wants is money. Not reviews.

After a positive experience, if a buyer does not give a positive review within the day, it means the buyer is shit. Just leave it. As a seller, you already got what you wanted.


#6  Take the business of buyers with zero feedback rating.  

Buyers with zero feedback rating are actually good because they will need positive reviews. After a positive experience, wait for them to give you positive feedback so that you can return it.

They may be newbies who don't know to make offer (or oldbies with a new a/c but intentionally don't want to make offer so that you can't leave feedback when they are bad), but there is little risk in selling to them. 

Ironically, it's better/safer selling to buyers with zero rating than to someone with high positive feedback score.

Buyers with high positive scores tend to be over-confident with some arrogance, & are in fact lousy.


#7  Should you take the business of a buyer with negative reviews?

It depends on how many negatives the buyer has. And why the negative feedback was given.

It is important (in fact more important) to read the negative feedback than the positive ones. Even if the buyer has 21 positive reviews but 1 negative, take the time to scroll down to read that 1 negative.

Sometimes, it is just a small matter, such as buyer making an offer but not following up with purchase. This is normal. It is not compulsory for buyers to buy an item just because he/she made an offer. The deal was not confirmed.

However, if it is about buyer not turning up for meet up, then that is something to pay attention to.  It has to be balanced with the positive reviews.  Consider whether his/her behavior changed in the positive reviews.

Buyers are blind not to read & cannot make sensible judgements whether to buy from a seller. But a seller cannot be blind to read a buyer's negative feedback.

I once saw a buyer with 6 negative reviews that were pretty bad & sellers still successfully & happily sold items to this buyer!

I notice that sellers are so desperate to sell that they will ignore buyers' negative reviews. Buyers know this. Therefore, they don't care even if they have negative reviews. They know they will still be able to buy items from sellers who will still sell to them.


#8  Never chase buyers.

Have pride as a seller. Even if a buyer makes an offer but disappears, don't bother. No loss in terms of time & money for you. You didn't travel anywhere, didn't spend anything.

Buyer is not obligated to buy from you. Just like walking into a shop & walking out. Buyer has the right to walk out before a deal is confirmed.

I say 'before a deal is confirmed', the buyer has the right to walk out. This is an important distinction between buyer who walks out before & after a deal is confirmed.

Before, buyer still can walk out & it's fine. No need to leave a desperate negative feedback on buyer's page.

After a deal is confirmed, & buyer does not turn up for meeting, then that is a terrible buyer. Quickly leave negative feedback on buyer's page so others will be aware. Even then, sellers will still sell to such a buyer (though it may deter others).

It is therefore better that insincere buyers quit early. And sellers should not chase such buyers to avoid awful endings.


#9  Real buyers will deal quickly, within a few minutes or the same day.

A buyer who has the "heart" to buy, will secure the deal quickly.  Simply because they want the item now & they have the money for it.

If a buyer is indecisive, or asks a lot of anxiety-related questions about the item, it means the buyer is not serious about buying.  Has no "heart" to buy. Don't waste an unnecessary amount of time on such a buyer.

Those who ask unnecessary, anxiety-type of questions regarding an item, should go to a physical store to buy things, not online.

A true buyer with money will not hesitate to buy immediately.

A buyer is not serious if he/she:

1) Asks irrelevant questions that other real buyers never asked.

2) Asks questions that are already answered in the item description/listing.

These buyers are just asking for fun. Entertain them if you want. Or ignore them.

Example 1: pre-order sandals. Buyer asks, "Will this slip off easily when riding bike?".

This is pre-order item. Commonsense that seller will not have experience knowing whether the sandals will slip off when riding bike. Stupid question. Silly buyer. Irrelevant question.

Example 2: In-stock Macbook bag. Buyer asks whether it can fit his 13'' Macbook, whether it's slim & whether it's heavy. Whether it can fit mouse & charger.

Another silly buyer. All he had to do is measure his Macbook & see whether it fits the measurements given in the item listing. Other questions are answered in the 4 photos that clearly show that yes, it is slim and can fit mouse & charger. Commonsense: How heavy can an empty Macbook bag be? When you put in Macbook, mouse & charger, of course it will be heavy to a certain extent & less slim. 

#10  Be careful of who you sell to, if you don't want to be stood up during meet-ups or not get your money etc...

Look for signs that the buyer is insincere during messaging/chat. It's obvious when the buyer does not have the "heart" to buy.

First of all, look at the buyer's profile pic. Dark, unlit, poorly-lit, side views, top views, wearing sunglasses, taken from far away (all unclear, non-frontal views) photos are signs of poor character with something to hide.  Dishonesty or some similar problem.  Keep this in mind when dealing with such buyers.

Second, during messaging/chat, look for signs of indecision & intervals in reply speed. An interested buyer will reply almost instantly to your messages during chat. The deal will be quickly done.

If the reply interval is long (many minutes/hours/days), it means there's something wrong.  Buyer is not interested. Do not pursue. Do not remind buyer. Just leave it.

Example of profile pic: 

This person messaged me with no greeting. Profile photo looks questionable. Asked, "Still available?".  Be careful whenever a buyer asks such a question. Indication of lack of common sense. Serious buyer will immediately ask to deal.

When I said it was available, person replied: 

Now, this gets on my nerves. First, why ask whether it's available when you have no intention of paying listed price? The price drop is a lot from the price I listed. This reveals a shitty, cheapskate character. Instead of first asking whether it's negotiable, person first asks whether it's available (then thick-skin ask for price drop).

Second, the person is a goddamn foreigner with "sgd".  You are at a Singapore Carousell site. Of course, it's in SGD.  Goddamn Indo rupiah meh? US dollars meh?  Those Indo/India/Southeast asian foreigners love putting sgd at the back of the digits. I don't know why. It's not a recognized way of stating currency. 

Example 2:  samyk854.

When I first saw this profile pic (below), here's what I thought: Untrustworthy. Playful. Too young to have money.

He made offer for 2 items without asking a single thing. Suspicious.

After seeing his photo, I looked at his 29 positive reviews. Many praises for this person. "Polite", "prompt in replies" "punctual".  But from his photo, he looks negative. This guy is untrustworthy.

Looking at his profile description, he is a football fan. Childish.

There are 2 groups of people that leave a bad impression (due to their mentality): football fans & computer games players. 

I thanked him for his offers & asked when he wanted to collect at the venues stated. He never replied.

#11   Beware of selling to foreigners. Particularly China. They are horrible people.

Beware of a China man with the ID "Jeffrey Gao".  The surname is obviously China. He is indeed from China & is possibly an exchange "student" in the NUS doing computer studies.  Do not sell anything to him.  Don't trust his positive reviews. He is crap.  Beady-eyed, ugly troublemaker.

He is just out to cause trouble when he sees opportunity. Do not reply to his messages.

As for Indonesians/Vietnamese/Filippinos or whatever nationality, their mentalities & behaviours are different from Singaporeans. Be prepared for all kinds of shit when you sell to them. 

#12  Ignore stupid "buyers". 

It's very strange. Is the Carousell App not displaying properly? Or these people have iphones that are unable to display photos & item description? Or these people are just plain stupid? 

Everyone knows that Carousell only allows 4 photos to be in an item listing. So why do "buyers" always only see the 1st photo & ask stupid questions that are already answered in the other 3 photos & in item description?

It's only 4 photos. And yet they cannot use their fingers to scroll on their iphone to see the other 3 photos? Or scroll down to read item description? What's wrong with them?

Many "buyers" send messages without reading item description. They ask stupid questions, make useless assumptions, waste time.

Typically, such "buyers" do not buy.  No loss if you don't reply.  No sales to be made here. Ignore.

Particularly, if you are selling pre-order items, it is risky to sell to such stupid people because they don't know anything. They will turn around & accuse you of bullshitting them while pestering you for the item/s.  They never ordered anything from overseas before & have very unreasonable & unrealistic ideas about pre-order.


Example 1:

Even though measurements are stated in the item description, many still ask.  Even when stated that dimensions are in one of the photos, here is a stupid person who still asked this ultra ridiculous question which I ignored. I was so dumbfounded by it that I didn't bother typing a reply.

In the item heading, I stated that dimensions are in the 3rd photo. Yet this person asks:

 

Shouldn't she look at the 3rd photo???  This person lost her brains somewhere?

Odd thing is, the profile photo shows an intelligent-looking woman. I'm accurate with photos. Such a person in the photo could not have asked such a stupid question.

Either the photo does not belong to the person who asked the question. Or the photo is correct but the person deterioriated (went mad) over the years & the profile photo is an old one.

So far, nobody has ever said that the Carousell App is not displaying photos properly.  Instead, they will admit that they neglected to see the photos. 

Example 2: "Buyers" who are unable to count.

I stated in item description & also in messaging that the item will take about 14 days or more to arrive after order. However, this Indian woman wasted time messaging rubbish back & forth before finally saying that she will be flying off shortly. She was intending to fly off with that heavy item.

Commonsense. If you are flying off shortly, can you count first?  It's always very ridiculous when people in a hurry decide to order items at the last minute & expect shipping to be instant.

At the start, the Indian woman messaged me at the end of last month. She delayed replying for 8 days. If she wanted the item & would be flying off soon, then she should have ordered earlier at that time.

But she delayed for 8 days. When she finally expressed further interest in the item last night, time was already wasted. Between last night & her flight date, there isn't enough time at all, let alone collect the item.

And she never once asked  where or how she can collect the item when it arrives. Obviously, she assumes it will appear instantly at her side. Since she didn't think to ask, then I won't be it up.

When I said I can expediate the shipping if she pays some $ more, she just disappeared.

#13  Ignore buyers who ask irrelevant questions. Or make trouble with your pricing.

These are buyers who don't buy. Guaranteed. U can ignore them. No sales to be made here.

Irrelevant question such as "Where is it made in?". These days, where is almost everything made in? To ask this question means the person is stupid.  At a low price, of course the item is made in where? Such stingy & selfish people, if it's really made in Europe or Japan, they can't even afford it. So why ask where is it made in?

A genuine buyer won't ask this question. Who cares where it's made in when you want the product & can pay for it? A genuine buyer's concern is whether you can deliver it, when he/she can have it.

People who ask irrelevant questions are either crazy or lonely. If the Carousell chat system requires payment, you see whether they still ask shit. They will think carefully before asking a single question.

All the back & forth messaging crap is all because the chat system is free.

Example of troublemaker regarding pricing:  Starts out message with not even a "Hi".  Asked how long the item takes to arrive. Then started showing another person's item (that looks similar but totally different) & asks why the other person's item is cheaper.  Compares & insults your item.

Such a buyer, just ignore. I gave him/her a cold reply & he/she disappeared.

#14 When someone 'likes' your item, it means your item is bumped up in search listing. Be grateful & return the "like" (unless u don't want the person to buy from u). 

It shows you are responsive. And it encourages buyers who 'liked' your item to buy from you. Sometimes, they do. 

I always return "likes" unless I see something wrong with the profile of the person who "liked" my item. If there's something I don't like about the profile & I don't want the person to buy from me, I won't return the "like". 


#15 Never pay first for buyer's pre-order item.

Pre-order means buyer pays first. So that you don't have to use your own money (because you're broke). If for whatever reasons, buyer refuses to pay, do not order for buyer. When item arrives & nobody buys, you'll be unnecessarily stuck with a fresh problem.

Buyer tells me he does not trust me. Has no assurance about pre-ordering from me. Well, let me tell you:  Even before Carousell, I have been doing pre-orders for 4 years. Buyers all pay first. No pay, no order.

I've business partners in Taiwan & Korea even though we have never met, based solely on trust. And all along, I've been doing online transactions. I've bought & sold many things online.

So don't tell me you don't "trust" me. I told him to go buy from scammers who will make him feel safe.

From his questions & long reply intervals, it is more likely that he is insincere about buying. Very bad, selfish buyer (who incidentally has high positive feedback score). High chance he will disappear if you order for him without his payment first.

Don't trust a buyer just because he has positive feedback ratings. Use your own judgement outside of those feedback scores.

Sellers have more to lose than a buyer if buyer does not pay first:

1) Buyer can easily walk away from an item that he/she did not pay for.

2) During the waiting time for the item's arrival, buyer no longer wants the item. This is a common (& odd) mentality with buyers. At first, they want it. But during waiting, they lose interest. By the time it arrives, they either don't want it, don't need it anymore or have forgotten. You would be surprised how many pre-ordered items are just abandoned even when they were paid for (ask the spree-organizers).

3) In fact, even for in-stock items, I am always worried about buyers not turning up for meet-ups because he/she didn't pay first. Zero security.  At the same time, such buyers are unwilling to pay first because they don't trust the seller. So inevitably, it has to be cash on delivery in order to make a sale.


#16  Never reserve your item for a buyer unless buyer secures it with full payment.

Otherwise, this is what will happen: 

And of course, never offer to reserve for any buyer.


#17 Never tag your item with rubbish keywords. It irritates & chases away buyers.

Many sellers have a very bad sales mentality of tagging a lot of irrelevant keywords at the bottom of, or inside their item description. Usually, it's one large heap at the bottom.

They think it's some kind of sales "strategy" that will make their item show up everywhere in search listings.

When you check their listings to see what made their item appear, you'll see the irrelevant keywords intentionally attached to the item description. 

That is Very Bad. It causes all kinds of shit to appear when a buyer wants to search for a specific item in mind.

Type "men bag" & you get fiberglass boats, shoes, pants, golf sets, suspension trainer, belts, power drills, punching bags, shirts, boxer shorts, chin-up bar ads, stuffed toys, used Lego sets for sale, leather bracelets, LED bicycle lights, Grid Halter Dress....

As a buyer, you have to sift through all that Crap. Will you stay to search pages of crap or get out?

Such sellers who tag their items with shit should get out. They are disturbing the marketplace. They are a nuisance. Selfish, inconsiderate, stupid.

Do they make great sales by doing this?

Let's look at the fellow selling gym shit. Signed up since 2013 but has only 29 reviews.

Lego sets for sale dude: Since 2013, only 106 reviews.

How about the stuffed toy shit? Since 2014, only 59 reviews.

The punching bag fella? Since 2015, only 12 reviews.

Mr. fiberglass boat: Since 2014 only 6 reviews.

Therefore, doing such wild tagging does not increase sales!


#18 Never tolerate buyers who arrive late at a meet up. 

Many sellers are so desperate for praise & positive review that they are fine with anything.  Sellers must make it clear that buyers must be punctual.

In many sellers' reviews, you'll see buyers praising a seller who had patiently waited for them. A buyer even "overslept" & the seller waited with patient understanding.

As a seller, remember what you are selling for. Money.  

Don't be a fool. Buyer pays for your item/s. But he/she is not paying for your time or your effort. 


#19  Don't get short-changed by buyers. Never sell to someone who did not pay.

Reading the feedback columns of sellers, there are:

1) Buyers who intentionally bring less than the agreed upon price, hoping the seller will let them off & therefore buyer pays less.

2) Buyers who intentionally didn't bring cash during meet up. Says need to go to ATM.

(Personally, I met one who came 20 mins late & finally showed up saying he didn't bring cash & need to go to the ATM. No apology & sure damn well took his time.).

3) Buyers who intentionally bring larger amount of cash than agreed upon price. Seller is forced to change money, to the extent of having to go into a convenience store to get change.

4) Buyers who didn't bring cash & promise to pay after getting the goods.

(99.99% of people will promise to do something but never do it. I learnt that after selling & interacting with people over the years. These days, people no longer understand the meaning of integrity & promise. I have come across many buyers who say they will transfer money at a certain time, but never do.).

The goal is to avoid such buyers at the start. Following rule #9 should minimize or eliminate such problems.

If however, you chose to give them the benefit of the doubt & they proved to be horrible, there is only 1 difficult thing to do: Don't sell to them. The item is in your hands.  Since they waste your time, waste theirs back. Walk away.  



#20  Is Carousell SG effective as a selling platform? 

In the past, maybe it was effective & I am guessing that traffic was at its peak. But due to negative publicity, traffic has fallen a lot.

Is the site still alive with buyers? Yes. I've tested it. It depends on what you're selling & price. 

In 1 account for a particular pre-order group of items & zero pricing, I received more than 10 messages every day & night, asking for price.  But when I gave the price, these people disappeared. Side note: Very few of them start out by saying "Hi".  Many are very rude without even a question mark. "Price?" "Price" "How much" "Hm?".

Honestly, there were 2 persons (women?) who just messaged with "Hm?". I just ignored them. One of them later sent a message with proper words (asked a question).

100% of them who said "I'll get back to you" "I'll ask my wife/husband & get back to you" never returned.  I don't know why they bother to reply.  If they don't want it, there's no need to make false promises. This point was also mentioned by another seller online.

In my 2nd account, another group of items that are in stock with stated pricing, isn't doing well.

The audience is very fickle & very stingy. Very risky to keep stock. Weeks can go by without a single buyer.  The Carousell site itself is also not stable.

Low price doesn't guarantee buyers. I've been watching a guy sell very low-priced bags & notice that even though his prices are super low, each bag still takes about 2-3 weeks to be sold. At such low prices, he should be selling them immediately on listing. But that is not the case.

That seller has disappeared & "promises" to be back. To be honest, there is no incentive for him to return with more stock because the prices he sets are too low to make any decent profit.

Carousell buyers have a very narrow-minded view of pricing & product quality. They have very poor taste, poor knowledge.

All they want is cheap pricing. They aren't smart & easily conned. They don't seem to know how much things are selling at the malls.  They think everything must fit into the budget of their wallets.

Carousell is after all, a platform for 2ndhand goods like a flea market. So they go there with a mindset of getting cheap deals.

The higher the price of an item, the harder it is to sell it.  This is regardless of how good quality or how great-looking your item is. They don't care. They will buy an ugly bag if it's cheap.

The traffic & buying power cannot match a physical store.  If it were a physical store in a shopping mall, my items would have long ago sold like hot cakes. But at Carousell,  they don't move at all. The pricing is not expensive & level of interest is there. But they are just not buying.

From my own honest sales (without lies) & observation, Carousell is very poor for profit-making. But it can still be useful.


#21 Don't trust positive reviews. Use your own judgement.

See a buyer's many positive reviews & think this person is safe & you let down your guard? Think again.

Positive reviews only mean that in these instances, the buyer was cooperative. He/she really wanted the item & so was on best behavior. It doesn't mean this buyer is good.

Behind these positive reviews, how many deals were bad & fell through 'unreported'? Many buyers intentionally don't make offers so that sellers can't leave them negative feedback.

From personal experience, 99.99% of buyers will not make offer so that leaving them feedback is impossible. Making an offer takes only an instant. So why don't buyers make an offer if they are really sincere?

Answer: Because they don't need feedback. Also, if seller can't leave them feedback, it means they can be late, they can don't show up, they can do whatever they please & not get a negative review. Also, they drop by only occasionally & disappear. They just want an item. Feedback is not important.

Whereas for sellers, positive feedback scores are important for credibility & continued future sales.

In many sellers' comment pages, you will see sellers insisting that buyers "make offer" for an item first. This is because many buyers bypass this step to get the item.

If a buyer don't make offer, be prepared he/she will be late, may not show up etc... Keep in mind when dealing.

In the beginning, I let buyers get away with no offers made. They were always late & worse. And I had no way of leaving them negative feedback after their bad behavior.

Personally, I don't force people to do things. So I leave it to them to make offer out of their own sincerity. But I found that the more I let them have their way, the more it didn't benefit me.

These days, depending on my evaluation of the person during the messaging chat, I may ask he/she to make an offer first so feedback can be left later.

Strangely, even when we can leave feedback for each other, buyers who already have positive feedback don't leave me any. It means, they don't need the positive feedback because they already have them & they can just use those they previously accumulated to move around.

Buyers on Carousell are just strange.

To be honest, I would rather buyers don't leave me positive reviews if their English is bad. Very awful to read poor English. And I've found that no reviews is actually better than having reviews. I sold more items without reviews than when I finally had positive reviews (with good English). Strange but true.

Let's take a look at an example:

This Malay person asked about a pre-order listing with sizes. But there is no "hi" at all.

When asked what size she wanted so that a price can be quoted, she disappeared.

The next day, she asked about another pre-order listing. Again no greeting & a very rude "So what is the price?" without giving any information on what size she wanted.

Is such a person sincere or interested in buying? No.
Is this person crazy? Possibly.
Should you waste time in giving her the price list? No. Even if you gave it to her, she won't be able to afford the prices.

Looking at her reviews, she has 11 positive. "genuine sincere buyer" "awesome and understanding" etc... That is because she purchased cheap & used items.

Additionally, her own listings include used children items (pram/stroller, shoes etc....) that are of low & cheap quality. People with kids typically have no money. So don't bother entertaining such a rude & "no money" person.

Remember, you are a seller. Do real sales.


#22  Only stupid sellers reveal their home location.

Many sellers like buyers to come to their void decks, even to their door-step.

Obviously, such sellers haven't  been reading reports of what crazy & angry buyers can do if they know where you stay.

Sellers think it's just the void deck & not the home. Well, that's just being very naive & stupid. Compromising home security for the sake of a sale.