ebay buyers doing my head in!

lyniced

Is it me, or are all ebay buyers clubbing together to make sellers lives a misery?

I have been happily selling and buying with barely any incident over the past 4 years, then all of a sudden thats changed. I got two buyers not receive their goods (thats ok as I always get proof of postage and claim back from the PO) but one set up a dispute with ebay, without even letting me know (I'm not a mind-reader) and then when I refunded the money, gave me neutral feedback. The other buyer left neg feedback after telling me a HOUR before that his good hadn't arrived - I refunded his money and then asked if he would remove the feedback, to which he replied 'no, but he was sorry'.

And yesterday was the 'icing on the cake' so to speak. I sold a gamecube game (for 99p!) and £1 postage, but it had no instructions. The buyer is now threatening to report me to ebay because I mis-sold the item to him. I told him I would refund his money, but he still is going to report me!!!!!!!!!!

I think ever since ebay have stopped allowing sellers to leave neg feedback buyers think they have carte blanche to do as they please. What do others think?

soolin

I had been worried when they changed the rules but actually it has made no difference to my buyers at all. In fact my only neg (now disappeared thank goodness) was from before the changes.

SuperMum2008

We have been selling for several years and there is no doubt the number of issues have increased over the last 6 months. Buyers are, on the whole, nice enough, but when they are not nice, they are really horrid. We have also had the experience of negative feedback as the first sign that a person wasnt happy. We have had people try to claim for a refund for damaged goods but refusing to return them to us, and we have had people claim packaging was damaged as if that was our fault. Some buyers email us with truly offensive and frightening emails too...but I am afraid we report them left right and centre. Ebay has been flooded with people looking for bargains by whatever means, and sellers have less and less protection. It really is a case of knowing your rights and the rules down to the last full stop and then standing your ground and refusing to be bullied by the thret of negative feedback. It is harder and harder though!

wheresmydoshat

the games we sell on play, we're having to look at stopping listing anything worth less that £2 because more often that not its the people that buy them that complain given half a chance.

our last negative was for a game that cost them £1 (we were just clearing stock out, made nothing on it) but took a few extra days to arrive.

lyniced

It is getting beyond a joke - I know the customer is king, but should he be God as well!

goanmad

lyniced wrote: »

I think ever since ebay have stopped allowing sellers to leave neg feedback buyers think they have carte blanche to do as they please. What do others think?

There's always been a tiny minority of horrid buyers and I do think some sellers get terrified of offending them and getting negative feedback. It's always good to remain firm but polite to the extreme and if a buyer does leave negative feedback reponding to it in a professional and dignified manner. If I'm interested in buying from someone and, having checked out their feedback, find a negative with an intelligent and reasonable response more often than not I'll add the buyer who left the -ive feedback to my blocked bidders list.

Lately I've had a buyer who asked for the cost of posting to the US. I took the item to the PO, got it weighed and gave them the correct price for International Signed For. (I send everything recorded). They bid then asked me to reduce the postage to standard airmail which I refused to. They won the item and then left numerous emails accusing me of overcharging on P&P. It wasn't until I opened a Non-paying Bidder dispute that they sent payment. I'm expecting a big fat neg on that one....

chja

Not had a problem.

If I may be bold, I would suggest that listings totally clear. If something doesn't have instructions, then say so otherwise you just leave yourself open (ok it sold for 99p, but it could have been more).

StaffsSW

The joys of selling at the bottom end of the market - it attracts a certain type of person unfortunately.

Pay the least, demand the most.

I found that when i increased the price on certain items, it seemed to attract a more discerning, and dare I say it, better educated/mannered standard of customer.

FRUIT_SALAD

chja wrote: »

Not had a problem.

If I may be bold, I would suggest that listings totally clear. If something doesn't have instructions, then say so otherwise you just leave yourself open (ok it sold for 99p, but it could have been more).

i was actually going to say this. If there is anything not there that should be, state this in the auction!

As others have stated you know how fussy people can be.

Tbh i would be a bit annoyed that if had been listed as normal and then there was no leaflet mainly because you never said so in the listing but i don't think i would leave a neg. Its a bit harsh for £1.99!

If you know an item has a scuff, mark or is missing something state it.

I know a girl who bought a coat of ebay which never had a hood. She then sold the coat later on and got a neg from the buyer saying that it had no hood and there should of been one because there was a removeable attatchment thing. She tried to explain to the cust that she never even had the attatchment but did they listen? no. I think she's trying to get that neg removed.

But it shows how ridculous people can be. If you notice anything that you think that people can neg you for, state it!

RFW

lyniced wrote: »

Is it me, or are all ebay buyers clubbing together to make sellers lives a misery?

I have been happily selling and buying with barely any incident over the past 4 years, then all of a sudden thats changed. I got two buyers not receive their goods (thats ok as I always get proof of postage and claim back from the PO) but one set up a dispute with ebay, without even letting me know (I'm not a mind-reader) and then when I refunded the money, gave me neutral feedback. The other buyer left neg feedback after telling me a HOUR before that his good hadn't arrived - I refunded his money and then asked if he would remove the feedback, to which he replied 'no, but he was sorry'.

And yesterday was the 'icing on the cake' so to speak. I sold a gamecube game (for 99p!) and £1 postage, but it had no instructions. The buyer is now threatening to report me to ebay because I mis-sold the item to him. I told him I would refund his money, but he still is going to report me!!!!!!!!!!

I think ever since ebay have stopped allowing sellers to leave neg feedback buyers think they have carte blanche to do as they please. What do others think?

I don't understand why you think a seller leaving negative feedback in these circumstances would have made a difference.
So you had two buyers who never received their goods and because they complained via feedback you would have left them negatives, thus probably losing two innocent customers from Ebay and other sellers.
For the latter 'problem', if item was as described then whoever you are reported to it won't make a difference, its unlikely Ebay will do anything anyway.

mikey72

As a buyer I ignore the odd neg.
The response is important, no response is better than a sarcastic one, or the one in capitals.
Patterns are bad as well, such as poor packing, or "no response to emails".
Good buyers know there are bad buyers as well as bad sellers.

And to SuperMum2008, if
“ It really is a case of knowing your rights and the rules down to the last full stop”
Remember, so do buyers nowadays.

And to Stevew89675
"The joys of selling at the bottom end of the market - it attracts a certain type of person unfortunately"
You do mean sellers don’t you, not buyers?