Ebay - No Response After Sending Question On Shipment

I got no response from a seller (reputable stamp dealer) regarding combined shipment of 2 bidded items. I usually settle payment only when shipment is finalised. What is a reasonable time allowance to give for a response? Do you guys usually pay up for the items before discussing shipment?

Well, you gave us very little to go on. When did you buy this and where? If it was in the past day or two it is understandable - it is a busy time of year

Peter

Peter, yes it is the last couple of days. Not sure whether to settle payment first or await a response. I don't want to be penalised for non payment. Shipping was set to standard international mail by the seller, but I am requesting for international tracked and signed.

I'm not sure what is meant about "discussing shipment." The seller's shipment terms are part of the listing, subject to ebay policies and defaults. If you bid and win, you have to pay, including the stated shipping charges, and the seller selects the shipment means based on its policies. Full stop. I've never had a discussion about shipment, I've just paid after winning and always received items.

The buyer can always choose to have the shipment more secure by tracking and signed mail, can't they? This is subjected to discussion I believe? Would you as a buyer agree for the parcel to be sent to you by cheap mail without any tracking even when you paid hundreds of pounds for the item? Think the answer is quite obvious.

My approach is to ask overseas buyers to contact me before they bid - I can then advise them about the postage method and cost. Most don't bother. My default is then, withe idd exception, to quote International Standard when sending the invoice, but I have been asked to use Tracked/Signed, and have, of course, done so. It's more likely that the seller has overlooked your message amid the large number of e-mails from ebay.

I paid for the items as I do not want the seller or ebay to accuse me for not keeping to their rules. However, response from the seller is still pending. What I find shocking is that after I had made the payment, the seller immediately switched the status to "dispatched" without first responding to my messages. I have bought many items on ebay from reputable uk dealers and have never encountered one who doesn't reply to my queries on shipping whether it is before or after I paid for the item. Strange behaviour.