posted on December 14, 2002 12:48:00 AM
I had a bidder who won an Auction I had to chase them down for payment sent invoice and email laying out item cost and shipping cost so they pay for item only sent 2 emails so far asking for the shipping costs telling them I can not ship without that being paid has anyone else had this ????
posted on December 14, 2002 01:43:39 AM
Yes, twice this week. It is a common ploy. If they can hit a distracted or sloppy seller, then they win. I am neither, so they don't get away with it with me.
My TOS state I ship when I receive "full payment". Even without that, you are right to stand firm to get the full amount owed.
Be matter-of-fact about it: "Thank you for your payment, however, you mistakenly paid the wrong amount. You paid $xx, but the correct total due is $yy. Please remit the difference of $zz." That sort of thing.
If they PayPal me, I refund them and send an invoice for the correct amount. I'm not paying fees for two installment payments! If they don't pay, I proceed with the NPB process.
If they short-change me by check or money order, I tell them to either send the difference, or come pick up their item. I do not refund these. Two months was the longest I had to hold an item for someone.
This week both of my short-changers paid up, so all is well. I hope! Just expect it once in a while, and for best results deal with it firmly, professionally, and immediately.
posted on December 14, 2002 01:47:33 AM
Out of 300 Auctions this is the First time this has happen to me Yes I am firm however the paid by billpoint and the money is already in my account
posted on December 14, 2002 01:58:32 AM
Then, Lucky, the ball is in their court. How annoying.
You might consider sending one LAST email (mark it Priority or whatever your email program calls it) and request a Read Receipt (even if they don't allow it, it might get their attention) and state that their item will be shipped when you receive the balance owed. Give the amount, and tell them this is the last reminder you will send.
Then, put the item on a shelf and forget about it.
OR: (I can't remember how Billpoint works) If you can refund them the incorrect amount (can you do that after the deposit has been made? Maybe from other funds, or by drawing it from your account?) and invoice them for the correct amount, you might do that. That would save you from any chargeback fee if they decide to be TOTAL jerks about this.
OR: (I'm brimming with ideas) Just file a NPB alert on them, citing that you only received partial payment. Might wake them up.
Wish we could charge a You-Got-on-My-Last-Nerve Fee to some of these people!
posted on December 15, 2002 05:56:26 PM
I've had lots of people try this by sending
no shipping or only partial shipping. I
tell them once they pay the entire listed
amount they will get their item. Only one
person refused. Their item is still sitting,
wrapped and ready to go, in my outgoing mail
box, and it has been over a year! I leave
it there to remind myself of this practice.
Good luck!
Added:
FYI, it is a cheap item that I have lots of,
otherwise it would have been resold long ago.
---
"Cannot say. Saying, I would know. Do not
know, so cannot say". -- Zathras (Babylon 5)
[ edited by zathras11 on Dec 15, 2002 05:57 PM ]
posted on December 16, 2002 07:13:38 AM
Depending on the time frame here if the 7 days have passed, I'd do as suggested by mypostingid - Just file a NPB alert on them, citing that you only received partial payment. That way there is a record on ebay of why you weren't shipping....just in case...down the road....
posted on December 16, 2002 07:29:36 AM
wow, mypostingid, twice in one week?
It has only happened to me twice to date ~ once again, a 'common ploy' that has passed me by!
Both times, I filed NPB using 'did not comply with terms of auction' (paying for shipping) and they paid up after their eBay alert so it didn't have to go any farther.
Maybe since I only list about 50 items or less at a time, I don't look busy enough for bidders to try that trick?
posted on December 16, 2002 10:39:22 AM
Send them an email......
The item is paid for, however, since shipping was not remmitted, he has to pick it up. After thirty days of "storage" possession reverts back to the seller with no chance of refund.....
Oh yeah, he doesn't get your address since you are not a storefront business. Tell him to guess where you live or sent payment for shipping.
.................................................
We call them our heroes...but we pay them like chumps
posted on December 16, 2002 11:07:30 AM
I created my own tracking program in Access and it calculates what they should pay me. This makes it easy to see if they shorted me anything or if they paid extra for insurance. It would be easy to do in Excel, too.
posted on December 16, 2002 11:46:21 AMZoomin: I couldn't believe it either. Actually it was twice in the same DAY. What's weird is I state a fixed shipping amount in all my auctions. I even put in a fixed amount to Canada and several other countries. My shipping is very close to the actual postage amount, so I don't think they are protesting any "gouging" on my part.
And, I send my WBNs very quickly, so it is not as if they had to just make up a number out of desperation.
I don't run a lot of auctions, and my auction management software keeps a tally of what is owed, so it just takes me a few seconds to compare the amount they paid with the invoice amount.
So what is causing this?
I read on another message board a couple of months ago about an article that was being circulated that advised eBay buyers to deliberately short sellers on shipping. Also, to demand partial refunds once items are received, and to threaten negative feedback. I can't remember which board or what the link was to the article (this will drive me crazy all day---anyone remember it?).
As jaded as I can be sometimes, I was still shocked that someone would actively promote those techniques.
Such is the life of an eBay seller, I guess. Still better than getting a real job! To me, anyway.
posted on December 16, 2002 12:55:38 PMan article that was being circulated that advised eBay buyers to deliberately short sellers on shipping.
hummmm....maybe that's why we've had three buyers underpay for their items this month. One auction stated: "Shipping for this item will be $4.30 which includes DC, if you'd like insurance please add an additional $.85." - she deducted the $.45 and said she didn't want it, but refused to pay to insure it either. She had FB of almost 1500. Took three extra emails to try and understand why we were having a problem with this. We clearly state we require either DC or Ins. Then another auction where we stated: "Insurance is required on this item", they too underpaid and said they didn't want to insure it. We received a neg FB from that one. She wrote in our FB "ebays says I don't have to pay for insurance". Third one bid with shipping amount included in the total, bid, won and then complained about shipping being too much. There was no handling fee included...just postage costs.
It takes all kinds. Somedays it's just easier to laugh at all this....other days it not so easy.
posted on December 16, 2002 01:03:12 PM
I just had one decide that shipping was $4.00 when I clearly stated that Parcel Post was $5.65. I refunded the money with a note that when the correct amount was sent (Paypal) I would mail the 'item'. Have not heard one word yet. This was actual shipping cost. I am not going to eat $1.65 on an under $10.00 sale. This underpayment is running amouk, last week a couple shorted me .25 cents, I mailed the stuff. No more.
posted on December 16, 2002 01:27:29 PM
Today was the day I placed the customer on NPBA I will also send one last email on Friday with an Read receipt maybe I should write a check to the person and refund their money minus postage fees for the letter
posted on December 16, 2002 08:13:27 PM
Well the Customer paid for the shipping awhile ago, stated that he was having trouble with paypal Thanks folks for the imput and support
posted on December 16, 2002 11:10:16 PM
consider it this way...
They paid for the item. COOL!! If they don't send shipping, then their new item collects dust on your shelf. You got paid, they don't have their stuff. They will eventually get with the program. Send another email stating this is the last email you will send. If payment for shipping is not made, you will leave the item on the shelf until they send the difference.
posted on December 17, 2002 06:17:05 PM
GEEEZ get one over with and you get another What is it with people???? is the holidays so distracting that they do not read.
posted on December 17, 2002 06:32:57 PM
"Well the Customer paid for the shipping awhile ago, stated that he was having trouble with paypal"
Unfortunately, Paypal was broken most of the day yesterday, so this may even be true!
When I get buyers who "forget" shipping, I have it easy. I give the address & directions to my retail store and tell them the item is ready for pick-up. It's NEVER failed to get the rest of the postage!
Third one bid with shipping amount included in the total, bid, won and then complained about shipping being too much. There was no handling fee included...just postage costs.