posted on February 3, 2001 07:58:34 PM new
I won an auction from a newbie seller (her first sale) on 1/29/01. I contacted her on 1/29 advising I was the winner. No letter. I mailed again on 1/30. I got a mail from her thanking me for my e-mail and that she tried mailing me 3 times but it bounced back. Nothing else. No payment instructions, shipping, nothing. I write back again saying I needed the shipping. Also gave her an alternate address to mail to AND requested that she forward the mailerdaemon messages to me to alert my ISP.
2/1 I did not hear from her again, so I told her that if I did not hear from her within 48 hours, I would assume she did not want to sell and consider the transaction void.
2/2 I finally hear back giving me shipping prices, but still no address to mail to.
I write back immediately, and tell her the shipping I prefer, and that I need her mailing address.
I have not heard back as of today. She sent one e-mail to my alternate address (at yahoo on 2/2) and said she sent 4 e-mails to both addresses and they all came back. She has never forwarded the mailerdaemon messages, so I have no reason to believe that what she says is true.
Now, I have had ISP problems before, but I find it VERY unlikely that so many mails to TWO different e-mail providers would bounce. I have not had problems corresponding back and forth with anyone this past week.
The reason I feel uncomfortable now is that she did not write the description well, and the item sold for 1/4 of what it WOULD sell for had she had pics, and the proper title and description. I admit, I was buying to turn around and re-sell.
She has 2 feedback, consisting of 5 pos, and 3 neg, all for non-payment.
Should I just walk away? I am tired of trying to pull teeth from this girl to send her money. I have a sneaking suspicion that she either wants to back out, or was selling something not belonging to her (this was an auction to benefit a certain animal rescue).
Sorry for the length, but what do you think? I realize she is new, and I am trying to cut her some slack, but I am getting tired of the waiting game. I know I sound impatient, but I guess I don't do business this way, and have never had a problem like this before.
posted on February 3, 2001 08:10:00 PM new
I would walk away.
If she's this disorganised just getting basic details to you then I don't have much confidence that she can manage to complete the transaction.
Your package will probably end up at the other end of the country!
posted on February 3, 2001 08:23:14 PM new
Two questions I would ask myself:
1)How bad do you want it?
2)Is it a fair price? (Fair to her, you knew it was fair, or you wouldn't have bid)
If no is one or both, move on.
I would in any case email her one last time through "email this auction to friend" and tell her to contact you through the same method.
Tell her your reasons for concern and cc safeharbor.
She could be backpeddling because her costs aren't making it worth her time.
Or maybe she's clueless.
Either way if you're not careful you could get a neg, especially if she doesn't "get it."
posted on February 3, 2001 08:32:54 PM new
Capriole:
Lucky for me, I bid with my new buying ID, which only has 2 feedback at present, so if she negs for this I can abandon it and start over. My selling ID has almost 600 pos, and I'm glad I didn't use that one!!
It was probably a donated item and supposedly, proceeds were going to the rescue. So, I don't know what would be considered fair. Was it a great deal? Yes, but I am also taking a huge risk, not seeing pics. "Good condition" is speculative at best, depending on who is describing it!!
I'll give it a day or so more, then e-mail her as you said and give it one last shot. I am just concerned that she won't send the item after receiving payment, and I'd hate for THAT to happen
Edited because I messed up the smilies!!
[ edited by kidsfeet on Feb 3, 2001 08:33 PM ]
posted on February 4, 2001 12:42:35 AM new
Ummm...Capriole... I agree with most of what you stated, but WHY does this buyer need to worry if the price was "fair" to the seller? Is it a fair price? (Fair to her, you knew it was fair, or you wouldn't have bid)
If the seller didn't want to sell for that price, it should have had a reserve, or a higher start price.
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on February 4, 2001 03:15:13 AM new
Get the sellers information from eBay and call them. That way if they are having a problem emailing you it will be straightened out.
posted on February 4, 2001 08:48:43 PM new
Walk away from it. You've wasted enough time on this. Calling this person is not going to acomplish anything. This person does not have enough common sense to email you her shipping address after 4 days from repeated attemps to request it. The negs are a turnoff too. 5 pos and 3 negs....over half the feedback is negs. This tells me that this buyer/seller does not treat ebay seriously.
posted on February 5, 2001 07:26:25 PM new
Regarding her problems with emailing....I just recently started my own website and I am having horrible problems with sending email. There are folks that I have emailed up to five times each and they STILL have not recieved any of my emails. I finally had to resort using my Hotmail account to get hold of my winning bidders. Maybe her problem is along the same line?
