# Am I SOL on this? re: Post Office **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-sol-on-this-re-post-office/339730 "2006-01-12T22:44:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-sol-on-this-re-post-office/339730/21 "2006-01-13T19:50:36Z")
I used to work for a printing company. Invoices from suppliers would typically state something like: FOB plant (freight on board) which meant that it legally became the buyers when loaded on the shipper at the manufacturing plant. Rarely it said FOB buyer, which meant you only had to pay for it when it was delivered. Then usually something like 2% 10 days, net 30 days, meaning a two percent discount for paying within 10 days, but regardless the bill was due in 30 days. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-sol-on-this-re-post-office/339730/22 "2006-01-14T03:10:59Z")
Update: Well, **Duck Duck Goose** was right–I was too hasty in giving up. The package did finally show up after apparently getting forgotten on the back of the truck. ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-sol-on-this-re-post-office/339730/23 "2006-01-14T12:10:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Update: Well, **Duck Duck Goose** was right–I was too hasty in giving up. The package did finally show up after apparently getting forgotten on the back of the truck. Yay! Get busy and post some photos! ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-sol-on-this-re-post-office/339730/24 "2006-01-17T12:01:25Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > I had to look up FOB (Free on Board) the Wikipedia article suggests that whoever pays for the shipping cost of the item takes responsibility for is as soon as it is in the hands of the shipping company. And also states that ecommerce is generally all FOB shipping point. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free\_On\_Board](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_On_Board) . Wouldn’t that suggest that without a written FOB policy FOB shipping point should be assumed for EBAY. Since it is both ecommerce and since the purchaser pats delivery charges? Hmmm… I’ve never heard “free” – it’s always “freight.” In any case, “commerce” typically means commercial, where FOB is almost a matter of course. Consumer transactions aren’t “commerce” where there would be a bloody revolution if FOB were common. 🙂 **pulykamell** : congrats! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-sol-on-this-re-post-office/339730/25 "2006-02-14T15:52:57Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Why would I as a seller stand to lose when I can prove that a package was delivered into the custody of a shipper? Once I have properly packaged the item, accurately labeled it for shipping, and handed it to UPS, FedEx, or the USPS, my responsibility is complete. On expensive shipments, I’ll email the buyer with a tracking number out of courtesy, but if it gets lost in transit, that’s a matter for the injured party (buyer) to take up with the shipping agent. No, I am afraid not. Other than the very rare & rather strange FOB rules\*- the buyer is 100% responsible for getting the payment to the seller, and the seller is 100% responsible for getting the paid for merchandise to the buyer. If you accepted payment by cash, and the buyer can show you a mail reciept that he did indeed mail you a letter on a given day- but you never got the cash- would you say that the buyers responsibility ended with mailing the payment? See the problem with your scenario is that you assume that we take it for granted that you indeed DID properly pack, label for shipment, and then ship said merchandise. But the buyer- and the Post Offcie- can make no such assumptions. Maybe you packed an empty box. Maybe you mislabeled the address (the single most common error). If a buyer said he really did put a hundred dollar bill in that envelope and address it accurately- would you ship the merchandise to him based upon his word and a postal reciept? Of course not. Nor should the buyer accept your word for it. The buyer is thus responsible for getting the payment to the seller, then the responsibily transfers to the seller for getting the goods back. - FOB =\* There are special exemptions when stuff is shipped “FOB”. In this case, the seller is responsible for delivering the good only to the _common carrier_- who then inspects and then also assume the responsibilty of delivery. Only big shit is shipped FOB, and usually business to business (and usually by rail). It would be extremely unusual for EBay goods to be shipped FOB. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-sol-on-this-re-post-office/339730.md?page=1)