posted on April 3, 2001 09:26:21 PMExecutiveGirl, I had this same thing happen to me about a month ago. Nearly word for word including the "send them an email on my behalf stating that it is now cancelled per mutual agreement." So that must be some language out of an eBay support canned reply.
I felt the same as you, that I had wasted time and effort on this nut and I wasn't inclined to just ignore that, and that's what I told him.
He responded that he had cleaned up his act, and his initial eBay mistakes were causing him to get repeatedly NARUed because he had three NPBs on his record. He then offered to me pay the original amount in question ($25) as his "penalty" even though I didn't have the item to send him.
It's a tough decision, but I figured that since he was willing to pay and receive nothing in return, that he was serious about reforming. So I took the money (and sent him a similar item, my conscience wouldn't let me just take the freebie.)
I probably wouldn't do the same thing again. If a bidder has problems where they "keep getting NARUed", then people are still filing NPBs on them. I can see maybe one frivolous NPB against someone, but repeated NPBs are just too coincidental.
posted on April 4, 2001 01:04:49 AM
Just tell her to randomly select an address out of the phone book, make up a fake name, and register with a phony phone number. I mean, are there people in this world who are so stupid you really have to spell this out for them?!?!?!?!?!
posted on April 4, 2001 06:05:28 AM
Thanks for all the replies everyone! I think I will ignore her emails, as most of you have suggested. I didn't know that ebay told it's deadbeat bidders to go through this to be able to get their account reinstated - I thought this was a rare thing until I heard everyone else say they have gotten very similar emails!
posted on April 4, 2001 06:16:43 AM
EG...I know you sell full time and have tons of auctions. I just want you to know that I appreciate your threads and have learned a great deal due to these. Keep it up and thanks. Janet
posted on April 4, 2001 08:01:42 AM
ExecutiveGirl:
I don't think you're an ebaY seller at all. I think you write scripts for Soap Operas and you simply come here looking for ideas when you get writer's block...
Just kidding - I would give her the benefit of the doubt but I WOULD NOT lie to ebaY. I would just tell safeharbor that I have no objections to giving the bidder a 2nd chance. We've all been given one at one time or another haven't we? If she's up to no good she'll be NARU'd again shortly anyway. But surely she wouldn't jump through these hoops to be re-instated only to screw up and get NARU's again.
posted on April 4, 2001 09:19:23 AM
How much did she offer to compensate these sellers for the harm and for their time?
That is my measure of how sincere she is.
posted on April 4, 2001 09:41:59 AM
After reading the responses, I must say that I do agree that it would be much better to contact safeharbor and state that you do not have a problem with their reinstatement, if that is what you were inclined to do.
posted on April 4, 2001 10:11:38 AMnanastuff: Thank you! I think the most important thing anyone has learned from me is not to sell to small wristed women! LOL!
dubyasdaman: LOL... no, I don't write for soap operas but if I take everyone's suggestion and write that book of my wackiest ebay customers, ya never know if they'll make it into a movie!
gravid: It appears she is not offering ANYTHING for her seller's time. She just wrote to me and asked me to write to ebay. I know if that were me and I somehow didn't pay for an auction, I would at LEAST offer to pay any fees they were out. I'm not expecting that, either, but the offer would have made it seem more sincere.
