posted on November 5, 2010 11:02:36 AM new
I have seen an increase from buyers emailing me about issues lately. I sell 15-20 items a month, and am quite meticulous when describing items.
About 4-6 weeks ago I had someone tell me the dial on a vintage clock was not brass (as described), but was plastic and wanted a partial refund. When I told them to return it to me for a full refund, they never responded back.
Today I had someone in Belgium email me that a corner was damaged on a beautiful bed serving tray I shipped. It was packed very well. They did not go into specifics, but did inquire about insurance coverage right away. I asked them to send me photos of the damage including photos of the box. The only way this could have been damaged is if the box was crushed in the corner. There was plenty of packaging to protect it. I also find it interesting that their email was titled, "Item Not As Described". It is an interesting interpretation considering that the buyer claims it was damaged in shipping and inquired about insurance.
Another buyer emailed me earlier this week about a vintage belt buckle they bought. It was listed as brass. They claim it is brass over pewter. They wanted a refund. I told them to return it. I have not received it, nor received a response.
It is a bit ironic about the brass in two listings. I know 100% that the clock was not plastic faux brass. The buckle definitely was finished in brass, but I didn't even think it could be brass plated over pewter. I understand I may have made a mistake on this one and am more than willing to issue a refund if they return it.
It just seems like I am getting more buyers feeling out whether they can score a partial refund by picking at the item. I am no longer issuing partial refunds for anything. Anyone else seeing more issues with this?
[ edited by shagmidmod on Nov 5, 2010 11:04 AM ]
posted on November 5, 2010 11:37:15 AM new
No issues like you have been going through....I think you have had the annual quota that was supposed to be spread amongst all of us.
We are getting Unpaid item problems.
We have been selling on EBay since November 2002 and in that time we have had a total of 12 Items that I have reported as unpaid and 8 of them have been this year!
There were two in the week before we headed for Las Vegas and wanted to get everything tidied up....they did not pay the Invoice, they didn't respond when I sent a gentle reminder on Day 4, they totally ignored me when I told them we were going away and if they didn't pay up by.....then they would have to wait until we got back.
The next morning I reported both as Non-payers and they paid within hours!
A few weeks ago I had two more and I had left them a little longer than usual and then hit the Report Button. One ended up not paying at all and the other one waited until Day 3.5 of the process and then paid with an e-check which took 6 days to clear.
At least if they are unpaid items I still have the product so am out nothing but my time.
posted on November 5, 2010 01:36:54 PM new
Shag - the reference to "Item not as Described" I think is coming from the form they have to fill out to contact you. I have been getting strange references this past week and I am pretty sure the buyers have to indicate why they are contacting you before they can actually send you a message through the messaging system. They choose as close as they can get to the actual issue.
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posted on November 5, 2010 02:06:16 PM new
Shag,
Back in the early 1990s I have seen cases of partial refund/extortions,back then they will call and make some excuses that things are just not right and they want a partial refund.
They dont want to return the items,they have a store and they want to resell the items,they just want a partial refund to lower the cost of inventory!
Now with free cell phone calls on weekends and evenings,they can call long distance free.
With this economy and job loss,more people are trying to buy on Ebay and sell on Ebay,
they will nickpick the items,they dont want to return the items so they will make it hard for you to accept their terms like give me the money now before I return it as I no longer trust you,or give me an advance in return shipping else I will report you to FBI.
Bottom line is they want a rebate !
whether it is a used earser,brass over pewter,hollow sterling silver,they will find an excuse.
They know we cant afford negs or 1 and 2 ratings or open dispute ,they have nothing else better to do,it is better than reading Job Ads or sending out hundreds of resumes!
There is not much sellers can do,we cant warn other sellers,we cant leave them negs!
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on November 5, 2010 04:09:10 PM new
As tonimar stated in their post, they are getting "push" emails from eBay. Similar to "push polling" where a pollster misleads a person to answer questions a certain way, eBay is obviously leading their buyers down a path in the same manner.
The "Item Not As Described" email message is a perfect example of this. Had there been an option for "problem with shipping" that would have been more likely selected.
I have no problem making things right when I am wrong. If the buckle is brass over pewter, than I will be happy to refund the payment. It was an honest error if it is true.
One thing I have considered when listing items is to avoid opinions altogether. Terms like, "excellent" "good" etc fall into this category. Instead, just describe any issues and include photos showing the problem.
I have been a buyer and seller, and I can accept some oversight when I receive something. What I can't accept is gross negligence in descriptions.
I have left one negative for a seller over the last 5 years. I bought a male/male 2 foot usb cable. I received a 1.5 ft cable (too short for my application). I emailed them and they said they would resend another one. What they resent was an extension for the one I originally purchased (female/male). If that wasn't enough, the seller had every opportunity to change their listing to reflect the correct length, but they didn't do so even though I pointed it out to them. I felt it was necessary to let other buyers know the cable was not the correct length.
posted on November 5, 2010 06:10:00 PM new
It's not just eBay. Every merchant I've talked to has seen a dramatic increase in returns in the last several months.
And today I get a SNAD from a woman I sold a piece of silverware to. I told her to SEND IT BACK. I don't think she will; I'm pretty sure she expected me to offer a partial refund.
posted on November 6, 2010 07:52:54 AM new
I wonder where the idea of partial refunds got started? Must have been a eBay seller or buyer thing. Can't imagine Walmart, Target or some other big store handing out partial refunds.
It may be a compromise some lying cheating scum sucking buyer came up with when the seller refused to let them keep the widget and give back all the money or suffer the dreaded neg!
posted on November 6, 2010 12:28:06 PM new
Years ago when I was dining in a small Chinese restaurant in NYC,a guy at next table ordered lobster.
After he ate the lobster and ready to pay his bill,he complained the lobster is SO SMALL ,it aint worth 11.95 so he wants to pay 7.95,so there you go,a rebate or price markdown of 4.95.
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on November 7, 2010 10:14:31 AM new
belt buckle guy says he's returning it. no problem if it isn't a bait and switch.
the other buyer hasn't responded to my request for photos. they are in belgium. they would have to return it for a refund. it makes it more difficult for them b/c return shipping is so high.
posted on November 8, 2010 11:37:48 AM new
so, my other account gets an email from a buyer claiming I sold him a fake item.
"I received this item today and upon review have determined it is a fake. Your auction did state it was 100% authentic. I am asking for a refund and will still leave positive feedback upon the return/refund."
I've been selling on eBay for 10 years. I have sold thousands and thousands of similar items. There is no way this is true, but I stand behind my products so I replied-
"Hello. We have been selling xxxxx for over a decade, so I am a bit surprised by your email. Just curious how you determined it is a fake? Please feel free to return the item to me, however do not wash or wear it. We mark each item we sell to prevent fraudulent returns. Upon receipt and inspection I will gladly refund your money. Please do let me know how you determined it is a fake because I am concerned that something like this went through our process without notice and knowing what to look for beyond what we already know helps. Thanks, Randy. You can return it to..."
I have sold over 10,000 items similar to this throughout the years and have had only one other instance where someone made a bogus claim like this. They waited 46 days to contact me and made the same counterfeit claim. I told them to return it to me. What bothers me most is the havoc it wreaks on sellers. eBay, without any communication with me blocked me from using the name brand for 2 months. The buyer never responded to my emails, never responded to eBay, never sent the item back, and yet I was punished for it.
It is the problem facing many sellers now. Because there are sellers who sell fakes out there, the longtime sellers are getting bunched in with them. Buyers can make these claims without any responsibility on their end. Sellers have no way to protect themselves from bogus claims. To make matters worse, we have issues where buyers are returning bogus items instead of the genuine items they received from us.
posted on November 8, 2010 11:52:49 AM new
I received a reply on the last item. He was concerned about a logo missing. I didn't catch it when it was listed, otherwise I note if something is wrong with it. I have seen logos come off or hang by a thread before, so it may just be something that came off. It wasn't a new item. I will check it when it gets returned. No biggie.
