Help - angry buyer

Jingle00 · 16 August 2009 at 8:32PM

Hi,

I have been reading these boards for awhile now & have found them very helpful. I could do with some help as how to reply to this buyer. He purchased an item from me & didn't pay. I sent an invoice to him - no response. On day 7 i started a NPB.
I have just received this message from him:-

i've just got back from holiday to find you've started a case against me. i'm sorry i didn't let you know i'd be away before the auction ended but i'm bloody disgusted that you've not bothered to take a friendlier and more patient route to find out what the problem is - you can see my feedback is 100%!!!

Any ideas what i can reply back? To be honest 100% feedback for buyers is meaningless these days. I only wanted to get my fees back.

Any help gratefully received

Minxy_Bella · 16 August 2009 at 8:34PM

It's his problem that he didn't pay for the item when he was supposed to so I would ignore the ranting and ask if he still intends to pay or not and carry on calmly.

The silly man!

cyberbob · 16 August 2009 at 8:43PM

As Minxy said. Its his fault he didnt tell you. I always open a NPB disput on the 7th day as most sellers do

Jingle00 · 16 August 2009 at 8:45PM

Thanks for that. I was starting to think i had been unreasonable.
He has paid now.
Got a horrible feeling he will mark down my DSRs or leave negatine feedback.

cyberbob · 16 August 2009 at 8:48PM

Jingle00 wrote: »

Thanks for that. I was starting to think i had been unreasonable.
He has paid now.
Got a horrible feeling he will mark down my DSRs or leave negatine feedback.

If he leaves a neg. Just resppond calmly with something factual like ' Buyer had not payed after 7 days and no response- did not inform me he was on holiday (I'm not Psychic)' Something along those lines. then any future buyer will just see you as reasonable. ranting responses to feedback just put buyers off

Jingle00 · 16 August 2009 at 9:06PM

Thanks Cyberbob thats a good reply if i get negative or neutral feedback.
Thanks for your help.
This is the first unreasonable person i have met on ebay!

hazey31 · 16 August 2009 at 9:18PM

I tend to agree with him, although not with the style of the message that you received.

As I read it, you just sent the invoice then after 7 days opened the NPB dispute. I think that most people would send a message by email or through eBay after a few days of not hearing anything- you might have received some kind of autoreply telling you that he was away.

jasmineswhiskers · 16 August 2009 at 9:25PM

Jingle00 wrote: »

Thanks for that. I was starting to think i had been unreasonable.
He has paid now.
Got a horrible feeling he will mark down my DSRs or leave negatine feedback.

...or claim it never arrived. Might be worth sending recorded depending on the value.

Jingle00 · 16 August 2009 at 9:26PM

I sent him the invoice after 5 or 6 days. Didn't want to send it earlier as i didn't want him to think i was hassling him. I didn't hear anything from him.
I really don't understand why he's surprised to get an NPB after 7 days as ebay rules are to pay within 7 days.
A simple message to me about being away and i wouldn't have started the NPB. Then he's having a go at me for not communicating.

Auntie-Dolly · 16 August 2009 at 10:04PM

Just tell him the UIR starts automatically on day 7 and can easily be cancelled once payment is received.

steviebabes · 16 August 2009 at 10:06PM

A lot of buyers dont pay until they have received an invoice (I think this goes back to the early ebay days) so in effect you opened an unpaid item dispute after 2 or 3 days in his mind. I always send an invoice about an hour after the auction then a reminder after 3 days, a stronger worded reminder on day 7 then open a dispute on day 9 or 10.