posted on October 29, 2000 11:35:14 PM
Recently I had an auction end, 10/1/00 to be exact so I e-mailed the winning bidder & they e-mailed me back to say payment is on the way. In my description I state "Payment must be received no later than 10 days after auction ends". On the 11th day still no payment, so I e-mailed them telling them I've not received payment & also had safe harbor send a reminder. They e-mailed me back to say in big bold letters that payment was sent, that its somewhere in the mail to give it a few more days. Today is 10/29/00, still no payment. So I left negative feedback. After leaving negative I went in to check to see if they had more negatives, & sure enough they had received 2 negatives in the month of October for the same reason. About an hour after leaving negative feedback I received an e-mail from this person that reads HELLO.
I SENT YOU EMAIL AND TOLD YOU THAT YOUR PAYMENT WAS SENT TO YOU. BUT I CAN NOT HELP IT IF IT IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MAIL.I CAN NOT WALK IT THE DISTANCE TO YOU TO MAKE SURE IT GETS THERE. AFTER IT LEAVES MY HANDS IT IS IN THE HANDS OF OUR GREAT AND WONDERFUL GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE. SO YOU DO AS YOUR HEART IS CONTENT, IT WILL NOT HARM ME ONE BIT! THERE HAS BEEN 46 PEOPLE OTHER THAN YOU THAT I HAVE DEALT WITH THAT KNOWS THAT I HOLD UP MY END OF THE DEAL, FURTHER MORE IF I HAD NOT WANTED YOUR PLATE I WOULD HAVE NOT BIDED. SO IF AND WHEN YOUR MONEY ORDER COMES TO YOU, YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND IF YOU STILL WANT TO SELL ME THE ITEM. I DO NOT CARE NOW ONE BIT WHAT YOU DO. I WILL HOLD MY TONGUE BECAUSE I AM THE ONE THAT HAS TO LIVE WITH MY
CONSCIENCE.I KNOW THAT I HAVE DONE RIGHT BUY OUR DEAL AND IF YOU CAN NOT TAKE MY WORD THAT YOUR PAYMENT HAS BEEN SENT THEN LET ME KNOW AND I WILL CANCEL IT AT THE POST OFFICE AND WE WILL FORGET THE DEAL , AND YOU CAN GO BACK TO EBAY AND LEAVE ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR MINDS OPINION! AND THEN IT WILL BE YOUR LOSE AND MY GAIN TO GET MY MONEY BACK FROM THE POST OFFICE AND SIT BACK WITH A FEW DOLLARS IN MY POCKET AND NEVER WORRY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH YOU AGAIN. I HAVE LIVED UP TO MY END OF THE DEAL. LIKE I SAY I DO NOT WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT! SO THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY EXCEPT I DO MY BEST AND I DO NOT HAVE TO ANSWER TO NO ONE EXCEPT THE HIGH POWER ABOVE! MY CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR. (DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU!) I TRY TO LIVE BY THIS. WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Should I respond? or just forget about it. If you ask me I accept paypal, they could have paid that way. I've never had to leave negative feedback on anyone until now, but I feel as if this person put me in this position & now they are blaming me. Any response would be appreciated.
posted on October 30, 2000 03:49:08 AM
Did you notice that the person that "bought" your plate is no longer a registered user? Thank you for helping to get him/her OUT of the Ebay world. lol
posted on October 30, 2000 04:17:18 AM
Given that bidder had already demonstrated his rudeness by not paying on time and then BSing you about whether he sent payment, I'm not surprised in the least at the tone of his email.
Of course, a lesser person would be sorely tempted to email him noting that his NARU indicates that apparently several people have NOT felt that he "holds up his end of the deal". But I know you're above that. Fun to fantasize about, however
posted on October 30, 2000 04:23:24 AM
It doesn't matter what someone says, it's what they do. You did not get your payment. File for credit. End of story.
I'd thank the bidder for their email...if that...otherwise back to work.
posted on October 30, 2000 04:38:24 AM
That sounds exactly like something my ex-sister in law would write. Believe me, your better off just leaving it alone. Don't write back, just let it drop.
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."---Mark Twain
posted on October 30, 2000 07:29:47 AM
IMHO, people who write emails filled with grammatical errors, mentioning higher powers, all caps, etc., when discussing a business deal are head cases. I forward them to a buddy for laughs.
I wouldn't answer, and if your email has a block feature, block her/his email address.
The Bidder says: He'll sit back with a few more dollars to spend. YEAH BUT WITHOUT THE PLATE YOU ARE CRAZY ABOUT THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN CARE THAT YOU GOT A NEGATIVE FEEDBACK.
At this point what this buyer wants is the plate. At this point he doesn't care the negative feedback, once he gets the plate he'll give you a negative feedback, then will complain to eBay that he paid. And he wins! So my advice to you is, don't answer back and claim your money back for the listing. But that time he'll be with a negative feedback, he will have to go to the post office, wait in line and cancel the MO, he also will have one warning in his account for no paying, and the best of all is: That he finally learned his lesson about responsibilities when bidding. So you win!.
What I don't understand is: Why people put on the description, payment should be received within 1, 3, 7 or X days after the auctions ends. The buyer should pay as soon as the Auctions ends. Keep in mind that bidding is the easiest part and paying is the hardest part; And when you give this type of TOS to your buyer(s) you are giving extra days for payment, what is that mean? It means that many of the buyers don't have the money yet, but they think by the time the auction ends and by the extra days you giving them to pay, they think they will already have the money, so they bid. But 3.4 or 5 days after the auction ended PLUS the 10 extra days you give them to pay, it's about 15 days, so when it's time to pay they realize they have to pay the rent, ConEdison, the cable, telephone, etc. etc. Now if he's a kid he'll say no way it's $5 bucks they will think twice again and again before paying, after all they just will think that he bided more than 15 days ago so there will be no problem.
My tip is: Never put this in your description: Payment should be received in 1, 3, 7, 10 or X day. The buyer should have the money ready before bidding, and he should pay as soon as your auction ends. But if you give them extra days to pay, forget it, you always will have problems before you get paid, and your negative feedback will increase.
posted on October 30, 2000 08:43:23 AM
You did the absolutely right thing...I recently had a major deadbeat who bid on 22 of my auctions, after much delay, sent a $370 check which was then returned by the bank for NSF. I negged her 22 times, she has now been NARU'ed....since have heard from another seller who didn't have the nerve to neg her applauding my actions. Bottom line, is we are all responsible for our actions...and for getting the too-many deadbeats NARU'ed from Ebay!
posted on October 30, 2000 08:59:09 AM
>But if you give them extra days to pay, forget it, you always will have problems before you get paid, and your negative feedback will increase.
My experience says otherwise, and I am convinced that there are a lot of slow payers who turn into deadbeats because they have little to lose--- they are discouraged by inflexible sellers to communicate a shortfall of cash. After a couple of negs on their fb, they see that they might as well not pay anybody, because they are going to be naru'd. Then they go into panic-noncommunicative mode when they are overwhelmed by dunning notes.
One can almost see it in the happening in their feedback....(when good buyers go bad)
I communicate to my slow payers that I will happily wait for payment, as long as they stay in touch.
But I really would like not to have soooo many customers who have sick kids, sudden illnesses requiring hospitalization, as well as well as emergency trips out of town and emergency surgeries. It would be refreshing to have a slow payer say they came up short at auction time, but they are good for the money...
Tough love and doesn't work all that well with kids, I can't see why people assume it works with assumed adults.
And even when I do have a real deadbeat, it is so rare that I can't get all that excited. It is one of the prices of doing business....and it is more trouble than it worth most of the time to invest much time in them.
posted on October 30, 2000 10:31:44 AM
When I get a really wacky email from a deadbeat, I respond, "Thanks for the reply." That ticks them off more than an irate answer, because they were ready to aim another crazy string of sentences in your direction and you just took the wind out of their sails by being polite. I always, always answer politely so they never have any claim that I am being the agressor. And I save all of my responses just in case they claim otherwise. Works in the real world as well as the virtual one. Meredith
posted on October 30, 2000 10:59:53 AM
I'm not planning on contacting this person, but if the money order does arrive, I will write on the outside of the envelope "Return to sender" & leave it at that. But I doubt if this person ever sent payment at all. Its such a shame that there are people in this world that act this way. When I win an auction, as soon as the seller contacts me with the cost, I go out that same day & purchase a money order & drop it in the mail. I bid because I saw something I wanted & I would like to see & hold it in person as soon as possible. I hope I don't run in to anymore deadbeats, I know alot will laugh at that quote, but all I can do is hope. Thanks everyone for your comments & suggestions , Have a nice day Paul
posted on October 30, 2000 03:13:34 PM
merrie: I like your attitude! I had a similar problem at work, and dealt with it as you said--worked like a charm to be perfectly polite to someone who as acting like an a**, trying to blame me for his own screw-up. Every time I received one of his silly emails, with what he thought were cleverly pointed barbs, I'd respond VERY rationally and politely ("Thanks so much for your email. As I emailed you yesterday, we could find no record of your final payment. However, if you'll send me documentation I will be sure to personally see that your account is brought up to date. Sometimes mistakes are made at our end, and I do apologise if we have messed up your record." After a few replies like that, he--thankfully--went away, I think after realizing that his pledge (we're a non-profit group) hadn't been fulfilled. But in the meantime he was trying to convict us of sloppy bookkeeping, etc. As I say, by retaining an almost robotic "politeness," I was able to make him (and his complaints) basically disappear. eBay isn't exactly the same, but I think sometimes politeness "works" when folks are getting really cranky and are almost ASKING for cranky emails in reply. It takes the wind out of their sails when they get a polite answer to an email they think is "crafted" to sting. Plus, you gotta wonder about someone who can spell "conscience" but salts his/her email with mind-boggling spelling and grammatical mistakes. I'd say you have a nutcase.
posted on October 30, 2000 03:21:28 PM
Edited to say (where's the old edit button?!) I meant part of my reply to merrie, but part to beaversmall, too--the part about having a nutcase, or at least someone who thinks he or she can ring your chimes with what THEY think is a devastating email.
posted on October 30, 2000 04:28:35 PM
I can almost handle the delays in payment. However, I had auctions end on October 1st for .99 items (I took a chance with no reserves and lost). On October 15 when I still hadn't received the money, I emailed both bidders. I was told they would send payment immediately. Of course, their idea of immediately and mine were two different things. Last week, when I finally received payment, I almost sent both back their money. Not because they were late, but because they lied to me. I would have much preferred, I am sorry I forgot to send the payment, than, the check is in the mail.
The other irritating thing was that these two items cost me $10.00 each - they got them for .99 and waited almost 4 weeks to send me less than a dollar, plus postage. I was furious. However, I sent the packages out anyways, but their feedbacks are going to reflect my feelings about their lack of payment promptness.
I also agree with another poster's comment. When you are bidding, you should already have the money to pay.
www.xenavalloneantiques.com
posted on October 30, 2000 04:35:27 PM
I had an auction end on the 15th, the bidder replied to my EOA and said he would send out the payment on the 20th and asked for my address. I sent it to him that same day. On the 29th, I had not received anything, so I sent him an email asking him to get in touch with me about payment. He immediately replies that he had sent it the day before.
On the 30th, he sends me another email saying I had never sent him my address, could I please send it.
I somehow managed to refrain from asking him how he had sent payment on the 28th if he did not have my address. But it was hard.
"Western culture has practiced imperialistic conquest, racism,
slavery, persecution, intolerance, and oppression. So has every
other culture in the world. Only two things remain to be explained.
First, why was the West so successful at it? Second, why did
they repent?"
posted on October 30, 2000 04:38:29 PM
poton...you wrote, The buyer should have the money ready before bidding, and he should pay as soon as your auction ends.
In the case where either a personal check is sent or Paypal is utilized, I agree with you. However, if the seller insists on a money order, you can't purchase it ahead of time without having the exact amount including postage, which the seller should communicate in their EOA. It may take a day or two for someone to get to the post office to make their MO purchase.
beaversmall...don't feel you have to reply to each customer. Sometimes silence is the best response. In this case, there is not much you could have added to the conversation, so better things are left unsaid.
**********************
That's Flunky Gerbiltush to you!
posted on October 30, 2000 04:39:52 PM
Kindness and courtesy can really kill an argument. What else is there to say to "Thank you" than the customary "you're welcome."
to xenav, if I have an auction end way below value and the person does not respond or pay within a reasonable amount of time, I relist the item, they are out of luck. By reasonable, I mean 3-4 days to respond, allowances for weekends, and 10-12 days to receive payment. Now if the auction went especially well, I will allow more time. If they got a bargain, they should be eager to pay and get the item. If they went a little overboard on the bidder, there may be some bidders remorse and need to be handled more gently. Meredith
I almost did relist the two items. However, my husband (the usual one to read everyone the riot act) convinced me not to make a big deal out of a .99 transaction. I tended to agree. What really ticked me off was the second payment arrived after I unpacked the item, threw away the invoice and packing. I did not want to go through packing it again.
I will never, ever sell an item without a reserve again or at least a minimum bid that I can accept. Taught me a lesson, I guess.
Agree also that if I was getting a bargain like these two bidders did - I would crawl to the post office on broken legs to make that payment. LOL
posted on October 30, 2000 05:13:28 PM
I wouldnt get tangled up in the flameing Email and feed back either over this.
But I will say this mail was slow this month I just got two payments post marked on 9/18 this is still a long ways from a 30 day delay you have here
WWW.dman-n-company.com
I agree it is not worth getting in a fuss over .99, but it really wasn't .99, they were worth more than that and also you time and effort. The few bargains I have gotten on ebay, I couldn't wait to get my payment in the mail, I wanted to take no chances on losing out.
What can you do it, it is a crazy world. People bid, lose interest, but if the bid went low, I do not keep reminding people, it is their loss. Meredith
posted on October 31, 2000 01:02:24 AM
Do we all have the same bidder?
My current "fun" bidder won the auction for $1.49 on 9/19. Yeah, well over a month ago. On 10/19, after a couple of friendly reminders, I NPB'ed her, sending a copy of the original e-mail with her total and all correspondence to date. She said she'd ask her post office what happened to the first money order she sent. Hmmm .... Okay. (How would her post office know?)
Several days later, no response. I e-mailed her again, including (again) all correspondence to date. She replied that her post office had no idea where her first money order went (imagine that!), and that if I'd send the total again, she'd send another money order. (Keep in mind, now, that I had been sending all the pertinent information in each and every e-mail! )
posted on October 31, 2000 02:56:00 PM
At least they responded!! Emailed winning bidder on my auction & they deleted all 3 of them--now I have to wait 10 days before I can relist the item (which doesn't seem fair to me)
