Fairly new seller, being bullied by buyer...please help!

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Hi all, i really don't seem to be having much luck on ebay.

Had a problem with a chargeback blocking my account just last week - it turned out to be paypals random id checks on the buyer, but she resolved it nice and quickly and appologised profusely. They still wont let me use that bank account though :mad:

Anywho, back to this one. I sold an item last week and the buyer recieved it 2 days later. I had a message saying the hem was stretched and could i give them a part refund and then they'd leave me feedback. I was shocked, the item was fine when i sent it, brand new, just come out of packet, i tried it on - it was too big, so i sold it on ebay.

So i stated politely it was just out of the packet, brand new, in perfect condition (i inspect everything before listing and then its packed immediately) etc but if they wanted to return the item please do so and i'll happily issue a refund i this case.

To my further astonishment i got a second email saying thats ok but please can they just have a partial refund by cheque :eek:(THEY PAID BY PAYPAL) and then they would only then leave me positive feedback.


Now at this point i showed my OH, we checked ebays rules and decided to report it as blackmail.

This morning i received a response from ebay saying they understand my concern but they cannot intervien due to regulations (!!!!!!!!!)

I thought that being the good citizen and reporting that kind of behaviour would be the best thing to do, obviously not on ebay.

I not so fussed if they want to send the item back, it only sold for £10ish, but i know prob recieve a malliciously stretched item back and further abuse. I don't stand for this type of thing. My biggest problem is i am a fairly new seller with under 10 score feedback, so one neg will influence that horribly.

i am 99% certain the item is fine and this was the buyers intention from the onset as why would you keep a stretched item for a part refund? Stretched items, or badly stretched as she claimed, cannot really be repaired so it's rendered useless.

What would you do in this situation?

Many thanks.:o

cyberbob

State that if the item is returned you will issue a refund through paypal. Its not nice to recieve a neg but if you respond in a well mannered and considered way it it makes it look a lot better. Most people will have a look at a sellers whole history and there responses to negs when buying. So one neg shouldnt effect you too much.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Yep i have but they are demanding cheque and want to keep the item too.

My concern is that with a feedback of 8 (all +) would equal something like 85% or therabouts. I don't even think people will bother looking at the feedback when they see that. Plus search standing will be lowed to the bottom i think and i might be banned from selling so i have heard.

I know it would be simple to go ok, just for the sake of my future selling but then that means i haven't made a stand and the buyer will prob go ahead and do this to more sellers (if they haven't already). This is why i think sellers should be allowed to leave feedback too, if not ebay should do more to protect their sellers.

cyberbob

Unless they send it back to you buy a trackable means they dont get a refund. Even in a dispute paypal wont issue one.

soolin

Stand your ground, refuse any sort of partial refund and insist they return item for a full paypal refund.

Also check out feedback that buyer has left for other seller in case they make a habit of this, it won't help but it is always nice to know if you are dealing with a chancer or not.

If the worse happens and you get a neg consider closing this account and starting again on a fresh ID.

cyberbob

I dont think you will get banned from selling for one neg. Soolin probably could give more info than me though.

If i was in your position i would stick to my guns 'return the item then a full refund through paypal' If you give them a refund with a cheque there will be no record on paypal so they could dispute that they have recieved one.

I hope it manages to sort itself out.

carrie483

If this happens and you do get a neg feedback then can't you apply to have it removed?

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Thank you everyone, i need the moral support at the mo i think. I know what i should do but its so easy to buckle under pressure when its something important that can be affected.

I think i'm going to hold out on replying to the buyer for 24hrs, then approx 10 items i sent just before this bank holiday weekend should hopefully arrive tomorrow, hopefully some people will leave their feedback, that way a negative won't influence the buyers of items ending today and tomorrow. Then once i have a few more feedbacks for sold bits n bobs a negative with a response underneath might not be so damaging.

soolin

carrie483 wrote: »

If this happens and you do get a neg feedback then can't you apply to have it removed?

On what grounds?

cyberbob- I dont think you will get banned from selling for one neg. Soolin probably could give more info than me though.

Actually for a small seller one neg is enough to get a 30 day suspension based on the 30 day 5% buyer disatisfaction rule. That's why in some cases it is worth closing an account before you get suspended and starting again.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Thats true - i have seen that on a few peoples feedback pages. The comment is still there but the - or + is removed next to it. I will give it a go.

It's amazing that some people try to get through life conning others...and worst is they tend to be the richest people too Personally i couldn't live with myself if i did that. Thats probaly why i'm honest and poor, lol, well at least i have a clear consience (sp).

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

soolin wrote: »

On what grounds?



Actually for a small seller one neg is enough to get a 30 day suspension based on the 30 day 5% buyer disatisfaction rule. That's why in some cases it is worth closing an account before you get suspended and starting again.

Yikes!!!

Ok, i f did that i would have to cancel all of my current listings right. Wouldn't it then flag up somehow. Also i have some people who have won but not paid yet, any idea how could that be sorted?