posted on November 27, 2000 03:20:25 PM
Yep, wondering the same thing as to who doesn't have a clue here.
As a seller, why wouldn't I want to attract buyers. It doesn't appear to me any of my customers can walk on water. Heck, none that I know can! However, they do have the tendency of coming back. Hmmm, I wonder if customer service has anything to do with that?
Also, credit card transaction fees. Big deal! If my customers can get the cash to me quicker, I can offer their item just as fast. Buyer & seller are both happy. By having positive experience, most are return customers. I welcome that anyday!
posted on November 27, 2000 03:25:43 PM
No, on the contrary I LOVE most of my buyers.
What I hate is, the buyers who write AFTER an auction ends and says, "I changed my mind, I thought you would do COD".
READ THE DAMN TERMS...
*There will be NO CODs permitted, so please do not bid if you wish to receive your item this way*
or how bout these...
"I am going to pay by billpoint"
READ THE DAMN TERMS...
At this time, I only accept Visa and MasterCard through PayPal, Personal & Business checks, Bank & Postal money-orders, or Certified/Cashiers checks. I do not hold any check under $200.00, however, you must have a feedback of 10 or greater with no negatives. If you do not fall into this catagory, or your payment excedds $200.00, your check will be held up to 7 business days for clearance.
or this...
Why is shipping so high? $26.00 seems like a lot.
READ THE DAMN TERMS...
Buyer will pay actual shipping costs, which are usually between $18.00 and $35.00
These items are heavey, and if you wish, you may make your own arrangements to have your item picked up by UPS, FedEx, or the USPS at your own cost and discretion.
I get crap from buyers all the time...
Your ad is too large, your writing is the wrong color, will you lower your shipping for me? Can I buy without bidding to get it cheaper?
Come on man, it aint always the sellers who need to shape up.
There are bad sellers, yea, but I would bet that there are 1000 bad buyers, for every ONE bad seller.
posted on November 27, 2000 03:47:59 PM
pumpkinhead said "The day will never come when I pay a seller a fee to purchase an item". You do it every day when you walk into a retail store they just don't advertise it like some may in an auction. You're paying to shop in a heated/air conditioned building, paying for the shopping bags, paying the employees salary to give you the customer service you want and surely deserve.
When you make a purchase at a retail store and use a credit card they are chaged fees also just like the Ebayers at Pay Pal and billpoint. They are charging you a FEE you just don't know it.I know I like customer service just as much as anyone and I'm willing to pay for it. Gail
posted on November 27, 2000 03:59:29 PM
OMG!!!!!! 78 Non Payers..Guess I would be a bit bitter too....
Loosecannon:
I realize that the PP fees add up. But I figure that I am going to get an extra bid or two because I accept credit cards. If I didnt accept credit cards as an option, I would most likely get less bids. Not because PP or Billpoint is a convenience, but because it is easier to buy now pay later. How many times have you walked into a store and ended up spending twice as much because you were paying by CC? Unfortunately, I do it all the time.
Last week, I sold a shirt for close to 300.00. I held my breath and prayed that the bidder wouldnt pay by check. Why? I was worried that the check would be no good. But I still gave him that option. I was glad when he paid by CC. I really wonder if the final bid price would have gotten as high as it did if I was a check or money order only seller. I really dont think it would have. This bidder placed a very high proxy early in the auction and I really dont think he expected it to go so high. And I dont think he would have done so otherwise. So, even though I had to pay a few bucks to PP, I still ended up ahead of the game...
posted on November 27, 2000 04:00:00 PM"I just don't want to be treated as slime simply because I want to buy something on Ebay."
So, let's see. A seller who doesn't accept your personal check is treating you like slime? I guess that cuts both ways. You expect me to treat your personal check like gold, even though I don't know you from Adam.
As several posters pointed out, adding overhead into the opening bid doesn't work. It doesn't in any way mean that the final bid will be higher. In fact, it probably means a lower final bid.
And let me get this straight. You'll pay extra for an item because the seller accepts credit cards, but if the seller charges a fee for this convenience, then you won't bid at all. Excuse me, but do the words "free lunch" appear anywhere in my listings?
A few points are obvious. Buyers will look for the cheapest, most convenient way to make their purchases. I guess we can all agree on that. My philosophy is simple. A fair deal at a fair price. And by "fair" I mean fair to everyone, buyer and seller. If a buyer wants to quibble over an extra $1 handling fee, I'll be happy to direct them to other web sites where they can buy the same item for three times the price.
These buyer complaints really do cut both ways. You want to get the best deal. And I must make sure I don't go broke offering you "conveniences."
posted on November 27, 2000 05:00:05 PM
Wow, some of you feel pretty strongly about this. I have had very good luck dealing with sellers (I am a small buyer only). The one sale that wasn't exactly as should have been I have sitting in front of me as a lesson to check more carefully.
I have always preferred paying by check. I don't mind paying a small handling fee and I do want to pay the exact shipping charges or a very close estimate and I always want insurance.
What do I look for when buying? A good description, a good clear picture, seller that has good feedback and reasonable shipping charges and accepts checks although after reading the last few weeks of Red Deers (hope I got that right) reasons why a customer should use a charge card I am thinking about re-considering that part. I understand if you want to hold my check for 10-15 days. That's fine I know it will be here and I will put my check in the mail as soon as I get your address and I am usually excited about winning an auction so I usually contact the seller as soon as the auction ends.
I pass up the auctions that specify only Money Orders, PayPal, Charge cards or cash but not because I am mad at the seller for doing business in a way that works for them.
I did bid on an auction by accident that only accepted Money Orders once and I e'd asap and explained it might take me 2 days to get one and she kindly told me she would take my check but hold it. I thanked her and was very happy and got excellent service. If on the other hand she had stated that sorry, MO's are my way I would have gotten it because it was my mistake.
She also suggested that if I ever found something that said MO's only I might e and ask if they would accept my check that some sellers didn't mind. Knowing what i have read here at AW in the past I will say that I have only done that one other time and they said yes but I do not make a habit of it and if they stated they were firm in their decision I wouldn't even think of it and I explain that in my email in fact, I don't feel comfortable asking period because I respect each sellers preference for what ever their reason might be. No big deal.
posted on November 27, 2000 05:09:40 PM
I dont accept personal checks in November or December because I get so many "starter checks", and last year they all bounced. So taking the advice of my bank teller I pass on checks until January. Seems like crooks go from bank to bank and open accounts just to rip off people.
Have you ever considered stating that reason in your auction and not taking a check under a certain #, say #500? We live near a Military base (may be that way all over) and they often state this, nicely of course.
posted on November 27, 2000 05:25:09 PM
While I do take checks on my auctions I think I'm lucky I haven't had any bounce. I have owned several businesses and saw my customers face to face every day and still got rubber checks from them. Of course they always had a good excuse and they griped about the return check fees, but I could collect. It's a lot harder when they live across the country from you and you'll probably never meet them. So, when I buy if they have strict rules about checks, I totally understand and don't get upset. I can see both side and I don't take it as a personal affront.
posted on November 27, 2000 05:41:05 PM
I will certainly check out your auctions Mr reddeer, as you seem to have all the stipulations that buyers look for in a first class, high quality, honest, reliable seller. I recommend that the rest of you check out his auctions as well.
posted on November 27, 2000 05:46:18 PM
Paypal fees are not just for credit cards..they also charge a fee for cash (as in , the customer has cash in their account..or they fund it from their bank account). So the customer wants me to hand over 2% to paypal for the convenience of paying easily.
Avmom..good customer service does not equal offering to accept any and all types of payment. Good customer service does equal a clear description that accuately describes the item, terms that are clear and up front, careful packaging of the merchandise, prompt shipping, and standing behind the merchandise.
Good customer service can be had from a seller who accepts only money orders, or from a seller who charges a handling fee, or from a seller who only ships once a week. Good customer service is not limited soley to the seller who charges "exact postage only" or the seller who will accept "cash, check, money order, billpoint, paypal, exchangepath. paydirect".
Sellers who accept money orders only get repeat customers too.
The key to repeat customers is good customer service...and good customer service is not dependant on a certain type of TOS.
I'm sure you can offer great customer service with money orders. And it certainly has a lot to do with the seller's attention to detail. Staying on top of things really help.
I am experiencing the most busiest time I have ever experienced on Ebay, and to be quite honest, I really look forward to credit card transactions. Yes, call me sick, twisted, whatever! But having the ease of knowing right away that the money is good and sending the items out, and getting off my books seems to be a preference I have. Most of the stuff I sell are priced below $20 therefore the cost of the 2% doesn't really affect me that much. My profits are still in check, and with that, I am pleased.
Lately more customers have been slow to respond. I suspect the Holiday that we just had that are slowing the process in submitting their confirmation & payment. I am having to constantly send reminders and follow up. When I say "payments must be received by 10 days after auction" they wait till the very end .... plus they submit a check and I will hold a payment for 10 days if the feedbacks are under 25. I don't know about most people, but I like the ease of zapping my money and getting my hands on my new little widget!
Therefore, I am NOT promoting any certain credit card company. As a matter of fact this very topic seems just as HOT as that other company!
That's my 2 cents. How in the world do you all stay so organized? I'm not a bigtime operation, but fear I might let something fall through the cracks.
posted on November 27, 2000 06:55:44 PM
Avmom...the original post to this thread had the conclusion that if a seller's sales were down it had to do with certain terms of the TOS...specifically the type of payment accepted and handling fees. My opinion is that is to simplistic a view.
You mention giving a time limit for payment to be recieved. Using the logic pumpkinhead used, a buyer could say "why are you treating me like a deadbeat before you even know how I will pay?"..and the buyer decides to move on down the road to someone like me who doesn't give a time limit.
Or, your TOS of holding a check for those with a feedback under 25. Couldn't the buyer say "if you can't trust me, why should I trust you"...and the buyer moves on down the road to a seller like me who doesn't hold for any check, even from 0 feedback buyers.
I'm not saying your wrong..you have to do business in the way that is most comfortable to you. And I'm sure your customers are happy with your service.
What I have been saying is that all of these variations in the sellers' TOS doesn't really affect sales. The buyers are pretty flexible and willing to accept the many different way sellers do business. IF sales are down, the reasons are a little more complex than individual TOS.
As for things slipping through the cracks...it happens! You just apologize to the buyer and normally the buyer understands we are all human. For the few who don't understand..I just say a silent prayer for them.
posted on November 27, 2000 07:03:47 PM
Twinsoft - Please don't speak for me or "explain" my comments. I did not say which actions or terms make me feel like "slime", so you have no way of knowing how anyone refusing to take my personal check would make me feel.
No, I don't expect you or any other seller to treat my check as gold. I promise that I will never, ever expect anything from you.
posted on November 27, 2000 07:05:51 PM
Amy - As to things "slipping through the cracks", I wish more sellers had your attitude. You might want to read KatyD's thread "I Give up" for some examples.
posted on November 27, 2000 07:32:32 PM
One thing that seems to have slipped through the cracks in this thread is that all of us (buyers and sellers) have different ideas of what is considered the "perfect" auction.
There are certin things I look for on an auction, if I don't like the TOS, then I don't bid. I usually shrug my sholders and think, "Oh Well, maybe next time"
I sometimes wonder if sellers would be interested in why I did (or did not) bid on an auction. I have thought about emailing them, but considered that to be a little rude.
Greg
p.s. I have to agree completely with shar9. This is exactly how I try to handle any auction I bid on.
posted on November 27, 2000 07:45:59 PM
jada, if you don't want your comments analyzed, perhaps you should refrain from posting them on a public bulletin board.
And BTW, when I wrote "you," I wasn't referring to you specifically. But now that you mention it, I'd love to hear your explanation.
Thanks! I believe I have read here or in another thread that you do not hold checks. Truthfully there have only been 3 or 4 sellers that have done that to me but I would understand if they did. I also have heard your praises sung by a dear friend of mine and yours, I believe, Nobs.
I always figure I waited this long without the item and I can live for another 10-15 days and appreciate it even more.
Amy,
I understand your point. Different ways for different folks. I have noticed that there do seem to be more sellers with a do and don't list a mile long and some sound pretty harsh .
I like clear concise rules and if it is something I want or the postage isn't spelled out I will ask and explain that I want to be sure I understand so we will both be happy when the sale ends but as with other things I will pass on the harsher ones. Maybe they have had some rotten luck that leaves them no choice or are over-burdened but I will pass.
