posted on November 12, 2001 09:31:04 PM new
Make me feel better please. I have a lady who is making me nuts. I have done everything I can for her and she is obnoxious.
So if you have any "rotten customer" stories to share I am in the mood for them tonight.
PS-- just wanted to add that most bidders are really wonderful. It was just my turn to get a bad one this week.
posted on November 12, 2001 09:56:50 PM new
I had 2 very bad buyers at Bidville. One buyer said he never recieved the $5 item he paid for with paypal and I paypaled a refund and later saw that he was scamming buyers and I could not change with positive feedback to a neutral to warn other sellers.
Another Bidviller buyer had won several books and I gave here free Media Mail shipping as she had bought from me before. On one order of 25 items I carefully placed all item in the large box and re-checked and triple checked the list of items. Sure enough, she claimed 3 of the items were not in the box and I had to paypal here back $6.60 . I put her on my blacklist and she got all out of shape about it.
Those two buyers were the last straw and I deleted all of my Bidville listings as I was losing money on dishonest buyers.
posted on November 12, 2001 10:02:33 PM new
a good two years ago I used to sell Modems, 10, 20 or 30 or more a day TONS of modems... anyway a lot of these were Retail boxed modems with a PC-chips chip set, about $7.00ea wholesale $22 to $27 ea retail. anyway.. I get a personal check form a guy and ship his modem, a week or two goes by and I get a scathing email telling me basically I'm a liar a cheat and a thief because the modem I sent him was an ISO9001 modem and not a Voice Data Fax modem like I advertised and he is DEMANDING satisfaction.. he went so far as to say the BOX even said so (the company that manufactured the modems was ISO 9001 registered so I figure that's where he got the ISO9001 thing from ) so whatever.. I stocked two types of modems and I would routinely send the other type to anyone who sent the other kind back for warranty replacement so I go ahead tell him to send the modem back.
Figure I would get minimum two or three modems back any given week and after a few weeks one of the modem boxes come back with my address as the addressee and my address os the return address nothing else (not even the original label underneath)... I promptly stuck it on my returns shelf with all the mystery checks and figured after a week or so I would get someone inquiring as to the whereabouts of their replacement modem and all would be good.
Well in about a month I don't get an email I get a letter from the US Postal inspector accusing me of MAIL FRAUD!
Turn out this A$$HOLE reported me to the postal service for taking his money AND his modem and not sending him anything in return.
That afternoon I dug up his email address to straiten this mess around and ended up getting into an email battle with him being convinced I was a rip off artist (remember this is a $7.00 modem) and the only reason I came through with his replacement modem was the onus of Federal charges being levied upon me..
The funny thing is I finally started selling modems again a few weeks ago
posted on November 12, 2001 11:32:22 PM new
Some buyers do get hotheaded. Especially young, inexpierenced and immature buyers.
I've had some problems with Half.com buyers giving the wrong address on their info sheet. The item comes back as not at this address and a second attempt with a different address for the buyer from Half's CS comes back with the same rubber stamp. That's frustrating.
I also sent a set of videos and insured and used the Delivery Confirmation like Half.com suggests for valuable items. Two weeks later here comes my package with a "addressee did not pickup package" type of rubber stamp and the mailman said since it was insured the person had to sign for the package and never responded to the slip. That's 2 out of the last 3 sales on Half. Are the buyers wacko there?
posted on November 13, 2001 07:02:19 AM new
How about the incredible ranting e-mails?
Early in my eBay career - back in Feburary of this year - a bidder won a dozen separate auctions. The WBNs were sent from AuctionWatch without the shipping and handling amounts filled in. (How current that seems). I sent a follow-on e-mail saying an additional amount was due. That started a barrage of incredibly hostile e-mails.
I contacted SafeHarbor to find out what to do, and forwarded that e-mail, along with the winner's choices of action as to how to conclude the transaction.
Here's his response (slightly edited). The really scary thing is, he left positive feedback because the merchandise was as advertised.
<< - -
My response is, you're an ass. I'm quite sure you didn't bother to inform
eBay of your misleading auctions. As I said before, had I known the
"shipping" would be so high, I wouldn't have bothered to even bid in the
first place. So now you resort to blackmail, or take money from me for
nothing.....very unprofessional. I'll bet you didn't even bother to inform
them of the totality of the circumstances or they would have recognized how
outrageous your business practices are. Any legitimate businessman would
have considered an alternative after recognizing the miscommunication in the
way the auctions were presented in the first place. You acknowledged this,
but still persist in your greed. I paid promptly, yet you present me as a
"Nonpaying Bidder." So in addition to being an unprofessional ass, you're a
liar too. You weren't out anything but the excess you're squeezing out of
"shipping & handling" charges, which you could have foregone for the sake of
goodwill and satisfying a customer. You said you were trying to avoid being
considered an #*!@ eBay seller. Try harder.
What's ironic is that I just won a couple of auctions from another seller
who, due to an error in the same type of auctionwatch setup you have,
failed to include shipping charges......and the seller was willing to forego
the shipping charges because he recognized HIS error. Out of fairness, I
paid him the shipping charges anyway, even though he said it was not
necessary. That's called cooperation and decency. Learn some.
I have dealt with so many sellers on eBay I can't count them all, and NONE
of them have ever done anything like this. You are, without a doubt, the
worst one I have ever dealt with....and that includes the ass who never
returned my $20 when I sent back the books I bought from him. At least he
didn't hide the fact that he was a thief behind some #*!@ "shipping"
charges.
So, in conclusion, I'll pay you the remaining amount. The books damn well
better be in the condition as described, or you'll be getting them back and
sending me a FULL refund or I'll have your ass thrown off eBay like I did
the last guy who ripped me off.
Don't bother responding, and don't bother leaving any feedback for me
whatsoever and I'll do the same for you so as not to ruin your future
business (so long as the books are satisfactory). Just send the damn
books.
You're a reminder of why I took a long break from eBay to begin with.
Pathetic.
- - >>
I've saved this to remind me to be very humble when dealing with people who haven't taken their all of their medication at the prescribed times.
posted on November 13, 2001 07:05:46 AM new
I sell in a number of categories and what dismays me the most is the number of "plain folks" that are con artists - and not very good ones at that!
I sell adult materials (gasp!) under a different name and the bidders are polite, pay fast and are absolutely trouble free.
I sell items for families and have problems with 5% of these shipments to "traditional" families. I get emails from the buyers all the time claiming their item never arrived.
When I send them the delivery confirmation information and tracking number, and offer to initiate an investigation, the item ALWAYS is "found" or just "arrives" within the next 24 hours.
You see these idiots pulling their stunts at the return counters of Kmart and the other big box stores all the time. They allow these scams, and so many bidders figure, why not try it on ebay.
That is why I always use delivery confirmation and insure anything over $50, whether or not the bidder pays for it. I include it in my starting bid.
posted on November 13, 2001 07:17:08 AM new
I had a Depression glass Sugar and Creamer up on sep. auctions. Lady bids on both but was sniped at the last minute on one of them. She refuses to pay saying that I should not have split the pieces up and since she lost one she did not have to pay for the other. I told her that was not how it works. She then began ranting about fraud, misreprentation, the FBI and CIA. She got a negative within an hour of the auction end. NPB time comes around and she is outraged I filed on her, I then receive a check for the full amount due. She did not want the item, but wanted me to cash the check. I mailed the package and she refused it. At least it was all slightly entertaining. Heather
posted on November 13, 2001 08:08:11 AM new
Thank you! I woke up feeling much better about her today (and it also helped that she must have taken her meds as there was no ranting email from her this morning, we've gone back and forth several emails and each basically says the same thing.)
I also checked out her feedback which shows that she has had a lot of trouble with other sellers in the past. She wanted me to leave her a postive yesterday (no way, no happy fingers to do that with), and I explained that I would be happy to leave feedback when the transaction is completed.
I better get listing so I can hopefully find some good bidders to keep this all in perspective. :0)
posted on November 13, 2001 10:29:53 AM new
I consider the transaction completed when I get paid and ship the item. A slight risk of getting a negative if the item gets lost ( I now use Delivery Confirmation on everything ) but you'd get the negative anyway.
I know this will not be received too favorably, but I've had the most trouble with female buyers. They, as a whole, seem to be much more likely to leave a negative or neutral feedback and complain if the item isn't in their hands in a few short days after the item is shipped. I've had many, many great female buyers but as a whole they seem to be much more finicky then their male counterparts. Anyone agree or disagree?
posted on November 13, 2001 11:02:06 AM new
I had a woman buy a rare olympic pin from me for all of $5. When the item was lost in the mail, I asked her to initiate Insurance request from the post office (hey, she paid for it). She refused, saying that since the pin was worth $40 retail, I would have to refund her $40 for the $5 she paid. Errr. Ok. I went into my collection, pulled out my only remaining example of this pin, and mailed it to her (delivery confirmation). She seemed suprised to get it... and I guess not entirely happy
at least she didn't leave any feedback.
posted on November 13, 2001 11:42:31 AM new
We have had this sort of problem primarily with people who buy books. (Is there something about book buyers?) Early on we sold a very scarce set of reference books on an esoteric subject for several hundred. The buyer emailed. We asked for an address. Then we asked for an address again. And again. Finally, he came up somewhere to ship the items. He sent the check made out to our e-mail address. We sent it back asking him to remake it. Finally he sent a check with all the right things on the right lines. THEN right before we shipped, he came up with a send it to me at work. Lucky for us we had held off shipping waiting for the next surprise. Turns out it goes to Dr xxx PHD, director of research, very prestigious science lab. This goof who is apparently a leading research scientist, could not remember his own address, make out a check without instructions from us, or send things to the right place. Totally bizarre.
Why is it always the book buyers who cause so much grief? We can sell 50 silver/china things without trouble from anyone. And one reference book 50 years out of print brings us weirdo after weirdo. Very strange. Dale
posted on November 13, 2001 12:22:51 PM new
bidsbids, I'm female, but, as I put on the asbestos suit and bullet proof vest....I agree with you. The females I hang with are more fickle. They also shop ALOT and are used to dealing more with department stores; change your mind, return/exchange the item. And, yes, some are manipulative. Although it is difficult to use the feminine wiles across email, it can be done.
posted on November 13, 2001 01:07:37 PM new
my worst was actually 2 bad ones
one bought a "Vintage, probably from 60's table hocky game", this was in the description. she sniped a collector who really wanted it and then when she got it she was upset because it wasn't Brand New!!!!
duh, what does vintage mean?
the second was an antique item that had extensive, and I mean extensive damage.
I described the damage and took pictures of every inch of the piece.
posted on November 13, 2001 01:55:28 PM new
I sold a nwt dress on august 26th,
On the 11 th of sep I email
Buyer that payment was not received,
(she claims it was sent on the 7th sep)
On october 4th she paid with bidpay,
I returned payment to her since I only wait 15 days and then all payments are returned and sale in voided.
Later I get a copy of the original MO,
(purchased 14th of sep, not the 7th)
I told her to file a claim
To get her money back for the original MO,
Sent her $5.00 to pay for it,
She filed a fraud report with eBay,
Opened a case with square trade,
Recorded all our phone conversations,
Started copying her lawyer on our emails,
Promissed to take my to court and harrased me with vulgar messages...
Then she claimed she was in a bad place cause her husband had cancer and she might be widow
Soon (then she wrote she is leaving to italy with him to receive some award he got)
Then I was accused of ruining her life and love for eBay (4 feedbacks total)
And that she spend thousads of $$$ on eBay and thatour transaction
Is unbelievable, (total of stuff bought $294.75)
Later on it turned out that I did not cashed
Her original MO, duh, If I didnt get it, I couldnt have cashed it)
Then she paid for the dress again
On oct 19th and I sent it out just to get rid of her,
The cute part is that she left me possitive feedback on the 6th of sep for the dress
(that's 8 days before she ever bought the 1st MO)
It had more "fun parts" in it, but you would have to spend hours reading that
This one tops my charts, rest was just typical excuses and today I got one from a
Person that has over 1000 feedbacks
Asking where is a shirt that I sent out 3 weeks ago, I told her that it was in the same box as the other 3 tops she won and that it was insured,so we can file a claim... no responce after that )
posted on November 13, 2001 02:11:11 PM new
I've had problems with PhD's also and it seems the more education they get the stupider they get.
I read anewspaper article once that said that there is a very high percentage of doctors that write bad checks. All the money they charge for their services and they can't balance a checkbook? These are the guys that operate on people? It's enough to make you wanna get religion.
posted on November 13, 2001 03:25:40 PM new
I guess the worst would have been a guy from the Netherlands that bid on one of my auctions for a new LP record which I do not ship internationally BTW.He insisted I send it for the postage in USA and then had the never to send payment for the item only-no shipping included. Then he neg me and harrassed me for a month by e-mail even though I had blocked his e-mails, he used different ones.
posted on November 13, 2001 04:53:47 PM new
I have a service at my B & M which is a secondary phone carrier. If you don't pay your phone bill and they shut you off .. this is your second chance tp "reach out and touch someone"
I get a wide variety of customers. This one in particular will always stand out in my mind:
Young girl, about 25 or so, about 150 pounds overweight in a dirty pair of stretch pants about 3 sizes too small and a tee shirt with lunch still on it. Her hair was very thin and you could see scabs, blood, and pus oozing from the wounds. She also had what looked like some kind of bites on her arm.
She smelled awful .... I had to spray the whole store down when she left.
posted on November 13, 2001 06:02:18 PM new
Amazing. I've been registered at ebay (buying and selling) since 1996. It was called AuctionWeb then. I have not had ONE bad or nasty buyer. Not one. I have 5 id's (used depending on what I'm selling or what or for whom I buying).
However, I could regale you with stories of nasty horrible sellers who have "misrepresented" items, tried to charge "restocking fees" on bad items, gouged on shipping and handling, sent previously broken or damaged items and then told me to submit an insurance claim, sent me items so horribly filthy in bugridden boxes, that I've actually chucked what I paid for. I have all kinds of horror stories about sellers I've dealt with over the years. But not my buyers. I must be lucky.
posted on November 13, 2001 08:34:17 PM new
Another lucky buyer/seller here. No real problems to speak of.
I recently bought a pair of sandals though, a make that I have several of, so I know how they hold up. The pair was described as "like new" & at first they did look new, but then I noticed the strap that goes around the heel & ankle was rotted away on the inside. All I could think of was that the previous owner had some "condition" on her ankles & used some strong stuff that rotted away the insides of the straps. Yuk, I dumped them right away. Also on the sole in huge black letters was the last name of the past owner. I would never have put these sandals up for auction.
None of this was disclosed, the seller was new & lucky I was the buyer because I didn't give her a hard time. I just sent her a polite email telling her that to avoid complaints, returns & possible negative feedback in the future, to be sure & disclose big flaws such as these.
I don't know if she took my advice & I'm never gonna know, cause I'll never take a chance & buy from her again even though she said she would be more careful in the future.
posted on November 13, 2001 11:34:44 PM new
Over 200+ sales on eBay, more on other sites, never had a deadbeat bidder, never had a hostile buyer, no problems to speak of. I think it's a combination of luck and my easygoing way of operating, none of this "if payment hasn't been received after 10 days negative feedback will be left" crap. Some people are too anal about it all. At the end of the day it's *only* an auction web site, nothing to take so darn seriously. I'm amazed sometimes that some of these auctions with a *huge* list of "rules" get any bids at all.
I keep things friendly and open, all I ask is if a buyer for whatever reason can't pay right away, just let me know. If a check arrives and it's under $15 or so, I send off the item same day, no biggie, and I've yet to have a bounced check. Until such a time as I'm ripped off I don't see any reason to do things any differently.
I think those who have problem after problem after problem need to take a close look at the way they do things, just possibly there's something in their 'modus operandi' that's at the root of their troubles.
posted on November 14, 2001 01:19:25 AM new
I place a "Please send payment within 15 days or ....." in my auction descriptions for fear that many buyers do not take the auctions seriously. I also send the item right away after receiving a personal check and have had only one small bad check out of over 1,000 accepted. I must be doing something right as I have a feedback rating well of 1,000 at ebay with no negatives.
posted on November 14, 2001 06:32:12 AM new
Okay, so far here we have had women, book buyers, and Ph.D.'s characterized as the worst type of buyers. My vote goes for Canadians.
I think the U.S./Canada border is some type of special international date line, where north of the border the date is 7 days earlier than on the southern side. How else can you explain those Canadian emails saying, "I mailed your m.o. on the 7th," then you get a m.o. dated the 14th.
posted on November 14, 2001 02:44:23 PM new
Mrs Santa Claus, love your story, it is a reality check we need here. It reminds me why we do eBay. We have no shoplifting. No customer breaks things and sneaks away. Never had a baby throw up in a silver chest on eBay. No one puts a baby down on my table and changes dirty diapers right in front of me while I'm trying to eat lunch. Don't have to put up with bad breath, bo or oozing sores. Never have to listen to long drawn out stories about what things cost in 1937. Don't have to listen to couples arguing about spending money. No little children running amuck among my merchandise. Don't have to watch the endless parade of friends and relations giving advice on a $12.00 item. Don't have to listen to criticism. No loud mouths or smart asses. Between eBay and the greatest modern invention of all: the DELETE key; life is good. I can sell without all the endless agravation I formerly lived with. So putting up with a few book buyers is not so tough compared to what we previously lived with. Thanks for the reality check, Dale
posted on November 15, 2001 09:22:47 AM new
Hello,
I sell mostly vintage volkswagen parts ,some rare and some not so rare. A buyer won one of my auctions and recieved the item just fine.Then what do I see on several volkswagen sites, this person trying to sell the item for three times what it was auctioned for. OK I can deal with that, BUT four weeks later after they could not sell it for a killing he emails me and wants to return the item. I told him,that I saw his classified listings on other sites and the item could not be returned. Well guess what he slammed me with negative feedback. what did I learn. Do not post feedback first wait for buyers feedback.
posted on November 15, 2001 07:37:22 PM new
Meridenmor ...
That reminds me of the guy on eBay that always boasted of doing most of his eBay tasks naked. Brick & mortar stores make that tough to do.
posted on November 16, 2001 09:17:35 AM new
First of all I sell dolls and related items and I know how to pack a doll with extreme care. A lady won my auction for a compostion Madame Alexander Doll back in 1999 when I first started selling on eBay. After I had sent her my end of auction notice with all the details, she replied with a form letter that she sends to all sellers about how she wanted the doll packed. Mind you, I don't mind a few suggestions but this letter was the rudest reply I had ever gotten. I was very insulted. If she had listed her packing instructions with a better attitude I would have not thought a thing about it. I replied to her that I always pack my items with care and that she had no reason to worry unless a truck ran over it. She didn't like my reply back to her. We went around and around about this in more replies. Finally in the end she admitted she needed to change her form letter
The transaction ended with both of us giving each other postive feedbacks. She emailed me thanking me for the wonderful packing job.
