posted on August 21, 2009 05:27:38 AM new
In my email box this morning:
"I'm sorry to bother you, but hopefully you could be of some help. I purchased jewelry from you a while back when you had penny auctions. I used to purchase bulk jewelry from a woman in Naples- Yvonne. She stopped selling. She would purchase overstocks and shelf pulls from liquidators and split a pallet with a friend. She often sent me boxes of jewelry to match up single earrings, replace broken clasps etc and I would pay her about .75 for a pair of earrings, $2.00 for a bracelet etc. I haven't sold jewelry on ebay for years. I was just diagnosed with cancer and cannot ship large items. I thought listing smaller items would at least be easy to ship. I don't have a lot of money to invest, but would like to get into doing this once again. If you would be willing to give me some guidance, I would really appreciate it. I need to make some money to pay bills as I am only working part time right now and I have a long road ahead of me of surgery and radiation."
What, no chemo?
Ignoring for the moment the fact that she's asking me to hand over my business on a silver (heh-heh) platter, I can't shake the feeling that this sounds more like someone who's heard about what's involved with treating cancer, not someone who's having to go through it.
posted on August 21, 2009 08:18:48 AM new
All I can add is that I did NOT have Chemo for my cancer. I only had surgery and radiation. It would depend on the type of cancer so what she states can be absolutely factual.
posted on August 21, 2009 09:17:05 AM new
Well, I didn't have chemo for mine, either. I was being a bit sarcastic.
Everybody's got health issues. At least everyone I know does. I'm caring for a lymphoma patient right now who actually *is* on chemo.
Spelling out what she's willing to pay for items -- so she can compete directly with me on eBay -- isn't that sweeeet. I can't even buy a pair of earrings for 75 cents, so I'm sure as (expletive deleted) not going to sell her any.
And this makes no sense at all. The two halves of the sentence don't correspond, especially when you consider this is her justification for bothering me:
I was just diagnosed with cancer and cannot ship large items.
Oh. Well, when you put it like that, sure, I'm happy to give the information you need to buy from my wholesale source:
posted on August 21, 2009 09:34:33 AM new
It might be true and these are desperate times for a lot of people. She might just be casting nets wherever she can in hopes of snagging something.
You don't owe her a thing, but on the outside chance she really is battling cancer, I would wish her well and tell her you don't really have any ideas about product sourcing or a need to find someone to match/repair items. Might be a good idea, as merrie suggested, to warn her that eBay is not the same as it was several years ago and that selling might prove to be too stressful for her.
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posted on August 21, 2009 11:26:44 AM new
Yep, already took Merrie's suggestion.
I wouldn't have any hesitation helping a relative or friend in the same situation get started on eBay. But this woman bought one thing from me five years ago.
Time spent emailing random strangers would probably be better spent using a search engine.
posted on August 21, 2009 11:45:47 AM new
Why cant she look into Ebay wholesale lots?
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on August 21, 2009 01:24:20 PM new
eBay did have a feature called the Reseller Marketplace but it was closed down months ago. Few people ever used it.
posted on August 21, 2009 04:35:08 PM new
The secret to fLufF's empire is to ply her with 4 or 5 mojito's...she'll still tell you to go !@&#$ yourself but the resultant show is delightful.
I would give this woman the benefit of the doubt, wish her well and give her as much direction as I might have the time and knowledge to provide. In fact, if I had the time, I would do the same for anyone regardless of their health or financial status.
"Empires" should be able to withstand a little competition.
posted on August 21, 2009 10:42:37 PM new
It never ceases to amaze me that people would ask these kinds of things. Sure, I would love to set you up as my direct competition. Basically, this person isn't asking for guidance, they are asking for sources. So many people ask me where I get my stuff. I answer honestly - many different places. I don't get more specific than that.
Fluffythewondercat, whenever I have the resources and knowledge to help someone, it's a pleasurable experience for me to offer assistance. I can, however, understand your distrusting attitude toward the author of an email and I believe that in my previous remark I alluded to this possibility.
But, you appear to be making a mountain out of a molehill both in your response to the email and to my reply. A few kind words or suggestions would not entail revealing your sources or creating a model for her business.
posted on August 22, 2009 06:59:05 AM new
Helenjw: Fluff did "wish her well" and gave her the benefit of the doubt by "politely telling her to concentrate on getting her health back with rest and meditation. Ebay is too stressful now for people with health issues."
The stressful part is very true, it stresses me out and I am fairly healthy and a veteran of this madhouse.
IMHO is unethical for perfect strangers on Ebay to request advice, information, selling tactics, suppliers,etc from other sellers unless those sellers solicit dispensing this expertise through forums, selling assistants, etc.
It is nice of you, Helenjw, to be so benevolent and if I have any similar requests, I will politely forward them to you.
posted on August 22, 2009 08:51:13 AM newA few kind words or suggestions would not entail revealing your sources or creating a model for her business.
Ah, but I have been down this road before.
That might have been while you were (or so I am told) more active in the Round Table than here in the EO.
Brief recap for the old-timers: A few years back I started making sales to a lady in New Jersey who sent me unusual emails. Basically she said over and over again that if she won something and did not pay for it right away, not to panic because she might be rushed to the hospital at any moment as she was suffering from end-stage lupus.
(Yes, _House M.D._ fans, this time it *was* lupus.)
Her stays typically lasted four-five days, then she'd be sent home.
I recall we completed about six transactions in this manner before she started putting feelers out about wanting to sell on eBay. Where do you find jewelry, how do you get started, how do I list, do I need to get a digital camera, etc. All over a series of emails that were getting lengthier and more insistent as time went on. I was surprised by this because she had complained about how difficult it was leave the house to get money orders. She had no PayPal account.
I answered her questions as briefly as I could -- even I lack the chops to be rude to someone who's dying, that's a move best left to the pros -- and pointed her to some resources. Then I stopped answering because we were getting into proprietary information. In some cases, brief answers were no longer possible, to the point where it was interfering with my real work. She grumbled some, but she also started selling garage-sale type stuff.
About a year later, the emails stopped. I saw someone had left her a negative feedback saying they'd been told she died.
I wouldn't do it again today. There are too many rules to run afoul of, and I just know a newbie is going to appeal to me when their listing is yanked for any one of 10,000 reasons, when they should be taking it up with eBay.
But as Merrie points out, now that you have graciously volunteered, we can funnel the aspiring sellers your direction. Good to know!
posted on August 22, 2009 11:53:02 AM new
I'm just old school. Make mine a Pina Coloda and I'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know, some of it might even be accurate.
As for requests for people who wanted to get involved with ebay, I used to spend tons of time helping people refine their selling technique. Why did I stop? After a few years of expending much personal energy to help them succeed I started realizing that the majority stopped making an effort when I stopped hand-holding.
People seldom respect something they are given for free. Without some type of investment on their part, they are not likely to appreciate your efforts.
I will still occasionally help an acquaintance but strangers sending emails now get ignored or referred to boards such as this one. There is plenty of free information available that they can read.
My time is better spent on refining my own business.
[ edited by LtRay on Aug 22, 2009 11:54 AM ]
posted on August 22, 2009 12:07:04 PM new
LtRay:Love Pina Coladas, but so many calories and fat!
I agree, I used to give advise to friends that asked. They were convinced it was a piece of cake. After I explained everything and led them through the process, they quickly pooped out when they realized it actually required a lot of work to make it a viable enterprise.
posted on August 22, 2009 07:46:08 PM new
Sometimes it is a waste of time to tell these wannabee sellers where you find the stuff.
If you have stuff others dont have or stuff you pay less so you can turn a decent profit on Ebay,it is often due to the fact you have the cash ready on hand to make a move when they call and/or you have to buy in large quantity .
Most dont have the cash to buy large quantity at a momemt's notice and with large quantity comes high shipping cost.
Like my wholesaler often said,we dont ship USPS,we pay our employees to work,not to stand in line in the post office !
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on August 23, 2009 12:08:12 PM new
fluffy- you mentioned she responded back to you. can you C&P her email message? I'm just curious what exactly she said.
Fluffy wrote, , "At any rate my simple gesture of goodwill was brushed aside rudely in her subsequent reply when she demanded I sell her jewelry at her desired price."
First a pitiful request, then your "simple gesture of good will" followed by a "demand"? Amazing!
posted on August 24, 2009 07:33:56 AM new
Fluffy writes, "But as Merrie points out, now that you have graciously volunteered, we can funnel the aspiring sellers your direction. Good to know!
Your remark above was probably just a snide remark but just to make sure I would like to point out that nowhere in this discussion have I agreed to accept or as you state "graciously volunteered" to accept unsolicited email.
posted on August 28, 2009 07:05:22 AM new
Just had a similar email from a recent customer asking me for deals, basically off Ebay for some of my items.Initially he just inquires about certain patterns. I ask him for specifics. He basically says "surprise me" since "I am hooked up to tubes."
I give him some suggestions and now he comes back to "how kind I am to someone losing his hair through chemo."
This has been quite a bit of work on my side. I don't mind working with customers even if they are healthy but do people use the "chemo" card since they think it will garner lower prices??
I am inclined to think that if I was going through chemo I would be more interested in less "stuff" than more.
posted on August 30, 2009 02:50:18 PM new
"About a year later, the emails stopped. I saw someone had left her a negative feedback saying they'd been told she died."
Someone left her a negative feedback because she died? Thats kinda harsh
