posted on August 10, 2001 05:37:12 PM
I mainly sell on Ebay and now I know why. I've had a rash of sellers not responding, not able to write a concise, polite email, etc.
Example: my son buys a widget on a dutch auction. Bids $12 but the lowest winning bid is $8. After waiting FOUR DAYS to hear from the seller, she trys to charge $16 ($12 + $4 shipping)
When I politely point out to this seller the rules of dutch auctions, 2 days later I get a 4 word reply, "Your total is $12". Not a word of sorry I made a mistake, sorry I wasn't paying attention, thanks for your business, NOTHING, just the 4 words.
Example: I bought a widget at a very good price on Aug. 4th. I use the term 'bought' loosley as I have yet to hear from the seller. I paid immediately with Paypal in response to their automated Paypal EOA, and send an email to the seller saying so..no response...sent a 2nd email 2 days later...no response. Today I tried 'ask the seller a question'...no response. I'm beginning to think they don't want to sell at this price, but too bad! You win some, you lose some! (As I well know...)
I know the seller is around as they responded to a neg they recieved yesterday...can't do that automatically!
I could go on but I guess you get the idea...my point is, with bidding as thin as it has been this summer, wouldn't you want to treat your paying bidders better?
posted on August 10, 2001 05:57:34 PM
I am sorry to say what has happened to you doesn't surprise me.
I mainly sell too but I have been doing some buying recently. My experiences are about the same as yours and I have been shaking my head wondering how these people manage to sell anything.
One person finally answered a message with "I am too busy to answer individual emails. The terms of my auctions are spelled out on the auction pages."
Another sent a message that pretty much said I run my auctions as I see fit. I sent an EOA with instructions and if you don't follow them I will leave negative feed back.
I was asking when I would receive the item I had paid for by credit card 14 days earlier. Not an unreasonable question after 2 weeks. The fact that the reply really had nothing to do with following instructions makes me think this is a canned answer that gets sent out too. No wonder bidding is way off.
Yes, good question, "What *IS* the matter with Sellers?"
I won an auction that closed July 2nd. I rec'd an automated EOA notice, which I paid via Paypal. Nothing heard back from Seller as far as payment rec'd or when to expect shipping. Ok, I am familiar enough to know some Sellers don't bother with those notices. So, I wait...and wait...and wait...write emails to Seller after waiting 2, 3 and 4 weeks with not receiving the won item. No response from Seller to any of my inquiries.
I was forced to file a "Buyer Complaint" with Paypal to meet the "within 30 days" rule. Send a refund request to Seller via Paypal as well. Again, nothing.
On the 35th day, I filed a Safe Harbor complaint. FINALLY, i get an email from the Seller's relative saying Seller is on vacation until the 17th of August! To date, other than that message from the relative. I have no item to show for the dollars I sent nor any other information.
Another Seller never sent an EOA--I inquired 4 times over a two week period for an invoice and opayment information. After the fourth email I get an email back that says "Pay $XX plus $5.00 shipping" That's it! No apologiy or explanation as to why it took over 2 weeks and 4 emails to get info--and then not even so much as where payment should be sent since this was a MO only transaction.
Yep, yep, for every complaint against the Buyers the Sellers may have, there are Buyer complaints against Sellers too.
I have had a Seller send the wrong item, not send an item at all (after 70 days still waiting), no responses to emails, no EOA, and those that send right away but never leave feedback. I have also been spammed by Sellers doing "research" <cough, cough> seeing that I purchased an item they also have for sale and wanted to "extend a pre-auction offer to me" to purchase it before they list it at a "much higher price". Oh joy! This summer has been terrible!
It must be the heat.....the humidity...vacations....or perhaps having the kiddies home is finally getting to some Sellers, eh?
Despite the gripes and moans, eBay has the finest Sellers anywhere--and the best deals. A little hassle and frustration just adds to the fun of it. I am REALLY looking forward to the Fall however.
posted on August 10, 2001 06:15:32 PM
Did these sellers have decent feedback? Seems like with such lousy service, they would have some neutrals and negs to tip off bidders. I wonder how many negs they don't get because buyers who are also sellers (and who are not using a different ID) don't want to risk retaliatory negs.
posted on August 10, 2001 06:20:39 PM
Smw--I was wondering the same thing. Just how do these people stay in business? I may appear a little peeved here, but I'm basically easy to deal with! What happens when these sellers meet up with a picky bidder? Oh, and too busy to answer emails? Perhaps they are in the wrong business...
Triggerfish--Yes, it's true! I have several bidders respond 'thanks' to my usual 'your item is shipped notice'. Now I think I understand.
mitzee--You're a lot more patient than I would have been. And I'm looking forward to the fall, too!
In my case, the Sellers had decent feedback; some even flawless! Must have been me <shrugs>
One Seller had feedback less than 40 with one neg. Wasn't too bad so I felt it was a good risk.
Who wudda thunk they would turn out to be nightmarish. Just goes to show you that feedback rating is not a sure fire way to insure against the foul-ups, bleeps & blunders.
I use different Seller and Buying User ID's on ebay. Mostly for convenience sake and to keep things sorted. Pssssst, also to keep the "prying eyes" of the Love of my life, from discovering my purchases!! LOL Ooohhh those "secret" UserIds are so much fun to use
posted on August 10, 2001 07:55:03 PM
So far I have only participated as an Ebay buyer. I have to admit, that every 6-months or so I go through some sort of phase where I just shun all my financial responsibilities. When I pulled my head out of the sand this go-round, I found that I had neglected to follow through and pay an auction from 19 days previous. I had written at that time that I would be mailing payment within a couple of days. (In my mailbox, I found the notice that Ebay sends – the one the seller had sent must have been inadvertently deleted) I wrote the following (it was not in response to any follow-up inquiries from the buyer).
--------------------------------------------
Dear Seller -
A few weeks back I won an auction of yours for 5 widgets. I'm not sure what happened, but I never processed payment to you - life here has been topsy-turvy and this particular transaction fell through the cracks, somehow. I do so apologize. You can tell by my feedback that I'm usually very prompt and I do try to be a responsible buyer.
I've lost any initial correspondence between us - According to the auction
page, you only accept checks and money orders?.. Please provide me with
your name and address again and I'll get payment out to you post-haste.
Again, I'm terribly sorry that you have had to wait for this payment.
Thanks for your understanding –
-----------------------------------
in response she sent only her name and address – no embellishment. That’s fine, it’s all I really needed.
I wrote the check, addressed the envelope.. put it in my tote bag to mail from work the next day – and completely forgot it. 4 days after providing me with the address, I get this e-mail… this is it in it’s entirety – no greeting.. just: (cut/past)
-----------------------------------------
how hard is it to send 6.25? why did you say you were 2 times and still not
send it, i mean its not alot of money for 5 widgets, i already have it packed
in you name and everything, im sure you dont want neg. feedback.
-----------------------------------------
Well.. it had only been 4 days since I wrote her, and I was very tempted to lie and tell her it was in the mail, but after some consideration, sent the following:
------------------------------------------
Seller - You are completely justified to be miffed at me - I have no real excuse except to say that I’m just in a very ditzy-headed place these days.
And you are right, I don't want negative feedback, and I do take responsibility for waiting so long to send the check. Life has just run me over lately. I really am not a deadbeat buyer - have just had too much going on and my head is in a spin. I've actually written the check and addressed an envelope and have it in my tote bag - will leave work early and take it to the post office. I need to buy stamps. (actually, need to leave right now to make good on that promise)
So off I go... thanks for not posting neg yet - I do appreciate it.
-----------------------------------
And I did go straight to the post office. I wouldn’t be boring you with all this correspondence, fellow posters, except that I saw this thread 2 days after mailing, and earlier today found the following feedback from this seller (it’s been 2 days, I don’t think she had time to receive it – it was across country). I was fully prepared for a neg feedback, or at least a neutral – and I guess I really deserved it, although I feel that the Seller was not very responsive to my apologies.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the following feedback:
Praise : Fast payment...Smooth ebay transaction...Thank you...A +++++
Well now, I’m not sure what to think. I’m tempted to believe that she got rather slap-happy with multiple responses – boy, did I luck out.
Even though I was in the wrong, I do feel the seller was less than professional. I’m curious to know how any of you would have responded to my mail.
Rosie
*There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
I found your emails refreshingly honest and charming Life does happen outside eBay and sometimes, all the well-intentions in the world still can lead to forgotten, delayed or missed payments.
To me, the Seller was a bit short & rude. I understand that can happen (and often does!) with late payments--but honestly now! Just like it should not present too big of a hardship for you to pay up on the $6.25--likewise it should not present her with too much of a hardship to wait for $6.25!
I would have expected a neg from this Seller. I am sure the feedback she left for you was a "mistake"--how sweet it is
posted on August 10, 2001 08:05:15 PM
I keep it professional. With people who do everything right, I might be more personable, but I try to count to ten (or twenty or a hundred) before I even start to write an email that might be unprofessional. I'd say the worst I've been is abrupt - and that is after sorry excuse after sorry excuse and then being shorted on the shipping.
posted on August 11, 2001 08:03:14 AM
I recently sent a question to seller before bidding, asking whether his stamps were usable US postage, or just decorative, or collectible. His reply:
HI
THESE ARE STAMPS
That much I knew. I rephrased the question and learned they were foreign.
posted on August 11, 2001 09:38:50 AM
I can understand that you want high standards, but do you realize when you set high standards there will always be people who can't always hold themselves to it? You may be asking, "But, this isn't a lot to demand a prompt, friendly reply!" It is a lot to demand of someone all the time! For exmple, most people would "never" steal, and they would also believe that the people who do steal be locked up, but the majority of people would steal from their employer, maybe a pen or a stamp, and feel it's justified.
Is it possible these sellers are having a bad week? I've personally seen a rise in difficult buyers since April, and it really tests my patience. I can see why some sellers may break away from their standards and not respond accordinally, after all there's no boss standing behind their back if they don't respond properly and they can't get fired.
So look in the mirror and see when you have not kept up to societies standards, or even our own before passing judgement on others.
[ edited by quickdraw29 on Aug 11, 2001 09:44 AM ]
I understand what you are saying, and I agree. I have days when I don't feel like lugging 50-10 packages to the post office, and yes, I will wait until the next day (which I usually regret!) But, when the seller has a TOS that are strict, as so many do, {payment must be receive in 10 days or npb will be filed and negative feedback will be left} and then they take 2+weeks (or in some cases, months) to mail your item, and give you NO hint of whats going on, then I feel that the buyer has a right to be tee'd off.
Also, with some of these situations, standards don't even apply. The seller's behavior is flat out appalling. Customer service...it is truly, unfortunately, becoming a thing of the past.
posted on August 11, 2001 10:24:55 AM
Everday I see "nice" people do very objectionable behavior, and that makes me angry too, but remember, good behavior does not come natural, it is a learned behavior (think back to kindergarten being told to behave). While we have to keep encouraging higher standards, it is mostly a lost cause to expect everyone to adhere to it. How many years were spent in school learning to spell, and to do math, but a lot of people still can't do either very well.
Dealing with the scenerios posed with ebay sellers, since it is not technically a moral dilemma whether someone doesn't say please, or they don't respond within three days, the only real solution that will ever see results is the carrot on a stick routine- in retail terms it is called repeat business. Reward the good sellers with repeat business, and the bad with no return business.
posted on August 11, 2001 11:13:45 AM
I just use a buye it now to this auction. E-mail this seller ask for her shipping addresss. She in turn sent me e-mail regarding her other auctions. Trying to sell me her other stuff. All I want is her mailing address to send her the payment. I still have not hear from her. Some of these seller defenitely need improvement on their selling skills.
I have several bidders respond 'thanks' to my usual 'your item is shipped notice'. Now I think I understand.