1st time for a threatening customer

RFW

I've been selling on Ebay for 10 years and elsewhere for 20 plus. For the first time on Ebay I was just threatened with violence over the phone from a customer who never read a description. I've actually sold several identical lots to customers who were all more than pleased.

I'm always over polite and try and sort things out, despite me not being in the wrong I was about to offer a part refund when from nowhere the customer started swearing and then threatened to come and punch me in the face (I removed swear words).

As a general piece of advice threatening to punch someone in the face is not a good way of getting them to help you out.

So anyway I've now got to report this to the police and add a buyer to my blocked list. I'll add it to the growing list of things winding me up at the moment.

soolin

RFW I am appalled to read your post. I have no constructive advice at all but just wanted to say that I cannot understand why some people feel the need to be so aggressive.

Make sure you do report it to the police.

Obviously_the_best

I think that that's absolutely disgraceful! :mad:

If a buyer can't read they should either get some read aloud type software for their computer, or not be on eBay!!!

Takeaway_Addict

some people are just natural dumbasses

Crowqueen

Yup. Sounds like someone who is just looking for someone to take out some unexpressed anger problems on an innocent.

I think you've done exactly the right thing. Hope the police give him the fright of his life.

GregtheHammer

Crowqueen wrote: »

Yup. Sounds like someone who is just looking for someone to take out some unexpressed anger problems on an innocent.

I think you've done exactly the right thing. Hope the police give him the fright of his life.

Quite I agree, just worry if the police will do anything at all

gnus

GregtheHammer wrote: »

Quite I agree, just worry if the police will do anything at all

What do you want them to do. I could go to the police and say you threatened to punch me in the face. They'd speak to you, you'd deny it. Maybe they'd create a police record to that effect, maybe not.

Crowqueen

gnus wrote: »

What do you want them to do. I could go to the police and say you threatened to punch me in the face. They'd speak to you, you'd deny it. Maybe they'd create a police record to that effect, maybe not.

Possibly, if he is a hardened nutcase who make a habit of it. However, if he is only someone with a bit of steam to let off, and letting it off in the wrong direction, the police talking to him will be enough to impress on him that he shouldn't say that to anyone else.

RFW

gnus wrote: »

What do you want them to do. I could go to the police and say you threatened to punch me in the face. They'd speak to you, you'd deny it. Maybe they'd create a police record to that effect, maybe not.

I'm inclined to agree and doubt he's going to do anything, if it was just me I doubt I'd bother but I do have a family to think about, not to mention anyone else he may deal with, I'd be surprised if the police even speak to him. I've not heard from him again, rather oddly he'd already left feedback before receiving goods.

Thanks for the other comments, as I said it's the first time it's happened in 30,000+ transactions but it was something that made me wonder if I need to keep bothering. The only other one I can remember was some guy who went mad in several messages, wrote some nonsense on feedback, I managed to get Ebay to suspend his account, I got a call a couple of weeks later from his fiancee apologising and asking if I could help get their account reinstated.

GregtheHammer

gnus wrote: »

What do you want them to do. I could go to the police and say you threatened to punch me in the face. They'd speak to you, you'd deny it. Maybe they'd create a police record to that effect, maybe not.

At the least follow up the complaint. Lots of faceless people hiding behind keyboards or phonecalls. A visit from the police in my opinion might make them think twice about their behaviour.

Strapped

I'd report it to the police too, even if it is your word against theirs.

I've been threatened with violence once by an eBay buyer, someone local enough to actually be a credible threat; he turned out to be a well-known thug & gang member, and the police did treat it seriously. 99 times out of 100 though it's just someone having a bad day with no intention of following through with anything.