posted on September 5, 2000 10:58:03 PM new
I won auction, and got the EOA. I send payment out 2 days later. This was 12 days ago.
2 days ago, the seller files for FVF!! I am semi-furious, and ask him why he filed the FVF without asking me.
His response:
[b]Below are duplicates of the e-mails sent since the end of the auction. This
is the first time you've contacted me since the auction ended last month.
Ebay has procedures to follow when there is no response after 3 days and 10
days. When the Winning Bidder fails to contact the Seller for 10 days, that's
a pretty good indication they're not going to complete the deal. Many Buyers
run into personal or financial problems - I'm not going to keep e-mailing
them to buy my videos. In the past month - One Buyer's sister is dying,
another was in an auto accident and another has to have an operation. I don't
ask why you don't send the payment! If you no longer want the video I'm not
going to bother you about it. All I want are my fees back from ebay and
relist the video to sell. To do that I have to follow their step by step
procedures. Step 1 is after 10 days file the non-payment alert. After 10 more
days, if still no reply or payment, I can file for a refund by filling out
another form. If this isn't completed within 30 days of the end of auction -
too late - I lose the money. And I've lost a lot. After 45 days, if I did
everything correctly, the fees are credited back to my account. If you don't
like Ebay's directions for Sellers, (I don't either) come up with a better
idea and send it to them. Until then I have to follow their rules.[/b]
Now, in his EOA, it NEVER mentioned that I should contact him back. Truth be told, unless the seller asks, I don't bother to reply back...
I'm thinking he's misreprsenting the rules here a tad bit and overreacting. I do want this video, but I may or may not get a happy outcome from this.
Please advise...I think I may lose something more than my bid for this.
:\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
edited for an errant smiley & UBB.
[ edited by Crystalline_Sliver on Sep 5, 2000 11:00 PM ]
posted on September 5, 2000 11:08:33 PM new
He says he sent you more than one email - you didn't respond to any of them? (I can see not answering the first one if he didn't specifically ask for a response.)
posted on September 5, 2000 11:20:43 PM new
First thing, the policy is that eBay reccomends that both Buyer and Seller communicate with each other within three days after the auction. It is not mandantory!
On the other hand, as a Seller, I always appreciate a short note letting me know that they received my EOAB. That lets me know that my email are getting through and is not being blocked by their ISP or filtered out by a deadbeat. It sets me into a postive mood for the customer.
For the Buyer who gets my EOAB, sends their payment without sending me a short note to look for it, and it never arrives and after several other e-mails and the person doesn't answer, I get ornery and have little sympathy for the Buyer's case!
Communication is the key. If you place a bid, at least send an e-mail once you sent your payment - especially through any online credit card payment service.
posted on September 5, 2000 11:42:26 PM newCrystalline_Sliver First- Remember, "Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities." So, not to worry!
Personally, I think your seller over-reacted. Each to his own. I have a good # of bidders that never contact me but still send payment in a timely manner. However, as a seller I really appreciate a buyer who contacts me within a few days of receiving my EOA notice. It only takes a minute and helps me keep things streamlined. Like I said, I think this guy over-reacted, (I suspect he's been burned before) but all of this might have been avoided had you taken a minute to send confirmation. Hindsight is 20/20.
posted on September 5, 2000 11:50:36 PM new
Then why don't you pull his contact info and call him up about it? Then you two can really clear the air between yourselves.
posted on September 5, 2000 11:56:14 PM new
He is blaming you for other stuff that you didn't have anything to do with. I think that's what we all do. It's his baggage - don't make it yours. Fill that crack and hold your head up - You're angry because his letter reads like he's wagging his finger at you. The guy doesn't have tact - so try to ignore his attitude and just think about how you want this to end. (IMHO)
posted on September 6, 2000 02:33:09 AM new
I think you should have taken two seconds to send an email reply. Just seems like common courtesy to me. Then the seller knows the sale isn't in limbo.
posted on September 6, 2000 06:18:00 AM new
Always reply to a seller or bidder email. My own TOS indicates that I have my bidders email me their shipping address. I will continue to send them reminders until they do--they absolutely won't get their package any other way.
This is purely common courtesy to reply. Email gets lost or stuck in the outerlimits from time to time;a reply indicates that you are communicating clearly and not ignoring the other person.
Years ago, it was considered rude not to reply to a phone call from someone you did business with. The same holds true for email.
posted on September 6, 2000 06:26:44 AM new
Well, I'm curious....did he say anything about receiving your payment? After all--you sent it 12 days ago...he should have received it by now even with the holiday weekend.
posted on September 6, 2000 07:04:54 AM new
I'm with Mballai. I request an email response with full name & shipping address in my end of auction email.
99% of the time buyers respond with their info in 3 days or less.
If I was psychic I wouldn't have a problem with buyers that send their $$ with no prior contact, but I'm not.
posted on September 6, 2000 07:06:29 AM new
Can someone please explain why everyone gets so ticked when they get the nonpaying bidder alert from ebay??? It's just a notice. People act like it's being put on their permanent record at the high school principal's office! They are not recorded if you take care of your obligation. It's just a notice to say, "hey this sale is not going as planned". And I as the seller, plan on jumping through ebay's hoops.
I actually think it's somewhat amusing. (I never let the negative emails I get after sending one to a non paying customer get to me). I usually don't even reply to the email. It's sorta pointless and their excuses as to why they haven't paid, don't feed my bulldog.
Sorta weird how they can't reply to three emails but know where to write nasty emails after receiving an alert??
How long have all of us heard, checks in the mail and never getting paid from some bidders. My last customer who received an alert wrote back nastily after promising to pay weeks before, "CA. isn't across the street from Wis! The mail takes time." Strange how his letter was postmarked on the same day and my non paying bidder alert was sent!!!
So, in the end, don't bid if you can't pay in a timely manner. Don't blame sellers from wanting to receive payment, this is a livelyhood for many people.
Take a chill pill, cool off, and come to the "Big Woods" in Wisconsin and enjoy some refreshingly cool weather - climately controlled free!
posted on September 6, 2000 07:51:16 AM new
Hi Crystalline sliver,
I agree with mballai on this one. Even though the sellers EOA notice didn't specifically request a response, it would've been courtesy to do so.
It makes things alot more difficult not to respond:
How would've this seller gotten your address without your response?
Were you planning to send your address with payment? 12 days later had you already sent payment?
Yes, your seller was misdirecting his/her frustration at you and it wasn't professional to do so.
OTOH, I'm sorry but, by this time I would've file a NPB against you too had you not responded and payment not received.
Marvey
After 3 NPB's you receive 30-day suspension, after 4 you're gone for good.
Crystalline, I'd still write or call them to try to work it out.
posted on September 6, 2000 08:06:51 AM new
I'm also curious as to the fact that this seller received payment and never acknowledged this fact. Did you include your user ID, the auction number and title, and your shipping address with the payment? If so, then I think the seller has some explaining to do, especially if your check or MO has been cashed. I do hope you responded to the NPB notice by appealing and submitting proof of payment. His FVF credit won't fly, if you did.
I was involved in a very similar situation with a video seller (wonder if it's the same one?), only I'd made the mistake of doing one of those "off Ebay" transactions when he contacted me to say he had a 2nd copy of the video I'd bid on and lost. At first he claimed he'd never received payment. When I showed that he'd cashed the MO, he then claimed it had been shipped immediately and must be lost in the mail. He finally coughed up the video when I threatened him with mail fraud.
posted on September 6, 2000 08:19:38 AM new
Here again is another example of overkill. With a little more patience your seller would probably not have so many problems. I wonder what his TOS says. I would be afraid to look. In my EOA I state-Please acknowledge by using this email with your name, address and preference in mailing so that I can get your package ready. The reason I say that is that I have put all the information in the Subject and then I have the information I need. When they answer I then get my mailing label ready and my bill of sale letter which also has all the information on it. Then when the payment comes I pack. I also like to use the same email for all the transactions so if I need to send any reminders they can read everything that I have written from the start of the buying process. I have not had one buyer that hasn't done that. If I am a buyer I immediately acknowledge their email as to when I will send the money. I think that is just being courteous an extra step I know but worth all the effort.
posted on September 6, 2000 08:38:16 AM new
Unless the EOA tells me otherwise, I always hit the reply key and send a message back to the seller letting them know I got their message and my payment is on the way (either by mail or paypal.) I also provide my shipping address.
If paying by check, I print out a copy of their EOA and enclose it with the payment so there is no confusion. With Paypal, I make sure all the information is referenced.
IMO, most problems on eBay stem from the LACK of communication, not the opposite. Common courtesy should be the rule of thumb.
*****************
That's Flunky Gerbiltush to you!
posted on September 6, 2000 08:43:19 AM new
CS - I believe I dealt with that same seller! If it is the same person, she told me that she is simply following eBay 'rules' about sending out the notices.
In my case, all was resolved, I got the tape, and have a wonderful trading relationship with the seller. She has a very high FB rating ...
posted on September 6, 2000 09:20:55 AM new
a suggestion for sellers--to ensure you get a response from your eoa, include a phrase similar to this: please reply to this e-mail with your address. be sure you don't put your address in the eoa. then they'll have to respond to get YOUR address.
posted on September 6, 2000 09:20:59 AM new
Correct me if I'm wrong, but after only 12- 14 days a seller COULD NOT file for final auction credit. He would have to #1 send out a non paying bidder alert. Then after 10 more days of nonpayment file for credit? Right? Don't all buyers receive 10 more days to pay after receiving an alert from ebay?
ASCHMITS- ebay does not suspend anyone for receiving alerts, to my knowledge. You only get suspended after a seller asking for credit on auction fees from a nonpaying bidder.
And further more, from previous posts here, it seems that ebay does not stick to that rule anyway.
posted on September 6, 2000 09:23:14 AM new
I agree that an email would have prevented this but I always wait to see if a check arrives when I haven't heard back from someone-usually it does. And the timeline was a little pinched, considering a holiday weekend.
However, I actually agree with the seller's attitude about filing for FVF and skipping the NPB. I think the only way to skip this step is to indicate that the transaction was cancelled by mutual agreement (no black mark?).
His wording was awkward but not rude. He was just letting you off the hook and recouping his fees. To him it might just be more efficient, but he also may have no interest in forcing a sale to someone who does not want the item anymore (not you in this case but he didn't know payment was on the way). I feel the same way as I don't see how it can lead to a happy customer-one of the reasons I dislike the NPB feature.
posted on September 6, 2000 10:44:43 AM new
Just understand i'm stuck in a buyer mentality right now....the seller mentality has been turned off for now.
Lately, every single seller has asked me to reply back. His never mentioned it and was the only one that didn't say. I guess I was conditioned to reply when asked, don't when not.
Plus, I was in the middle of 10 auctions that I had to deal with the language barrier. Try and speaking and juggling Cantonese, German, French and Japanese between 7 different sellers.
Also, I felt disgusted at him because he puts more blame onto me. Why he drew his past bad experences is beyond me, but surely he could've forgo the comments about the excuses done by the other bidders. This is simply not a good idea in this case.
I've asked him if her got my payment. Just wait and see....
:\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
posted on September 6, 2000 11:18:29 AM new
Well-I read the sellers email (2 times). He says he has to follow the rules. He said Step 1 is filing the NPB alert after 10 days, step 2 is filing the FVF 10 days later. Did he skip step 1 and break the rules?
uh huh. that's what i thought!