posted on September 29, 2001 05:37:19 AM
Or hardly ever.
I look at an auction. It says see description for payment options. Only BidPay is mentioned - and the fact that she doesn't take personal checks. I email the seller for clarification. And get the dreaded, "As my auction states....(mention of MO's & cash)," in response.
Double check the auction to see if I missed it. Nope. Item is not a must-have. Delete bookmark.
I almost emailed back, but you know what? Why help the competition when they act like that? I've helped and gotten help from other sellers, but this one needs some manners.
If a buyer asks me a question, I always go to the auction to see if I forgot to address it. The day I think I can't make any mistakes is the day I hope someone gives me a big heads-up that I've become insufferable.
posted on September 29, 2001 07:18:16 AM
Well, gee. She only takes money orders and cash.
What's so hard to understand?
You seem peeved because this seller *didn't* make a mistake so you could point it out to her. And because she doesn't conform to your desires for payment options.
posted on September 29, 2001 08:11:43 AM
Does her feedback bear out her response to your innocent question?
If not, maybe she was just having a bad day...we all do, some more than others lately, unfortunately...
Personally, I look at every questioner as a potential buyer and I'll walk a country mile barefoot in the hot California sun to avoid being rude to buyers...
But there are some occasions I'd like to be....
Pat
grammar
[ edited by camachinist on Sep 29, 2001 08:13 AM ]
posted on September 29, 2001 08:14:25 AM
Check the top of the ad, above the description, where it says "Payment Options." Most bidders tend to overlook the information.
posted on September 29, 2001 08:52:15 AM
Not to be catty, but the original message stated rather clearly that above the description it stated 'Check item description' for the payment options.
This is a pet peeve of mine. Unfortunately, I'm not kind enough (or, rather, I don't have the time) to stop and e-mail everyone that doesn't include the necessary information in their auction. I can't count how many auctions I've seen that say 'Check item description' for shipping AND payment only to find /nothing/ about shipping OR payment anywhere in the item description. For that, I just move on and look to find my item elsewhere.
posted on September 29, 2001 09:22:32 AM
"Her auction states (paraphrased so no search can be done). "I take Bidpay. I don't take personal checks." That's all. "
This was an ignorant seller who doesn't know how to write. If you are going to say what you DO take, say it all (not just "Bidpay". The seller left it unclear whether s/he took cash, money orders or paypal. And FYI, some sellers DO NOT like to have cash mailed to them, others DO NOT use paypal.
Sadie's question was not out of line - but the seller was.
posted on September 29, 2001 10:33:34 AM
Pat, you are MY kind of seller!
There are sellers who act like they are doing the buying community a favor by gracing us with their wares. They are quick to take offense, usually where none was intended.
Sadie, regardless of what your seller thought of your question, she owed it to you to be polite and clarify her TOS. Her response was haughty and her manner imperious. She needs to take a break from selling if her potential customers are so offensive to her. Good for you for moving on.
In the B/M world, where I make my living operating a machine shop, nuances of description and miscommunications are the rule of the day. I expect nearly every job to contain at least one or two....
I just know my customers and confirm any items which I'm not sure of....I've found that, by treating my customers politely, not only does it make everyone's day more pleasant, but they also tend to pay me more quickly (nearly everyone is net 30).
Having said that, if my gut tells me a customer is being unnecessarily rude (such as shouting on the phone), then I have no problem showing them the door. I've fired many customers over the years (even profitable ones) because I've found their attitudes to be intractable. Everyone's tolerance for inanity and rudeness is different and that's likely why many of my business collegues have hired customer service reps to do nothing but put out these fires. IME, this has been a profitable move on their part but I personally prefer a more hands-on approach with my customers...
With the original question in mind, I imagine the seller with the ambiguous TOS might get the message if they get a lot of e-mails on the subject....then again, maybe not
I do agree with you -- there are certain kinds of behavior I will not tolerate as well, and some buyers do need to be cut loose.
But I also believe that we attract what we radiate -- it's kind of a personal philosophy of mine -- and I get suspicious when someone seems to be getting more than their share of bad experiences. If I have a week where it suddenly seems that I'm dealing with more than my share of yahoos, then my practice is to ask, "what's going on here WITH ME??" Sometimes it's just a sign that it's time for me to get away from the computer . . . go do something fun or silly . . . recharge the batteries, get re-inspired to sell.
My guess is that the seller with the ambiguous TOS will probably just complain about all the yahoos on eBay.
posted on September 29, 2001 06:42:12 PM
sadie, your original post was crystal clear to me and I enjoyed it very much. I've walked in those shoes........ I, too, just move on. Almost all desire for the item evaporates. I've had the same thing happen in brick&mortar stores..... the owner or clerk acts too bothered and I just leave.
posted on September 30, 2001 10:23:29 AM
bid pay is a money order btw. I didn't see anything snotty about it, just the facts, seller takes money orders and cash. Why they got to kissy kissy. If you really wanted the item you would bid anyway. BTW surely you know that ALL sellers welcome money orders, that's just a given. Maybe you just wanted to see if she would really accept a check?
posted on September 30, 2001 12:54:11 PM
glasshappy, you're reading in something that isn't there. If a seller wants a money order, I'm happy to comply. I just bid a dollar less to compensate.
Bidpay is technically a MO, but the cost is $5.00.
Some folks believe all sellers are gods & goddesses and make no errors.
The point is manners. Even when someone asks me if I take PayPal - and it's stated in my auctions that I do AND in my WBN's - I just don't think it's necessary to make them feel stupid by starting my answer with, "As stated in my auctions..."
Another point is that she alienated a potential buyer. Isn't that kind of stupid business wise? Maybe not. Maybe to some people, being in business for yourself means you finally get to be horrible like all the bosses who ever treated you badly in the 9-5 world.
But it's not like that for me - nor for a lot of the other posters here, apparently.
posted on September 30, 2001 01:18:41 PM
Well it's amazing to me how many sellers alienate their potential customers from the get-go -- how many sellers treat customers as some icky thing off their shoe that must be tolerated.
I just looked at an auction and was getting ready to bid, until I read her Terms of Service. There was something about her tone that was such a turnoff I just skipped it. "I don't want to argue about shipping" blah blah blah (more defensiveness about her shipping costs) "just accept my terms if you want the item."
Phooey on that! Well if she gets enough arguments about shipping to find it necessary to include such a disclaimer in her auctions, then perhaps she ought to consider that the costs ARE out of line! I never get complaints about my shipping costs and I'm not losing money either.
And often I will pass up an auction because of similarly-worded hostile-sounding threats, even though I am a good customer who pays in a timely fashion.
When I go to a store, I don't want to hear diatribes about all the other awful customers that have come along and made selling a miserable experience -- and I certainly don't wan't that reflected in your auction descriptions! And Sadie, you're right -- even if my question seems stupid to someone else -- or I've overlooked something obvious, I don't want my nose rubbed in it. We all have a lot on our minds these days and no one is perfect. Every customer should be treated like you would want your best friend to be treated, not as someone who is automatically suspicious, or someone who needs to be "handled."
And no, some sellers don't particularly care about alienating their customers. This about Power and Control to them, and that feeling is more rewarding than a potential sale. Just read the AW threads and how many sellers get off on bashing their customers.
. The seller left it unclear whether s/he took cash, money orders or paypal. And FYI, some sellers DO NOT like to have cash mailed to them, others DO NOT use paypal.