Help! Have I been too patient or just stupid?

ailey

I would appreciate other people's opinions on this problem. I have a seller who purchased a few items 2 weeks ago and I said to the buyer I would combine postage and it saved her quite a bit of money. Next the buyer wanted the invoice uncombined as she couldn't pay for multiple purchases via her mobile so I did this.

Believe it or not, she has asked me to combine 3 times and to uncombine 3 times due to her mobile not allowing her to pay for multiple purchases, her Paypal not working, a Postal Order costing one third of the purchase price incl postage (it costs 12.5% and was £7 cheaper than she told me) and I wrote back to explain that her figure was wrong without telling her she was lying as the Post Office could never have given her the figure she said.

She eventually asked on Friday if I could combine the invoices again and she would send a Postal Order on Friday. I checked her feedback and she had bought items every day (except one) for almost 2 weeks, paid for them and got good feedback, meanwhile stringing me along about her Paypal not working. I wrote and told her that I had found this out on her feedback and that I wasn't very happy with her messing me around like that.

I did say to her on Friday that if she had sent the Postal order on Friday or, if not, if she posted it on Saturday and sent me a message with the Postal Order number, that I would hold the items for her. If not I told her that I would have to open a case against her for non payment of items and that I hated doing that to people and that is why I have waited so long to get the sales finalised.

No reply on Saturday so I sent a very short message today to ask if she had posted the Postal Order on Saturday and received a message today to say that she is not happy with the fact that I have been looking through her information (feedback). I am in the middle of a message explaining that is what feedback is about so that people can see what kind of people buyers and sellers are etc etc and that feedback is public for all to see for this reason.

She also said in her message 'if you happy then open a case i not going to beg you not open a case i am a good payer never had bad feedback'. She said her daughter has not been well all weekend. It would have been nice if she had sent me a message to say this and that she would then change the arrangements and buy the Postal Order on Monday and I would have been understanding, yet again.

I would appreciate some advice regarding this. I know that I should just open a case for the non payment of items but does she get a strike for each item or only one strike as I have such a conscience doing this to someone? As far as I'm aware, 3 strikes and you cannot buy or sell on EBay (although this may have changed over the years) and she does sell also so I wouldn't like to do this to her. She has said that she will try to get the Postal Order tomorrow. Should I give her another chance or just open a case? My worry is that she will give me a negative although my items are good and there is nothing wrong with them and I get really good feedback but she might do it to get back at me for checking her feedback and discovering that she was buying and paying every day. My gut instinct is telling me to open a case and then just block her although I maybe couldn't block her until the case is closed as EBay would then ask her to pay and she may eventually manage miraculously. I care too much and it's causing me problems here. Apologies for length of this but it's just become a saga!

DomRavioli

Open a non paying buyer case. They haven't paid, you are allowed to open one, I think it is 4 days after the end of the sale - I think you have to open one for each item.

I'm sure someone will be along who knows better - I haven't sold on ebay for a while.

barbiedoll

It may be better for both of you if you ask her to agree to mutual cancellations for all of the items. You will get your fees back, she won't have 3 strikes against her and she won't be able to leave feedback for you. If you message her to request this, state that it's either cancellation or you will have no choice but to open 3 NPB cases against her. I doubt that she will refuse to cancel.

I know that the ebay sellers will say that you should open NPB cases, and I can see their point, but if she suddenly pays with her Paypal, you will have to send the items, she may then start messing about with INR's or SNAD's if she really wants to get revenge and you will have even more hassle.

Ask her if she will agree to cancel, save yourself any more grief and definitely block her!

And yes, you have been very patient!

campdave

barbiedoll wrote: »

It may be better for both of you if you ask her to agree to mutual cancellations for all of the items. You will get your fees back, she won't have 3 strikes against her and she won't be able to leave feedback for you.

It's perfectly fine to leave feedback after a mutual cancellation.

I'd send an invoice in paypal for the amount to be covered, than way someone who is a slave to the app on their phone can pay. Give them a clear deadline of two days to make the payment. After than, open the NPB.

RainbowDrops

Don't forget to add them to your blocked bidder list.

arcon5

You've been too patient! A week would have still been patient enough!

Open the case and relist the goods.

ailey

Thank you all so much for your advice. I feel so stressed having taken that action but just decided to combine the items again and submit a Case for non payment but before it went through it seemed to separate them all again and the 7 items have gone through as 7 non-paid items. Oh heck! I really didn't want to get her 7 strikes but maybe she'll just get one strike with the items being from one seller. I know I shouldn't worry as I've bent over backwards to try to help and been so patient. I think 2 weeks is really messing me around, especially with the fact that she has been buying every day except one for the last 2 weeks since she made her purchases from me. I read her message again and thought she was being rather cheeky in saying that she wasn't going to beg me not to open a case so I thought I should stop worrying and just go for it.

Is there a chance now that EBay will ask her to pay and, if she does I will then have to send her the items then risk a backlash of negatives (of which I have none and no neutrals) in response to me opening a case? Our feedback is very precious to us all. How would EBay view it if I were to block her at this point without giving her the chance to pay after they send her the 'Open Case' message?

Thanks again to all for taking the time to give me advice.

SlowCooker

ailey wrote: »

Is there a chance now that EBay will ask her to pay and, if she does I will then have to send her the items then risk a backlash of negatives (of which I have none and no neutrals) in response to me opening a case?

This is possible, but in this case maybe you can call eBay and ask them to remove her feedback.

ailey wrote: »

How would EBay view it if I were to block her at this point without giving her the chance to pay after they send her the 'Open Case' message?

Even if you block her now, she will be able to pay. The block is for future transactions.

cattie

I think that you were patient enough, but don't think you handled things very well. It wasn't wise to tell the buyer that you'd been checking up on her & thought she was mucking you around. It all sounded very sneaky.

Making payment if you don't have paypal or cheques must bring it's own problems & sometimes it pays to be understanding rather than jumping into private detective mode.

All decent sellers combine p&p on multiple purchases as a matter of course & don't make a big to do about saving the buyer a fortune by doing so, it's called good customer service & helps bring repeat buyers.

I'm not surprised that she told you to go ahead & open a case as she was probably put off just as much by you as a seller as you are her a buyer. At least she did keep in touch & a bad buyer wouldn't have done that, they'd just have ignored you.

techspec

The 3 strikes and your out policy was scrapped years ago -when Ebay realised none payers made them millions - as they do not refund listing fees.

Ebay now love none paying bidders - and take no action.

Lego_house

techspec wrote: »

The 3 strikes and your out policy was scrapped years ago -when Ebay realised none payers made them millions - as they do not refund listing fees.

Ebay now love none paying bidders - and take no action.

Agreed - but a lot of sellers have a block on buyers with 2 or more strikes...