Item lost, apologised, refund given .. what if negative follows?

porto_bello

This is a theoretical question at this stage, but I suspect the supposed ending is going to happen soon, so it's a case of forearmed is forewarned...

1. I'm a private seller and I sold a one-off item for £5, posted next day, 2nd class standard.

2. Buyer says it hasn't arrived and politely asks if I sent it. [Let's assume she's above board and it genuinely hasn't arrived].

3. I confirm and upload a photo of the certificate of postage, asking if she wants to wait or if she wants a refund straight away.

4. She confirms she wants a refund - I refund her in full, humbly apologise again and that's that... I'll follow up a RM claim in slower time.

.....

5. However, I received another message, saying how disappointed she is, how much she wanted it, that she hoped someone with 100% feedback like me would have sorted it out.

6. I replied humbly again, expressing regret that she never received the item and Royal Mail is outside my control.

7. I've just received another rather obnoxious email. She's disappointed that all I did was refund her. She feels I should be doing more (no specific action is mentioned).

.....

She knows the item is a one off, so it can't be replaced. It seems pretty clear she's after money and if she doesn't get it, she'll certainly neg me. I suspect I was too nice too soon and she saw an opportunity to get something for nothing.

Obviously I'm not going to be held to ransom, so I expect a neg very shortly. The question is, can I do anything about it? Particularly as a private seller, a neg is going to hurt. Or is eBay going to shrug it's shoulders and say 'tough'?

catmiaow

What did the buyer expect you to do? Even calling RM they would say that it wasn't tracked so they would have no idea where the item was. It's like the buyer expects you to find the item and hand deliver it, honestly some people!

RHemmings

I personally would not neg a seller who both showed me evidence of a proof of posting, and offered a refund. However, I'm not your buyer.

techspec

If this continues its bordering on Feedback extorsion.

Just ignore them now and if you feel she is wanting extra money etc - make sure this is mentioned if you do receive a neg.

I have only ever had ONE neg in 10 years - and Ebay removed it, as then buyer hinted that she would remove the neg - left for a 99p item that was not quite the colour she hoped for - if i was to say refund an extra £5 for the inconvenience.

The only email i got after was asking why i had set Ebay onto her - she was only doing me a favour. Ebay must have given her a warning. Result!

Sometimes scammers go over the top in their acting - due to a desire to look genuine and hurt by the none arrival.

soolin

This doesn't sound like any sort of scammer just someone who is completely unable to understand how RM works.

We have them on here all the time suggesting that parcels never get lost and sellers just don't bother sending them , I think you have unfortunately come across one of those.

IMHO it would be totally unfair to neg you and if they do I would be on the phone to eBay. I doubt they will do anything but worth a try.

RFW

porto_bello wrote: »

She knows the item is a one off, so it can't be replaced. It seems pretty clear she's after money and if she doesn't get it, she'll certainly neg me. I suspect I was too nice too soon and she saw an opportunity to get something for nothing.

Obviously I'm not going to be held to ransom, so I expect a neg very shortly. The question is, can I do anything about it? Particularly as a private seller, a neg is going to hurt. Or is eBay going to shrug it's shoulders and say 'tough'?

I'll start at the blunt end first. Unfortunately the neg would be justified in Ebay's eyes as you are responsible for getting the item to the buyer, so whether you get a pigeon to pick it up or use an armoured security truck is immaterial if it doesn't ever arrive.

I've had a slightly similar experience with a customer who told me my apology seemed patronising and various other things she read into a bog standard apology I sent, like you I had no idea what else I could do, we exchanged a couple of messages and I just kept apologising and asked what else she thought I should do or would do herself in my situation, she then said she would leave it there.

Some people like to rant and moan but it often helps if you try and put them in your position and ask for suggestions. Obviously if your buyer says that they want compensation you can say that you will pursue Royal Mail for that and pass it on if/when it arrives as you are just a poor seller trying to make ends meet, etc..

zzybee

hi op, just wanted to point out that a neg is not all that bad as long as your follow up is spot on. i for one, would still go ahead with bidding on yr items. i have come across some negatives which were left by mistake and sometimes when people are just being silly. it has not prevented me from bidding!

Crowqueen

Assuming your buyer is after something for nothing is a bad way to open any conversation; your whole attitude is skewed so you approach them in an unreasonable way. You can't really avoid refunding if the item doesn't turn up - the only thing to suggest is that she is annoyed at the moment but may at some point calm down and accept what you can give her, which is a refund.

Perhaps make a final reply, leave her to bombard your inbox with angsty messages, and as long as you are not responding and leaving her to shout into thin air, you will have done your bit.

If the item hasn't arrived and you can't prove delivery, you know you will have to refund, so there's no point having suspicions about a buyer - you only do yourself damage as you sour things for everyone else; it will come across on your listings. Let it go and claim for loss from RM. Anything else will slowly strangle your goodwill towards customers which, while sometimes unjustified, makes eBay a nicer place to buy than if all sellers are mistrustful.

And you need buyers to sell your stuff .

Crowqueen

zzybee wrote: »

hi op, just wanted to point out that a neg is not all that bad as long as your follow up is spot on. i for one, would still go ahead with bidding on yr items. i have come across some negatives which were left by mistake and sometimes when people are just being silly. it has not prevented me from bidding!

Actually, no, it does make a difference. I've had a couple of negs through a couple of mistakes, and it usually knocks things dead for a couple of weeks. As a private seller buying and selling on the same account until about three years ago, I found even a spring 2009 neg that was palpably a wrecking ball (i.e. a positive comment left on a neg), probably from someone I'd had to neg in the autumn of 2008, ruined sales completely. When I was wrecked another twice, and couldn't get eBay to remove the negs (this was long before they started taking this sort of thing seriously, and also before they started doing too much restricting of failing sellers) I had to start a new account.

Nowadays it is much harder to start over because eBay take DSRs very seriously and if you are restricted then you can't up sticks and move on. I'd be wanting to sort this out properly, whichever way is appropriate (whether complaining to eBay about an unfair neg or resolving things amicably with the buyer), not just take the neg. Even silly negs do a heck of a lot of damage - the first thing you will see people suggest on the official forums is that people either resolve poor feedback and get it revised or get CS to remove it, not just shrug their shoulders as they could reasonably do in the past.

No-one can afford to be laissez-faire about negs these days - whether from a buyer confidence point of view (you don't want something that is totally unfair damaging people's confidence in you, as I find I usually look at negs and give the buyer the benefit of the doubt, and I suspect many casual buyers do too) or from a metrics point of view.

porto_bello

Thanks all. If I end up with a neg, I'll certainly contact eBay, but I will assume nothing will result and I'll put a response to the feedback setting out the reality - thanks for the advance warning.

porto_bello

Crowqueen wrote: »

Assuming your buyer is after something for nothing is a bad way to open any conversation; your whole attitude is skewed so you approach them in an unreasonable way. You can't really avoid refunding if the item doesn't turn up - the only thing to suggest is that she is annoyed at the moment but may at some point calm down and accept what you can give her, which is a refund.

I'm not sure this is aimed at me. If it is, I'm not sure where you drew this conclusion...

I've already refunded the buyer and did so promptly (see point 4 in the original post). I am assuming they are honest (see point 2).

I am calm... or at least I was until I read this response! :eek: