posted on July 29, 2004 09:32:44 PM
It seems like for the last month, I have had more buying from me than the whole time I've been on eBay. Every day I get a dozen e-mails about some of the stupidest things you can imagine.
I get the usual "How much is shipping?" "How big is it?" "Is this new?" even though it is in the auction plain as day. Now, I'm getting "Have you shipped my package yet?" or "I have not received my item. What's going on?" - THE NEXT DAY. Non-paying bidders have gone through the roof and others are pestering me for feedback. I always give feedback, but these people start by putting a reminder note with their payment. One girl has e-mailed me every day. I'm being stubborn on that one. And then there are the ones who made a mistake and didn't mean to bid. Or better yet, the ones that changed their mind and say "Cancel my order please."
Now they are starting to tell me how I should change my auctions and how they would prefer I handle my auctions. I've been doing this since 1998. I know I'm not perfect, but I have good sales and a high feedback. I don't want some yahoo with a feedback of 5 telling me what I'm doing wrong.
And for all the AOL users, I don't have time to track these people down and beg them to pay me. They know they bid on the auction, they know they won the auction and they know they have that stupid Spam blocker. Why don't they have enough sense to contact the seller when they don't hear from them? And then if they want to do eBay, why don't they change the Spam settings so they will get their e-mails from sellers?
Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I feel better now.
Debbie
Be kind. Everyone is fighting their own secret battles.
...Author Unknown
posted on July 29, 2004 09:50:50 PM
I used to have the same problem. I installed an autoresponder on my computer that automatically sends them to your auctions. Thanks so much for taking these loons off my hands.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
Every time I answered those questions from people about information that was _already_ in the auction description (what color, what size, how much is shipping, etc., etc.), I saw a definite upswing in "phishing"/spoof e'mails. I can't prove it, but suspect there is a connection there. I stopped answering questions for which the answers can be found in the auction listing a few months back, and the phishing/spoof eBay messages have declined a lot. Just a thought. If they can't _read_, I don't want their business anyway and if they can read, they'll see the answer in the listing.
posted on July 30, 2004 08:22:50 AM
I sympathize! I too have had lots more of the questions, the answers for which are in the auction.
Now, I do think that some of those begging for feedback may be in the same boat I was in about a month ago, having started a second account for selling only. I've been eager to build up my feedback as quickly as I can, and the packing slip I send with items I'm shipping does ask that they leave feedback and I give the reason for requesting that. I even circle "please" in the request. No further reminders or hassling, of course. And my buyers have been wonderful about that.
When I was first buying on Ebay, years ago, I confess that occasionally I'd e-mail the seller after a couple of weeks and ask that he/she leave feedback for me. It was very important to me then, as a newbie--and this may be the case for some of your buyers who are begging for FB.
___________________________________
"Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same, but better."
- Sidney J Harris
posted on July 30, 2004 08:50:28 AM
I love to let 'em beg. It's fun to watch. It slowly dawns on them that since they have already left YOU feedback, there's nothing in the world they can do to force you to reciprocate. Helplessness is charming in kittens and bidders.
Until payment is mandatory and automatic, like charging someone's Visa 1/2 second after the auction ends or withdrawing the payment from their checking account, leaving feedback is highly optional. I pay a third party to return all positive feedback. That's the extent of the effort I'm willing to make.
posted on July 30, 2004 08:55:23 AM
I am with you iareateacher - I do let them know that I have automated feedback and that it will be returned, and it is through the software that I use. I would rather go without feedback but I know that is not a realistic hope - It is too ingrained in the ebay system. While I don't want poor feedback, with high volume sales it is bound to happen, so let it be. No matter what you do, someone will find something wrong. I've been negged before for slow delivery (even though I shipped within hours) and for someone who did not like the plot of the movie!
For unjustified negs, my strategy is to neg back. If they agree to mutual withdraw, great, if not, then so be it.
Friends don't let Friends say stupid things like Friends don't let friends vote Republican!
posted on July 30, 2004 10:07:13 AM
And negging back is so much fun. I don't cae about getting a neg (what's one more?) but it is so sweet to burst the bubble of some high-maintenance fluffbrained 100% perfect feedback twit. It doesn't ever seem to occur to them that you can fire back.
posted on July 30, 2004 12:59:17 PM
Don't ever think that you are alone!! Just had one this week, bought a widget & emailed for the shipping charges. If only she would have taken 10 seconds to read the TOS, she would have seen "Shipping Charges are $10.00 anywhere in the USA" I mean how plain can it get?
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
posted on July 30, 2004 01:05:34 PM
Oh yeah! Really stupid questions like, "my sons birthday is coming up and I cannot afford this item. Would you send it to me for free?" Yes, this is a true story. Or my favorite one recently. "I haven't received my item and it has been almost a year." How the heck do you respond to that one? lol.
posted on July 30, 2004 02:26:13 PM
Lookie what I just got:
------->8-----snip! snip!---------
Hi Why do you think that you do not have to leave feedback for someone who you buy from!?!?!? You bought (deleted) from me & I left positive Feedback for you & you never left feedback for me???!!! WHY IS THAT!!!???!!!??? Estelle
--------8<-----snip! snip!--------
I'm (almost) genuinely concerned about this woman's health.
posted on July 31, 2004 05:25:55 AM
I do know I have been purchasing ALOT on eBay lately, and no one is leaving feedback, even after I leave it when the item is received! What's up with that?!? In four years I have left ONE NEG for NPB!
I can half understand some of my idiot buyers not getting how important it is, but a seller should know!!
posted on August 1, 2004 03:23:06 PM
Maybe I'm a high-maintenance, fluffbrained, 100% perfect feedback twit....
When I bid, I look at the seller's feedback. I don't bid if there are alot of negs. So my feedback, as a seller, is important to me. Consider it a customer's evaluation of my service read by prospective bidders.
When I sell, I look at the buyer's feedback. Especially for high ticket items.
But to you, what's one more neg?
TerryAnn
edited to change ticker to ticket
[ edited by twig125silver on Aug 1, 2004 03:35 PM ]
