Wait for the money...

I'm a fairly new user of EBAY, but with a lot of help and encouragement from my son John, I've sold enough items to earn a BLUE STAR after my name. Whoop de doo!

John wanted to help me sell some of my dishes, which have been tucked away in the lower cupboards for years. We tried selling the big punch bowl set, and the antique China tea set, but without success. Then, he helped me photograph those popular rectangle glass party trays with matching cups from the '40's, and put them up for auction on Ebay.



A gentleman in Oregon was the only one who bid on them so he won the auction. Much too low for the value I had in mind. He immediately asked for an invoice. Oops. I didn't know how to send an invoice. I wrote him a note through Ebay, and told him I was new at this, and would let him know what the amount should be.

He wrote back cordially, and said he was new at this, too, so would wait to send the check.

John helped me figure out the invoice thing, and we sent it off via the internet. Then, he and I packed the 31 dishes, and the 25 cups into four good-sized boxes.

In the meantime, I was planning a trip to visit my daughter in Oregon. At the last moment, I decided I would just DELIVER the four boxes, and not have to take all that stuff to the post office. It would save the buyer money, and save me the trouble of shipping the boxes.

Well, that trip got X'd, because of all the snow in the very mountains I would have to travel. So, John brought the boxes back in the house, and repacked them into three boxes. One was huge, and very heavy. But, it was within the limits at the Post Office. So, we mailed them, then and there. Another OOPS. It's better to wait for payment before sending the buyer the items.

We wrote to the buyer and told him they were on their way, and please send the money.

No more correspondence.

We prayed, asking God to put it on the heart of the buyer to send us the check.

Each day brought no check.

John wrote. I wrote.

Then, John phoned the number at the business address we were given. The gentleman was out sick, we were told.

After another week, John proceeded to get Ebay involved, for "non payment."

He also wrote the Chamber of Commerce in that city, to check and see if the business actually existed.

Yes, it was a real shop, and open.

Today, nearly a month and a half after selling the dishes, we received a money order for the amount we had said, with a note from the buyer... he and his family had been very sick, and he was sorry he couldn't send it sooner.

My faith is restored.