posted on October 23, 2002 10:10:52 PM new
Here's one for all of you.
Received an email on 10-22-2002 from an individual. I do not recognize the persons name.
"I bought a item from you. where is it?"
No I did not forget to type "an".
I responded to the individual requesting their name-city-site they purchased from-description of item-method of payment and the item number if they had it. I would then let them know right away where their item was.
Usually when I get an email requesting the status of an item it's because I have received a check and the waiting period isn't over yet. I do require a waiting period on checks for those with low feedback.
Here's what I received in return.
"you expected me to keep that stuff?"
Now maybe this person can't remember how they paid, and quite probably they can't remember the item# and that's okay. But I requested their name and city also.
Now maybe there's something wrong with me but I think someone has to be a special kind of stupid to not know their name and city.
To quote Tom Hanks in A League Of Their Own -
"You're killing me Alice, you're killing me!!!
posted on October 23, 2002 10:23:40 PM new
And to top it off they often use a different email address to send the "where's my" letter so you lose that clue as well.
As a buyer I try to write "ebay" and the item number in the email subject as many sellers sell on different sites.
Many new buyers are very naive and think almost all sellers are only selling one item on one auction site.
posted on October 24, 2002 05:32:39 AM new
That ranks right up there with the checks that I get with a note in them that says "for the video". We sell about a hundred of videos a week - my husband laughs at those everytime. We must get at least 2 of those a week. Sometimes I can figure it out by the total, but most will end with the same total because I do a lot of fixed price listings. If I narrow it down to a few and email those people and ask them to identify their check they will email me back wondering why I couldn't figure it out on my own - oh yes, I'm supposed to know your name even though you never responded to any of my emails requesting your name or address.
posted on October 24, 2002 09:49:09 AM new
ihula: I find that many novice bidders (and some not-so-novice) believe that we sellers have free and unfettered access to eBay's databases so we should just be able to "look it up" for them.
Some people get downright P.O.'d when you ask them for more information so you can trace their payment. One of 'em even negged me for it.
posted on October 24, 2002 10:48:19 AM new
We run into this all the time.
We've found that the best thing to do is to send an email requesting the following information:
eBay Auction Number
User ID & Email address
Name and Address
Date and method of your payment
The above is the same information requested on our winning bid notification that is sent to all winning bidders.
We include a note indicating that we process a large number of transactions on a daily basis and require the above information to confirm payment and research the order.
We go out of our way to make transactions as easy as possible for our buyers. Along with this, it is our belief, that buyers also take a minimal amount of responsibility to ensure a smooth and successful transaction. it is not a one way proposition.
The reality is one cannot do enough hand holding for the occasional numbskull bidder. These types cannot be assisted no matter what actions a seller takes. When encountered, we provide the above requests and do nothing further unless we receive a response.
Best of luck to you. Just know that you are not alone.
posted on October 25, 2002 11:33:20 PM new
What about when you get a check in the mail and that is it, no item # no for the video or what ever just a check. So you spend an hour going through your emails you sent hoping that one will match the name on the check.
I have recieved a few emails asking for the item they won, and why I have not sent it yet. they give the item # sure thing they won the item, then I spend another hour looking for their payment in my feedback log book not there so then I go through my shipped out log book their name does not show up there, then check at paypal to see if the payment is there still no. So I email them ask for How they paid, their full name, and their shipping address.
I never hear back from them.
I think there are some that never pay and still get the items shipped to them.
posted on October 26, 2002 05:57:58 AM new
Heres one that I've been waiting to post on the right thread.
Had a lady pay for a couple of items that I sold her on ebay. She sends a check with no info on it, typical. I MAILED her a letter because I could not find anything on this lady. She never responded, 3 Months later I get a call from my wife while I am at work, there is this really mean old guy at the house, he said his mother purchased some stuff from me on ebay and I never send it to them and he wants his money back, if not they were going to call the cops, I asked my wife to get this guys name and number so we can contact him, and heres the kicker, he said he could not provide a phone number because he drove all the way from Florida, to Texas with his 80yr old mother to come and claim a $20 auction. He said that he was retired and did not have anything better to do and that it was not the money that mattered but the principal of it. This from a person that never responded to my letters, since he or she never gave me an auction # or email address.
Now he did not just coming nocking on the door he came banging on my door like he wanted to break the door down. This scared the heck out of my wife and kids.
After this I went & got a PO BOX as I promised wife that I would never put her through a scary situation like that again.
posted on October 26, 2002 06:03:42 AM new
Ruben,
That is terrible and it kinda freaked me out. I can't imagine what your wife was thinking...I bet she was freaked out. What a pair of idiots. I love eBay but some of these customers are just down right frightening!
Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care!
posted on October 27, 2002 12:20:03 AM new
I sometimes think that there are some buyers who actually think that they are the only sale you have made! The multiple email addresses are always fun, but just wait until you get one where the payment is from one name in one city, and the buyer has a different last name and they are in a different city (usually some suburb of a larger city). The buyer thought I should know that they just got married, and of course I do a geographical search on all buyer addresses.
Geeezzzz, I should have stayed in the USMC, at least then I could fire back at those who were trying 'kill' me!!
posted on October 27, 2002 10:54:40 AM new
Ruben -
If that had happened to me, I would have asked my wife to politely ask the people to wait in their car, since her husband is the one that runs the auctions and she doesn't know anything about them. Then I would have come home from work and politely kicked the guy's a$$.
The nerve of some of these idiots...and yes, they are idiots. There are a lot of stupid people in this world, and though only about 2% of my Ebay sales are with idiots of this caliber, they always stay fresh in your mind. Makes you wonder how they made it in the world for this long.
You did well to get a PO box.
"Who's tending the bar? Sniping works up a thirst"
[ edited by koto1 on Oct 27, 2002 10:56 AM ]
Sniping works up a thirst"