posted on October 5, 2001 09:23:04 AM
Ok, I've had my share of lying bidders, that's nothing new.
But when they lie to you and then you have PROOF of it... that drives me crazy.
I had an auction end over a month ago. 2 weeks went by, I emailed a reminder, they would be mailing a MO shortly.
I wait a bit longer, still no payment. I file my NPB alert. They finally email me and say "my MO was mailed out on 9/23". (Which happened to be a Sunday, BTW)
Finally, a couple weeks later on the 32nd day after the auction ends, I file for my FVF, and neg them.
Today I receive the MO. The MO is DATED 10/1 ! Like I wouldn't be able to tell that they lied about MAILING it out on 9/23?
posted on October 5, 2001 10:00:10 AM
We must have had the same buyer! Exact same thing happened to me as well. The buyer sent a letter postmarked 10 days after the buyer said, "I am sending it today." By then, I had filed for FVF credit and left a negative. Although it is not the outcome I want, I consider the transaction finished by then.
posted on October 5, 2001 10:18:37 AMThere is, I believe, such a thing as a mailbox, which is open/available 24/7.
... and that mail does not move from that mailbox until the next working day, in case you are unaware of that fact.
And you seem to be missing the entire point here. "I Mailed the MO on 9/23" and then receiving the MO on 10/5 that was dated 10/1 is the point to this story.
[ edited by ExecutiveGirl on Oct 5, 2001 10:22 AM ]
posted on October 5, 2001 10:28:12 AM
It is really frustrating to deal with people who try to put one over on sellers. It ticks me off, but I no longer really care. I simply don't pester these people. I just file an NPB, get credit and relist if the payment is not there ten days after the alert goes out. The alert goes out on Day 14 so the bidder is dinged, negged and blocked on Day 24. I've occassionally waited longer, but it never seems to make any difference. I can count on one hand payments that showed up after FVF credit receipt.
posted on October 5, 2001 10:40:50 AM
What does make me chuckle is that in most cases, the buyer does DATE the check (if a check), with the EOA date and mails it 71 days later...
In one case, the personal check I received was actually dated one day [b]prior] to the EOA...I still smile when I think about it
posted on October 5, 2001 10:44:35 AM
I've had the same thing happen, although not too often.
I once had a buyer insist she never received any of my emails, yet she responded quickly enough after my FVF filing got her suspended. She mailed payment anyway even though I told her the item had been relisted. Check was postmarked just a couple of days prior to my receiving it, but she had the nerve to date the check the day after the auction ended, which was a good 6 weeks or so prior to her mailing the check.
posted on October 5, 2001 10:56:40 AM
Just got finished with one of those. Auction ended Aug 20, got an email a few days later that payment had been mailed. Waited a while but it never arrived and then the Sept. 11 thing, so I emailed asking about it on the 15th.
Got an email two days later that he had gotten it back because he used the wrong zip code. Says he'll remail it that day. Wait and it never arrives.
Email again about the 22nd or so, don't hear back, so I pull contact info, was gonna call, then he emails right away, PO returned it because it only had a 33 cent stamp on, well, I have gotten several of those, some even with only 1 cent stamps on them, and usually I just have to pay the extra when it arrives, but ok whatever, he says will remail it again the next day.
Waiting waiting, yesterday he emails can I take paypal because the PO is killing him, I say yes and he finally paid, 33+ days after EOA.
posted on October 5, 2001 11:10:40 AM
I once bought a money order from the post office and they had dated it 8/23/95. Only thing was the day was 6/?/92. I kept that duplicate until after that day just for the laughs. After 95 though, it was kind of pointless.
The post office clerk never noticed it, even after I pointed it out to him.
posted on October 5, 2001 11:44:26 AM
"... and that mail does not move from that mailbox until the next working day, in case you are unaware of that fact."
I am aware of that fact, but then I deal with the postal systems almost daily as a seller. To many people who aren't in a business that involves the postal system, putting a letter in a mail box is considered "mailing it" to them, regardless of when it is picked up.
Your buyer may indeed have been "lying" ... I am not arguing that point, but just pointing out that there are many ways to interpert things.
It seems to me that the past few months this board has been been filled daily with accusations that buyers and sellers are "liar! thief! satanist! idiot!" ... often based on the first exchange. I find that to be a sad state of affairs in most cases - ie when the person using these names hasn't even bothered to clarify the situation with the other person.
posted on October 5, 2001 12:52:13 PM
I think if this truly "drives you crazy" you need to rethink your life/business strategy. You sound way too stressed out by this kind of thing, which is actually pretty petty in the scheme of retail sales. They did pay, as it turns out, and (so far) haven't tried to claim it was damaged, or anything that can turn into a real hassle.
I recommend a few days "off" from the job, if you can, accompanied by beverage, music, and companionship of choice, as opposed to spending time correlating dates of emails, checks, etc. If you really want to spend time doing police work, you can quickly become consumed by all sorts of such interesting/negative situations to become upset about. I recommend you ignore them instead.
PS - Its pretty common usage to consider something "mailed" when placed in a mailbox, either personal or USPS, even if that does happen to be a Sunday. Most people, frankly, aren't that concerned about the exact mechanics of mail movement such that they would make the same distinction you would. If you want more precise semantics on the part of buyers, you're going to have to upgrade your clientele, I'm afraid.
posted on October 5, 2001 01:16:07 PMcaptainkirk: I don't need "time off" from anything. I've been doing this for 4 years and this is what makes me happy. But thank you for your concern!
Oh.. actually, I did need "time off" and just woke up from a nap. Reading the tone of your post, perhaps you could use one too.
[ edited by ExecutiveGirl on Oct 5, 2001 01:16 PM ]
posted on October 5, 2001 01:18:47 PM
i think my tone was just fine. I'm not the least bit upset about this. AFter all, its not *me* who is being "driven crazy" by such minor bumps on the road of life.
If this "drives you crazy", how would you react to something really significant?
posted on October 5, 2001 01:23:50 PMCaptainKirk - how do you deal with life on a daily basis? Have you ever heard of "an expression"? I'm not literally "going crazy" or headed to the looney bin. It's a matter of expression.
Like saying it's "freezing outside" when summer is almost over and the temperature has dropped to 70 degrees. It's not REALLY freezing, but it's an EXPRESSION.
My goodness, talk about taking words out of context.
And once again, you have completely missed the point. The POINT is my buyer said she MAILED HER MONEY ORDER on 9/23. Today I rec'd the MO, and the MONEY ORDER was dated 10/1. Do the math.
[ edited by ExecutiveGirl on Oct 5, 2001 01:26 PM ]
posted on October 5, 2001 01:28:33 PM
I realize, of course, that you aren't LITERALLY "going crazy".
But this does appear to bother you enough to start a whole new thread here, carefully document the result of your "investigation", put bold print around your insightful "but mail doesn't move on sunday! a ha!", and continue to post here and rebut various people, including myself.
Hey, if its not a big deal to you, why bother posting at all (unless you like the attention you get here?), or why not just "post and go"?
as I said, if this *is* a big deal, then I suggest you relax/refocus. If it isn't, why are you still here, arguing about it?
anyway, just my observation on your post, as written, If I've given poor advice to you because you've exaggerated the situation, I apologize for wasting everyone else's time.
posted on October 5, 2001 01:37:15 PM
"And once again, you have completely missed the point. The POINT is my buyer said she MAILED HER MONEY ORDER on 9/23. Today I rec'd the MO, and the MONEY ORDER was dated 10/1. Do the math"
I see you just edited (once again) your post as I was reading/replying. I'll do *you* the courtesy of not editing my prior post to respond to your re-edit.
Having a math degree, I've ALREADY "done the math". So, the buyer either lied or made a mistake. Yawn. Big deal. So I didn't *miss* the point at all..but you appear to be missing the point I am making (once again). Its a trivial situation, barely worth a thread here, and certainly not the continued rebuttal you seem driven to make to anyone who doesn't seem to agree with you or take you as seriously as you seem to need.
So, now i'm truly gone, having said all i can say on this minor matter.
posted on October 5, 2001 01:37:48 PMHey, if its not a big deal to you, why bother posting at all (unless you like the attention you get here?), or why not just "post and go"?
I assume you give everyone who starts a thread this so-called "advice"?
posted on October 5, 2001 02:32:24 PM
Amy - I am literally LOL at that post. Especially since you once bragged about what a wonderful detective you were when you found out someone's selling ID
And by the way - simply looking at a date on a MO is hardly detective work
MODERATOR - please lock this thread... it's become severely derailed...
posted on October 5, 2001 02:44:49 PM
> One way to avoid the aggrivation is to not be a detctive. What you don't know can't aggrivate you
While I agree with this, I would notice this discrepancy in my typical process of figuring what the payment was for. There's no additional snooping or detective work involved. A little honesty on the buyer's part will make it easier for me to give the next buyer the benefit of the doubt.
posted on October 5, 2001 02:54:55 PM
executive girl, I understand your viewpoint. Lying drives me crazy too. IF you don't want the item, just tell me you dont' want it. Don't lie to me, string it out over weeks, and have me sitting here with the dang thing ready to mail!
And, as far as I'm concerned, lying is a big deal. If anyone has ever lied to you, can you trust them again?
posted on October 5, 2001 02:57:08 PM
One of the first things I was taught in retail was to not take anything the customer does, or does not do, personally. Whether the customer "lied" or was mistaken, or perhaps sent me an email intended for another seller ... those are all possiblities. I don't find any need to make judgements about the buyer, or to get wrapped up emotionally in the transaction, because it is just that - a transaction, and a certain percentage of them are bound to go bad - that is just the way it is when selling online. I've learned that anything can happen to a transaction. As a seller all I can do is try to think ahead to possibilities, and make a business decision as to what to do. Once the unexpected does happen I rethink the possibilities, in a non-emotional manner, and make a decision as to how to handle it. One nifty thing about being in business for one's self is that I can be flexible in how I handle specific situations, without having to go to "head office."
posted on October 5, 2001 03:02:56 PMcommentary: I remember that thread well! I also remember that I did not lie about ANYTHING. I am not one of those kinds of people. If I make a mistake, I admit it and correct it.
Oh - and there's a HUGE different between lying and making an error.
[ edited by ExecutiveGirl on Oct 5, 2001 03:03 PM ]
I did not say you are lied. But, you did attack another one of your buyers at length on this forum until the buyer was alerted and posted information to show who was in the wrong.
Exact same thing happened to me as well. The buyer sent a letter postmarked 10 days after the buyer said, "I am sending it today." By then, I had filed for FVF credit and left a negative. Although it is not the outcome I want, I consider the transaction finished by then.
