It does become BIDPAY's problem/fault when payment does not arrive if they state in their e-mail that it is now safe to send the package since payment is on its way. Buyers are told that that is what happens - Seller sends on second notice. They expect that and don't want their packages held.
Yes, waiting for payment to be in-hand is probably the smartest way to proceed, but is also risking negatives from impatient buyers who are told the seller would ship sooner.
And can you please stop calling others on this list "stupid"? Your posts are often very rude. Try this - write them the first time, but before sending, edit them to make them sound more professional and less offensive. Just a suggestion.
posted on February 24, 2001 10:01:13 AM new
Sorry some of you have had difficulties using BidPay, but I have not.
I've been using their service by offering it to my buyers as the ONLY way I will accept credit card payments from both here in the U.S. and Europe, and it has not failed me yet. Not sure of the numbers, but I'd guess I've had about 50 successful transactions thru BidPay so far.
I'm not a registered user, and I ALWAYS wait until I have the money order in my hand before shipping. My customers don't have any problem with this, and I refuse to use either PayPal (not happy with their system) or Billpoint (will not assist ebay in becoming any more of a near-monopoly) to accept credit cards.
So far so good, for me -- hope the others of you with difficulties get them resolved. I'll continue to offer/promote BidPay as long as I continue to achieve the success I've been experiencing thru them!
posted on February 24, 2001 11:09:31 AM new
Why is it that when a person has a legitimate problem that goes unaddressed by the company in question that people just have to relate their wonderful experience with the company?
BidPay is a great service and very convenient for non U.S. buyers to pay for their purchases. I believe that the majority of BidPay transactions probably go through without incident. That, however is not the point of this thread.
A person posted about a problem they have with BidPay and instead of addressing the problem, gomarek posts a generic How to use BidPay post, followed by a whiny:
Then, there are the 3-4 customers that no matter what we do, we just can't seem to make them happy.
Apparently, BidPay has done nothing for the customer who started this thread except lump them into a "complainer" category and blow them off.
The value of a company's reputation is dependent on how they handle problems.
Not Kerryann on eBay
typo
[ edited by kerryann on Feb 24, 2001 11:10 AM ]
posted on February 24, 2001 11:10:03 AM new
I have been using BidPay for several months
and can only say GOOD THINGS about their service! It is a wonderful way to get paid
for auctions, especially the ones which were won by international buyers.
I have NEVER found it necessary to call them!
posted on February 24, 2001 03:36:02 PM new
kerryann
WELL SAID
I've used BidPay many times as well, BUT, there seems to be some recent SNAFU's taking place, and if this is the way those screw ups get addressed, I won't be using their service any longer.
For those of you that don't mind having a few $400 payments getting lost in the mail, then please feel free to pat BidPay on the back for a job well done.
posted on February 25, 2001 01:47:20 AM new
KerryAnn;
We very often get buyers who think they've placed an order when in fact 'they have not'.
Usually a mistake and once in a blue moon a fraud attemppt against the seller...
Naturally, the sellers blame us. HEY, my buyer says... and where is the payment.
Most of those are easily correctable as are the ones that have simple email errors...and as for the ones that get lost in the mail we replace them with no questions asked.
So the bottom line here is really very simply, if a buyer places an order... we pay on it and we do that many...many...many...many thousands of times per day.
So if we didn't do what we say we do, then these boards would be PACKED with thousands of messages from screaming sellers looking for their payments.
Look, if we send a money order to a seller and it goes missing (EVEN IF IT WAS CASHED OR STOLEN) "WE STILL REPLACE IT".
We always have... and always will... and that has nothing to do with anybody posting messages on AW.
It is our business policy.
You can see the negative attitudes all over these boards. One guy writes a message that he may have a problem and 3-4 posters jump on his bandwagon and post 25 messages.
1-2 sellers write that they have hundreds of orders and everything works perfectly and people give them sh*t for making positive comments.
It's the main reason, we stay away from the boards. I've noticed that some of the posters on AW have 2-3-4 and even 5000 messages posted and then I look at thier orders and/or eBAY feedback and see maybe 10 orders and 20-30 feedbacks.
Come on... a 30 feedback seller who posts 4000 messages... isn't a seller at all, they're a professional complainer and they like to see their name and comments in print.
This isn't just us. I see the same thing with PayPal, eBAY, Yahoo and AW itself.
In light of that we see very little upside to trying to solve "REAL CUSTOMER PROBLEMS" here on AW because of the tag along nay-sayers who have nothing better to do than insult people and make generally negative comments.
posted on February 25, 2001 06:02:39 AM new
Not that ones feedback should be coming into play here, but just for the record, here's my feedback stats Gomarek.
Overall profile makeup
811 positives. 753 are from
unique users and count toward the
final rating.
and I've left a total of 1144 feedback.
I move 3-4 K worth of merchandise every 30 days on eBay, with some months exceeding 5K.
BTW - The majority of AW users do NOT use their eBay ID when posting here, so I find it rather interesting that you state:
I've noticed that some of the posters on AW have 2-3-4 and even 5000 messages posted and then I look at thier orders and/or eBAY feedback and see maybe 10 orders and 20-30 feedbacks.
Your comments get weaker with each passing day...........
BTW - I think if you did a search on the people [including myself] that have posted to the recent BidPay threads, I think you'll find we spend most of our time on AW trying to help fellow users, not posting negative comments.
posted on February 25, 2001 09:03:29 AM new
If I may, as another "complainer," offer up my feedback profile:
716 positives. 632 are from unique users and count toward the final rating. I've left 1068 feedbacks.
I sell an average of 5K worth of merchandise per month, though in the last 3 months, I've doubled that figure.
You're right on one count, I'll admit. I have had less than 20 orders filled by Bidpay. I have always promoted Billpoint over Bidpay, simply because their customer service is outstanding, especially when compared with yours. Now I won't offer Bidpay as a choice at all.
posted on February 25, 2001 09:49:30 AM new
gomerak seems to miss a major point here - if BidPay took the time to answer customer's email about concerns and problems in the first place, then we wouldn't be posting here - here which is the only place i, at least, have ever managed to have the courtesy of a reply from BidPay. but, alas, i guess i am one of the 'not real' customers to gomerak (Ebay: 289 positives. 266 are from unique users Yahoo: 131 auctions with positive comments by 119 unique users). as for my usage of BidPay, (which is a substantial part of the above sales), i don't see how gomerak can make a judgement concerning my account with BidPay one way or another, because, like many on this board, and because of the cautions of many on this board, my posting id here is not my seller id.
when i worked rl retail we were taught that a customer is a customer - whether they buy a $1.00 item or $100.00 item, and all customers were to be treated with the very best service that we had. this basic fact of being in business and offering a service seems to escape gomerak. and as gomerak is the only one i have EVER seen speak and act on the behalf of BidPay - here, or on the site, or in the non-existant email replies to my inquiries over the past year, i sadly have to assume that this is the way that the whole company works.
such a nice simple concept BidPay has - charge buyers to send money orders to sellers. i guess given enough time, as gomerak has had here, even something as simple as this service can be screwed up beyond recognition.
i've been busy this weekend taking all mention of BidPay off my templates and EOA notices and the 125 or so current auctions that i have running. if in the future some of my international customers need to use BidPay, i will accomodate them, because unlike BidPay i do provide customer service. but i will be explaining to them how the attitude of the company rep here has resulted in my no longer actively promoting the service, and that i now require the reciept of the BidPay money order before being able to send out merchandise.
going back to lurk mode now ... but first one 'have-to' note - RedDeer - i want to thank you for all the insight and information that you share on these boards. as a fellow Cannuck seller here i especially find your 'heads-up' about this or that Canadian related selling issue so very helpful. keep up the good work
posted on February 25, 2001 11:12:18 AM new
Just to add my rating in here. I too sell betweek $2,500-$5,000 per month. I have had at least 20 orders from BidPay while I was registered at BidPay and I am sure I had more than that before I was registered. However, I stopped using the service because of complaints like these.
Feedback Left: 1751
Feedback Recieved: 1652
It appears to me that you are attacking the wrong people because we obviously do have sales and are not just complainers. We are customers who relied on your serive and who have been disapointed. We should not be labeled "complainers" because of BidPay's mistakes. I will send that email in now, AGAIN! SENT! Feb 25th. Lets hope I get a response this time.
[ edited by digitalmaster on Feb 25, 2001 11:45 AM ]
posted on February 25, 2001 12:30:05 PM new
Marek,
You are sticking your foot in your mouth once again. The names here do not necessarily match the ebay names. IE I am not "oxford" on ebay (so leave them alone! )
My feedback is currently 241. I have left 333 feedbacks. Yes, not as impressive as some others on this board, but certainly large enough to be able to have legitimate concerns.
Hey, wait a minute - since when does one's feedback record matter in terms of whether a complaint is legitimate or not? It DOESN't! A customer is a customer. PERIOD.
The hole you are digging for yourself is getting bigger - and your true colors clearer.
Bidpay is coming off of all my auctions. Billpoint has all the services I need for international bidders, and I have had nothing but EXCELLENT customer service from them. If a bidder asks to pay by Bidpay, I will advice them not to, and why.
You do not represent your co. well, marek. What is your postion there? Do you own the company? Are you CEO? Are you simply a rep? Just curious.
[ edited by oxford on Feb 25, 2001 12:42 PM ]
posted on February 25, 2001 12:33:01 PM new
I do not sell under "shaani".
When you have a complaint it should not matter how long you have dealt with a company, how long you have been in business, how much you are making, what your feedback is, etc.
A good company will handle all complaints, big and small. They will let you know if it was their mistake or your mistake that caused the problem. They will take steps to reassure you that it will not happen again and that if it does they will take care of it. If it is your mistake they will let you know so it will hopefully not happen again.
I do not envy Marek his job but he should understand that complaints go with the territory. And if problems are not addressed right away the complaints will get louder and perhaps ruder. I think people get a bit nervous when large sums of money are involved.
I am happy that Marek has taken the time to post here several times but maybe it could have been done in a better way?
posted on February 25, 2001 01:05:53 PM new
Marek:
"Talking and eloquence are not the same:
to speak, and to speak well, are two things.
A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks."
BidPay, perhaps another spokesperson who knows how to speak, would be best to represent you.
I am so sorry that Marek has chosen to ignore selected posts.
posted on February 25, 2001 09:15:31 PM new
Just to let you guys know in order to be fair to Marek, he has since responded to my complaint and is trying to handle the situation. I will keep you updated on the progress.
posted on February 25, 2001 09:27:37 PM new
Best of luck digitalmaster!
But, if you hadn't posted something on this forum, where one of BidPay's reps happens to be registered, chances are you would have never gotten this matter resolved.
That's a hell of a way for a company to handle their complaint dept, isn't it?
This is the exact same reason I refused to do business with PayPal.
posted on February 25, 2001 10:43:54 PM new
Nothing is resolved yet though. It was true that I have emailed them many times and have never recieved a response back. If it were just me, I could possibly understand, but also a bidder of mine has also emailed them and heard nothing back. Hopefully its straitened out.
posted on February 26, 2001 12:09:39 PM new
gomarek,
I do have to call you on a couple of things on your 2-23 post. You stated in that post: In between that second email going outconfirming the order to the seller and the order actually being printed, we can and sometimes do cancel them. So its, order, confirm, cancel... replace. The money order that my bidder canceled after I received the confirmation was never replaced. Just canceled. The question that I still have is why does the second confirmation email state: Should you decide to send the item while your money order is on it's way to you, I have provided the shipping info. Your money order was shipped today. Instead of giving us a bunch of bologna about how great Bid Pay is, give us the truth in the emails and on your web site. Give me the confirmation when the money order is actually approved, can not be canceled, and is actually on it's way. Why do we get and continue to get false statements? It's seems very simple to me. Don't send the second confirmation email until it's a done deal!
posted on February 28, 2001 12:28:48 AM new
So far, Marek has been a big help. We still have not found the money orders, but their is either a chance that it was my mistake or that there was a third party in all of this. I just wanted to update everyone.
The fact still remains though that its important for any customer service dept, wheather its BidPay, or any others to contact customers when a problem like this arises before the flames start coming, rather than waiting till we are irate and scared.
The more horor stories I heard, the more I started freaking out about it and worrying that it was happening to me. Also, I would recomend offering some type of phone service for customers as well (not like it helped PayPal at all).
This way it solves the problem in the first place. I still would not send an item until after a Money order from BidPay was recieved, but I do feel I can offer the service and that they are legitimately sending my money orders (although, I wish it were easier to trace the money orders).
