Blooming cheek!

cazmanian_minx

Just after Christmas I had a Paypal payment turn up with a note on the bottom, saying that they buyer was planning to be a regular customer and if I had a few free crimps I could chuck in with her order she'd really appreciate it. Crimps are something I don't stock, so I had a mental chuckle, gave her 10 out of 10 for trying and sent her a polite email back saying I didn't have any and I didn't offer discounts or freebies unless the order value was over £50 (she'd spent a fiver - including P&P).

Yesterday I got back off holiday, went through the sales from while I was away and she'd bought again. £12-worth this time (£2 of it P&P), and again there was a note - "Any freebies welcomed, returning customer here! Maybe silver, some crimps would be handy, or any spare pendants you may have!" Now my pendants START from £1.29, so she was effectively asking for 12% or more!!

I'm so tempted to write back to her and inform her that I have customers who spend £100+ a month who don't even ask for free shipping, but given a sale is a sale is a sale, I'm just going to have a vent here instead

Caz

FloFlo

Sounds like they probably ask everyone they order from everytime. I wouldn't bother replying or sending any freebies with their order. I think its a cheek too but they obviously feel its worth a shot.

soolin

There used to be a prgramme on BBC in the mornings about asking for extras and bargaining. The programme suggested that every time you buy something you ask for a freebie, so you buy something in Maplin and pick up something from the small change displays on the counter and say 'will you throw this in free?'.

The programme suggested that even if you only got something part of the time it was always worth asking. Personally the embarrassment factor of asking for freebies would seriously outweigh anything I actually got..I just couldn't do it, but maybe your buyer saw the same programme?

I have noticed a slight trend in people asking for 'extras' and had assumed it was because I was showing as a power seller so they expected me to be some sort of tycoon. For instance they would pay for the cheapest postage option I offer and ask whether I would upgrade to 1st class for free (no), or they would buy an item that was cheaper due to colour or size and ask whether I would give them the more expensive BIN item instead (No). However, I'm no longer a power seller and it is still happening, sold two things yesterday, both paid for 2nd class postage. One asked for it to be upgraded to 1st class as she needed it urgently, but I responded latre in the day and just said sorry I sent it 2nd class as per your payment. The second buyer asked me to send it 1st class recorded instead of second class but in that case I could forsee problems if she didn't get it, so I upgraded to recorded but still used second class post.

Sooler

Nothing wrong in asking – they might be a MSE freebieholic.

It’d give some sellers a chance to offload odds and ends they can’t sell or aren’t worth selling and give the customer a bonus - good for business.


Why not have a promotion and factor in £1.29 to each order and offer a free pendant with each order.

neilwoods

Like the old adage goes "If you dont ask you dont get"

AlexisV

If she's really going to be a regular customer, maybe tell her you'll throw in a freebie for her next (third) order.

Baby_J_2

What are the pendants like?

cazmanian_minx

AlexisV wrote:

If she's really going to be a regular customer, maybe tell her you'll throw in a freebie for her next (third) order.

At the rate she's going, she's going to spend less than £100 in a year and about £25 of that will be on P&P! If she starts spending £25+ a month every month then I might think about it.

Caz

cazmanian_minx

Sooler wrote:

Nothing wrong in asking – they might be a MSE freebieholic.

Absolutely not, what I was slightly annoyed about was that she asked again after being told under what circumstances I *do* throw in extras or give a discount - and she wasn't meeting those circumstances.

Sooler wrote:

It’d give some sellers a chance to offload odds and ends they can’t sell or aren’t worth selling and give the customer a bonus - good for business.

Why not have a promotion and factor in £1.29 to each order and offer a free pendant with each order.

Because my wholesaler imports the pendants from overseas (China, I think) and supply is very hit and miss - I never know how many I'm going to be able to get hold of at any one time!

Caz

Baby_J_2

I would never ask for a freebie from someone on eBay....though, I was buying some Pocket Dragons last month and the woman I brought them off had one left and couldn't be bothered to list it so gave it to me for free as I had brought 6 others from her! And also, another seller sent 2 Pocket Dragons out 2 weeks late and gave me another for free. Result!

cazmanian_minx

Baby_J wrote:

What are the pendants like?

The £1.29 ones are 2cm semi-precious gemstone hearts or stars with a silver plated bail. But she'd bought a glass pendant at £2.99 and there was no way I was sending another of those out free with £10-worth of stock!


Caz