posted on April 24, 2001 04:25:51 PM new
I run auctions on ebay and then my winning bidder emails contain a link to my website where I sell the same and additional items at the same price as my minimum bid. I just received this email from a customer who purchased two items. What do ya all think.
Earlier today I mailed you my check for $28.73, as instructed. Later
I took the time to click on the link to your Web site, where I discovered
that I had been cheated. It is a swindler's abuse of an auction site to
list on it an item with the
minimum bid set at the full retail price!
You may cash my check IF you send BOTH the mugs I ordered AND the
corresponding 8"x10" glossies by way of redress. Otherwise, just return or
destroy my check when it comes. Please notify me of your action.
______________________
http://www.celebrity-foto.com
posted on April 24, 2001 04:28:48 PM new
zymo: That buyer is OUT OF LINE.
You have the right to list your items for sale on eBay at any price you decide. AND... since they bid on your items and won, they are OBLIGATED to honor their winning bid.
DON'T allow yourself to be bullied by a buyer who is angry at THEMSELVES for not shopping around.
posted on April 24, 2001 04:33:13 PM new
She is WAY out of line.
BTW, be sure you don't have that link in your auctions. If she reports you, you will get reprimanded by safeharbour for having a link to a site where you are selling items at the SAME price as on Ebay, which is against the rules.
posted on April 24, 2001 04:34:22 PM new
eBay specifically prohibits you from putting a link in your auction to a site where you sell the same item for "the same or lower price" than your opening bid.
Including that link only in your EOA emails isn't a violation of that rule, and I don't think it makes you a "swindler", but I can absolutely understand why a bidder would be so upset.
posted on April 24, 2001 04:50:26 PM new
I can't understand if they were that upset about it, why pay in the first place?
If a seller is such an a$$, that they include a link to a site that has the same item for the same or lower price than the auction, I would of just written the seller, "better luck next time scammer..."
Also would of included a BIG FAT NEG!
Ain't Life Grand...
posted on April 24, 2001 05:00:50 PM new
I'm curious. Why would you risk upsetting customers by making them feel foolish? I really can't see how this is a positive action. And, as far as those who will claim "caveat emptor" and leave it at that...gee whiz! That sure doesn't leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling.
There are several easy solutions to this situation and none of them require offending valuable customers.
posted on April 24, 2001 05:44:04 PM new
I think eBays rules on this is you have to set your *starting* price lower than your website price, so I would say your buyer might have a point. (the link being in the EOA instead of the auction page makes this a *maybe* in my eyes.)
Next time start 'em $1.00 less (Or raise your website price), and then you would be within ebay guidelines. (you could still get multible bids, and a closing price higher than your website, and possibly a unsatisfied customer, BUT you will be inside of ebays pricing rules.)
Better idea would be if a buyer bids higher than your website price, kill the link in the EOA.
posted on April 24, 2001 06:00:52 PM new
Advertising the same item for less money, to a buyer of a completed auction (who is paying more), is just not right. If I got that kind of EOA from a seller, I wouldn't follow through on the auction at all. And I would leave a neg.
You don't understand why they are upset? It's like saying "Hey bidder, too bad for you! You could have got it for less, but you bid too high!"
posted on April 24, 2001 06:23:44 PM new
Zymo,
You're not a swindler, just not a real smart seller.
Why make your customer feel the burn?
Why have a link at all?
Basically if someone goes through your closing bids, if they are higher than your web site, then you aren't complying with ebay's guidelines and there is taint to your credibility.
I see stuff go well over retail. Someone mentioned that bidders must live on a desert island with no newspapers or access to price compare. That is so true at times.
To flaunt that in a bidders face ain't cool.
So much for developing a relationship with that customer.
posted on April 24, 2001 06:28:21 PM new
Well, looks to me like there weren't any winners in this auction.
Customer has right to be upset. I would be. You would be, too, I'll bet.
Why rub it in their faces? So you reeled one in, if you really want to run a good business & a good auction, either can the link, or start your auction bids at a reasonable opening amount (and personally, I don't think $1.00 less is a reasonable opening amount), otherwise you are using eBay just as a retail venue, but trying to fool people into thinking it is something else.
Start it at half or at maximum 60% of your retail price. Even start it lower as long as you aren't under-cutting your cost, you will likely bring in more bidders, and while you won't always get that retail price, you will move inventory, will add to your cash-flow, and the better opening bid will probably attract more bidders, so you will have a greater chance than at present of actually exceeding the retail price you posted.
posted on April 24, 2001 06:35:28 PM new
Capriole...I don't think ebay is concerned with the ENDING price being higher than the seller's website...ebay's rules concern the starting price of an item..ie., I have a widget listed on my website for $5 so IF I have a link to my website in the auction I have to start the widget at no more than $4.99.
Ebay can't logically concern themselves with the ending price being lower as the seller has no control over how high a bidder will bid. I can start an item on auction at $25..and list it on my website for $75. I can't be held accountable for breaking an ebay rule if the bidders bid the item up to $95 (well, logically I shouldn't but who knows LOL)
posted on April 24, 2001 07:16:36 PM new
You may want to consider changing your web site price now, to be just 1 penny higher, or just delete the item from your web site.
I generally open my Ebay auctions for essentailly the same price as it is on my web site. Althrough the web site prices are xx.99 and the ebay opening bids are xx.95.
And I do have a link in the auction. I think it is important to have a link because then the bidders know that they could check.[I do get sales from bidders who were outbid during the auction, and go and place the order throguh the web site]
So if I get a complaint, and it is rare, I always say that you should check the web site prices before finalzing your bid. But my position is that Ebay rules are Ebay rules.
Most of my items sell for close to the opening bid. If an item does get bid up very high, I will occaisaonally remove the item from my web site, or raise the price to avoid hard feelings. Then I put it back 1 week later.
posted on April 24, 2001 07:28:24 PM new
I am the original poster. Some clarifications. I do NOT have a link in my auctions, I used to but got a warning from Ebay about using Ebay as an advertising platform and I removed the link a week ago. My price for the items in question on my website is 9.99. My starting bid price in auctions is also 9.99. I have Buy It Now available for 10.99. I am in actually using Ebay as a Retail sales venue and am not looking for run up bids, I would rather sell more at the regular price. I use the extra dollar from BIN to offset Ebay fees. My upset customer used BIN for two items at 10.99 each. About half of my auctions close with BIN used. When I send out my end of auction emails, I include a link to my website, I got lot's of website orders after auction sales from the same customers. My intent was not to "rub it in", but to sell as many of these items as I can, I make them myself. I get many repeat customers, this is the first instance of upset customer over pricing issues. Comments ????
______________________
http://www.celebrity-foto.com
posted on April 24, 2001 07:43:47 PM new
I have been reading ebays rules and I think everyone comes out with a different idea. Mine is that the item on your web page either has to be different from ebay or if the same the price has to higher on your webpage. I took that to mean even when the auction ended it had to be lower than your webpage. If I was a buyer I would be upset if the same seller sold me a widget that I could have found cheaper.
posted on April 24, 2001 07:50:40 PM new
zymo: I agree with others in that it's not real smart to disclose to your bidders your minimum acceptable sale amount, especially in such a direct manner (link to the info in your EOA email).
That said... If your web price was $10.00 and they bid $30.00 then maybe I could see their point. But this customer is giving you a hard time over 2 dollars. I give you full permission to tell them to get bent.
posted on April 24, 2001 07:54:47 PM newComments ????
1. Be prepared to be flamed (not by me, but others will flame you).
2. Stop trying to get something for nothing. If you're using eBay to advertise your website, honor their rules and charge (marginally) less on eBay than you do on your site. One penny should do it.
3. Don't put your customers in a situation where they're going to get mad at you: Set your Buy It Now price to the same as your retail price; not more (why penalize those customers for buying it from you where you're advertising it?).
I use the extra dollar from BIN to offset Ebay fees.
This one deserves a special comment ...
Advertising is a cost of doing business. If your retail price doesn't cover your costs, increase the price by 50 cents (you said that 50% of your sales are through your website, so that should do it). I don't know where so many people got the idea that their item's selling price is a "gross" profit.
posted on April 24, 2001 07:55:41 PM newI'm curious. Why would you risk upsetting customers by making them feel foolish? I really can't see how this is a positive action. And, as far as those who will claim "caveat emptor" and leave it at that...gee whiz! That sure doesn't leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling.
There are several easy solutions to this situation and none of them require offending valuable customers.
This isn't a valuable customer and business isn't about warm fuzzy feelings.
posted on April 24, 2001 07:59:27 PM new
Here's the actual wording from the ebay guidelines:
Additionally, please follow the linking guidelines, which do not permit:
links to other auction-style trading sites links to sites offering the same merchandise for the same or lower price links to sites offering merchandise prohibited on eBay
Note it says OFFERING the same merchandise for the same or lower price.
So long as your website price is higher than your starting price on ebay, you should be fine in meeting ebay criteria for linking WITHIN YOUR AUCTION.
I also don't list in my auctions, but include my website w/my EOA. For the items I sell on ebay, my website price equals my BIN price which is usually 10-25% higher than my starting price.
zymo
First, I think your customer was out of line in their language. I, too, wouldn't be a very happy camper but I'd be more likely to pay you, then never deal with you again.
You may be driving some sales to your website, but you may be driving away a lot more with this type of pricing scheme.
If I were you, I'd set my website price at my BIN price. That way, customers won't feel like they've been had.
You say it's the first time a customer was upset...it's more likely it's the first time a customer openly voiced their displeasure. And if there's one, there's been others.
posted on April 24, 2001 08:02:00 PM newbusiness isn't about warm fuzzy feelings
He said he has "many repeat customers" so he clearly understands the value of happy customers and the repeat business they can bring.
The bidder's tone was unduly harsh considering the amount involved, but I still feel that a measure of anger was justified.
zymo should judge for himself whether he wants to tell this customer to "get bent" or to offer him some kind of appeasement to generate goodwill and possibly future purchases. The cost of that is $2, but as I said, it's his decision.
You should take a look at your total sales of similar items and the number of buyers who have complained. If you have sold 500 items and this is only your first or second complaint, I would suggest that you finish this transaction as quickly as possible and then forget it.
If, on the other hand, you've had 500 sales and 50 complaints, you might want to re-think either your pricing or webage advertising approach.
posted on April 24, 2001 08:18:33 PM newYou say it's the first time a customer was upset...it's more likely it's the first time a customer openly voiced their displeasure. And if there's one, there's been others.
posted on April 24, 2001 08:44:57 PM new
Everybody who says "EVERY customer is important" hasn't really had a difficult one yet. Once they do, they'll be cured of that particular (peculiar?) belief.
posted on April 24, 2001 08:55:59 PM new
mrpotatoheadd,
True, so true.
But setting your BIN price higher than your website price, then directing those customers to your website to see they just overpaid for the item in the hopes they'll be SOOOO thrilled at this tidbit of information that they'll want to order MORE from you isn't exactly the best marketing technique I've seen either.
