A morning ruined - Selling goods over the internet

Tygermoth

I am a big fan of free cycle and have used it for many years without incidence.

Well we have items to sell at the moment and chose to use a similar site with a similar name but you can sell items cheaply.

Posted the electrical item and three respondents popped up in my email.

Respondent One ‘ Gilly’ Respondent Two ‘Barry’ Respondent three ‘Seb’ (immediately discounted)

Gilly - had asked for a time early morning visit to view

Barry - I advised there was lots of interest as they had stated they were looking to make an offer so would be looking for full price. I had given the postcode to Barry as he had requested it but not my full address or a time as there would be no point until Gilly had been.

Gilly bought the item.

We had just exchanged money for goods and I was seeing the lady to her car when suddenly this bloke appears at the end of the drive all smiles asking does tygermoth live here? ‘I’ve come to see the unit’ i looked baffled then it dawns on me.

I started to explain that Gilly was first respondent... but did not get to finish as he went bananas.. proper little spat. Shouting about i had been mailing him which entitled him to have viewed the item before I sold it. How terrible it was. I was rather taken aback.

Gilly looked shocked and scarpered. ( I emailed her an apology and explanation after)

I calmly said sorry the item is sold shut the gate and walked back into the house. As he proper stormed back to his car revved it like a loon the span off up the drive.

I mailed him to say i was sorry he was upset but the item had gone and i had never confirmed a visit. He mailed back a rant that by inferring that there was a time scale to the visit (I had stated that we would need to make arrangements before 1030) he felt by giving my postcode it implied to him the item was exclusive to him.

I mailed back and once again apologised and stated that I did not feel this was so however as a novice to the world of online selling if that was the case I was sorry.

Cue another ranty email advising he was reporting me to the site manager and moderators. To which I replied if he felt that strongly about the matter he must do what he felt was right and i would await contact from the moderators.

Now i am second guessing myself and feel a little mean as i am bit glad he didn’t get it!

Tygermoth

!!!!!! - just had a email from the site advising a complaint has been logged.

They want a statement. At this rate the money from the sale just wasnt worth it!

:mad:

Fuzzy_Duck

Tygermoth wrote: »

!!!!!! - just had a email from the site advising a complaint has been logged.

They want a statement. At this rate the money from the sale just wasnt worth it!

:mad:

Can you just ignore it? I don't think it's worth the hassle of fighting your corner if you can avoid it! He sounds a silly little man who has nothing better to do. You were in the right- you had not invited him, nor given him your full address and an appropriate time. He shouldn't have assumed, but unfortunately there are a lot of idiots out there who think simply because they've sent you an email that item is theirs.

If you do write a statement, keep it short and factual and include the messages you sent to him. I imagine his side of the story will be a mostly incoherent rant so he probably won't help himself anyway!

Freddie_Snowbits

In Freddies cook book of life, it is first come, first served. Seems Barry arrived too late.

Name site and ignore this Barry guy

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Tygermoth wrote: »

!!!!!! - just had a email from the site advising a complaint has been logged.

They want a statement. At this rate the money from the sale just wasnt worth it!

:mad:

dont get stressed. Forward on your full conversations with him to the site and let them deal with him. Also add at the end how rude and abusive he was to you whilst Gilly was still stood there and ask them to ask for her version too.

Tygermoth

I have mailed the statement - mainly as I use the sister site to offer up goods so much and the same moderator oversees both.

To find a resoultion (we only had two items to sell) i have advised the mods as the bloke in question was so upset advise him I will no longer sell/post via the site (its no loss to me as after the drama this morning I would not do it again)

Typical two mins after sending the email off to the Mod we get a full price offer on the other item, which I was not expecting to sell.

arrgghh

heretolearn_2

It's a shame you ran into a bit of a loony.

Just because he made a complaint doesn't mean it will be upheld, but they have to look into it. I'd see that as quite good customer service, at least they don't just 'log' complaints and ignore them.

If you put your side, that the man did not have an appointment to view or your address and that you had not offered to hold the goods for him, but that he just turned up and got abusive, I think the complaint could end up with him being reprimanded or banned, not you. For all you know he is a total loony and does this all the time and this is the final event that will get him banned.

I don't see why this should put you off the site. See what the moderator has to say.

Lirin

I wouldn't worry about it.

I once had a complaint via Ebay that I'd mis-sold shoes- according to the buyer they were too tight and not the right size....

Ebay asked me for a statement, which I gave- the size etc was listed, and clearly visible in photos.

Ebay sided with me when it transpired a cross-dresser had bought them.

BLT_2

Tygermoth wrote: »

!!!!!! - just had a email from the site advising a complaint has been logged.

They want a statement. At this rate the money from the sale just wasnt worth it!

:mad:

If you already have the money tell them to poke off and close your account with them

BLT_2

Lirin wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about it.

I once had a complaint via Ebay that I'd mis-sold shoes- according to the buyer they were too tight and not the right size....

Ebay asked me for a statement, which I gave- the size etc was listed, and clearly visible in photos.

Ebay sided with me when it transpired a cross-dresser had bought them.

He certainly was a cross dresser when he found they didn't fit

WhiteHorse

If he only had your postcode, then how did he identify your exact address?

It is also to be hoped that in your statement you emphasised that he turned up at your home, unwanted and unexpected and that he was threatening. That's weird enough to get any responsible site to ban him at once.