posted on January 10, 2001 06:23:25 PM new
It does not matter what your auction terms are.
It does not matter what your EOA email states.
Bidders do whatever they want and just won't bother to read your words.
I have re-written my TOS and my EOA emails so many times I've lost count.
I *used* to accept personal checks. Because of all the bounced checks I received (SEVERAL!) I no longer accept them. (And haven't in over a year)
I *used* to accept Paypal and because of their underhanded, scheming and lying ways I closed my account with them several months ago.
I used to state in my auctions and EOA emails "Sorry we don't accept Paypal or Personal Checks" and listed the other 9+ methods I did accept. I would still get Paypal payments and check payments in the mail. (More Paypal than anything).
I later thought that maybe it was confusing having the words "Paypal" and "checks" in my auctions and emails. So, I cut that out and changed them again.
My auctions do not mention Paypal or Checks at all, they just list the payments I accept.
I still got Paypal payments every day.
I changed my emails so they wouldn't mention Paypal or Checks. Still got Paypal payments and on occasion personal checks.
So, my last attempt was not to put either in my auction, and in my EOA email to state in very large letters "SORRY, WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL OR PERSONAL CHECKS".
Well, today I've received 3 Paypal payments and an email saying "will send check tomorrow".
There is just no getting around it. They just don't read. You'd think when sending a Paypal payment and it says "unverified" or "unclaimed" in their outbox that it would give them a clue that I don't have an account.
posted on January 10, 2001 06:33:17 PM new
Yeah, if there's one thing eBay doesn't need, it's all those bothersome bidders. Too much hassle, let's get rid of them all. If there's no bidders, we can then concentrate on complaning only about Vero. We definitely won't have to worry about PayPal anymore.
posted on January 10, 2001 06:41:34 PM new
Since a personal check realistically takes 3 weeks to "bounce' (at least mine did) maybe you can say "Items paid for by check will be shipped after 3 week delay for check to clear. "
Might scare some of them away from doing checks.
But if you put it in the Auction TOS it might scare a lot of your bidders away too!
posted on January 10, 2001 06:45:16 PM new
I thought that posting pictures would help the illiterate bidders, but it doesnt seem to. I was selling a device that lets you plug your camcorder into your computer and grab snapshots. The title was "make your camcorder a digital camera." The first sentence was "You dont need to spend hundreds for a real digital camera. If all you want is a way to get photos on the Net, this device lets you grab images from your camcorder." I had a photo of the device and sample photos it grabbed. I explained that the photos were not very high resolution but suitable for posting to the net. High bidder wins for $40 (half of what I paid) including free shipping and then complains that he thought he was getting a real digital camera.
Another seller once posted that he sold something called a scooter card for TWO CENTS and the bidder complained because he thought he won a REAL SCOOTER.
When folks claimed that today's software is so simple to use, even a moron can surf the net, they weren't kidding!
posted on January 10, 2001 06:45:59 PM newBarrelracer: I haven't accepted checks in over a year and I don't ever plan on taking them again! They were a nightmare. One month alone I had 10 bounced checks. (And my bank charged me $25 per bounced check!). Some did not pay and I had to report them to MadAgency.com for collection. I still have a couple outstanding who never paid at all. It's just not worth it.
The checks aren't my biggest problem. It's these buyers who pay with Paypal. I mean - when they pay it even tells them that I don't have a Paypal account - but they don't read that either, I guess. I want nothing more to do with Paypal. I accept several other payment methods - Achex, Billpoint, Bidpay, Ecount, Exchangepath, PayDirect, Cash, Money Orders, MoneyZap. Out of all those, they decide to use PAYPAL which I don't even accept!
posted on January 10, 2001 06:49:04 PM new
understand what you're dealing with, ExecGirl, as I don't take checks either. I don't have anything negative stated in my auctions, I just don't mention checks. When I send my eoa email I state "if you'd like to pay by credit card, I am registered with the following secure online services..." yadda yadda yadda. And then go on to say "Or, if you'd prefer to send a MONEY ORDER,..." yadda yadda.
Some people still send a check. It seems strange to me that there is ANYTHING WHATSOEVER there that would lead a perfect stranger to believe that I'd like to have his/her personal check, but they sure do!
posted on January 10, 2001 06:50:07 PM newKathy: You are absolutely correct - everyone has their own opinions and I will gladly listen to any points of view. But I don't think sarcasm is quite necessary. We are all adults here and should be able to express our opinions without sarcasm from other members.
posted on January 10, 2001 06:50:14 PM new
ExecutiveGirl,
Well I agree with you on the paypal. Because I say I take cc in my auctions, a lot assume I have paypal. So they beam payments before I even send the EOA. (I mean, you have to sleep sometimes! )
Luckily I have not had trouble yet, I just email and say I do not have a paypal account and they can cancel the payment.
posted on January 10, 2001 06:53:13 PM newSharkbaby: Exactly! I know someone who sells on ebay and only accepts Money Orders because she feels that's the safest way to accept payments from people you don't know. It states "MONEY ORDERS ONLY" in big, bold letters in her auctions and also in her EOA emails.
posted on January 10, 2001 06:56:40 PM newYisgood: I thought the same thing with the pictures.
I had a chart with picture icons in my auctions of all the payment methods I accepted. Thinking "if they don't see a Paypal logo they will know I don't accept it".
So much for that theory. No matter how clear it is.. makes no difference sometimes.
posted on January 10, 2001 06:59:26 PM new
I had a guy to whom I sold quite a few pieces of open stock cookware on several auctions and, through the entire process we shared a lot of emails. Of course, I mentioned (regarding pmt) MONEY ORDER or the credit card thing. Well, he sent me a check. Now this was well over $300 so, being the paranoid cynic that I am, I was sweating it for a couple of weeks PLUS had to babysit this huge pile of stuff for him to boot! Man, when I finally sent it all out I had half my room back!
posted on January 10, 2001 07:10:06 PM new
Dont feel lonely execgirl....I get emails asking if I take paypal, and if they bothered to READ THE CAPS STATING I ONLY ACCEPT CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS, this wouldnt be a problem. But, alas, they dont
Maybe if we put it after every other sentence? Like:
This dress is made by blah blah (I DONT TAKE PAYPAL), and the bust measures yadda yadda (I ONLY ACCEPT CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS), and the waist is (NO PAYPAL OR OTHER 3RD PARTY PAYMENT PLANS). This dress is made of (CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS ONLY...ARE YOU READING THIS???) rayon and would look lovely at any function (HELLO??? DID YOU READ THAT STUFF UP THERE?^)
posted on January 10, 2001 07:20:35 PM new
This is what I send in email IMMEDIATELY when the sale is over:
Aloha! You are the winning bidder on this item and your total due is $XX.XX, which does not include insurance. If you want insurance (I recommend it), add another 1.10 cents. Payment is due within 10 days, please, in the form of CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS or CASHIERS CHECKS ONLY. Please confirm sale within 3 days of this notice, along with your name and shipping address.
It goes on with my mailing address and if its a regular customer, I send the same thing, but at the top, I put in more personal stuff like YO GIRL, HEY GIRL! YOU WON! sorta stuff. And I still get "do you take paypal?" from new customers. My reply is always polite, but Im growling at my monitor.
posted on January 10, 2001 07:22:53 PM new
execgirl- I agree with you. And it's not about what you do or do not accept, but that sometimes the bidders fail to read and then follow the terms.
I must admit that I did that myself right before Christmas. I was so excited I found my Granny the perfect gift. I normally read the terms, and all the terms, but failed to this one time. She only accepted one method of payment and with an online payment service I wasn't signed up with. I didn't realize this until auction was over and I got her email. So what did I do? I said well next read the terms, signed up with the online service and beamed my money.
Maui- I have to tell you that I'm glad to see you here tonight! As always I enjoy reading your posts.
posted on January 10, 2001 07:23:00 PM new
Yes, you probably would get that question, no matter what you said or did. I had one gal who seems very nice, but sheesh...shes way past 10 days and keeps asking if she can paypal the money since shes late. I finally said to her that if she would quit asking me to accept paypal and sent a check, it would have been here by now.
posted on January 10, 2001 07:23:12 PM new
Years ago in a cinema class the teacher told us that in the 1960's a cola company imbedded a picture of an ice cold bottle of cola in the feature film. It was only on the screen for a nanosecond. This was to "suggest" to you that you were thirsty, without you even knowing you saw the photo.
Too bad you couldn't do that in your auction TOS. A "No Checks or Paypal" flashing in their brain without them knowing about it.
posted on January 10, 2001 07:30:48 PM new
THe following is the beginning of my TOS in each auction I have running. Cant be more clear than that, eh?
[b]READ my policies in my ABOUT ME PAGE BEFORE BIDDING.
I only accept CHECKS or MONEY ORDERS ONLY. No other payment plans accepted, so please dont ask me to.[/b]
Ooooh...I think we are on to something here. How about a midi of MONEY with the CaCHING'ing in the background? NO PAYPAL, BID HIGH, NO PILLPOINT, BID MORE...
posted on January 10, 2001 07:31:36 PM newBarrelracer: EEEEK! OK, forget the subliminal messages! You are right! That would be just my luck! I'd get a zillion bids and everyone would pay with bounced checks and Paypal!!
No thanks, I have enough headaches as it is... LOL
posted on January 10, 2001 07:33:42 PM new
Reminder to self: Never post a sarcastic comment on AuctionWatch. Insulting is OK, but sarcasm is going too far.
posted on January 10, 2001 07:37:46 PM newMaui: I used to have my terms on my "ME" page at one time but changed that when I read a thread once about how bidders won't bid on auctions where their TOS were on another page outside of the auction (they were afraid the sellers would change the terms after they bid).
My terms at one point were also a paragraph to a whole page long. They are now 4 very short sentences. I think it's helped my bids - but I just can't figure out anything
to get the bidders to understand NO PAYPAL and NO CHECKS.
