posted on March 22, 2001 01:58:53 PM new
Hi All-
I've been buying and selling on eBay since 1998 and I love it! Unfortunately, I've had a couple nasty customers which make me upset enough to give it up.
I just sold a high-end designer suit (which is what I specialize in) for $400 to a new eBayer. He paid via PayPal, and 2 days later e-mailed to see if I shipped. Well, we had a snowstorm the day before, which prevented me from shipping. Since it was Sunday when he mailed, I said be shipping on Monday. He writes back to say he "checked my city on the Weather Channel online and there is NOT a snowstorm." I thought it was obnoxious that he didn't believe me, but nicely told him that the storm was a day before.
Okay, so the guy receives the suit 3 days later, and writes an e-mail stating "I received the suit today. It is not the same suit as in picture. I am returning this suit and I want full refund." (his grammar, not mine!) Then, literally 2 seconds later, he posts negative feedback! Before I had a chance to respond! I wrote him back, stating I would accept the return, but why didn't he wait for a response before negging?
I know this guy is a newbie, but I am furious over this! I have over 500 positive feedbacks, and most of the people I sell to are so nice. But what can I do?
Does anyone else have stories of nasty customers that they's like to share?
posted on March 22, 2001 02:09:59 PM new
Just curious... why would you bother to refund money at this point? You know you'll never have him as a customer again... and he's already given you a negative. If you delivered what was promised, there is no reason why you should have to return the money. Maybe it will teach him not to leave negatives so prematurely (and at least you'll have $400.00 to show for your negative!)
posted on March 22, 2001 02:15:40 PM new
Was it the same suit as in the picture? If it is, I would email him back that you would be happy to give him a refund as soon as he retracts the Neg FB (not likely). I had a guy do the same to me over broken sleeve button. It was an honest oversight, but he accused me of lying about the condition.
posted on March 22, 2001 02:16:11 PM new
Why refund? because he can file a claim through Ebay and only lose $25. and then seller can be suspended for sending different item than pictured.
Ain't Life Grand...
posted on March 22, 2001 02:18:12 PM new
I thought about that - but basically he said the suit is coming back (whether I liked it or not) Hence, I feel obligated to refund him. But I can still leave a scathing negative, right?
I just think the guy had buyers remorse for spending so much. The suit was brand new - he couldn't complain about the condition. It's ludicrous that he says the suit "isn't the one in the photo." I take 4 pics of the suit AND describe it in the text.
posted on March 22, 2001 02:18:31 PM new
Oh Yea. Last week, got payment no auction number, no description, nothing but it was for an amount that I knew exactly what it was for. I shipped the item.
I get e-mail, received item, you over charged me for postage, it was not what I bid on. I trust you will make this right.
By the time I got the e-mail I had been negged.
I explained that if they had sent anyone else a payment like that they would have got anything. I told I shold have sent them an old chicken bone since it did not say why the sent me the money. Why did I send the wrong item if I was so darn sure I knew what to send for that price. They over paid me by $1.75, they were so new they did not know how to use the paypal form. They filled in the total price then the shipping (which was 1.75) and it totaled a item I have sold about 1000 of.
So I got #4 againsed me now. Oh well, life will go on.
posted on March 22, 2001 02:25:45 PM new
Twelvepole:
As stated on ebays fraud form, the suit would have to be "signifigantly different" from the picture to warrent a fraud claim. I doubt that ebay would side with the bidder on this. It sounds like HuckFinn is right about it being a clear case of bidders remorse. I still say keep the money! (AND leave a scathing neg... it's good for the soul!)
posted on March 22, 2001 02:28:17 PM new
When I started selling, I never negged people - now after having so many deadbeats and jerks, I get a sick thrill out of doing it!!!
posted on March 22, 2001 02:55:09 PM new
If she doesn't refund his money, can he do some sort of chargeback with Paypal? I dont sell anymore but that was always a fear of mine in that someone would get buyers remorse and find a way to "get" their money back if you didn't refund them. And in this case, I would NOT! Normally, perhaps, but not after they negged you first! Sheesh.
posted on March 22, 2001 02:59:15 PM new
You should have sent him the button and some thread & a needle. Not a whole spool of thread, just about a foot of thread. HA!
posted on March 22, 2001 03:05:17 PM new
I have a winner. Customer purchased a pair of vintage jeans and dumbly I sent out end of auction notices when I was tooo tired and made a math error on the total, got all the numbers right, but subtracted instead of added. Before I could even type a new email, He immediately teleported the paypal payment for the figure I misquoted. Tried, but to no avail, to recieve the amount for shipping that I was out. He would reply, "Got your message". Which was pretty maddening, I even attempted to send out the jeans as cheap as possible, but it was only a five cent difference between priority & surface.
After three months he gave me a postive, "Got a Great Deal", he sure did, wouldn't it be nice if everybody got free shipping & seven dollars less than your bid amount. When I sent those jeans out I vowed if he ever left feedback I would neg him for not paying the amount owed. The guy has a 275 positive feedback, but I think he's a weasel.
posted on March 22, 2001 03:44:40 PM new
HuckFinn - You don't have to accept the package just because he is sending it. When it arrives, simply refuse it and it will be returned to him.
noteye
My thoughts on this issue have gone 'Un-Surveyed' and may not be of importance to the P.T.B.
posted on March 22, 2001 05:08:07 PM new
I totally agree with noteye! Write on the box in marker...*return to sender*. follow that up with an email, (you are the driver here Huck, not the driven, and in the email I would say....*Thank You for bidding on and winning my acution. I have looked and re-looked at the auction description and the photo, and find that I in no way, either misrepresented the item, nor sent you anything other then was pictured. I fear this is a case of Buyers Remorse on your part, and I do not allow free previews of items bid on and won. If you are not happy with this item, I suggest that you list it on Ebay and enjoy your nice return on it that I am sure you will get. This is my final decision, and a business decision that must be made. Also please take the time to re-read what feedback is all about and the correct way to post it. Your action was most premature, and not at all accurate. In closing, please to not bid on any of my auctions in the future.
Thank You XXXXX
c/c safe Harbor
And then call his bluff, and send a copy of this to safe harbor. Also, go in and respond factually to the neg. Do NOT refund. MHO
posted on March 22, 2001 05:23:29 PM new
If he paid by credit card or through Paypal, Billpoint, Paydirect and probably a few others, he will be able to make a chargeback once he proves he shipped it back, whether or not you accept or refuse it. That's the big problem with credit cards. Customers are king.
My nastiest customer (until yesterday) won a bid on an item then immediately posted negative feedback "I found it cheaper somewhere else." I had already emailed him that his bid was a bit high and I would give him a discount when I saw the feedback. So I emailed back that I didnt want to deal with him at all. He later discovered (as I already knew) that the other place was out of stock. It was a very popular item, just before christmas and I had been on a long waiting list to get it. So he emailed me that he was ready to deal and I told him tough luck. I had no problem selling my stock.
Yesterday's nasty takes the cake. I sell OEM monitors (monitors made by a famous brand but carrying a private label). I had a 17 inch monitor with 5 year warranty for $170 on my site. He ordered it after several emails back and forth. Then he sends me an email saying "From now on I will ask about the seller's country of origin. Your kind has been ripping off folks" on and on. His complaint is that he expected the see a famous brand label. I thought that between the clear listing on my site and the emails back and forth, it should be very clear that it was a private label monitor. I reminded him of my excellent feedback (one negative over a year old against over 200 positives), that I have sold hundreds of these monitors and the praise can be found in the feedback. I forwarded him an email from the private label where they stated that they have a contract with the famous brand to make the monitors and also told him that I did not understand his comment about country of origin since I had been born here. I offered him a full refund if he returned it or a $15 rebate if he kept it. He has decided to keep it but has sent me two more insulting emails since. At least he bought this direct, so there won't be any negative feedback but he did say that if he saw me on ebay, he would bid on my auctions just to neg me.
posted on March 22, 2001 05:36:01 PM new
Huck>
*Buyers remorse. I do not allow free previews.*
And wait a bit on that feedback. Give me your email. I would rather give you advice privatly, if you don't mind. CC or not, he will not get away with it.
[ edited by furkidmom on Mar 22, 2001 05:38 PM ]
posted on March 22, 2001 05:43:06 PM new
Unfortunately, I've been rating about one a week in the "Buyers that make you want to quit" category. Actually, I love eBay so I don't want to quit just yet but these bidders actually make me say *outloud* WTF?!?
My Latest ~ time frame & history:
auction ended 3-15, EOA sent 3-15, pmt received today(Thurs 3-22), "Got Your Pmt" email sent 3-22 giving 3-23 shipping date, posted positive FB (the NEWBIES first).
Response To "Got Your Payment" eMail: Hello, WEll glad to hear from you.(aint my gramma or spelin) I wish i heard from you earlier.(I wish I had gotten your payment earlier) I wanted it for Friday (so why wasnt the MO purchased until Monday 3-19)so i would send you more money (perhaps you could have included a note, sent an eMail, paid earlier, etc) for you to have it sented over night(first I've heard on it). My daughter has a date(is this a rare occurance?). She was so wishing it came today(Wish away, I just got the MO today!)(she won't be naked, it's only perfume). I sure do have plans (uh-oh, PLANS ?!?)on putting a postive feed bak on you(I'm not feeling real confident about your "PLANS"). You are a very neat person(neat as in cool or neat meaning not sloppy?)(how would you have any idea about either of those). I am so glad that i ran across that(ran across what? My being neat?).
Thanks,BIDDER
What kind of response does that get?
I'm not even sure what it says!
[ edited by chepistar on Mar 22, 2001 05:45 PM ]
posted on March 22, 2001 05:50:02 PM new
chepistar> aaaaahahhaahahhaahhaaha I just squirted coffee all over my monitor reading that one.....Priceless...just priceless....
Write back and say...*So nice having you for a customer. Tell me a bit about yourself, would you? And have a nice night!
posted on March 22, 2001 05:55:10 PM newChepistar, that is HILARIOUS! Granted, I may not think so if that arrived in MY inbox, but it's just killin' me! All I can say is at least they are nice (I think), and not hollering about their tiny wrists and huge bust!!!
posted on March 22, 2001 05:56:59 PM new
Huckfinn First mistake you made,and its a big one .Do not allow them to take control. the damage is done.I would not give a refund after this person has given you a neg. As for paypal, did you ship with d.c.? That would give you proof of shipment with pay pal.I too would refuse the parcel if it shows up. Ah yes, a steel backbone is a great thing to have.
posted on March 22, 2001 06:05:54 PM newHuckfinn, sorry, Chepistar's letter cracked me up so much I forgot to answer your question!!
I would leave something like, "Buyer gave me a neg before I had a chance to offer refund" as a response to his feedback on your feedback page, and as his negative feedback. Or something to that order. I would mention the refund offer, that turns a negative into a positive, and ends up making you look better. I won't bid on sellers auctions that have bitchy responses to feedback. I like simple, unemotional and to the point- it makes the seller look good.
Good luck!
[ edited by chepistar on Mar 22, 2001 05:45 PM ]