posted on April 18, 2001 07:03:43 AM new
I received this email today, regarding feedback that was left March 13th.
I would like to know why you gave me a negative mark on ebay? You sent a
note with the Jersey XXXXXX saying you would give me a positive mark and
you did just the opposite. I explained to you that we nearly lost my
grandmother and were on pins and needles for almost a month with her. What
did I do to deserve the negative mark? Under the circumstances I think this
was very unfair.
I send a note with every auction thanking them for their purchase, the auction number and that I will leave negative feedback. I forgot to NOT put it in this package. She had told me that her grandmother was sick. I don't recall the date I recieved the payment, BUT, I left feedback over a month after the auction closed, and during that time she had managed to pay for and received good feedback on other auctions. After I discovered that, I started wondering how, if her grandmother was that sick, she was taking care of other auctions, but not this particular one. For instance, one auction closed on Feb 25th, and positive feedback was left on March 7th, another one closed on 2-15, + fdbk left on March 4th. Mine closed on Feb 11th, and negative feedback was left on March 13th.
What should I say? How should I respond? I think there is another thread about trying to be kind and understand excuses, which I usually do, but when I saw other auctions being completed during this time, I got suspicious.
posted on April 18, 2001 07:09:51 AM new
I send a note with every auction thanking them for their purchase, the auction number and that I will leave negative feedback.
I hope you don't really send a note that says you will leave negative feedback. LOL
posted on April 18, 2001 07:12:48 AM newI send a note with every auction thanking them for their purchase, the auction number and that I will leave negative feedback. I forgot to NOT put it in this package.
I think you need to slow down, as I'm certain you probably DON'T send notes promising to leave NEGATIVE feedback.
However, it would seem that you did receive payment because you did ship the item. So why the negative feedback at all? http://bjgrolle.freehomepage.com
posted on April 18, 2001 07:17:02 AM new
First off, I send a not saying I will leave POSITIVE FEEDBACK!!!
Secondly, I left the feedback before payment was received. I, of course, can't find THIS auction in my records, so I don't know the date it was shipped, but my feedback stated that as of 3-13 no pymnt was received. (close date 2-11)
posted on April 18, 2001 08:13:50 AM new
1. You don't recall the date you received the payment, but it was after you'd already left negative feedback for non-payment.
2. Also, you don't know the date you shipped the item.
It seems like there are some important facts regarding this transaction you can't document. Why would you not keep records from such a recent transaction?
If the buyer received ample warnings from you that the time to fulfill her promise was running out, then you shouldn't feel bad about leaving the negative. At that point, you could have chosen to either complete the transaction or return the payment. You can still respond to the feedback you left, although you can't change it from a negative to a positive or neutral.
As to what you should say to the buyer? Did you just send the EOA notice on 2/11 and never follow up with a reminder or NPBA? Or did she receive enough warning from you that time was running out, despite her supposed circumstances?
I've found that many bidders are just plain absent-minded, regardless of whether they're paying for other auctions or not. A second notice of payment due generally takes care of all problems. After that, I send the NPBA. Generally, if they don't respond to that, they're not going to follow through at all.
If the buyer received ample warning, just explain that you insert those notes automatically and it was in error, since you'd already left negative feedback because of her lack of response to your emails.
If she hadn't received any NPBA or anything else from you, then I can understand why she might be asking questions after reading your nice note. http://bjgrolle.freehomepage.com
posted on April 18, 2001 08:42:12 AM new
Yes, you screwed up. (you asked)
You screwed up by not keeping satisfactory records of your business dealings, and in a major way by shipping before you'd received payment (if I'm reading your messages correctly.
I recommend you get a lot more organized, and also become familiar with eBay's Payment Reminder, Non Paying Bidder Alert, and Final Value Fee processes and incorporate them into your dealings with people who are slow to pay. Feedback should be the LAST thing you do, after filing FVF.
Looks like you need to organize your information better.
Here's something that might help. I bought an inexpensive date stamp & several different color stamp pads.
When I send the EOA, that date is stamped on my printout of the auction in one color.
When I receive payment, that date is stamped in another color.
When I ship, that date is stamped in a 3rd color.
When it's received, I stamp that in a final color which is when I leave feedback also.
I use this system even though I have an automated system which also covers all of this because I don't keep those files on record forever, but I always have a hard copy of the sale & there are those dates, ready for instant referral, even a couple years down the line.
BTW, I've picked up these stamps & stamp pads at the Dollar Store.
posted on April 18, 2001 08:58:29 AM new
I DID NOT ship before I received payment, I NEVER do that. I had not recieved payment by 3/13, I left negative feedback and resubmitted the auction. Unless she is bidding under two different ID's, I have no idea how she 'received' the item.
I found the copy of the auction, stapled to the copy of the resubmit, which closed on March 20th, and was shipped on March 26th, (the insurance slip is stapled to it). That is why I couldn't find it the first time. They are filed by date, except when an auction is resubmitted, the 1st gets stapled to the resubmit, which, of course, I'm sure is wrong.
I DID NOT ship before I received payment, I NEVER do that. I had not recieved payment by 3/13, I left negative feedback and resubmitted the auction. Unless she is bidding under two different ID's, I have no idea how she 'received' the item.
posted on April 18, 2001 09:11:39 AM new
I have requested info on both buyers, and will see what has happened.
Before I resubmit an item, I always send the buyer a note telling them, in effect, that this auction is now void, and I am resubmitting it. I left the feedback on the same day I resubmitted it, 30 days after the auction closed. During which time she managed to send payment and receive ++ feedback on 4 other auctions.
posted on April 18, 2001 09:22:17 AM newI DID NOT ship before I received payment, I NEVER do that. I had not recieved payment by 3/13, I left negative feedback and resubmitted the auction. Unless she is bidding under two different ID's, I have no idea how she 'received' the item.
Cin131, if you've now found your records, compare the addresses for the two bidders. If they don't appear to be related, then you may want to take a step back and consider that you may have made a serious mistake:
Obviously this bidder did get the item, because she mentioned the note you included saying that positive feedback would be left. If the two bidders don't appear to be related (different last names & not located near each other) then it sounds like you must have sent the jersey to her.
Before I resubmit an item, I always send the buyer a note telling them, in effect, that this auction is now void, and I am resubmitting it.
Do you have a record of that email?
I left the feedback on the same day I resubmitted it, 30 days after the auction losed. During which time she managed to send payment and receive ++ feedback on 4 other auctions.
Did you happen to notice the postmark on the letter her payment arrived in?
I'm not trying to criticize. I'm trying to point out things you ought to know before leaving someone a negative feedback.
edited to correct grammar
[ edited by JSmith99 on Apr 18, 2001 09:24 AM ]
posted on April 18, 2001 09:30:57 AM new
Okay guys I did screw this up. I sent her the email telling her the auction was void & resubmitted the auction, on 3/13. Apparently, she went ahead and sent me a payment on 3/26, and I mailed the shirt to her.
I did not check the address; the person who won the auction the second time, had not sent me their address, so I had nothing to which I could compare it.
I know how this works, I asked a question once before and everything was my fault, so I know I'm going to be hit with all kinds of harsh words, and no suggestions on how to handle this particular situation.
It was all my fault, she did nothing at all wrong, (including mailing a payment after the auction was void, and about 45 days after it closed). I will curl up in a ball and die, and not bother you folks ever again.
posted on April 18, 2001 09:35:07 AM new
I'm not going to hit you with harsh words but you DO need to get some better organization to prevent this from happening again.
If she mailed you a check on 3/13, didn't she already notice you'd left negative feedback for her?
posted on April 18, 2001 09:48:02 AM new
There's no reason to curl up into a ball. You started this thread asking if you'd screwed up (and additionally making some other misstatements), and unearned negs is something that people can be very touchy about. You've already been given several suggestions for how to avoid this problem in the future.
However, there's still something I find confusing:
I sent her the email telling her the auction was void & resubmitted the auction, on 3/13. Apparently, she went ahead and sent me a payment on 3/26, and I mailed the shirt to her.
...
the person who won the auction the second time, had not sent me their address, so I had nothing to which I could compare it.
Huh? Earlier you wrote:
I found the copy of the auction, stapled to the copy of the resubmit, which closed on March 20th, and was shipped on March 26th, (the insurance slip is stapled to it).
Hold on. The first auction ended 2/11. You left a neg on 3/13 and mailed her shirt after apparently receiving payment on 3/26. The resubmitted auction ended "March 20th, and was shipped on March 26th".
Sounds like you had both addresses and 2 payments by the 26th.
posted on April 18, 2001 09:48:30 AM new
Now you're adding a lot of things that weren't in your initial post, like:
1. 2 different auctions, the original and the resubmitted one
2. 2 different buyers, the original "deadbeat" who finally paid and obviously received the item and the winner of the relisted auction who apparently hasn't paid yet for the second auction that closed on March 20th?
This is getting more complicated by the hour...
1. The buyer should not have sent in a payment after you'd cancelled the transaction. That is not your fault.
2. And it would appear that since you shipped the item to the first buyer, the second buyer still hasn't come through on the auction s/he won a month ago now?
3. I think it's best, although painful, to simply tell the first buyer the truth about why they got something different than expected in the note.
posted on April 18, 2001 09:51:55 AM new
I will be contacting the bidder on the second auction. I will not be changing my feedback. It stated that she said she was sending payment on 3/3, no payment rec'd as of 3/13. Auc. clsd 2/11.
If I changed it, it would be worse. Payment recieved after auction was voided, and item was re-sold 45 days after the first one closed. Or extremely slow payment (45 days).
The only thing I didn't do was request info on the buyers to match their addresses. Neither one had sent me their address. and they both had names that didnt' match their screen name. And, I did tell her the auction was voided.
posted on April 18, 2001 10:08:54 AM new
I submitted this item for auctionand it closed on 2/11, with a winning bidder. She did not send payment, only a note saying she would send it as soon as she could, her grandmother was sick. 2 weeks later I sent her a reminder. I checked her feedback, and she had recieved some positive feedbacks during the month, on auctions that had closed after mine. On 3/13 I sent her note cancelling the auction, left negative feedback, and resubmitted it. On 3/20, the auction closed with a second bid. On 3/22 or 3/23, I received a payment for the item with a mailing address. I sent it on Monday 3/26. Please note that both bidders have cryptic screen names, and neither one had ever sent me an address. Now she is wondering why I left negative feedback when I sent her the package with my thank you note in it.
As an aside, I was looking through my records, (I keep danm good records) I have NOT recieved payment from the second bidder.
posted on April 18, 2001 10:20:46 AM newOn 3/20, the auction closed with a second bid. On 3/22 or 3/23, I received a payment for the item with a mailing address. I sent it on Monday 3/26.
As an aside, I was looking through my records, (I keep danm good records) I have NOT recieved payment from the second bidder.
Okay, explain how you can say that you received payment for the second auction, and then in the very next paragraph you say you have NOT received payment from the second bidder.
At the very best, you don't know who you're dealing with. At the worst, this whole thread has been a troll and I've been suckered in.
posted on April 18, 2001 10:28:03 AM new
First off, I didn't have addresses because they didn't email them to me. I recieved the one address with the payment, and sent the item accordingly. I do not check every address by requesting contact information through ebay.
AFter requesting that information today, I realized that that address was for the first bidder.
I did not leave feedback for the second bidder.
I started this thread without all of my information, and I'm sorry, I have tried to clear it up in the last couple of posts, and answer your questions.
I'm sorry. I must not know how to post things here. The last time I asked for advice, I screwed it up too.
If anyone can please tell me how to get this post locked, I will do it.
And I will return the kindness of your posts to you, when you have questions.
posted on April 18, 2001 10:35:36 AM new
Hello cin131
I must admit I was rather confused by your first few posts as well.
I can see what happened now, and this is the main reason I DEMAND [if need be] that ALL high bidders email me their full name & shipping address. I only run 100-125 auctions per month, but some months I sell very similar items & without the high bidders info via email I'd be screwed.
posted on April 18, 2001 10:38:09 AM new
reddeer, and if they don't, what do you do when you get a payment, with an ebay ref number on it? Do you send the item, or do you request info on the buyer, through ebay?