Confused American

Agutka

Hi,
Girlie from USA bought a BIN item. £28+£24p&p. Total £52. Great, I was really pleased. But then next thing I know she says "my PayPal doesn't work can I pay by cheque". I said no way, I am happy to wait until you sort PayPal out, but by this time she had completed checkout. Four days later I get a response from her:

This is my first time using Paypal and I am having many problems. I thought the cost was about $52.00 in America. How much is this item in American dollars? There is no pay now button. I can only email PayPal instead of a phone call. This is so frustrating!! I don't want to have a credit problem, but am at a loss as to what to do.
Any suggestions?

My first reaction is to tell her to forget it, cancel the transaction and re-list, losing all fees, but not having to deal with this confused buyer. There is so much wron with her email - doesn't know what she bid, how PayPal works, how Ebay works, and how in the world am I causing her credit problem??


What do you guys do when these people come a'callin'? I know there have been hiccoughs in the past :rolleyes: . How do I talk her through recovering her PayNow button?

Thanks,
Agutka

soolin

I used to be really sympathetic but having had a run of problems with US bidders have got more businesslike now.

I would proceed by emailing her and saying you were sorry she appears to be having paypal problems but that it something that she can hopefully sort out herself as of course it is not something you can assist with. Suggests she contacts paypal and see if they can assist (ie put the onus completely back on to her).

Then also say that as she bought from a UK seller that showed all prices in UK sterling funds she has committed to buy at that price. Explain that once she has her paypal enabled all she needs to do is pay you the £52 by paying through the ebay link in your invoice and this will automatically pay you in sterling but debit her the uS equivalent. Don't offer her any leeway on that and don't even give her a 'suggested' exchange rate, paypal will do all that for her.

Finish up by saying that you are sure she understands that you need to ensure your item is relisted in a timely fashion if she does not intend to pay, and that you will therefore giver her until xx date (say 10 days from auction end) at which time you will start the process to reclaim your fees from ebay for a no sale.

Don't threaten her with the nPB process, just refer to it as reclaiming your fees.

Start the dispute process on day 10, no later and under no circumstances opt for the mutual option. You must go for the full NPB to guarantee your fees back.

I know this sounds harsh but otherwise this will just take up hours of your time and you still won't end up with any payment at the end of it.

Soo

soolin

One final thought...send her another invoice as that should have the 'pay now' button enabled by paypal.

Soo

darktrader

I've had a couple of instances like this.

With "Customer comes first" mentality I try "Firm but fair" and try to guide them through. Worked on both occasions. If it hadn't - neg 'em and report to Ebay, and block from future auctions.

~cleo~

I suppose shes bought your item not realising it was in the UK

I think to get back her PayNow button, she needs to gointo My Ebay and the Won items if shes marked the item as paid in her Won items, if she goes into 'Won' then on the 'Action' Drop down box selects 'Unmark as Payment Sent' then should give her the option to 'Pay' in the Action list

alternatively couldnt you send her a new invoice from ebay and or paypal?

Agutka

Thank you guys. And good grief Soo, sounds like you are well practiced in the art! One long email is on the way... I have a feeling I'm on the way to an NPB, she's not the quickest communicator in the world.

soolin

Agutka wrote:

Thank you guys. And good grief Soo, sounds like you are well practiced in the art! One long email is on the way... I have a feeling I'm on the way to an NPB, she's not the quickest communicator in the world.

I never used to have any problems at all but in the past 4 months or so I seem to be attracting bidders who can't see how ebay work, so I'm probably a bit biased.

I had to go through the NPB process on two bidders (one in the US) just before Christmas and have got my fees back and left negs for those.

Another 3 US bidders have messed me around since Christmas, one was the same as yours in that he said he thought he was buying from a US seller as my address was misleading! I assume he means the LOndon UK bit but can't really see what he means when my auction terms refer to everything as requiring payment via paypal in UK sterling funds. That one is two days away from me completing the NPB process and at that point I will leave a neg as well. The other two paid as soon as I started the NPB process.

Incidentally for those sellers worried about newbies, none of my buyers have been new, one did only have only 6 feedback but all the rest vary between 27 and 300 feedback.

SOo

Agutka

Right, I wrote everything Soo suggested apart from the bit about fees. It's only been four days and I can always keep something back for the next email - I just didn't have the heart to say - hey you've paid a zillion dollars more than you thought AND I'm gonna pursue you. You just know these people who are slightly confused think you want the fees off them. I remember a poster on here who had a buyer who turned vicious, just because the OP wanted her fees back. That made me laugh (nervously) - how people turn Jeckyll and Hyde.


So thanks for your advice and I hope your problems become fewer and far between.

soolin

Good luck Agutka, let us know when you get any response.

Soo

Milky_Mocha

Whenever I view a US listing the price is indicated in both pounds and dollars so it baffles me when American's get confused about currency. Or maybe they decide to simply choose the lower figure? I wonder what their geography lessons comprise of. What subjects are studied in American schools that would address this issue?

Hintza

Ah but Americans thing the only currency in the woorld is the $. You see similar things cropping up in folks feedback all the time "Never told me it was £; non $ transactions should be banned" ...very funny.

Don't start me on evangelical americans.........thats another story...