posted on October 30, 2000 11:53:59 AM
Sorry to see so many negative and personal replies to you, Valerie. You got screwed out of your money. I'd be mad, too.
posted on October 30, 2000 11:55:10 AM
labbie1: I welcome your advice! Thank you! I appreciate your help!
I'll see what I can do to change my email so everyone can read it!
By the way, I appreciate how you post on these threads...you try to help people without offending them. I look forward to reading more of your thoughtful and helpful posts!
posted on October 30, 2000 12:00:22 PM
Valerie
If a Bidder comes to these boards and comments upon a seller, even though that bidder may not be selling on ebay, in no way does the lack of selling experience devalue their opinion.
Here's a thought...they might be very experienced dealing with sellers who are new, fussy, snippy, forgetful, arrogant, paranoid, charming, supernice...the gamut!
In fact I have triple digit bidder feedback.
I can tell you about the times I misread an email and shorted a seller buy $10. She was not wailing about fees.
Guess what? I have spent several hundreds on her auctions. She's one of my faves.
I work with sellers who don't speak english as a first language. I do not assume "moron" when I get a questionable email. "Hazzle" may not mean that they are potentially a bad risk, as implied.
I have even rounded up to the next dollar on a sale that I felt good about and made it easier on us all with the math...I never hear a whimper about that one here!
Let me tell you something: Customer service isn't about petty-ante fee charging and flipping out over 27cents. It's about making the sale. Trust me. Customer service isn't about being buddies or having fun, it's the grease that smoothes the gears.
As a seller I am clear in my discussion with my bidders. My seller feedback is still low and I am learning to swim the deadbeat waters and the stranger-than-fiction types who are out there, but often as not getting nuclear over 27 cents isn't worth the aneurism.
Sure, JamesO, they add up. But not everyone shorts you do they?
And sometimes they bid higher than you though an item would go for, right?
At this point I think Twelvepole is right on the moolah.
It just gets my hackles up when sellers bawl about customers and when one speaks up it's as though they have no validity...because they haven't sold.
DOH!
posted on October 30, 2000 12:07:08 PMWhy is it that SOME of you can't seem to just comment on the topic, without trying to cut down a person?! If you really want to help just stick to the issue instead of making the originator of posts feel they have to defend themselves. I have seen this over and over.
There is a pattern emerging here. The first few follow-up posts to Valerie's initial post did in fact "stick to the issue". When one's tone turns negative and defensive you tend to get the same in return.
posted on October 30, 2000 12:49:40 PM
Twelvepole:
It appeared from the get go, to me, that all she wanted was moral support for keeping the money.
How DARE you accuse me of something like that! I am an honest, reputable seller and in my THOUSANDS of transactions I have NEVER ripped someone off! EVER!
I don't care *what* you all think of me. I have noticed some of the same posters who cause trouble on several other boards. You just thrive on causing trouble. I came here with a question and certain ones have once again blown it out of proportion and have personally attacked ME. I know what kind of person I am and anyone bidding on my items knows what kind of person I am. I'm very happy with my business, regardless of the ones who try to make it difficult.
Thank you to all of you who offered your friendly advice and opinions.
To the ones who tried to attack me and cut me down (like you always do) - I feel very sorry for you and hope that someday you can learn how to talk like civil adults and stop judging others.
posted on October 30, 2000 01:05:32 PMPsalms The e-mail thing was something that I had not thought of until a wonderful customer of mine kindly wrote to me stating that they couldn't read my EOA. After a couple of e-mails back and forth, we found the problem. Until that point I was in the dark on the problem too.
posted on October 30, 2000 01:05:37 PM
boysmommy3 & twelvepole
Thank you for responding.
I have seen several others that have edited their posts and all of their pages of their posts but that does not mean they are deceptive, or a terrible person....Perhaps they have had a change of heart/opinion. Why should we condemn this poster for that? They had their reasons. Can't we drop it? What purpose was it to bring up what this person did in the past? Haven't we all made mistakes? Haven't we all wished that we could erase what we said at times? I just don't feel that what Valerie posted in the past has any bearing with this situation at hand.
I don't try to look at the bad in a person..I try to look on the good.
Everyone on these boards has a right to say what they feel but do we have to condemn a person while trying to make a point?
I'm sure we all have different opinions...NOTHING wrong with that. If you don't like someone's post...why can't the issue be commented on and not the poster? That's what it seems on many of these boards.
I don't understand why we should read into, why a person posts on these threads. Can it simply be that they are sincere and really do want advise...maybe they are looking for some understanding to their problems. Is that so bad? Why must we try to figure out the motive? We really can't tell for certain anyway. We can only presume. How far will that get us? Perhaps some people have a hard time expressing their true feelings? Has anyone said anything and it came out the opposite of what you really meant?
Perhaps if we tried to understand her position some would not come down so hard on her personally. Why put down the person. She asks for help and IMO I think she is a very sincere person. I have read her thank yous to those who do not personally attack her. She does have many feedback..so she is not a bad seller. She has to be doing many things right. If she were so bad then she would not have earned thousands of feedback. Lets take a look at the good in this person.
I have read some of her posts. She has given many GOOD helpful opinions to others. I do not believe this is the case of a rude or bad seller. NOT AT ALL.
Should we all now throw this person out to sea because she has perhaps made some bad choices? Has everyone on these posts ever been upset..and taken it out on someone else?...ever? NEVER? Could it be that some here only feel their way, is the only right way? If it is then I don't think we should condemn you. I think you need help and I say that sincerely. Where is the compassion for others?
We won't always agree with everything everyone says on these posts..but lets try to be civil to one another and not condemn..and point the finger! Let's look in the mirror. Are you cordial in ALL of your posts? What you are saying about this person whom you are portraying as someone who is rude........can that same person claim they were not rude in statements to her or any other individual that you did not agree with?
Ever hear "A soft answer turns away wrath?"
All I am trying to say..is lets stick to the question at hand...lets not try to find out the motive of the originator (or try to pick apart any one individual) but lets try to be more of an understanding people, trying to help one another.
I had an irate customer write to me because the package that didn't arrive...she was miserable...rude.....downright obnoxious....but after I tried to calm her down..I found out she really wasn't a nasty person but instead a lovely person. {by the way...the package finally did arrive...weeks later) She had been in a car accident, months prior, that left her in a wheel chair. Nothing seemed to be going good for her on that day...so she needed to vent.
You never know what another person is experiencing. Can't we find a little more tolerance and understanding for others?
We don't always know who that other person is or the circumstances that surround them.
No one is perfect we all make mistakes. Every one has good in them! Lets not forget that. Treat others like you would like to be treated?
posted on October 30, 2000 01:21:12 PM
Psalms: Very nice post! But I think your words have fallen on deaf ears. They aren't interested in being "nice". Certain posters just like to stir up trouble. It is a shame.
Valerie: There are some of us who agree with you. All you did was ask for payment in full. Since when has that become a crime? I also go after PAYMENTS IN FULL. I don't care what the amount. You shouldn't have to defend yourself for asking a simple question.
The attacks against you are rediculous and childish, to say the least.
posted on October 30, 2000 01:30:22 PMpsalms139: Your question, Why is it that SOME of you can't seem to just comment on the topic, without trying to cut down a person?
followed by:
?...What kind of a person are you?
It's difficult to avoid getting personal, isn't it....
An alternate take on the bidder being NARU: It's within the realm of possibility that she asked to have her account cancelled - possibly due to having had bad experiences with sellers.
posted on October 30, 2000 02:15:46 PM
Glenda,
It's difficult to avoid getting personal, isn't it
"Getting personal" does not mean it's a bad thing.
People learn by asking questions An alternate take on the bidder being NARU: It's within the realm of possibility that she asked to have her account canceled
Yes, that is a possibility, however, we do not know if this was the reason or not.
posted on October 30, 2000 02:28:30 PM
After reading my words, I guess you're right Valerie, I should clarify, Appeared from the get go not to give a FULL refund.
I do apologize if I have impuned your selling professionalism. I do not believe you would ever "rip" someone off.
[ edited by twelvepole on Oct 30, 2000 02:29 PM ]
posted on October 30, 2000 02:58:46 PM
Here is my take on the situation...
Buyer pays quickly by paypal. For some reason she entered the wrong amount but almost immediately realized her mistake and sent a second payment via paypal (Valerie says the second payment came within minutes of the first)...unfortuanately the second payment was still short of the total due by 27 cents.
At this point Valerie emails the customer to request the additional 27 cents. If that is all she requested then I would be sympathizing with her on the customer going balistic. But instead, Valerie requested 77 cents (the 27 cent shortage plus the two 25 cent fees paypal charged.). This, to me is where Valerie made her mistake.
First, Valerie should go back to the paypal fee page and study it. This transaction was a non credit card transaction. The fee schedule for non-credit cards is 1.9% no matter what the amount of the transfer is. The 25 cent for under $15 is for credit card transactions only. So no matter how many payments were sent the fee would have been the same amount ([1.9% of 12.09 + 1.9% of $10+ 1.9% of 27 cents]=[1.9% of $22.36])...Valerie was out no extra money for additional fees than she would have been if the whole payment was sent the first time.
But even if this had been a credit card transaction, Valerie's fees on the total amount, if sent in one payment, would have been 67 cents. That fee should not be charged to the customer. If the customer sent three payments, each having a fee of 25 cents then Valerie's fees would have been 75 cents...or 8 cents more than she would have incurred if payment were made in one lump sum. But Valerie wanted the customer to pay an additional 50 cents..or all but 17 cents of the fees Valerie would have owed paypal had the payment been sent in one transfer.
So, for me, I can see why the customer went balistic. Valerie was charging the customer an extra 50 cents as a penalty because the customer "screwed up"...50 cents that would not be going to paypal as Valerie's fees were no higher with three payments as with one.
And since Valerie did not know this customer was NARU at the time Valerie sent the email demanding the 77 cents she had no way of knowing this would not become a returning customer.
My conclusion...Poor customer service on the seller's part.
posted on October 30, 2000 03:37:54 PM
Amy,
Good summation.
Glenda,
Well said.
Psalms,
Perception is reality and when you are a poster you need to realize that all anyone knows about you is how your verbiage comes across.
Character is not defined in one post but a summation of all of your posts. To say we should ignore the last thread started by this poster is not correct. Since it was a very similar situation - it sheds more light on what may have happened.
Everything is what may, as again, the buyer was not invited to attend.
IMHO - Instead of threads where people go off on their buyers or sellers - both parties should be invited and then make a decision.
posted on October 30, 2000 06:31:08 PM
I stand corrected! I just checked the PP fee schedule and amy is quite correct.
If the PP transfers were not CC related but from the buyer's PP account or checking, the total is just a flat 1.9% of the total and there is no .25 flat fee on each transaction, so there would be no extra fees due.
Valerie I too, thought (in error it turns out) that there was a flat .25 fee on any transaction. Since it turns out that there is not a flat fee on non CC transactions, I guess in this case, I would grovel to the customer and beg their forgiveness for the mistake on the .25 per transaction and send the item.
This is not to say that Valerie didn't have the right to let off some steam and ask for suggestions. I apologize for my suggestions on the first page as they were based on erroneous knowlege of PP fees. ACK!
When did PP change that? When their fees first came out, there was a .25 charge on any transaction under $15! Gads!
posted on October 30, 2000 08:27:49 PM
Hi this is the infamous JoanJoy. I made a honest mistake and coreected the ten dollars even before she asked. I then got a letter after I was kicked off ebay for 27 cents. I was pissed . To the best of my knowledge I bought everything except 2 things on ebay I got no reply. To the best of my knowledge I did not owe her .27. By now buying her dress is not a pleasureable experience. She can sell it to her trusted second. I do not appreciate her ruining my reputatio9n. Money is hardly worth it. Not to mention I am a educator going for a doctorite. Valerie please return my money and keep your dress.
Thank you.
Joan-Joy McCarthy
posted on October 31, 2000 03:53:37 AMjoanjoy I'm sorry to hear that you have had some problems on Ebay.
However, Valerie could not have been the cause of your Ebay NARU over this particular transaction. A seller must wait 7 days to file an NPB letter and then another 10 days to file FVF. Even then, you must have more than one FVF request before Ebay will NARU.
Since you won the dress, paid her two different times right away and were NARU before you received the request for the other .27, there is no way that Valerie had anything to do with your NARU.
[ edited by Julesy on Oct 30, 2000 09:50 PM ]