posted on October 19, 2001 05:23:05 PM new
There's always something new that I encounter when dealing with buyers on Ebay.About two weeks ago a bidder won two auctions. I sent out my initial messages for all auctions. I said please get back in touch to confirm receipt of this message. Three days later I send out the round of ebay generated messages, off MyEbay, giving essentially the same info. for those that never bothered to respond. This is a matter of procedure. Not an NPB warning, just a friendly reminder. I get an email back from one bidder, who is really ticked off that I sent this. I explain to him that no offense was intended, that it was a matter of proceedure. It tells him essentially what I said earlier, giving my address. He tells me his check is coming and he's really offended. It eventually arrives and I deposit it. I generally wait ten days at least for personal checks to clear, as many sellers do. About a week AFTER IT WAS POSTMARKED I'm being bombarded with emails. I tell him his package will be coming when the check clears. That's not good enough, though. He starts stalking me using instant messenger. I'm in the middle of doing other things on the web and I start getting argumentative messages out of the blue about shipping the books. I explain to him that, as a matter of course, I wait at least ten days for checks to clear. He tells me that out of all the people he's dealt with on Ebay I'm the most offensive person he's encountered, that I really turned him off to the ebay experience, etc.. I've already told him several times the books are going out monday.I ultimately had to puit a block on my instant messaging to keep him from harassing me further. He gives me this story about how he's got 280 positives and 0 negatives. His email address is to his own personal dot com. His ego is all over the place and now I'm totally disgusted by this fellow. I can pretty much tell where this is headed. I figure that if I get feedback it will at best be none or neutral, and probably more likely a neg.. I'm tempted to start out with a preemptive neg here, explaining what I had to deal with. I sold two lots here which gives space to explain.
What would you do? This guy is just about begging for it. I don't know that I really care about getting negd. I almost feel that other sellers should be forewarned.
[ edited by Collegepark on Oct 19, 2001 05:32 PM ]
posted on October 19, 2001 05:33:07 PM new
Ignore him & carry on as usual. Keep your emails professional to the point of curtness & ignore all hysteria on his part (easier said than done I know..but it's the only way to deal w/these people w/o lousing your sanity).
They want someone to argue so they can prove how "superior" they are, so they can browbeat. Take away their forum & they'll find someone else who'll play the game w/them.
posted on October 19, 2001 06:30:34 PM new
Change your email situation so that you don't have instant anything.
I don't care how customer friendly it may seem. This guy is a stalker...his ego outweighs most of his content.
Besides, save instant messenger for family and friends.
I kind of agree with the preemptive neg.
BUT, a neg is a neg, so I think the retaliatory nature is so unimportant to anyone who looks, I would just wait and see what he does. Then nuke him.
Oh well...
posted on October 19, 2001 10:02:37 PM new
He may be a PITA, but if he paid promptly I wouldn't neg him. Neutral maybe.
BTW, do you state in your auctions that you hold checks?
posted on October 19, 2001 10:18:32 PM new
Well, I don't doubt that the guy is a screwball, but there are a few things here that could use work.
If you email your EOA, don't email another notice for a couple of days, than repeat the same email with a "second notice please respond" subject. Don't use eBay's canned notice unless you want to generate more problems--I've had bidders cry foul over the reminder's wording. If the second notice doesn't work file an NPB alert after seven days EOA. Do not keep emailing deadbeats, it's a waste of your time and bandwith. Just file for credit if the NPB doesn't work.
Check clearance is largely a waste of time, doubles your recordkeeping, and doesn't protect you in any tangible way. When you write a check in a store, the store doesn't hold your merchandise for a week to ten days, do they? Would you write a check for a small item that you think might bounce? (My bank charges about $25 for a bounced check--not very appealing)For a small order and a good feedback bidder, it doesn't have any justification--the check would clear about the same time or earlier than the package arrives at the bidder.
One of the advantages of a difficult experience is to improve your business. Your hothead might very well have blown his cool anyway, but he did hit a few justifiable areas.
posted on October 20, 2001 09:03:33 PM new
If that is stated in her/his policy the buyer has no case. It just isn't waiting for checks to clear. What if the account isn't valid anymore.
