posted on September 21, 2000 03:28:02 PM
Oops- I also wanted to mention that since you live so far away from the post office, you may want to consider having them , or UPS, come pick up your shipments. Don't know if you do that type of volume, but wanted to pass it along in case you didn't know.
posted on September 21, 2000 03:29:37 PM
The only time that a Paypal payment will show as unclaimed is if the email address they sent it too is not set up with an account at Paypal. He could have thought you received it if the address he sent it to DID have a Paypal account. This happened to me once with a buyer that had sent payment to the wrong email address and was patiently waiting for her item when I sent her a reminder to pay. She went "off the handle" to say the least! I suggested that she check her Paypal account and double check the email address that she had sent payment to. Sure enough, it wasn't mine.
She never did admit that she made a mistake, but did sent the payment to the right address on the second go round. And I earned my first neutral feedback for her mistake too. Some people do not like to admit when they are wrong, but that is all a part of selling. After all, you ARE still dealing with PEOPLE, and that should make you think.
posted on September 21, 2000 04:15:37 PM
Just checked out your auctions and found out that 1) you don't mention that you only ship 1 day a week, 2) you're one of THOSE sellers who use $3.20 as your s/h fee and then ship the cheapest way possible and, 3) you refuse to combine shipping on multiple auctions. I should have looked before I defended your "business" practices.
posted on September 21, 2000 04:37:42 PM
Yikes, lots of nerve in this seller. Increase your starting bid and stop padding your shipping costs. Those feedback remarks would send me packing (no pun intended). Even averaging a $2.00 overage on your shipping times 15 items per week is $120 per month in padded shipping costs.
posted on September 21, 2000 04:49:52 PM
Gee, the arrogance of some sellers --! I just went to ebay and looked at your feedback, and I personally wouldn't touch one of your auctions.
The reason I wouldn't? Your sarcastic remarks made when feedback is left for you. This is very unprofessional and some of those remarks sound like they are made by a petulant child. This gives me a very good idea of how you manage your "business". I feel this customer is completely justified in his anger. He could handle it a little bit better, but you are the root cause of his behavior.
I also think it is very unfair that you try to make money off of the shipping charges. You are the type of seller that give all of us a bad name.
And, FYI, not sure about Paypal rules, but I have my own secure server and accept MC, Visa, Amer Exp and Discover. Have done this for 2+ years, and in the agreements I had to sign with every one of these companies they DO require that once the credit card is run and the batch is settles, I MUST ship within a 24-48 hour period. I would suggest reading all Paypal fine print, you may need to CYA at some point.
Suburbia: Where they tear out all the trees and then name the streets after them!
posted on September 21, 2000 05:27:44 PM
The reason for my shipping charges is because gas prices are very high. I don't feel bad about it because I state right upfront in my terms what the s/h will be and that it may be more than just postage. Also, whether I was right or wrong on other auction items, that really has nothing to do with this particular case. I say this because you seem to think I am in the wrong or deserve what I get just because of the impression you get from reading my feedback. You're basically saying, "I think you're a jerk so I'm glad people are threatening you and treating you poorly." I'm just glad our legal system doesn't handle disputes in this matter.
posted on September 21, 2000 05:46:36 PM
mboyko, I would buy your argument that your shipping costs are to cover gas if you allowed your customers to combine their shipping. You're refusing to combine costs but not refusing to combine the actual shipping. You're not making two trips to the post office. Besides, why use the $3.20 if you weren't doing it to intentionally mislead? Your business practices are questionable at best. This guy didn't need to leave you the messages he did, but have you ever heard of Karma? What goes around comes around, eventually.
posted on September 21, 2000 05:52:36 PM
I always give a negative to non-paying bidders, or those who have given me bad feedback for doing exactly what I say I'm going to do in my TOS. It's not misleading anyone when I state right upfront that I don't reduce shipping for multiple items, etc. I'd hate to see some of you people on a jury. "I don't know if he broke the law, but this guy is a jerk. I vote GUILTY!"
posted on September 21, 2000 05:53:37 PM
I would like to see the buyer in question show up here and share their side of this issue.
A seller who leaves more than 10% negative feedbacks for his buyers is heading down a slippery slope. Many of the buyers you left neg's for have high feedback from their other sellers.
You do reap what you sow. You can't deal with people in this manner and not have it come back at you.
posted on September 21, 2000 06:06:21 PM
I just went and looked at your feedback and I have a couple of questions. If you do not combine to lower shipping, where do you get off combining to ship? If I purchase 3 items and pay shipping for 3 items, you better send me 3 packages! Next, who's fault is it you live 70 miles from post office? You have no right to punish buyers because you have inconvenienced yourself. You need to get a day job. By the way, I have definitely added you to my DO NOT BUY FROM LIST!
posted on September 21, 2000 06:45:51 PM
I've never had trouble finding bidders. I've done alright over the past summer. Most people are very pleased with my items and service. Maybe you didn't notice that about 99 percent of all comments in my feedback profile are POSITIVE? I do follow my TOS exactly, I guess this is sometimes a problem to people that don't bother to read my TOS. I think that most of the people who complain are either little kids buying video games and action figures, or fourty-something women buying dishes and plates. I think it has more to do with the type of customers these items draw in than any actions on my part.
posted on September 21, 2000 06:46:18 PM
I can certainly appreciate that this buyer in question appears to have flown off the handle and the situation could have been handled differently form his side. Maybe he didn't read the feedback until he got to wondering about where his package was, and got very nervous once he saw the level of complaints.
I found the following feedback among this seller's to be pretty ironic:
"He warns you up front that he rapes you on shipping; no choice if you want item"
The odd thing is that it was a praise. Pretty weird praise, IYAM.
To the seller- I can only suggest to you that on a go-forward basis, you let bidders know how often you ship.
Edit:
Wow! I've GOT to say, I've just scrolled through all feedback form this seller. Maybe I'm wrong, but it almost looks like if the seller didn't get as much as he had hoped form in his auction, then his solution is to ship the item any old way.
Various feedback states that items were shipped: In a used pizza box / In a cereal box / Wrapped in 1 sheet of computer paper / In a grocery bag.
It's very odd given that so many of his buyers praise him for great packing!
I don't know what to make of it, but I know that I would not bid on an auction with this kind of feedback record.
[ edited by jozi on Sep 21, 2000 07:07 PM ]
posted on September 21, 2000 07:01:02 PM
I had a customer similiar to this that took over 30 days to pay then paid paypal and went nuts when the item did arrive in 3 days. I told them that the behavior was unacceptable and that they needed to grow up and realize the world didn't revolve around them and that I know long would be reading their e-mail. Now I sent their package out (signature required THEIR signature not anyone elses the next day, but I didn't tell them that. I simply told them that they would get their package in less time then it took them to send payment. Must have really pi**ed them off because they sent many e-mails after that for quite a few days. They paid book rate that can be slow. I didn't mind. I deleted every e-mail without even looking. Let them waste their time. I have NO time for people like that. Live is short and gets shorter everyday. I left them to their own behavior. I was sure they were going to leave me negative credit to my surprise they didn't. Maybe they learned something maybe they didn't. BTW I also let them no I would no longer take bids from them. They actually one 4 auctions to were over 30 due and then they had the nerve to bid on 2 more. I didn't catch it in time to cancel and they really wanted to last item I suppose that is why they paid for all 4 and was was glad to get rid of all 4 items.
I can only control my reaction, my behavior not anyone elses they want to act like brats then they should be treated that way. I have no time for brats.
Delete the e-mails don't even read them. That is what I did and it felt GOOD knowing they were spending all that effort and anger and no even being listened to. I mean lets get real. There are more important issues in the world we live in. Your guy is short a few marbles.
posted on September 21, 2000 07:10:08 PM
I think for the instance under discussion that mboyko's past negs & neutrals for excessive shipping costs &/or poor packaging are not relevant. He/she is right that they have nothing to do with *this* case, which revolves around communication. No, this buyer shouldn't have blown up as he did--but then, we haven't heard what provocation (other than no communication) he had.
Mboyko: Maybe no other of your buyers have ever complained *to you* about your lack of communication, but you can bet there have been many who fumed to themselves, family & friends about it. It has probably had a bad affect on the probability of repeat customers, not to mention that said family & friends also won't be willing to bid on your auctions, nor anybody else *they* might mention it to.
1) Put the facts of your scheduled mailing dates *in your auctions*! And repeat that fact in your EOA to winners & again when you acknowledge receipt of payment. This is easy--use form letters.
2) Communicate with your buyers! Send your own EOA out as eBay performs abysmally in this. Acknowledge receipt of payments & give date item will be mailed. And I always send a third, letting them know an item has actually gone out.
I must say, though, that outside of *this* particular blow-up you should consider changing some of your practices. The number of neutrals you have is incredibly high and then there are your negs. If several customers are complaining about the same thing that should tell you there is a problem. Yes, people agree to the rates for shipping you charge--and if you actually had postage anywhere near what you charge that would be fine. But it appears that you make a practice of sending as cheaply as possible & pocketing a *high* profit on what they send your for shipping. Not kosher. And while many people use recycled mailing materials, those materials are clean--not nice *or* business-like to use filthy materials. And on top of all that there are the complaints about *shoddy* packaging...
posted on September 21, 2000 07:11:38 PM
I think I would never give a negative to any bidder that paid, but looking at feedback every neutral received seller retaliates with a negative. Most bidders even if they read your TOS would have long forgotoon your terms by the time they receive their item. Are you going to single handedly going to try and change human nature by negging everyone. It has not worked for you so far. You have a problem every 15 bidders or so. I belive this is a problem you should address somehow.
Snip
posted on September 21, 2000 07:18:16 PM
Various feedback states that items were shipped: In a used pizza box / In a cereal box / Wrapped in 1 sheet of computer paper / In a grocery bag.
Ok hold on. There were NO ants in that pizza box when I sent it. The plate arrived safely just as I predicted. In a cereal box, was a plate, it was packed very well and arrived safely. Like I said in the reply, what is wrong with a cereal box? Wrapped in one sheet of computer paper was an Atari 2600 game cartridge, the most indestructable substance known to man. They simply are NOT going to break or get damaged, a sheet of computer paper is just fine for them, in fact that is how I ship all my game cartridges. I a brown paper grocery bag? Brown paper grocery bags just happen to be EXCELLENT wrapping paper they are extra thick AND durable. All those items arrived safely and securely.
posted on September 21, 2000 07:27:48 PM
Spend some of that money you make on shipping overcharges and buy some decent packing materials. You see nothing wrong with shipping in a USED pizza box? That is absolutely disgusting! It's sick! It's filthy! What a cheapskate! I would never buy anything from you even if it were FREE!
posted on September 21, 2000 07:35:39 PM
Actually, I never even thought about the ants. But it did say that the box looked used. Your comment to the buyer who left that complaint did nothing to instill confidence.
As for a game cartridge shipped wrapped in 1 layer of computer paper... I wouldn't recommend it but I don't sell that kind of merchandise myself, so what do I know?
A paper grocery bag is fine. My apologies. We don't have paper bags here so I was visualizing a plastic grocery bag.
And the cereal box to ship a plate? Fine if the cereal box is packed inside another box, I guess. But a cereal box just does not convey a professional image, IMO.
But then again, like I mentioned, you seem to have many customers who praise your shipping methods. The problem with unconventional shipping methods, is that if a problem with damage does arise, it could possibly have been avoidable by using better, stronger packing materials.
Edit:
Bunnicula- You're absolutely right. The seller's packaging practices are irrelevant to this discussion. *However* the buyer in question could be reacting to the seller's feedback as an afterthought to being worried about his purchase. Buyer may be setting up all his ducks, so to speak, so that he feels in control of the situation. He may be thinking that if he comes off like this, the seller will take him seriously and won't try to pull one over on him.
Of course, that's pure speculation on my part. The buyer could also be a few cards short of a deck.
It would be interesting to hear the buyer's side of this.
posted on September 21, 2000 07:38:48 PM
The used pizza box is a bit much. Come on!
A cereal box, computer paper.
If your doing a lot of auctions, you do need to invest in some good packing materials.
And how are you sure the pizza box didn't have ants in it when it arrived at the buyers? Geeeez. I know your going to say it was clean, but how do you clean a USED cardboard pizza box?
posted on September 21, 2000 07:42:55 PM
KatyD - that doesn't surprise me. I think my packing methods irk a lot of women. Men really don't seem to care. My philosophy is, if it gets there in the condition it was described, then what more can you ask for?
posted on September 21, 2000 07:46:51 PM
Let me get this straight.
You insist upon payment within a certain time, yet don't bother to ship the items in an expeditious manner nor do you bother to let your customers know that you won't be shipping except at certain times. You don't communicate with your customers unless they explode into threats. You charge primo shipping rates and then package items in whatever boxes or bags you have lying around the house and send the packages off as cheaply as possible. You retaliate when people leave honest feedback. You're upset that a bidder has lashed out at you, calling him "abusive", a classic example of the pot pointing its handle at the kettle.
Oh, and you're busily rationalizing your behavior to your fellow ebayers instead of re-examining your practices.
Have I missed anything?
*ring*ring*
Clue phone! Get it, will you?
I don't condone threats or obscenity-laced missives but I can see why the bidder might feel such is justified. In fact, I'm amazed you haven't received more emails just like it from other customers. You flout your feedback number like it's proof of how great you are when all it says to me is you've managed to sucker that many people into giving you positive feedback. Considering your business ethics, a negative from you would be a badge of honor for those with the courage to tell the truth about you.
But you asked what your options are.
Apologize to your customer for your rudeness and lack of communication. Be polite. Try to work out a compromise. Bend over backward to salvage the goodwill of your customer.
Then start treating your customers like you value them, instead of human wallets.
posted on September 21, 2000 07:48:04 PM
mboyko- How about what you're paying for? Come on! Sure, you're charging s/h to make up for the gas it costs you to get to the post office, but your packing supplies need to take some priority there too.
I didn't notice, but do you get a lot of repeat business? You could be getting even more if it looked like you cared about your products by packaging them well.
Just a thought.
[ edited by jozi on Sep 21, 2000 07:54 PM ]
posted on September 21, 2000 07:50:24 PM
Granted you ask for help on a abusive customer.But may I ask why shipping is 3.20? Anyone who bids regulary on the auctions knows that the price of priority is 3.20. If I was considering bidding on one of your auctions I would assume it would be shipped priority because of the amount you quoted.It looks to me that you are trying to pull a fast one being that your shipping is same price as priority.That is probably why the customer is so pissed off.
posted on September 21, 2000 07:50:58 PM
You insist upon payment within a certain time
No this is not true, I accept late payments. I don't care if payment is sent a month or more late, just as long as I get it. I never give negatives for late payments, because I am happy to take any payment I can get. I have had many customers send VERY late payments, I sent them their merchandise and we exchanged positives. Nowhere in my TOS does it say anything regarding a timeframe when I require payment.
posted on September 21, 2000 08:05:28 PM
mboyko, I read your feedback and there definately is a long-standing pattern concerning your shipping and your attitude. These are both things you could improve on if you choose. It would make your business run alot smoother, I think.
I'm not attacking you, but you asked for help and I'm sincerely trying to give you some good advice. A little honey goes a long way, even if it's not sincere--customers expect it.
For packing, boost up your initial bid price and soften your shipping policy for 'public relations' purposes.
I'm a recycler myself, using grocery bags and reusing boxes and padded envelopes. But you have to make sure they are clean. I always do and no one has ever complained. You could state that you are concerned about the environment and like to recycle. People will like that better than thinking you are a cheapskate. Heck, I know I'm a cheapskate but it's all in the PR. Just a different marketing way to look at it.
If these things cause others so much grief, you need to do some tweaking. The willow bends in the wind and survives while the mighty oak gets blown over. (Got that Grasshopper?) Best wishes to you and your business!
