posted on November 14, 2000 09:21:38 PM new
I had an auction end about a month ago and I sent out my first initial email right afterwards so that we could exchange snail-mail info. The bidder replied but did not give me his shipping address in his email. On my auction pages I state clearly that at the end of auction that I will send an email to the winning bidder and that I will require the winning bidder to respond by email and include their full name and shipping address (part of my terms of service) I let it go for a month and I sent another email, but this time I also stated if he did not reply then I would apply with Ebay's non paying bidder program. Again I asked for his full name and shipping address so that I could get his item packaged and ready to be shipped when his payment arrives. He sends me back an email and did not include his full name and shipping address and he was actually cussing at me. He was saying that his d___ check was in the mail and that his name and shipping address was on the envelope and that if I want to apply with ebay's NPB to just go ahead and do whatever the h___ I wanted to do. At this point I don't even want to complete the sale if he is going to cuss at me through email. I replied stating that it was my auction and my terms of service and that if he can't follow my terms of service then he should have not even bid on my item.
I know what you might be saying at this point. He is giving me his name and shipping address on his envelope along with his payment, so what's the problem. Well the problem is that I can't rely on any winning bidder being able to write their name and return address legibly enough for me to be able to read it to ship out their items with. Besides he is just circumventing and refusing to follow my terms of service.
Is there any recourse through ebay for handling an abusive bidder.
posted on November 14, 2000 09:40:59 PM new
No, there is no recourse through eBay for an abusive bidder. If he swore at you in email, forward the message to abuse@(his ISP) and see if they'll do anything.
posted on November 15, 2000 04:39:18 AM new
I am curious if the check had shown up with no email response, what would you had done?
No excuse for "cussing", but some people are just strange that way about their address through cyber space. Even though it can be easily found. LOL
Ain't Life Grand...
[ edited by twelvepole on Nov 15, 2000 04:40 AM ]
posted on November 15, 2000 04:55:10 AM new
When I get a payment with the only address an illegibile scrawl I photocopy it for my records and then cut the corner off the envelope and use it to address their shipment.
posted on November 15, 2000 05:38:05 AM new
i also require a return email requesting a name and shipping address. I also state that if this is not done a SERIOUS delay in shipping may occur.............
When i send my initial winners notice and they do not return the info i re email requesting it again and restate the seriuos delay in shipping statement...........
If i do not receive it then i hold the item 30 days before i ship, no matter how it is paid, except for paypal because they usually have address on the invoice.......
so far 3 people have ignored my requests and have had to wait......all 3 emailed asking where item was. I explain the error of their ways and ship as scheduled, not before.......
No negs have been left for me but i also get no feedback.....BUT i also do not leave feedback when payment arrives like i do for all 0thers......this way i have my neg left incase i need to use it for retaliation, so to speak........
posted on November 15, 2000 05:55:29 AM new
My end of auction notices indicate that I cannot give them a complete email invoice unless they email me back with their shipping address. This is so I can compute shipping and sales tax, if applicable. In other words they don't have any other option than to reply with the information. Once they reply, I give them their totals and advise where to send payment and give them other payment options as well. I know this is an extra piece of email, but it saves me the aggravation of waiting until their payment arrives for that information, as I like to have packages ready to go immediately upon payment. You may want to reword your end of auction notice.
Further, one month for payment is way too long. I suggest you add a statement about when payment is expected in your TOS.
www.xenavalloneantiques.com
posted on November 15, 2000 06:02:53 AM new
I also ask for addresses and I make a point of insisting on an emailed address. No address = no delivery. However, as we have seen in recent days, people can't read and follow simple directions.
If you have payment and a reasonably coherent address, ship. You are dealing with a jerk and it's a no-win situation. You can win the battle and lose the war if you like by filing an NPB as they have violated your TOS. However, you are in business to earn money, not to defend your TOS.
posted on November 15, 2000 02:55:37 PM new
I've recently begun withholding MY address in my WBN...
once they send me THEIR address, I pack up their item, do the math bit on the shipping and THEN they get MY address...
PROBLEM SOLVED...
posted on November 15, 2000 03:14:09 PM new
When I read some of the rules, regulations and values of sellers, I feel I can stop going to church. GOD is a seller on ebay!!!! Wow, to hold shipment 30 days is totally unforgiveable, I would just neg you and go on!
posted on November 15, 2000 06:13:37 PM new
[i]You waited a month without receiving payment? You have the patience of twenty saints.
My bet he's a deadbeat who got caught in the act.[/i]
HCQ
I will normally wait up to 30 days before taking any sort of action if I don't receive payment but any time past that and all bets are off. I have found with transactions in the past that if I don't give buyers all of the chances that I could possibly give them then things can turn ugly as this transaction has. mballai said, I am in business to earn money and I do agree with that but you are prolly right that he's a deadbeat that got caught. Time will tell if I receive payment or not. I'll give him one week to get his payment to me and then i'll NPB him. I think I have 60 days or is it 45 days from the end of auction to file for NPB.
twelvepole if the check had arrived without any email response then I would ship out his item when I got around to it. I would not deliberately withhold shipment, instead I would hold on to his package until the next time that I had to go to the post office anyways. I surely wouldn't make any sort of a special trip to the PO for someone that can't even follow my TOS.
edited to add; Not yellowstone on Ebay
[ edited by yellowstone on Nov 15, 2000 06:16 PM ]
posted on November 15, 2000 06:39:32 PM new
Understandable Yellowstone, but I can never understand why a bidder wouldn't give that info as soon as possible, because I want to make sure the seller will ship to the right address and not have the excuse "when I get around to it".
posted on November 15, 2000 06:48:57 PM new
I do not know what is going on lately. Seems many bidders are either very lax in reading Ebay's rules or they flat out do not care. I have had some that do not email after I send the confirmation email IMMEDIATELY after the sale ends, asking for their information so I can prepare their package, or they are lying to keep from paying, period. I have heard so many tales of broken pc's, dead mothers, car wrecks and other sad things where they cannot fulfill their end of the bidding, but they seem to continue to bid on other auctions regardless of these ailments. Is it just me, or does everyone see the downhill slide in bidders?
posted on November 15, 2000 08:35:03 PM new
twelvepole, I don't understand why a bidder would want to withhold their shipping info either. I can sorta understand the need to remain anonymous in cyber space, however, if this is the case then they shouldn't be doing business on the internet because as you so aptly put it Even though it can be easily found. Some people don't realise how easy it is for some people to not only get their addresses but all of their personal info through cyber space. They should stick to the catalogs for their purchases if they are that paranoid and leave us cyber-entrepreneurs alone.
