posted on November 18, 2000 10:56:28 AM
Customer won an item for 56.00 plus approximately 11.50 shipping (actual cost, it was heavy and sent Priority, insured). She sent an email saying basically that my description was misleading and she was unhappy.
I sent her an email (not nasty of course, she holds that feedback trump card) along with a cc of the auction desription, asking her to please be specific about the "misleading" part. She emailed back and apologized for her "misleading" wording and agreed that the description was indeed accurate, that she was just disappointed.
I told her she could send it back if she paid for shipping and I would refund her bid price only. She'd be out 20.00 or 22.00 roundtrip shipping, but hey, the description was accurate by her own admission.
I also told her she could sell it locally, and for a profit most likely. In any event, I don't really want it back.
[ edited by loosecannon on Nov 18, 2000 10:57 AM ]
posted on November 18, 2000 11:19:58 AM
It's hard to judge without seeing the auction, but since you both agree that the description was accurate, what you suggested sounds fair to me.
posted on November 18, 2000 11:26:24 AM
here is what I do:
I usually sell at auction all Sales Finial if the Item arrives in good condition and can prove it is as decribed.
I Remind the buyer that The Item they got was a good deal and many times can have a better Resale value then they invested .
a return and refund would only cost them and me Lost time and money in more shipping.
if they Insist on the refund they pay return shipping and since the Item got to them orginal shipping is not refundable they would get just there Item price back.
posted on November 18, 2000 11:55:00 AM
If for any reason the item is returned, it is considered a transaction not completed, it doesn't mean that it's your fault or my fault, there's thousands of things that it can happened during the trip of the item. I don't want to sound rude but, I never leave feedback before the transaction is completed, no matter what, if the buyer keeps insisting in his/her feedback I would explain them why I don't leave feedback, also I never ever put my feedback first, I always let the buyers to insert their comments first, and I always leave a similar one. Why I do this? Because eBay is doing nothing about retaliation.
Many people talk about customer service, personally I don't think that customer service apply to eSellers, customer service is for eBay itself, for AOL, Microsoft and those type of companies. If the buyers got what they expected they will be happy and will understand why I didn't leave feedback before, they just will realize that's my method of doing business on eBay, and if they got what I advertised they will come again and again and I don't have to risk my business profile, and I will keep it that way, perhaps that's the reason I have 780 positive feedback and zero 0 negs.
When I started on eBay I used to leave feedback first, then I hear about customer service, then I was afraid about being rude to my buyer, then I was scare to death when they treated me with a negative feedback if I don't do what they say, NO MORE!!! That's history. And I do everything opposite what I did in the past. If my buyer bothers me for no reason, I'll be rude as hell, and if they don't like that way and talk me about customer service, I say, listen I'm not eBay or something like that, if you pay you will receive your stuff, if you don't like it return it and you will get your money back and everybody happy, but don't ask me to leave you a nice feedback, when I know that I will not give you your money back if you don't like the item. My sales are not final, if you don't like it, return it, BUT let me tell you this, if you return it, I will have to inform eBay (FVF) that the transaction was not completed and I want my money back for the listing, after that whatever happens is between you and eBay. Basically I say that because I don't want to receive back 90% of the items I send. Why? Because there are thousands of kids out there that want me to send the stuff just to see how it looks.
At the end what I leaned is this, be always ruder if someone is rude for no reason, if there's a reason, well make it right.
posted on November 18, 2000 12:10:22 PMWhy would it be necessary to see the auction?
Loosecannon, I have read enough of your posts to know you are a reputable seller and I would have no hesitation about buying from you. But there are too many sellers out there that lie by omission, or word their auctions very carefully to make their repro sound like an antique. I guess it's just the Libra in me, I like to be sure I have both sides of the story and all of the information possible before I say "yes, you're right".
posted on November 18, 2000 12:10:43 PML.C...You were very fair, as usual. You both agreed description was correct; customer may have suffered a belated "buyer's remorse" bout. You did right. No use to be rude or nasty, which you never are..
******************** Gosh Shosh!
posted on November 18, 2000 12:17:54 PM
loosecannon, could you offer to let her copy your picture and description to resell it on ebay? That way she could get her money back and everyone would be happy. Maybe
posted on November 18, 2000 12:32:34 PM
I also agree that your solution sounds fair.
POTON Is also Right if for any reason a Item you sell is Returned this is an incomplete sale and there should be no feed back given for or from either side.
This would work in A Perfect world this is far from one people in these auction sales like to hold each other hostage to feed back.
I to use to leave feed back as a seller when I received payment but I no longer just leave feed back on payment at all the sale dont end there at all.
I dont sell no High end items but even so as a buyer or seller of a biger purchase I wouldnt even want the end pos feed back till the Item arrived well and safe and if there was any details have them worked out frist.
You're wrong my friend. I get nasty and rude at times, but it's always the other guy's fault.
Blondesense
Thank you very much for the compliment. I see what you mean, but I don't want to bring the lady's identity into it here.
Poton
We do things differently. While I don't exactly fear the dreaded neg any longer, I sure don't want one that's undeserved either. I leave feedback when they pay. Never had a problem with doing it that way. The way you do it, it's almost like holding the buyer hostage. Kind of a 'you'll get your feedback when I get mine' kind of thing. No offense intended, I just don't operate that way.
Thanks to all for responding. Lastly, she just emailed a few minutes ago and said she'd either keep it or sell it. I'm off the hook.
posted on November 18, 2000 12:41:31 PM
Sounds fair to me. That would be a lot of postage to eat. Since the buyer has agreed the description was accurate hopefully she'll be understanding. Hopefully.
Kudos on your feedback policy, I subscribe to that standard also.
posted on November 18, 2000 06:39:26 PM
[b]POTON Is also Right if for any reason a Item you sell is Returned this is an incomplete sale and there should be no feed back given for or from either side.
[/b]
I don't know. I've received positive feedback from both of my "dissatisfied" customers (one received refund, one opted to keep the item) and left positives for them also. I think it's important for buyers to know that a seller will work with his customers even if things don't go smoothly, and for sellers to know that a buyer is easy to work with if he isn't happy with the merchandise he receives. Working out problems is part of a transaction also, and if a buyer or seller believes they won't receive feedback on an "incomplete" transaction, they certainly don't have as much incentive to behave nicely.
always pickersangel everywhere
[ edited by pickersangel on Nov 18, 2000 06:44 PM ]
