posted on November 30, 2000 04:36:42 PM
Gosh...what is a small time seller to do?? Hi all I just need to "VENT" I sold a very nice item to someone who claims it was damaged...I swear I sent it out in perfect condition, after all I am a buyer also. Well to make a long story short I offered her a refund --less postage, well she laid into me, with not oly negative feedback but slander as well. Any hints for me in the future??? Thanks.
keep pictures up on the auction until after the transaction's been completed.
for your own records, piece of mind, take front and back pictures. keep them as .jpg or .gif and they won't take up too much room on your hard drive. make the pixels no larger than 250.
posted on November 30, 2000 05:01:38 PM
When I sell breakables, I include a picture of the auction in the package. This has saved me at least once when something arrived broken.
posted on November 30, 2000 05:14:29 PM
My Advice is if you are going to continue selling get use to this kind of thing.
Mostly buyers are great even in the case of receiveing Items damaged in shipping but you run in to this type of sale one in every few 100 after a while you get to know problem sales from the frist email reply you get.
I have learned When in doubt about an Items shipping such as breakables like glass INSURE even if the buyer dont pay.
This way if the item is damaged you can just send the receipt to collect from the PO them selves after a while they will learn the PO dont refund shipping for damaged insured items either.
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
[ edited by dman3 on Nov 30, 2000 05:17 PM ]
posted on November 30, 2000 05:36:58 PM
rarriffle,
You have givin me GREAT idea, attach the picture to the EOA. I was thinking of telling my buyers to go to the auction page and save the picture, as I usually take them down a day or 2 after auction ends to make room for uploading more.
This way with an attachment it will be right there for them to see in the e-mail.
When I buy I always save the picture for comparison when item arrives.
So I can see that this would be a good thing for MY buyers.
Again, THANKS for the great idea!
.
edited for packer by packer!!
.
Having a BAD HAIR DAY! ...
posted on November 30, 2000 05:43:38 PM
What kind of damage? What was the item? Why would you not refund her return postage as well? Why should she have to PAY to return a misdescribed item? If it was broken in transit, that's one thing..hopefully it was insured and you should send her the paperwork to pursue the claim. Why go to such lengths only to chase away a potential repeat buyer and alienate them to the point of negging you? That is NOT good customer service. I'm a buyer AND seller, and I guarantee customer satisfaction. Is a few dollars in postage worth the aggravation to you?
posted on November 30, 2000 05:54:01 PM
The item was clothing -- There was nothing wrong with it when I shipped -- I believe she washed it -- and the color bleeded on the white areas.
posted on November 30, 2000 05:57:21 PM
I'm not sure that sending attached pictures in your EOA letter is a great idea. I tend to delete emails that come in with attachments, regardless of who sends them. Some email programs can't handle them well either.
posted on November 30, 2000 08:49:51 PM
I print out two copies of the closed auction pages including pictures, and enclose one copy with each package. That way the buyer has the actual description in their hands, and the pictures to compare. I list any defects I find in my auction description, and if a buyer has "forgotten" about those defects by the time they have paid and received the package, well, the print-out reminds them. So far so good (keeping fingers crossed <g>
Don't worry about it. It happens to all of us eventually. Here's what I do. If someone complains I say 'ok, you can send the item back and if it is in exactly the condition that it was sent out we will refund your money in full. Otherwise, the item will be sent back and no refund will be issued... I save all pictures including the non sized down versions so they give excellent detail and let them know it.
Most of the time we never hear back from the person. We have only had 4 returns since we started and 3 were our fault for missing something. We've not yet received a neg because of a defect...
I personally don't know of any businesses that refund shipping let alone shipping both ways.. We refund the original shipping amount only.
[ edited by outoftheblue on Nov 30, 2000 11:58 PM ]
posted on December 1, 2000 06:48:10 AMI personally don't know of any businesses that refund shipping let alone shipping both ways.. We refund the original shipping amount only.
I do. Country Curtains (excellent customer service, I order frequently from them)paid return shipping twice, one on defective merchandise, once on wrong order sent. Macy's, paid return shipping (UPS picked up) on wrong merchandise, Lands End, wrong size sent.
Gee, could it be that a lot ex-ebay shoppers are patronizing established and reputable mail order businesses this Christmas instead of the "it's a bargain, but you take a chance" ebay seller?
posted on December 1, 2000 07:56:58 AM
faithgirl -
ALWAYS keep the pictures of the items, even if you have to save them to floppies to make room. And mark items with something that can't be moved to a new item, such as a tag on a thread knotted through a buttonhole or carefully threaded through the stitching of a seam, then sealed with a bit of sealing wax.
Offer returns only if the tag is intact and the item in the same condition as the photos you took for the auction.
posted on December 1, 2000 08:06:42 AMCountry Curtains (excellent customer service, I order frequently from them)paid return shipping twice, one on defective merchandise, once on wrong order sent. Macy's, paid return shipping (UPS picked up) on wrong merchandise, Lands End, wrong size sent
These are all examples where the seller made an error...Faithgirls item was most likely damaged by the buyer. Big difference...
posted on December 1, 2000 08:17:52 AM
Meya,I was referring to outoftheblue's comments about never refunding return shipping. In fact, this seems to be the policy for many ebay sellers, even when the item was misdescribed or defective. They simply won't refund return shipping. The majority of items that I have had to return because they were defective, I've had to pay the return shipping AND insurance in order to get a refund. That's why I've pretty much given up buying on ebay. As for whether Faithgirl's item was damaged by the buyer or was flawed before it was sent, we don't know that, do we? Faithgirl says she thinks it was okay, the buyer says it wasn't. I'm not making a judgement here, because I don't know. But you are. And you don't know for sure either, do you? Yet you use the words "most likely damaged by the buyer".
posted on December 1, 2000 08:34:40 AM
Combative? Hardly. As for judgements (which are pretty much the same as opinions) why form one at all if you don't have all the facts?
KatyD
(changed syntax to plural)
[ edited by KatyD on Dec 1, 2000 08:35 AM ]
posted on December 1, 2000 08:44:47 AM
As an aside to this, I also sell clothing. I pack my items in a clear plastic bag then tape it shut, in case the out packaging ever comes into contact with water... And just to avoid any problems with my [dry-clean] only or special washing instructions items, I place a sticker on the plastic bag.
For example:
~~Fabric Care~~
Dry Clean Only
or
~~Fabric Care~~
Wash on Delicate Cycle
Lay Flat to Dry
I get the instructions straight from the tag, just so that it is right in front of their eyes when they open the package, and they might remember that when it comes time to launder the item.
Just something that I do. Oh, and once, I bought a lovely white cotton blouse from Dalmy's and it had an embroidered pattern on the pocket. I followed the care instructions to the letter and the color still bled in to the fabric... Dalmy's took it back, and put it back up on their rack, reduced but still bled out and all wrinkled. I could hardly believe it!
As for judgements (which are pretty much the same as opinions) why form one at all if you don't have all the facts?