Libra63
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posted on August 4, 2004 04:01:51 PM
I sold this item.
When I mailed it we had a problem at the postoffice where I couldn't buy insurance, so I wrote her this email. (which I probably shouldn't of) Someone had hit an electrical pole and knocked out power for miles around. Just my luck.
{I}I mailed your package out today but there is one problem. Someone had a automobile accident in the vacinity of the post office where I mail my packages. I did the postage through PayPal but couldn't do the insurance so I waited until I went to the post office and they couldn't write an insurance form because the power was out in the area so this is what I am going to do. When you receive your sculpture and you find there is damage I will refund the entire amount back to you. If the statute is intact and it is to your wishes I will then go in and refund your insurance payment. I don't want to have to refund to your account twice but I will do it after I hear from you. I am so sorry this happened and I guess I was just lucky I did my postage through PayPal or every package I sent would have had to wait until Tuesday. I will be waiting to hear from you after you receive your sculpture. Thanks again for your winning bid and your quick payment through paypal[/i]. My name.
Well she received the package today and this is her email to me.
Hi I just received your item by mail. I am extremely dissapointed to see it. Your original Ebay description stated that it was in very good condition, -- without any cracks or chips. I am seeing that the heads of both the horses were broken and then glued together!!!!This is unacceptible. Since my bid was for a undamaged item, I demand a full refund (including Shipping and Handling costs)ASAP.
This was the email I wrote her after I gave her a full refund.
Thank you for your email and you didn't have to demand anything as I stated in my email to you I would refund your purchase including everything since I couldn't get insurance. I didn't see it was broken and both my husband and I examined it before I sent it. But since you think it was repaired I will accept your word on that. I am a reasonable person and I keep my word. Keep the statute as if you state it is broken I will accept that. Please do not send it back as I won't refund that postage. I am sorry I didn't not see that and if you read my feedbacks I do not sell broken items. Your refund is on the way.....and was that fast enough. I sure hope so.
Do you think I handled that okay or should I have been nicer in my last email or should I have asked for it back to examine it. Both necks are hooked together and I have many photos on my auction and closeups. I can't imagine I could have missed that. I can't imagine how that was broken but sinse I had written that email I guess I have to follow through. I Blocked her. Now tell me the truth. Not having a good day.
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CBlev65252
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posted on August 4, 2004 04:04:50 PM
You probably shouldn't have sent her the first email. IMO, you set yourself up. A broken head that has been reglued should have been obvious to you unless professionally done. I don't see that damage in the photo at all. I would have taken the package back home and mailed it the next day. I've done that. They don't pay too much attention to the date on the package.
Cheryl
. . .if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist- I really believe he is Antichrist- I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend.. . - War and Peace, Tolstoy
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Libra63
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posted on August 4, 2004 04:11:05 PM
will do that the next time. I have other pictures also and I just can't imagine the two heads broken because they are connected up the back. The material is probably a stone, probably not ivory because it is smooth. Shee this is what happens when I stray from my usual merchandise. I will never do that again.
Thanks Cheryl.
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lattefor2
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posted on August 4, 2004 05:48:22 PM
Libra I did something very similar a little while back. Someone bought 2 of the same widgets from me & paid for ins. Most of the time my husband does the post office run for me and I must not have taped the ins. slip securely because when I asked for the ins. receipt back he said none of the packages had ins. So, like you I wrote the person and even sent his ins. payment back to him via paypal explaining what happened. About 2 weeks later he wrote me back saying he never received the mdse. If I obtained the Ins. I could have made a claim, he does not want money back he wants 2 widgets. These were purchased low so it was a good deal. I believe if I did not say anything this would not have happened, I know if you use private ins. there is nothing that is stamped insured and he probably would not have known the difference. I was trying to be honest and I believe it backfired on me, no way to really tell except I was shipping loads of these widgets and I never really had a problem with them ever getting lost in the mail. Wish I had more.
edited to add: I sent him 2 more, because I said in my first email if there is a problem please let me know. Your statue is pretty I did not see anything that looked repaired. I think you did the best you could have done since sending the first email. I think your response was perfect, you did what you said you would do, you blocked her also, got that out of the way and then just moved on to other ebay business.
reenie
I don't get even....I get even better Jimmy Hoffa
[ edited by lattefor2 on Aug 4, 2004 05:55 PM ]
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dacreson
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posted on August 4, 2004 06:02:32 PM
Hello
I would of wanted item back. As either I the seller was blind that day or buyer is lying.
I would of told buyer I want to compare with unpublished pictures I have on file and will turn it over for private insurance claim if pictures and item don't match.
I'll bet you 8 of out 10 times will be last you hear from this crook.
However that said if you did error see to it by double checks etc that it don't happen again.
David
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on August 4, 2004 06:32:39 PM
My husband says I go over board in the disclosure department myself and it often gets me in trouble.
20/20 hindsight - you should have said nothing and that would have most likely been the end of it. If she yelled about the insurance - you could explained and refunded that amount.
I guess there is always an outside chance that she would have done the same thing weather you emailed her or not. Sounds like the type.
I would have asked for the item back and offered full refund "when received in as shipped condition" If it was an oversight on your part you could have resold it disclosing the damage and it would not have been a total bust (so to speak lol)- if she broke it and re-glued it then you could tell her to take a hike.
Thanks for letting us all learn a lesson here.
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sparkz
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posted on August 4, 2004 07:38:45 PM
Ladyjewels...That was my thought also. She could have dropped it unpacking and tried to repair it herself. Or she could have had an identical one that had been previously repaired and was trying to pull a switcharoo.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
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myoldtoy
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posted on August 4, 2004 07:43:42 PM
Libra: i am gonna type and then duck when i hit the "post reply" button.
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..first, you should have addressed this all knowing board before you refunded...man, would we have all given you some[different] direction.
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and, i dont understand why you thought you were gonna have a flat tire before it happened.. to quote you::: "When you receive your sculpture and you find there is damage I will refund the entire amount back to you. If the statute is intact and it is to your wishes I will then go in and refund your insurance payment."
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..realizing that viewing a digital image is not exactly a micro inspection; i dont see how the neck[s] is damaged...and, again, you may have a better image than the one you presented here...which, could, just maybe, could have shut the buyer up in a hurry!!
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..having said that, there are some pretty good repairs being done out there...with poor eyesight as i have, i could "see" how a really good repair might be overlooked..
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..i applaude your need/actions to be honest, ethical etc., etc...
..and i will still read your threads with interest and respect....myoldtoy
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Libra63
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posted on August 4, 2004 08:57:59 PM
Your right I should have come here first but that is hindsite. Speaking of site I just had mine repaired. I now see 20/20 so I am sure she screwed me (for lack of better words) but it is done. I am waiting to see what kind of a feed back she gives me or will give me if any and then I will leave hers. I feel there is no way she can leave me a negative but if she leaves any I can neg her. NOt for the broken statute but for deminding a refund ASAP.
I can tell you the statute is of a stone material maybe even ivory. She seems to buy this persons statutes all the time. I know if it was cracked before I sold it I would have seen it. I just wanted her off my back especially after that really nice email she sent me demanding her money back ASCP.
Thanks for letting me vent, I feel a little better.
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Roadsmith
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posted on August 4, 2004 09:43:28 PM
Libra: Was this a high-end item? Expensive or not expensive? (I know those terms are relative, LOL.)
Now when shipping breakables, I've added a few lines about how I pack as carefully as I can and stand behind my packing, but occasionally damage can occur. I've begun asking the buyer to take a picture of the package when it arrives before it's opened, if it looks at all damaged. Then to take a picture of the contents before they're completely lifted out of the box. That hasn't caused any problems and I haven't had any demands for refunds, either, since beginning that routine.
___________________________________
Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
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sanmar
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posted on August 4, 2004 10:33:41 PM
Yep, everything you did was not good, but that is hind sight. I'll bet you won't make these mistakes again. No 1; If it was valuable, then I would never have sent it w/o insurance. # 2; I would never have let the buyer know it wasn't insured. (go back to #1)
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
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Libra63
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posted on August 4, 2004 10:37:31 PM
No it was cheap. 5.99 with $4.90 postage so I am not out much. I guess it was just the idea that the buyer said I demand refund including S&H (ASAP). I saw that neg right when I am going to hit 1000 with no negatives and I didn't want that, but of course I guess she can still give me one but then I would dispute it and I would turn around and give her one. I don't know the criteria what eBay uses to reverse a negative but I did refund so I think I am home free.
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Libra63
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posted on August 4, 2004 10:48:49 PM
Sanmar-I'll tell you if it was a high ticket item I would not have mailed it. I would have waited. I have never in my selling days had a broken item in the mailing, then again I don't usually sell things like this. If she has switched it shame on her and it will come back to bite her. I know in my mind that those horses heads weren't broken. I even cleaned it before I sent it and I used a Q tip around the manes. Don't you think if they were broken the q tip would have had a pull or would have caught on it. Oh well, it's done but I certainly will watch her bidding. I didn't check if she was a seller.
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jackswebb
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posted on August 4, 2004 10:50:39 PM
Too bad but this buyer can post any lies she pleases.
And the Beat goes on,,,,,,,,
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jackswebb
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posted on August 4, 2004 10:53:37 PM
E bays criteria for removal is $20.00 to their Square trade division. (which is supposididly a nuetral hahahaha, company.) Why in the world would e bay give someone ELSE the $20.00????? IT's e bay in disquise...
And the Beat goes on,,,,,,,,
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CBlev65252
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posted on August 5, 2004 03:39:29 AM
libra
BTW, wanted to tell you I think it's a lovely statue. She got it for next to nothing to begin with. Some people are just cheap. If she did "steal" this, it will come back on her one day. I only hope it's another seller doing the payback.
Cheryl
. . .if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist- I really believe he is Antichrist- I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend.. . - War and Peace, Tolstoy
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leapfrogger
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posted on August 5, 2004 06:52:57 AM
You certainly set yourself up with that first email. Don't be so afraid of getting a negative, buyers rely on your fear of bad feedback to make unreasonable demands. I hope you didn't leave feedback already!! The fact of the matter is that even if you refund all of her money she's still likely to give you a negative.
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Libra63
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posted on August 5, 2004 07:56:10 AM
Right leaffrogger (love that name). I haven't gone to her feedback to check it out yet as I give the buyers the benefit of a doubt. I did receive an email back from her thanking me for my responsibility and she said we hope to do business again. Ya right, she will never touch my auctions again.
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popnrock
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posted on August 5, 2004 08:14:27 AM
I sell new and old items. Rarely do I ever get a complaint on the new items. They are made to order and I know when they leave my office they are in mint condition.
Once I had a woman complain about the condition of her item. I told her I would replace or fix it. When I got the item back there was a tiny piece of lint under the glass. We removed the lint, inspected the piece with a fine tooth comb, sent it out again. She writes back saying there is another flaw. This time I told her I would fix it again but at her cost (to ship it back). I told her that I personally (along with three other people) couldn't find a flaw when we sent it out.
What she wanted was a partial refund. I refused. I told her she could return it for a full refund or keep it. Her choice. She writes me back and says she will keep her "flawed" piece but wasn't going to be happy about it.
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Libra63
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posted on August 5, 2004 11:20:39 AM
She did leave a positive and thank goodness it wasn't the 1000 one. Thanks for all the ideas, but in my heart I think I did the right thing.
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rarriffle
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posted on August 5, 2004 03:11:00 PM
Libra, I feel for you in this situation. In my case this is my policy;
anything under $10.00, i self insure. i refuse to give the PO $1.30 for a $5-6 item.
i always hold refund until the item, or a picture of the damaged item is in my hands. (the UPS demolished a large jewelry box once and an emailed picture was all it took for proof)
most of all, i do not work kindly with demands. i will not be bullied and usually will refuse a refund if bullied. i email them with a full explanation of why they are not getting a refund (play nice next time, i did)
there are exceptions to everything and i do my best to make the buyer happy.
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longtime1
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posted on August 5, 2004 04:27:05 PM
All this over a $10 item.....what a waste. Having gone as far as you have, and having received your positive, at this point I'd offer to refund the S/H, but only if the buyer breaks off and sends back just the horse's heads(ala The Godfather), uninsured, and offer to also pay the $1 or so that this shipment will cost. This way you'll have your answer as to whether you're dealing with a liar or not. Something tells me you'll never see the horse's heads.
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on August 5, 2004 05:31:09 PM
What's up maggie? You been taking lessons from fluffy or teacher? It seems like it although your attempt at a snide remark falls several feet short from the mark.
Libra -- From looking at the picture, it doesn't appear to be damaged. Just learn from the mistake and then move on. Don't dwell on it because these things can eat you up inside and it just isn't worth it. There are some people that will take advantage of a situation when given it. I'm glad that you didn't receive a neg. You certainly did not deserve one!
Diane
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jackswebb
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posted on August 5, 2004 06:30:47 PM
OMG!!!!!! 
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OhMsLucy
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posted on August 5, 2004 06:33:45 PM
Hi Jack - How you today? I'm just fine. Hope you're the same. How's the weather down there in Disney Country?
and have a glass of Two-Buck-Chuck.
Lucy
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bonval
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posted on August 6, 2004 07:26:34 AM
Hi -- so sorry you got hassled by the buyer! She obviously saw you asa concientious seller and went for it - just some extra info for you - this type of statue is common tourist stuff in Italy - they are made of pressed marble - all the chips and powdery stuff from other works are compressed and then "sculpted" - most times you can se the grinder marks sort of like swirly patterns on the bases mostly - they can be quite pricey at all the tourist hot spots - 20 years ago we bought huge 27 inch ones for $2 each - now 6 inch ones can cost up to $20 each - go figure! They are sold on street corners and at souvenir stands at popular tourist areas. I would be surpirsed that you would misss any breaks because they are usually very difficult to hide even when done professionally because they are not given to good repairs (can state that from personal experience! LOL!).
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stopwhining
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posted on August 6, 2004 08:54:18 AM
this looks like resin stuff poured into mold and made to look like ivory.
how big is the piece and how heavy is it??
they can break if they are not handled properly.
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
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Libra63
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posted on August 6, 2004 09:13:37 AM
Thanks for the info on the statute. I was wondering what the material was. It was quite a detailed one and really nice. The buyer does collect them. I did notice that one closed out for over $100 dollars. But who cares. I was at an auction an auction BTW given by the person who owned the statute and owned all the items and all were in perfect condition. If she has a conscious she won't sleep to good for a couple of nights.
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Libra63
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posted on August 6, 2004 09:17:43 AM
I think it weighed about 1 1/2 pounds. 5 Inches long. It looks big in the picture but I was really close so youcould see it good. The base looked marble but what do I know. Obviously nothing. Thanks all.
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OhMsLucy
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posted on August 6, 2004 06:36:07 PM
Libra,
Come to think of it, if it had been broken in shipping I doubt it would have been glued back together so insured or not wouldn't have made any difference. As far as I know, the USPS doesn't do that!
Anyway, I'm glad it worked out for you, feedback-wise. I agree with the others, sounds like your bidder was looking for a freebie.
Lucy
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