One of those days

soolin

It is not my week, I truly believe that.

I've now had my first 'item arrived broken' claim in absolutely ages, argghhh.

I sell extremely fragile glass and china items and have shipped all over the world. Yet the broken item was a good solid mug, protected by a polystyrene box, then in a cardboard box and with peanuts for protection. I've obviously refunded the buyer immediately but i'm beginning to think I should find something else to do apart from ebay for a while as I'm getting to the stage where I actually get nervous if i see I have an unanswered message when I log in.

porto_bello

soolin wrote: »

The problem buyer is a US one whose item hasn't arrived after 3 weeks so I refunded with apologies. Yet he isn't happy, he can't believe his item hasn't arrived and is demanding to know what I've done with it. We've exchanged a couple of emails and i've explained that as it is a heavy item it might be caught up with the issue that other sellers are having of delay through import. So he now wants me to find out which customs or border agency has it and phone them and tell them to send it on...arghh. I feel a neg coming on.

I have found that the most problematic of problem buyers are often in the US. By chance, have you received several very long messages, informing you that the item they purchased from you has not simply failed to arrive, but that as a result, you have totally ruined their life?

Do the 'you have to compensate me for like, totally destroying my well being' emails have a kind of 'standard' one size fits all quality about them? Could the same email be being routinely sent to all their sellers? ... It wouldn't be the first case!

soolin

porto_bello wrote: »

I have found that the most problematic of problem buyers are often in the US. By chance, have you received several very long messages, informing you that the item they purchased from you has not simply failed to arrive, but that as a result, you have totally ruined their life?

Do the 'you have to compensate me for like, totally destroying my well being' emails have a kind of 'standard' one size fits all quality about them? Could the same email be being routinely sent to all their sellers? ... It wouldn't be the first case!

Actually, my buyer has been rather persistent in telling me his life story and explaining in depth why he is so disappointed that I can't get the item to him. He's told me how long he has waited for this item to appear on ebay, and how he is unlikely now to find another one.

wendym

You've made a decision for me, soolin. I'd been wondering about selling some china bits and bobs, but think I'm currently too chicken to risk it. I've just done a full refund for a buyer who can't read, and a too-generous partial refund for a buyer who was on the receiving end of a stupid mistake I made. Fortunately they have both left glowing feedback.

Yesterday my husband 'found' the missing Amazon book (too late, of course) but in a fit of karmic balance the universe made him spend an hour starting at midnight searching for his tickets for a very early start today. They were in the drawer where they live of course.

soolin

wendym wrote: »

You've made a decision for me, soolin. I'd been wondering about selling some china bits and bobs, but think I'm currently too chicken to risk it. I've just done a full refund for a buyer who can't read, and a too-generous partial refund for a buyer who was on the receiving end of a stupid mistake I made. Fortunately they have both left glowing feedback.

Yesterday my husband 'found' the missing Amazon book (too late, of course) but in a fit of karmic balance the universe made him spend an hour starting at midnight searching for his tickets for a very early start today. They were in the drawer where they live of course.

This is actually quite unusual for me, I can go years without any issues at all yet they all seem to come at once.

I've just posted off some more china and glass, so lets hope the breakage was a one off. I do have a rather large and difficult piece of glass still to go, but my OH packs better than me so will make a customised box and pack it tonight and i'll send it first thing tomorrow.

adviceforall

On the theme of one of those days I had some feedback left for me this morning:

"Good condition but it was not a next-day delivery.. delivered after 48 hours. =(

She actually phoned me on Sunday evening saying she really wanted these shoes, but needed them for Tuesday and if she brought them now would she definitely get them for Tuesday, as they were listed as 1st class delivery I explained that they "should" get there but if she wanted to be certain then she would have to pay for special delivery to get them by 1pm..So she agreed, I changed the listing and she brought them Sunday evening (20th), I posted them on the Monday morning (21st) and they arrived just after 12pm on the Tuesday ( 22nd) as I had told her.

How she thought I could get them there by Monday when she paid late Sunday I do not know!!!

botanical

adviceforall wrote: »

On the theme of one of those days I had some feedback left for me this morning:

"Good condition but it was not a next-day delivery.. delivered after 48 hours. =(

She actually phoned me on Sunday evening saying she really wanted these shoes, but needed them for Tuesday and if she brought them now would she definitely get them for Tuesday, as they were listed as 1st class delivery I explained that they "should" get there but if she wanted to be certain then she would have to pay for special delivery to get them by 1pm..So she agreed, I changed the listing and she brought them Sunday evening (20th), I posted them on the Monday morning (21st) and they arrived just after 12pm on the Tuesday ( 22nd) as I had told her.

How she thought I could get them there by Monday when she paid late Sunday I do not know!!!

That is incredibly unfair! You bent over backwards!

Not neutral feedback, I hope?

(I don't care any more so long as it's not negs -neutrals soon drop off the page)

kazwookie

I've got one of 'those' bidders atm.

She is currently having a bidding war with herself!!

She had upped her own price by about £4 so far, there is no one else bidding on this item, she is fairly new judging by her fb score, so being nice I have mailed her and told her she is bididng against herself.

To get a mail back that says ebay have told her to max up her bid...............goodness knows how this is going to end! 2 days and waiting!!!

Soolin I hope USA sorts itself out, I really cannot think of anything to suggest.

adviceforall

The only positive was that it was a positive lol but just makes you wander what you have to do for some customers to be happy

soolin

kazwookie wrote: »

I've got one of 'those' bidders atm.

She is currently having a bidding war with herself!!

She had upped her own price by about £4 so far, there is no one else bidding on this item, she is fairly new judging by her fb score, so being nice I have mailed her and told her she is bididng against herself.

To get a mail back that says ebay have told her to max up her bid...............goodness knows how this is going to end! 2 days and waiting!!!

Soolin I hope USA sorts itself out, I really cannot think of anything to suggest.

I've had no development on the US buyer but i've had a development on the seller who wanted an extra £1. I emailed him this morning and asked when my item had been posted, I Kept it polite and didn't even refer to the fact that he had said he wouldn't post it until he had cleared funds in his bank account.

I got home this evening to find a refund pending and a message to say he cannot deal with buyers like me who expect sellers on ebay to sell with no protection whatsoever. He went on to say it would be a good idea for me to watch my account as I had been reported to ebay as a time waster and everyone knows that ebay kick people like me off ebay. he also rather amusingly says that as he has now cancelled the transaction ebay have assured him I cannot leave feedback, and any attempt on my part to do so will have consequences as far as ebay are concerned.

She is currently having a bidding war with herself!!

Incidentally, a buyer cannot bid against themselves as only the initial bid is registered untel a second bidder enters the field.
Although I once did get carried away at a live B and M auction and the auctineer put down her gavel, removed her glasses and said to me sternly 'madam, there is no point bidding against yourself all that indicates is how desperate you are for the item'.