posted on January 18, 2001 09:24:03 AM
I had a buyer to end an auction with "Buy It Now" two weeks ago. According to AW, the EOA notice was sent. Two days later, he e-mailed me from an AOL address, not the address registered wtih eBay, saying he had never heard from me and wanted to pay for this auction. I replied to that e-mail with my address and the total due. Three days later, he e-mailed again (from AOL) that I had never contacted him, that he did not appreciate the way I did business, and he considered the transaction null and void because it had been more than three days. I went to eBay, clicked "Mail this auction to a friend" and sent it to his AOL address, saying that I had been trying to contact him. Still did not hear from him. Last night, I e-mailed the auction to a friend again, to the e-mail that was listed with eBay, saying that I had been trying to contact him, and was giving it one last shot before leaving negative feedback. He responded within minutes, very hateful, demanding to know why I had never contacted him. I very calmly listed the attempts to contact him, and stated that the item was still available if he wished to complete the transaction. He sent another blistering response, saying that he found it "highly suspicious" that I was now suddenly able to send e-mail, and very viciously attacking my character. He very plainly stated that if I leave negative FB or file NPB on him, he will neg me and report me as a non-performing seller. Should I just let it go, to save my feedback, which is perfect? (77 positives from 55 individuals) Would eBay take my side on it? He also has perfect feedback, but I think I see how he got it now.
posted on January 18, 2001 12:12:53 PM
Go ahead with the NPB, the FVF, and the Negative. He can report you to eBay as a "non-performing seller", but that only takes effect IF HE'S PAID and you didn't ship. You are willing, he's playing hard-to-get.
YES, he will probably leave you a negative. Don't worry ... just leave a calm response to it: "Used BIN, no response to emails, never paid, filed FVF". Any buyer who sees that will know what happened. If his EARLIER sellers had had the guts to do it, you wouldn't be in this fix.
"He very plainly stated that if I leave negative FB or file NPB on him, he will neg me and report me as a non-performing seller" ... forward that email to safeharbor@eBay as "FEEDBACK EXTORTION"
posted on January 18, 2001 12:17:47 PM
People are too afraid to leave negative feedback and that's why jerks like your customer feel they can act like that. NEG him and damn the consequences. As a buyer I never make a deal out of feedback if the person had one or two negatives as long as it doesn't seem like a continuing pattern. It's the ones who have 5-6 or more negatives that are obviously problem bidders. And I can't count the number of times I've been burned by people with previously perfect feedback. The JOB of feedback is to let other eBayers know about how this person is as a customer/seller; your job is to let them know by giving this guy a well-deserved neg and don't worry, with 77 positives and one neg I'D still buy from you!
posted on January 18, 2001 01:05:25 PM
YES, he will probably leave you a negative. Don't worry ... just leave a calm response to it: "Used BIN, no response to emails, never paid, filed FVF". Any buyer who sees that will know what happened.
Don't know if I'd use all those initials, many people don't know what BIN or FVF mean.
[ edited by GrumpynAM on Jan 18, 2001 01:06 PM ]
[ edited by GrumpynAM on Jan 18, 2001 01:06 PM ]
posted on January 18, 2001 02:06:52 PM
FIRST and immediately, go to safe harbor with copies of your e-mails ~ DEFINITELY feedback extortion (sorry for all the hollering but this really gets my hormones in an uproar). Hopefully he will be NARU'ed especially if this is not his first incidence. And a Big Thank You for helping to protect the rest of us from this bidders antics and hostility
posted on January 18, 2001 03:30:30 PM
Wait a minute, if I am reading busterblues96's post correctly, busterblues96 was unable to contact the buyer for close to two weeks. (the only mail that got through to the buyer was the mail this auction to a friend to the ebay address.) If I am wrong please correct me.
The buyer was way to hostile, but still if the buyer did NOT get any of the other emails, then the seller has to accept some of the fault. Buyer was telling the seller mail was not getting to them. Seller should have pulled the contact information after the second email from the buyer and called.
As a buyer, I would have pulled the contact information after 4 or 5 days with no contact. Then called the seller and tried to find out what was going on.
valleygirl: what bad contact information? According to the post the only mail that got through was to the ebay address.
posted on January 22, 2001 07:00:22 PM
To address the above post: The AW EOA notice went to the address registered to that name on eBay. He e-mailed from another addy (which is registered to a different user name) to ask about payment. I replied to that one. I sent a follow up to #2 when I didn;t hear from him. I mailed the auction to a friend to addy #1, but he replied to it from addy #2. I replied to addy #2, and he answered my reply. Based on that, I just find the not receiving e-mails story fishy. This guy has been on eBay three years. I think he has heard about AOL not being reliable with some eBay members and was playing that angle.
Now to update the situation. I forwarded his e-mails which clearly state that if I leave negative feedback and file NPB on him, he will neg me and report me as a non-performing seller to SafeHarbor. Their response was that this did not meet the qualifications of feedback extortion. (Well, if this doesn't, what does?) They were not in a position to determine who was justified in giving or receiving negative feedback, and basically they wanted nothing to do with the situation. I bit the bullet and filed the NPB and left the neg. Within 2 hours, he sent payment of the auction close amount plus $1 through Paypal, which will not cover postage. He also sent another vicious e-mail demanding that I have my feedback removed immediately, that he had better have the item in his hands within 7 days, or he will neg me, and that if I "mess with" him again, he will file a fraud report against me. Again, this guy has been on eBay a lot longer than I have, he should know that I can't do anything except to leave a follow up comment on his feedback. the follow up comment he left said that I did not allow the payment to arrive, beware bad seller.
posted on January 22, 2001 07:21:23 PM
I have a feeling that this guy will neg you no matter what you try and do. I would just send the money back and forget about it.
He can't file any fraud report if you don't have his money (and he was even short on shipping - what a nerve!)
If you do go ahead I think you should use DC so he can't say he never got it...
Good luck with whatever you decide - I think you're going to need it
posted on January 23, 2001 01:35:19 AM
I would send his money back and get out of it any way you can. IMHO, if you try to complete this transaction, things will only get worse.
posted on January 23, 2001 03:33:17 AM
I don't sell a lot so you can take my advice with a grain of salt but I've seen similar situations with my friends (i.e., no payment, no e-mail response, no 'nuttin until the file a NPB and leave negative feedback). IMO, he missed the boat and is just a big bully. Send him his PayPal back and calmly tell him that you attempted to contact him X# of times, including attempts through E-Bay. If he keeps up his randation of play ground bully and does neg you just comment in your feedback "Contacted buyer X times over Y days/weeks with no reply until NPB filed. Documentation available."
The documentation could be your E-Bay report or copies of your e-mail and I doubt any would really ask to see it but it does give you credibility. You behaved professionally and in a timely manner-- he didn't.
As a buyer I know that I have never been stopped from buying just because of a few negative feedback. People are difficult to please and this guy is worse than most.
So, smile, take a deep breath, let out a silent scream, eat a hot fudge sundae, and get back to making $$$$$$!
posted on January 23, 2001 04:52:38 AM
busterblues ..
He's definitely got issues. BIG issues.
I, being that I'm a #itch on well-oiled roller skates, would email him back and say that the $1.00 he included for postage will get FOUR OUNCES to him via first class mail, and ask which four ounces of the item he wishes me to detach and send.
Let him know that the postage MUST be paid within XX days or you will send a refund via Paypal, MINUS any handling fees PP extorts from you, and never want him to bid on your auctions again.
HE WILL leave a negative. Just leave a reply such as "Buyer refused to pay for shipping, payment refunded on DD/MM"
posted on January 23, 2001 05:51:04 AM
Hello BusterBlue,
Sounds as though the buyer is now trying to avoid a non paying bidder warning.
I would make a final email to whatever address seems to be getting through to this person telling them that the deal is off and that they are never to bid on any of your auctions again (with copy to safeharbor). Do the PayPal refund. Relist the item. Request the FVF credit. Let eBay deal with any appeal.
Don't worry about the negative when it appears. And it may not since this person might realize that they are hurting their own standing with eBay by negging you after threatening to do so.
If the neg does come I would make a calm and factual response. And definitely resend the emails to eBay regarding the entire transaction and complain again about feedback extortion. You might find a more sympathetic ear this time (especially so as the threat was carried out).
