posted on September 21, 2000 10:56:40 AM new
Are you sure he was telling you you had the wrong auction or was he telling you he had the wrong auction, i.e. he mixed up his auctions and sent you a check he shouldn't have?
posted on September 21, 2000 11:03:41 AM new
Personally, I'd cash the check, wait to make sure it clears and then send the item. You could probably even call his bank and ask them to verify funds on that account before you deposit it. You're more likely to get the money you already have in your hands than to wait out another check from this person.
posted on September 21, 2000 11:09:21 AM new
IF YOU ARE THE BIDDER WHO WAS INVITED TO THIS THREAD, THERE WERE ALLEGATIONS HERE THAT YOU HAD LIED ABOUT YOUR TRANSACTION WITH THIS SELLER, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE TITLE OF THE THREAD.
WHEN NOTIFIED THAT YOU HAD BEEN INVITED HERE, THE SELLER REMOVED ALL OF HER OFFENDING COMMENTS.
HOWEVER, IF YOU READ THROUGH THIS THREAD, YOU WILL SEE SOME QUOTES FROM THE SELLER IN OTHER PEOPLE'S POSTS, AND I THINK YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE GIST OF WHAT SHE WAS SAYING.
THE SELLER HAS REQUESTED THAT THIS THREAD BE LOCKED, AND IF IT IS, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND DIRECTLY. HOWEVER, YOU ARE ALWAYS FREE TO START YOUR OWN THREAD IF YOU WILL LIKE TO RESPOND TO THE ALLEGATION THAT YOU LIED ABOUT THIS AUCTION.
----------------------------------
my original post:
If you do not hear back from him, it might be because your correspondence with him was rude and condescending.
[ edited by amalgamated2000 on Sep 21, 2000 05:31 PM ]
[ edited by amalgamated2000 on Sep 21, 2000 05:34 PM ]
[ edited by amalgamated2000 on Sep 21, 2000 05:42 PM ]
posted on September 21, 2000 11:18:22 AM new
Yes, you were factual. But, in my opinion (and probably your customer's as well) your wording was rude and condescending.
Maybe you don't realize this, but typing in ALL CAPS is considered the same as yelling. If that's not rude, I don't know what is.
posted on September 21, 2000 11:18:35 AM new
Hi Valerie ...
Just out of curiosity, when you get a cheque that bounces, how do you handle it? Does your bank charge you for this, and if they do, is there any way you can recover these costs? It's bad enough that you're getting burned by bad buyers, but it would add insult to injury if you have to pay too.
I don't normally accept cheques either, but I have had several people ask me if they can pay by cheque.
Thanks
PS - amal ... caps are usually considered yelling, but I think in these types of cases, they can also be used to emphasize a point. Many people are not able to send or read HTML text - for these folks, bolding and underlining are not viable options for stressing something.
posted on September 21, 2000 11:24:44 AM new
You must find this guy totally exasperating!
I have had only one bounced check out of hundreds and the customer made good. I now state a returned check fee in my auctions.
It's really up to you whether you want to dig in your heels on this one or not. I'm not sure it's worth it especially if the item is for a small amount. What's the payoff (or liability) if you did it your way or just cashed the check and shipped when cleared?
posted on September 21, 2000 11:38:50 AM new
"Revenge" is not part of my business. I don't know on what lines YOU are thinking though???
I asked him to REPAY with a VALID payment method. The choice is his! If he doesn't pay I will file FVF. If he does pay, I'll ship out his item! Where is the revenge in that?
posted on September 21, 2000 11:49:07 AM new
In my view, 13 days after auction close is pretty quick to file the NPB alert with eBay, particularly without a friendly reminder prior.
I also found your email reply a bit abrupt, but that's just me. It doesn't cost you anything to be friendly, ya know? Folks screw up, and I get about 1 in 20 payments without an eBay number. I just figure it out and move on.
What would I do? I'd cash the check. Your risk is minimal, and it's probably the most efficient use of your time at this point. I've had maybe 2 bounced checks out of about 1,000- both made good right away. So I don't know why you were having such terrible luck with checks. Who knows, you might gain a repeat customer!
Finally, if you really feel that:
"I'm sick to death of these bidders not taking the time to read - or reading the ad, and then making up their OWN terms. Doesn't fly with me. Either abide by the terms or DON'T BID!"
maybe it's time to push away from the computer, and take a break. "These bidders" are your customers, and they can be your best asset if you treat them right. And ya know what, they don't all read the fine print. That doesn't mean it's a personal affront to you and your terms.
Be friendly. Try bending your rules now and again for a bidder. It won't kill you.
posted on September 21, 2000 11:59:49 AM newmagazine_guy:
I have been selling on ebay for over 2 1/2 years. I have over 3000 positive feedbacks and my negs are less than 1%. I certainly don't need to be told how to run a business. And I *AM* friendly to my customers. I wouldn't have gotten this far if I wasn't!
BECAUSE of all the deadbeats I get (at least 10 per WEEK) I have changed my terms in the past couple years.
My auctions say NO CHECKS. This means "NO CHECKS"! I state "Payment is required within 10 days of auction end". After 10 days I file NPB alert. NO MORE begging these bidders for payment. I am through with the dozens of "friendly reminders" begging them and reminding them to pay. BESIDES - the NPB alert is only a REMINDER to pay your ebay seller. I give them 10 more days AFTER that to pay. THEN if I don't receive their payment by the 20th day, I NEG them, and RELIST. Enough is enough.
posted on September 21, 2000 12:19:07 PM newI get this in response:
Sorry, wrong auction.
Did you consider the possibility that by saying "Sorry, wrong auction", he meant that he sent a check by mistake while he was making payments for other auctions along with yours?
Sometimes, bidders are dealing with more than one auction at a time, too.
posted on September 21, 2000 12:27:03 PM newI have been selling on ebay for over 2 1/2 years. I have over 3000 positive feedbacks and my negs are less than 1%. I certainly don't need to be told how to run a business.
I suppose that after I've been on eBay for 2 1/2 years and reach the 3000 positive mark, then I can send rude emails to customers and rebuff a little friendly advice from a fellow seller too. Hmmm... I can't wait...
posted on September 21, 2000 12:31:43 PM newabingdoncomputers:
If you bother to look at my feedback you will see that my customers say I am VERY easy to work with and VERY friendly. Over 3000 of them! Feel free to check them out... or would you rather want to believe that I am a mean and rude seller?
If you believe that you don't have to bother to read a seller's terms before you bid - or if you bid and then try to CHANGE that seller's terms - then you have no right bidding!
posted on September 21, 2000 12:34:44 PM new"Sorry, wrong auction" is not a very good response!
Perhaps not. If it were me, I'd have emailed him again if I wanted clarification. I don't know if my interpretation is the correct one in this situation, but I'd be willing to give the buyer the benefit of the doubt, at least until he proved to me that he didn't deserve it. Everybody makes mistakes.
Of course, you're certainly free to reach your own conclusions, and proceed accordingly.
posted on September 21, 2000 12:35:05 PM new
Valerie..yes, you have a right to INSIST the customer abide by your rules. And since you have done at least 3000 transactions in the last 30 months it can't be denied you are experienced at selling...but, I think you are taking this WAY to personally!
What would it have hurt you to have written your CUSTOMER a note that said politely...
"Hi X
I recently received a check as payment for an auction. The check did not have the item number or any other information as to what the payment was for but upon putting on my detective cap and doing some sleuthing, I believe this is payment for item #xxx that you were the high bidder on X date.
The check has the name of XXX at Someplace, USA on it. Am I correct in thinking this check is from you?
My auction terms are "no checks accepted". I know we all can make mistakes at times and overlook the "fine print" so I'm sure that is what happened this time. I know other forms of payments can be an inconveinence for the customers but due to a number of bad checks I have received, I have been forced to make a "no checks" policy.
I would appreciate it if you would send a money order for the amount due. I will then return your check with the item when I send it.
Thanks for your cooperation in this matter and thank you for bidding on my item."
But if it had been me..I would have cashed the check and sent the item. The old saying "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush" would have seemed appropiate.
By the way, I'm surprised also that you have had such bad luck with bounced checks. In almost 5000 transactions I have only had two bounced checks..both made good immediately by the customer.
posted on September 21, 2000 12:38:30 PM new
If I were the customer and I had a seller ask me to send more money before they would return the check I sent I'd be a little concerned. What's stopping the seller from cashing both my check and my money order???
Yes, that would have been a good letter to send him. But with all the deadbeats I get every week, and all the CHECKS I receive every week (from bidders not READING that I don't accept checks!) I have really just had it!
I don't ask a lot of my customers. I ask that they don't send a check. I ask that they include an item number and/or email address with their payment, and I ask that they pay within 10 days (even though I give them at least 20 days).
In all the times I've had to hold the check until I recieve the correct payment, not ONE person questioned me about keeping the check while waiting for the correct payment. (And there have been a LOT!) Probably because they looked at my feedback and realized I was a very reputable person who was not going to rip them off.
posted on September 21, 2000 12:56:17 PM new
Valerie...this is not meant as a put down of you. But...
Customers who do not read are a fact of life. Customers who don't think and forget to include the item number or item description with their payments are a fact of life.
People are imperfect, even us sellers! To expect perfection from your customers puts you into the postition you find yourself now...angry, resentful, feeling put upon. You are creating potential health problems for yourself by not accepting the realities of dealing with the public.
You can't MAKE people act the way you THINK they should. You can't make people toe YOUR line. The only success you will have if you continue like this is succeeding in giving yourself an ulcer!
Chill out, accept people as they are. Accept that people won't read your TOS. Deal with it in a pleasant way, without getting yourself all bent out of shape.
No matter how much you want it, the world will never conform itself to how YOU think it should be.
posted on September 21, 2000 12:56:49 PM new
Valerie - wasn't personal. I would definately weigh the sellers feedback against my overall feel for the situation at that point. Heck, I recently sent cash to Australia for a couple of items I bid on, because that was the only payment that person accepted. I read his feedback and all of his other customers (except for the one who decided that the sellers TOS didn't apply to him) left great feedback and specifically mentioned that the cash thing was no problem. I was nervous but it turned out the be fine. Depends on the situation.
posted on September 21, 2000 01:17:58 PM new
Many of us have received truly 'rude' and sometimes even threatening responses. I am not trying to take sides here, but can someone explain to me which part of Val's response they consider rude?
If it's the caps, I believe I have already explained why I use them. The same reason I sometimes put a (!) at the end of a sentence, or place a <word> in brackets. For pure text, you are limited in the way you can emphasize something. How many of us have used something like %$##@ to make a point? Obviously, the use of caps here has the desired effect based on how some of you feel about it - got your attention, didn't it!
If it is Val's choice of words to her buyer that you find offensive, I still fail to see the problem. She even used the word "please" in her email to the buyer!
If it is Val's choice of words to this group, then I suggest that I have seen (and done) a lot worse than this. She is obviously frustrated, not unlike the gazillion PayPal users who were taken for a ride.
Amy - what you suggested is what I read in Val's response. Basically the same words but in a different order.
posted on September 21, 2000 01:40:38 PM new
Valerie47:
With a feedback of 3000+, you are obviously doing things right. But the fact of the matter is that your 3000+ feedback is irrelevant when you send an email such as the one that you sent to this bidder. This particular email was abrupt and condescending. This may very well be an aberation from the thousands of emails sent by you prior to this one, but this one is indeed rude.
If you expect every bidder to follow every term of your TOS every time (which they of course should do), we will be reading a lot of threads similar to this one.
And yes, regardless of your feedback, you should return the check to the buyer before requiring a money order. While your feedback may well be a sign that you treat your customers right, with all due respect, how is this bidder to know that he won't be your first "victim"? I'm not accusing you, far from it. But if you step down from your seller stool for a moment and look at it from a bidder's perspective, you can see where there might be a problem. If a seller told me that my check would be returned after I sent a money order, I would consider the seller to be less than trustworthy, regardless of feedback.
