What happened to panamabob on ebay?

• Mar 23, 2006

• #21

P

Panamabob

Call Me a Cab

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2,012

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Fort Wayne, Indiana

No, I knew the small print was there, but with international mail it doesn't always get here fast enough.

I guess I tire because there is so much misinformation about these hats and some really rotten leeches make a lot of money off of them while the people I know personally in Ecuador are living in houses made of cane. Then I meet a great group of guys here who know what the hats are "worth" and I explain that they are "worth" a lot less than the hype. It gets frustrating sometimes when the hats don't come up and the emails pile up calling me nothing short of thief.

 

• Mar 24, 2006

• #22

J

Johnnybegood

New in Town

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8

Location

Little Rock, Arkansas

In Defense of The Small Business Owners of the World

I got to know Panama Bob through a recent purchase, and have found him to be a busy, yet honorable and conscientous business man. Though I had to wait a little longer than expected, the more I came to understand Robert's business plan, including his desire to promote the Equadorian worker, the more patient and supportive I became. The expectation that came about as a result of dealing directly from his web sight was different from what my expectation would be with ebay. Call me an idealist, but I am a lot more patient and supportive of a small business owener who is actually trying to do some good in the world while trying to make a living at the same time. Maybe ebay is not the right platform for that kind of promotion. On the other hand, ebay no doubt has a much greater market penetration than just a web page. But I am one buyer who would like to support a business plan that is profitable while at the same time improves the lives of people such as the Equadorian worker.

 

• Mar 26, 2006

• #23

thefedorastore

A-List Customer

Messages

421

Location

Prosser, WA til fall

eBay Experiences

I echo the remarks from PanamaBob. (I got a hat from you, and I was a "patient customer"). My business started on eBay as a part time gig. I finally went full time selling hats just this month. The Christmas season was crazy, especially with my new online store with Volusion.com. I moved from prostores to the new site, and business exploded the first week in December. I was still running the eBay store, and the headaches were tremendous! I couldn't continue to do the 'kid gloves' treatment with those customers, and I abandoned the store. However, I have to thank eBay (and I did with most of my potential profits) for getting me started. I started out with nothing more than a box of B2B Jaxon hats from thevillagehatshop. Things are picking up in the hat industry, and I am glad many of you have made room for me. I am still learning, and I appreciate all of the knowledge you gentlemen share here.

 

• Mar 26, 2006

• #24

Craig Robertson

One of the Regulars

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179

Location

boston

Johnnybegood said:

But I am one buyer who would like to support a business plan that is profitable while at the same time improves the lives of people such as the Equadorian worker.

Click to expand...

I'm with Johnnybegood; I support ethical businesses. I believe it is possible to both make a profit and treat the people making the product fairly.

 

• Mar 26, 2006

• #25

epic610

One of the Regulars

Messages

299

Location

suburban philadelphia

i never mind waiting for something....

provided i know in advance and have the rationale explained to me. granted this may be hard on ebay. what gets me on some ebay sellers is that they demand payment in what? 48 hours ....and then you have to listen to some sob story about how they (the seller) is just doing this part time and they only have an opportunity to go to the post office once a week.

one woman in nyc from whom i bought a single $9 tie, when you check her feedback, had somelthing like 20 items priced less than $15 somehow "lost" in the mail during 2005. give me a break!

after getting all that off my chest, let me say i fully understand the operating rational behind panama bob's business now; approve of it; and i expect to be ordering a hat from him. i guess i had better do it soon if i want it for summer?

 

• Mar 26, 2006

• #26

Craig Robertson

One of the Regulars

Messages

179

Location

boston

waiting....

...not to put too fine a point on this, but I have a custom ukulele being made for me by a luthier that won't be ready for two years.

But, he told me, I'm on the schedule, and it will be worth it.

 

• Mar 26, 2006

• #27

binkmeisterRick

A-List Customer

Messages

477

Location

The Island of Misfit Hats

Craig Robertson said:

...not to put too fine a point on this, but I have a custom ukulele being made for me by a luthier that won't be ready for two years.

But, he told me, I'm on the schedule, and it will be worth it.

Click to expand...

I've had a custom travel guitar made for me (from New Zealand) which took a while until it was "on schedule," too, but I knew I was going to have a wait from talking with the luthier. It was well worth the wait, that's for sure. If you communicate with the seller and you know there's going to be a wait for your product, the best thing to do is to "forget about it" and be happily surprised when it arrives. I think it's fine to touch base now and again just to remain on the same page with the seller, especially if something unforseen happens, but I've found more often than not that if you maintain good, friendly communication that things always come out on top. I've got some panama bodies coming from PanamaBob at some point which I've currently been waiting almost a year for. No problem, I'm in no rush. Besides, after that I'll have an additional wait because I'll likely send them to Art to block and finish nicely. Oh, gee, more wait time! But in the end, MAN, will I have some nice hats!

bink

 

• Mar 26, 2006

• #28

John in Covina

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11,579

Location

Covina, Califonia 91722

Talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation!

fftopic:

Patience is a Virgin or actually a Virture. But these days, the culture is not built on, nor values, nor rewards: Patience, Virginity nor Virture. We live in a world of 10 second attention spans and Instant Gratification. To have to wait is bad and Fedex is the cure. "Just in time" supply lines and other anathamas of business. Although the concept of quality is somewhat recognized, the concept of needing time to produce something of high quality is a painful jarring of the senses to real world reality.

Where does this lack of patience come from?
Too much TV viewing maybe?
Is a it a developed part of the ego?
Is it a boundary based on maturity?

All I know is I want answers, NOW! NOW, NOW, NOW!:rage:

 

• Mar 26, 2006

• #29

Craig Robertson

One of the Regulars

Messages

179

Location

boston

John in Covina said:

Where does this lack of patience come from? Too much TV viewing maybe? Is a it a developed part of the ego? Is it a boundary based on maturity?

All I know is I want answers, NOW! NOW, NOW, NOW!

Click to expand...

“Instant gratification takes too long.” Carrie Fisher

 

• Mar 29, 2006

• #30

V

vespasian

One of the Regulars

Messages

175

Location

Kent, UK

Sounds really ethical and nice but people simply see ebay as a shopping arena. If you advertise a product, expect to be bothered if it doesnt turn up. Depends what you mean by a reasonable wait. Ten weeks in my book is not reasonable unless from the outset people are told, this is what you pay, this is what you get, this is what the wait will be. Not, heres a bargain, thanks for the cash. It hasnt turned up? Ah well, the ethics you see are that... I can understand the annoyance of people asking after a week or two, wheres my hat, but as the months draw on...

 

• Mar 29, 2006

• #31

P

Panamabob

Call Me a Cab

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2,012

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Fort Wayne, Indiana

The thing is that I answer every email and I do answer my telephone.

 

• Mar 29, 2006

• #32

V

vespasian

One of the Regulars

Messages

175

Location

Kent, UK

I guess the real problem is once its out of your hands and into the hands of the delivery agent, thats when the real fun begins. I recently sent a set of audio tapes via the post, thankfully they were returned to me in the damaged mess the post office left them in. A bit like losing your bag at an airport, could end up in anyones wardrobe.

 

• Mar 21, 2008

• #33

mtechthang

One of the Regulars

Messages

184

Location

Idaho

Yes but-bghoi,m

Michaelson said:

Close to home, JIT has sure has put the hurts on the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, TN in recent years. They keep only 1 week of parts stock on hand, and when a supply line 'hickups', the entire plant comes to a screeching halt!

Regards! michaelson

Click to expand...

Yes and that is with a huge back-up in industry and predictive models. Custom clothing/fedoras has much more intrusive issues - people have family difficulties, hurricanes, etc. Sounds like it just doesn't match ebays limited (and becoming more so) business model. Strange that they would be so inflexible and "unprogressive" if that's a word.

 

• Mar 21, 2008

• #34

P

Panamabob

Call Me a Cab

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2,012

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Fort Wayne, Indiana

Wifey on: panamahatsecuador

 

• Mar 22, 2008

• #35

S

silvereed

Familiar Face

Messages

69

Location

Noir Florida

Thanks Bob

Bob. Just snaged a size 7 on Ebay from your wife. Thanks.