I agree that I've been lucky with refunds. And I'm sure I'll have my fair share over the long haul. But I like to think that excellent service, friendly, personal emails, and top-quality products at very good prices have more to do with low returns that negging deadbeats.
I just don't see deadbeats as a major problem. An irritation, yes. But not a major problem. I have made far more money off of deadbeats (overall) than I have ever lost.
In each dutch auction that I run, there is always a deadbeat or two. I just file for FVF so I don't lose that much per deadbeat to ebaY. I include my web site URL and a short description about it in my EOAs. I have had deadbeats turn out to be longterm, very profitable customers for me. I can't remember how many times deadbeats have bought straight from my web site. One guy in particular failed to pay for a $15 auction. I filed the NPB and FVF. A couple of weeks later the guy placed an order from my web site for $1600 worth of computer equipment. A few days after that he ordered $400 more. And he has placed a few small orders since then (5 or 6 months ago). If I had nuked him with a neg I seriously doubt that he would have ordered anything from my web site.
Of course all of this is my own personal experience and I can't say that other sellers would be as pleased with the results of my way of doing business as I am. But I CAN say that it works for me very well.
I have never left a neg and I never will unless I get negged first.
posted on March 12, 2001 07:57:16 AM
I have 393 positives with 289 being unique bidders, no neutrals or negatives. In all that time I have not had to give a partial refund or take anything back. I have only had to leave 3 negatives as a seller (under two IDs) and about 8 neutrals as buyer.
I guess I am lucky because I haven't had to deal with crazies. The negs I left were all for bidders who never contacted me. Two are now NARU and the third never bid on anything else. The neutrals I left as a buyer were usually for slow seller/poor packaging/not quite as described. Things I could live with as a buyer but wanted others to be aware when they were bidding. The one time I was completely dissatisfied (item not in as great of condition as described) I contacted the seller and returned the item. I did not leave feedback because the seller acted properly and professionally.
My TOS and EOM are friendly, reminders are friendly and all communication is polite and professional. No name calling, just facts and politeness.
posted on March 13, 2001 07:31:07 AM
I leave negs for one reason only - I want to "earmark" the deadbeats so that I can cancel their bids the NEXT time they try to get in on my auctions. This has worked for me 3 times!
As a small time seller this is easy to do - If I had 100+ auctions doing this would not be worth the time. But I run no more than 40 auctions at a time so I can look for these deadbeats from my past auctions.
You know how the stores have a "bad check" list - checks taped to the wall or under some glass at the counter - Well neg feedback is my "bad Check" list. It works for me.
posted on March 13, 2001 08:32:06 AM
"If you have a spotless feedback record, and you are up over 300 as a seller, you have probably:
1. Given partial refunds. (Let a buyer keep the merchandise, and given a chunk of the $$$ back)
2. Eat 2 way shipping on "buyers remorse" deals.
Your "spotless" feedback record probably costs you money, cuz it makes you a target for the crazies."
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Some sellers such as I have a 100% satisfaction guarantee policy...I can honestly say I have never had ONE buyer who I felt took advantage of this policy. Sure, I have given partial refunds, ate shipping 2-way, and even gave merchandise away...it is rare, but you know what..it doesn't matter to me...that is beans compared to my sell-through rate, and profit margins...having spent 10 years in retail management arena, I have seen the benefits of customer confidence...and it is no different on Ebay.
posted on March 13, 2001 09:41:07 AM
ilist4u--right on.
I've given partial refunds if I missed something, offered at a discount if I missed something, ate shipping both ways if it was my mistake. I've never ate two way shipping on buyer's remorse. Only when I made a mistake. That's only right.
It doesn't mean a buyer is taking advantage of me, or is trying to finagle a better deal to give a partial refund. It means something is wrong with the deal and it needs to be adjusted. It happens very seldom, but it does happen. After all, no seller of used and vintage goods can be perfect in his/her descriptions 100% the time.
It's when a problem arises that the true character of an individual, buyer or seller, comes to the surface.
posted on March 13, 2001 09:56:25 AM
I leave a neg for nonpayment. I am upset because I cannot leave a neg once a person has been NRUed. That person deserves all the negs the tallied up in their bidding and nonpaying. If they ever get reinstated their FB should reflect all of their nonpayments, not just 3 or 4.
I have 1180+ unique positive. 3 neutrals and 2 negatives- 1 retaitatory and 1 where the bidder never contacted me to report a complaint. I am not afraid to leave negatives and do not think the 2 negs among so many pos will scare any one away.
