rozrr
|
posted on April 22, 2005 10:19:33 AM
I won a pewter frame last night for a minimum bid of 99 cents with shipping of $8.85.
This morning, I got an email:
Dear rozrr,
I am SO SORRY. I dropped the picture frame and it was broken during packing this morning. I have refunded money to your Paypal account. I am out of picture frames but will search for another.
So I wrote back:
Gosh darn it, that's too bad.
Why don't you send me a digital photo of the broken frame? I want to see the broken frame - RIGHT NOW.
Isn't a PEWTER frame a METAL frame?
Somehow, I don't think it's all that easy to drop and break a metal frame. If you broke the glass, it's your obligation to replace the glass and make good on this trade.
You wrote:
I am out of picture frames but will search for another.
Yeah, why don't you do that. Because otherwise, I'm SO SORRY, but if I don't get this item, I'm going to have to report you to "Trust and Safety" for "refusal to sell."
Oh, by the way, this is one of the oldest lines in the book when an item fails to get more than a minimum bid.
If you're not willing to sell at 99 cents, then don't list at 99 cents.
That digital photo had better be in my in box in the next few hours. Otherwise, it's a report to Trust & Safety.
Roz
Just vetting.
I'm annoyed because there were five other frames I was interested in, but when I won this one, I deleted the others from my "watch" list.
I've already filed the non-selling-seller report.
|
eauctionmgnt
|
posted on April 22, 2005 10:35:25 AM
Geez... don't ever bid on my auctions! You know... sometimes accidents DO happen. Pewter objects CAN actually break (not to mention it can ding, dent, etc...). Although, you are probably correct... it was probably the glass that really broke. Regardless, if it broke they took the proper actions. Your response was uncalled for and extremely unprofessional... especially when they said they'd search for another one for you. Just more proof that bottom-feaders like yourself are the worst ones to deal with on eBay!
|
kiara
|
posted on April 22, 2005 10:55:02 AM
Pewter frames can break. One of mine fell and hit the slate on the hearth and the ornate trim split in two.
I think it's kind of a rude e-mail since you are only acting on an assumption that they are fibbing. Sometimes even though you suspect the seller may not be telling the truth it's best to take the full refund and their apology and just move on, especially over .99 cents. JMHO
|
thedewey
|
posted on April 22, 2005 11:23:41 AM
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4373854888
Geez, with all those flowers and stuff, I can see how it could be easily broken. The seller has good selling feedback.
FWIW, if it was me, I'd be glad I didn't have to pay the $8.85 shipping charge stated!
[ edited by thedewey on Apr 22, 2005 11:24 AM ]
|
rozrr
|
posted on April 22, 2005 11:28:18 AM
Kiara,
If I dropped an item and broke it during packing, I would send a digital photo with the original email as proof that it really was broken.
I've asked for a digital photo as proof, and if it really is broken - fine.
But this was just too fast and too glib.
So, EA, tell me:
If someone lists an item on eBay for 99 cents - including shipping of $8.85 on a small item - and I bid on it, and I'm the only one who bids on it, I'm a "bottom-feeder"?
Not to mention that I paid via PayPal with a cash transfer within minutes of the closing?
By the way, I have lots of auctions that sell for minimum bids. If something really was damaged during the packing process, I would send a photo as proof - and I wouldn't think twice about sending a photo. Then I'd ask the buyer if I could make it up to him/her somehow by offering free shipping on another auction, perhaps some other cans from our collection, etc.
But I wouldn't just dust someone off like that.
|
thedewey
|
posted on April 22, 2005 11:33:15 AM
She said she sent you a refund, and is searching for another frame.
What else do you expect her to do?
Regardless of whether the frame was broken or not, you're not out anything but a few minutes of time.
ETA: eBay won't do a thing about it, as long as she doesn't make a habit of it.
[ edited by thedewey on Apr 22, 2005 11:34 AM ]
|
Libra63
|
posted on April 22, 2005 11:39:33 AM
I can see that can happen. Even if the frame was only 99 cents she would have made plenty on her shipping charges so I honestly doubt if she was lying. I think you should have waited until you cooled down before you wrote her an email.
_________________
|
kiara
|
posted on April 22, 2005 11:45:16 AM
rozrr, a piece of china once broke from a set I was packing and my buyer was understanding and it didn't occur to me to send a photo of the broken piece but if they would have asked I wouldn't have hesitated.
But if a buyer demanded proof in a demanding rude e-mail wanting the pic RIGHT NOW such as you did, insinuating right away that I was lying to them, I would just block them from further bidding. It wouldn't be worth my time and trouble to deal with them and especially over .99 cents and I wouldn't want to search for a replacement after such treatment. And again, that's just my opinion.
|
rozrr
|
posted on April 22, 2005 12:00:24 PM
Dewey,
It's not a couple of minutes. I spent 3 - 4 hours looking through the listings yesterday for the right kind of frame for a gift. I logged a total of 6 before deciding to bid on this one. I deleted the other 5 last night - going back and looking for those again would
take another block of time - and I'm just not going to take the time and trouble to scroll through all of those listings again.
There is no other frame. This is an amateur seller with a lot of odds and ends. By all indications, this was a one-off listing.
There's something else I saw in a local card shop. I'll buy that this weekend instead.
|
tOMWiii
|
posted on April 22, 2005 12:37:58 PM
Oh! You ole softee! They call you Miss Sweetness & Light?
That email made Ralphie feel all warm & furry all over!
Nice that you cut the seller some slack & were so kind & understanding...THANK GOODNESS I'm perfect, I donna have to worry about any mistakes or kaa-kaa happening in my life!
"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me."Guess Who? Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
|
sthoemke
|
posted on April 22, 2005 12:42:29 PM
Maybe it broke, maybe it didn't.
Give the seller a few days to "find" another. Let their feedback speak for theirselves.
They said they'd search for another, which might mean they may be spending valuable time searching for a replacement (as well as paying a higher price) to get the item for you.
Why raise a stink over a 99 cent item that problably has too high of shipping cost anyways?
|
fenix03
|
posted on April 22, 2005 12:52:08 PM
I agree with the person that asked that you never bid on my auctions. Accidents happen but you seem to be just a bit to intolerant of that fact.
No matter what the truth of the matter is, the fact is that you are not going to recieve this item. You can stomp your feet, scream and yell, curse and make a complete fool of yourself but the only person who's day is beiong ruined is your own. Do you really think that trust & Safety is going to come down on someone who refunded an item because they were unable to deliver the product in it's advertised condition?
Grow up. Move on. Be happy that they didn't pack up the broken glass and claim it as damaged in shipping.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
|
Libra63
|
posted on April 22, 2005 02:27:03 PM
"This is an amateur seller with a lot of odds and ends. By all indications, this was a one-off listing"
What is a one-off listing?
Aren't most of us amateurs? I have been selling 5 years and still consider myself an amateur. If you notice this eBay board is very active with questions about selling. What do you call people that ask questions?
If you search through eBay you will notice than many sellers sell odds and ends that doesn't mean they are bad sellers.
I think it is buyers like you that make sellers cringe when they get a bid and say to themselves I hope this sale goes okay. I know I gave the benefit of a doubt to a 0 feed back buyer and guess what he was a fraudulant buyer.
_________________
|
sanmar
|
posted on April 22, 2005 02:50:48 PM
rosrr: Get a grip your emotions!! Heck, I've been selling for over 7 yrs. & I can't count the pieces of glassware & china I have broke or chipped. I have never sent a picture to anyon nor have I ever been asked for one. If you came on to me that way, I would surely block you from bidding on any of my auctions. Why do you think eBay do anything? They have no way to prove that it was not broken.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
|
CWB
|
posted on April 22, 2005 02:51:24 PM
I've broken a couple of things when packing for shipping - one was a very hi-$$ auction item for a coke bottle. And as for wanting PROOF of the broken item, someone needs to get over themselves.
These things happen. Life goes on.
|
ladyjewels2000
|
posted on April 22, 2005 03:45:24 PM
This must be a horrible way to live - always thinking the worst of people.
It was a cute frame but nothing worth losing your cool over. You can find another -probably for less - so just let it go.
As for the seller, if I got an email like that first thing in the am - I think I would have taken a hammer to the frame and then sent that photo to you!
|
Gtootie
|
posted on April 22, 2005 04:59:18 PM
If you like that frame enough to get that upset, you should jump in the car and head to the nearest Dollar Store. You can get all you want there. And you don't have to pay postage.
Those frames all say they are made of pewter, but they are very cheap. Worth every penny of a dollar. It doesn't surprize me at all that it broke. She was making her profit on the postage.
|
greatlakes
|
posted on April 22, 2005 05:36:04 PM
This seller has sold 2 other items for .99 within the last 30 days.
Since both buyers have left feedback, I assume the seller delivered the items without a problem.
So it seems unlikely that the seller thought you were so "special" that he/she had to find an excuse to back out of your deal, but not the others.
Why not just calmly asked for a picture of the damage? Why be so rude? What purpose does it serve?
I'm so lucky that all the times I've made mistakes, my buyers were understanding.
|
cashinyourcloset
|
posted on April 22, 2005 08:22:26 PM
greatlakes, you said "I'm so lucky that all the times I've made mistakes, my buyers were understanding."
I've never gotten a negative when I made a mistake. Most people appreciate your good-faith efforts to correct a mistake, and will be kind in their feedback. My negatives (8 of them) have all come from people who either jumped all over me for something outside my control (UPS/USPS during the holidays) or were insane.
|
Roadsmith
|
posted on April 22, 2005 08:30:33 PM
I too think Roz's response was a bit hasty and rude.
However, in her defense, a certain person who shall remain nameless, who used to post a lot here, told us at least once of the great pleasure she took in dissing bidders who were either a pain in the neck or whose bid wasn't high enough. She'd email them that she was so sorry but the item was dropped and had broken. I guess it can happen occasionally.
___________________________________
|
greatlakes
|
posted on April 23, 2005 06:42:31 AM
cashinyourcloset, your so right about buyers who go nuts over something outside your control.
I once had a guy buy an item from me as a gift for his girlfried, he went nuts blaming and threatening me when she didn't like it.
|
CBlev65252
|
posted on April 23, 2005 07:03:29 AM
Roadsmith
Oh, I forgot about that poster. I remember the comments well.
Cheryl
|
MAH645
|
posted on April 23, 2005 09:10:57 AM
Why is that buyers pay 99 cents for an auction and think they should receive exact shipping costs. They refuse to see that the Seller is trying to make their profit off the shipping and they list for 99 cents to try to maybe compete with other sellers or get more bids.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
|
fenix03
|
posted on April 23, 2005 09:37:03 AM
Mah - that is easy... they are cheapskate bottom feeding scum 
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
|
Roadsmith
|
posted on April 23, 2005 11:14:16 AM
Yep, Cheryl. For some reason that story stuck in my mind. . . . LOL
___________________________________
|
cashinyourcloset
|
posted on April 23, 2005 03:39:39 PM
99 cents is for junk. I start nearly all of my auctions at $1... that's the good stuff 
Actually, I surprised more people don't do it. It would make my life easier convincing consignors
|
classicrock000
|
posted on April 23, 2005 03:47:25 PM
"I once had a guy buy an item from me as a gift for his girlfried, he went nuts blaming and threatening me when she didn't like it."
It was your fault...but I thought you knew that <snicker>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baseball season has started,but they have it all wrong.3 strikes and you're out,4 balls you walk.I can tell you right now a man with 4 balls could not possibly walk
|
sthoemke
|
posted on April 23, 2005 03:47:26 PM
You save a dime by starting at 99 cents instead of $1
|
cashinyourcloset
|
posted on April 23, 2005 05:08:02 PM
sthoemke,
I know that. I actually listed at $0.99 for a week or so, but something didn't feel right Maybe it's superstition, maybe I'm insane, but I never warmed to the $0.99 starting price. For better or worse, I start my listings at $1. FWIW, most of them do okay
|
ebayvet
|
posted on April 23, 2005 06:52:08 PM
Another person to add to my blocked list. I've damaged or broken things too while packing, it happens. The seller is offering to refund, and to search for another item. You want them to send a digital photo? How petty can you be?
|
