Am I being too picky?

MrsTinks

I hae sold on Ebay for yeas now - just bits and pieces as and when we're donw with them - nothing posh but have over 200 positive feedbacks... Never had someone like this...
I sold batch of stuff and had all the standard T&Cs on there - the buyer paid next day with a note saying "please send to x address"... OK so the item and postage is only about £5 put together but £5 is £5...
I sent her a polite mail back saying I'm really sorry but I can't post to that address as it's not her registered address on either paypal OR Ebay. If I was to post to those I wouldn't be covered under Paypal or Ebay. I would be more than happy to post it to her registered address if she still wanted me to or I would do her a refund etc.

I recieved 2 days later a VERY snotty mail back saying "it's only £5!" what kind of protection do I think I'd need from paypal etc Send it to my registered address then as the lady it's for is going away for several weeks later this week. (Not impossible but unlikely as the auction was for premature baby clothes - I can't see someone with a premie baby going away for several weeks!)

Now I know it's only £5 but it's not "only £5" to me...

My kneejerk reaction is to refund her and block her from my auctions and take the hit on any ebay fees (never actually had to do this before so not sure what penalties there is likely to be...) because I really don't apperciate people telling me in the tones she used that it's "only" £5...
If she'd asked if I could send it to a different address before the end of the auction I'd have said no too.

I'd say the likelyhood if I send it to her now then I'll probably get a negative feedback judging by her attitude so far... Something I don't really want when I've only stuck to the rules and been polite to her.
What would you do?

frivolous_fay

If you're at a stalemate anyway, you'll have to refund. But I would refund and ask her to add the alternative address to her paaypal payment, and re-pay.

If she doesn't want to, that's her outlook - you tried!

cyberbob

If you just refuse to sell to her you will definitely get a neg. A way you may be able to avoid this is if you refund her and get her to add there new address to paypal as a gift address then for her to repay you (you have to refund it otherwise the address wont appear for that payment). Then you will be covered.

I would write an email asking her to do this, be sickly sweet and say that you know she is an honest customer but the protection is for both of you. You know its only £5 but they can all add up. This may avoid her negging you. Worst comes to the worst you get a neg this way. if you cancel the transaction you will get a neg and a non performing seller against you

mrcol1000

If you report it as there being a problem as you would if it hadn't been paid for there is an option to say they asked for it to be sent to a different address. I guess you can cancel the transaction that way. To be honest though I would have just sent it. But then its your auction and there is nothing to say you have to send it to a different address than what is on Ebay. Really the buyer is at fault for not asking you if it was possible for it to be sent to a different address before bidding then if you didn't want that to happen they could have not bidded.

MrsTinks

mrcol - I see your point, but when you're on maternity pay then every penny counts... If I sent it to the not registered address then she could state it never got there, do a dispute on paypal and I'd be unable to claim anything from Royal Mail as the item WOULD have arrived. But because I didn't send it to the registered address any proof of delivery or postage etc would be worthless in a dispute.
I'd loose not only the money, but the cost of postage and the items themselves and the ebay and paypal fees....
Yes I am somewhat annoyed that she didn't ask before bidding (I was online when it completed so I could have easily answered any questions had she asked), because I would never agree to it as it looses any protection (what little there is!) for me as a seller.
I'll send her a mail suggesting she adds the address to her paypal then I can send directly to the person she has bought it for Good idea (although I think I'll leave out any hints of sickly sweet )

Thanks guys

sequence

I never understood why people won't send to different addresses. I will send to any address, unless its a high end item. Paypal seller protection is worse than useless so its pretty pointless. I've sent loads of stuff to "unregistered"/ different addresses. Never had a problem. Obviously I wouldn't send abroad though.

Your choice though.

MrsTinks

a) little protection is better than none
b) the buyer didn't ask me before bidding if I'd ship to another address - which personally I find rude.

I've bought things on ebay for other people and only once have I bought something to be shipped elsewhere and I asked before I placed a bid.

NotQuiteNorbert

I've only had something sent elsewhere once as a favour to a friend, but I did add her address to my Paypal account before paying so the seller wouldn't have any problems.

MrsTinks

Well I just had a very rude mail back saying that the item is needed urgently in London and I should have posted it on the 9th and basically to post it to her NOW!
Well last I checked the 9th was a sunday, it's not my fault she requested it be sent to an address that isn't her listed address (and a different name!) so that I had to contact her to ask her if she wanted it sent to her registered address or not and it then took her till late yesterday to answer!
Have refunded her and gone through disputes - I don't even care if I get F&F fees back - and she can neg me all she wants - rude madam!