posted on February 22, 2001 10:23:13 PM
OK, for a bit of background!
RIGHT before Christmas, a lady BIN on an item of mine... over $100. She NEEDED it sent OVERNIGHT. Christmas present for her precious little girl. Blah, blah, blah.
I lugged the box TO the post office (didn't want to estimate on a large, overnight delivery package). Got the shipping charge for her, emailed her back.
The auction SAID shipping would be $17 Priority, and overnight turned out to be $40.
Prepared the box for shipping (She'd emailed her mailing address) and waited and waited (she needed it shipped Saturday, I believe) The PO closed at 1 o'clock, so I spent most of the morning checking my emails again and again for her PayPal payment!
She'd left her cell phone #, I called, but no one answered. Finally, 12:30 came and I gave up. Emailed her that I could still sent item Monday, if she so desired.
She emailed me back saying she no longer wanted the item, as there had been a death in the family. I gave her the benefit of the doubt (although I've heard the death in the family excuse so many times, it's lost it's ZING). Simply placed a Final Value Fee refund from ebay, so I wasn't out a ton of money.
Well, it's been around 2 months now and I just noticed she placed Neutral feedback on my account today or yesterday.
This feedback says "Nothing to Say"
What the heck is THAT supposed to MEAN? Didn't her mother ever teach her that "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all?" LOL Now, I have this intense desire to neg her account (she WAS a 0-feedback, now has 3 positive) or at least Neutral her, since she didn't follow through on the transaction after all the work I did for her.
Should I at least respond to MY feedback and say that SHE didn't follow through and the transaction never even took place?
I'm so confused! I have over 400 feedback (nearing 500 now, I think) and the only neutral up to this point was originally a positive, but ebay neutralled it when that person was kicked off, I suppose. I have only 1 negative (a lady said I never emailed her after the auction ended! LOL). And, this neutral is reaaaally bugging me. I know it'll be off the front page of feedback in a day or two, but it STILL really bugs me. Should I at least email her and ask what was her point?
posted on February 22, 2001 10:29:06 PM
I'd respond to the feedback calmly, something along the lines, "??? Buyer never paid due to family crisis...transaction null". Then, I'd seriously contemplate a neg. I'm not saying to do it, but I know my finger would be twitching over the neg button. As for emailing her and asking what's up, I wouldn't even bother. I seriously doubt that you would ever get a satisfactory answer out of her.
\"Who\'s tending the bar? Sniping works up a thirst\"
posted on February 22, 2001 10:31:40 PM
I don't know about giving _her_ any feedback, though I would be tempted to retaliate.
I would definitely reply to her feedback, though. I know that when I am buying, I always check people's feedback, and if they have any neg's, I will make it so that most, if not all, of their feedback shows on one page, and then I will scroll until I see red. The black ones (neutral) occasionally catch my eye, and I will read those too. I always find that reading seller responses helps ease my mind about the bid I am about to place.
posted on February 23, 2001 06:00:53 AM
Relax, just leave a neutral. Make sure to explain that this buyer used the death in the family defense. Next time, if it was an excuse, the seller will be warned.
But, that's just my opinion,
dennis
posted on February 23, 2001 07:08:33 AM
Keep in mind, if you leave a response to her neutral, she can then leave a follow-up comment, and have the last word. Which might be nasty if you've left her a negative FB in the meantime.
This would really cheese me off! I'd be tempted to pull her phone # and ask "What the f----?" (I'm NOT recommending that!)
posted on February 23, 2001 07:19:08 AM
I would give her the benefit of doubt. Since she's a newby, perhaps she didn't know that most people take a neutral feedback as being negative -- maybe she really was just making a neutral comment. Also the "Nothing to say" might indicate that she was tired of seeing that transaction on her "Show all transactions that you have not left feedback for" page, so left that feedback to get it off of there. (It might mean "nothing MORE to say" because she felt it had already been discussed with you.) I think a response on her feedback, similar to what Koto_1 suggested, would be appropriate; but I would not give her worse than a neutral feedback, myself.
Violetta
(Not known by this nickname anywhere but here.)
posted on February 23, 2001 11:45:20 AM
LOL! I just checked the feedback SHE'S left recently (I never knew you could even DO That!)
She left the same "nothing to say" message for another seller, and they resonded saying "Of course not, you bid on an item and never completed the deal."
I think I'll say the exact same thing... seemed to say everything, without sounding too aggressive (which I WANT to say something really feisty, but figure that won't help bring in a new customer!
Oh my goodness... I just checked the Item (of the other person she left a neutral for) and it was the SAME ITEM as mine! She won BOTH with BIN and screwed BOTH of us RIGHT before Christmastime (when the item would have sold for MUCH more than it did AFTER Christmas).
Both of us sellers ended up selling the same item (after Christmas) for $20-$30 LESS than our BIN price that she "bought" it for Before Christmas.
Oh my. Now I'm reeeeaaaaaallllly angry.
Feeling a Big Red Negative headed her way.
[ edited by mattndes on Feb 23, 2001 11:46 AM ]
At least you have feedback in order to get some satisfaction... all I have is a collection agency, I can't even leave feedback....
On January 13 I receive an email asking me if I sell wholesale, rush order, they have a show coming up. So I say... maybe I can, put together some pricing. I stayed up until midnight packing the order, special trip to PO the next day, sent item per their request COD (first time ever). On January 31 I receive their check, finally, and yes, I was bummed that it was a check, not a money order. I didn't know how the COD's worked... Yesterday I find out it bounced, and I haven't heard from this lovely customer yet.... out $126 plus $15 NSF fee...
posted on February 23, 2001 12:07:17 PM
Counting my blessings! LOL I've never tried COD... several people have asked, but I've never wanted to take the time to figure it out. Sounds like I'll stick to my "just say no" policy in the future on that front.
Good luck getting your $$ back! I did a "Hail Mary" shipping over Christmastime this year. A really "nice" lady payed with electronic check with BillPoint, and it took forever and a day for it to clear (it was the first BillPoint EC for either of us! LOL). She reeeeally wanted this toy for her daughter for Christmas, and I shipped it without it's clearing the bank first. (yikes) I was a nervous wreck after I mailed the item, but my gut instinct was right about her, and the check cleared two days later (when it would've been too late for Christmas delivery).
But, I'll probably never take that chance again either.
posted on February 23, 2001 12:33:26 PM
I like Koto1's suggestion, both as a response to her comment, and as a feedback to her.
My guess is she is doing what we all suggest, checking out her "feedback not left" and leaving feedback with everyone she delt with.
posted on February 24, 2001 11:35:56 AM
Oh my! I had a seller with poor communication post auction leave me a neutral simply said "OOOOK". She obviously thought that was enough for a transaction she couldn't figure out shipping on or send a paypal request (even though she asked if I wanted to pay via paypal). I emailed her with the amount of the money order I was sending her (bid+sh+ins) and she mailed the item uninsured but since it arrived within 7 days I left her a positive. Her neutral came a week after. I simply responded to it "Thanks for the GLOWING feedback! "
