posted on April 3, 2002 07:47:47 PM new
I sold a $10 item the last week of January. The buyer e-mailed several times asking for the payment information I had already sent, so I sent it again each time. She finally e-mailed me that she had sent the money order Feb 16. She e-mailed me ten days later asking where her item was. I told her I had not received her money order. She e-mailed again a week later, and I told her I still had not received it. She called me a liar and thief, and left negative feedback. I calmly asked her to please trace the money order. She told me that she could not. I offered to pay for it if she was charged. She still refused, but e-mailed me several times about what a crook I was. I had written her off as a nutcase, because she had two negs for non-pay. She has filed a fraud report against me. I finally received the money order March 22, and it was postmarked Feb 19. No one knows where it has been all this time. I contacted the buyer, who told me to send her a money order back in the same amount, because she did not wish to have anything to do with a thief like me. I pointed out to her that if I was a thief, I would not be offering to return her money. She still remains convinced that I have somehow ripped her off. I have returned her money, but she has not yet dropped the fraud accusation.
posted on April 3, 2002 07:57:49 PM new
It was obviously the Post Office's fault or somehow it got lost in space. It was not either of your fault, so I would simply return her money and leave it at that. You can state a rebuttal to the negative feedback that she left you in a positive tone, saying that the money order really got lost in the mail and you have documentation to prove it, and that you were sorry for the mishap.
posted on April 3, 2002 08:11:45 PM new
With this particular person I wouldn't leave any feedback, negative or positive. When a seller does receive a negative and leaves one for the buyer it "looks bad" for the seller. So, personally I when I leave negative for a buyer, there is a very good reason.
However, you may want to leave a "neutral" just have it on their feedback so that a potential buyer can read more of your side of the story.
posted on April 3, 2002 08:35:43 PM new
In this situation I would seriously consider leaving the bidder a negative feedback. She did not handle her end of the transaction well at all. Mail does occassionaly take 30 days for delivery. When you look at the time it took for the mail to reach you.... that's pretty much what it was. She should have waited until that time to take any action. Her refusal to work with you in any manner shows that she is not a good person to have as a customer. Actually paying for an auction can be a very small part of the overall auction experience. I think that a well-worded, emotionless, factual negative would be very appropriate. Add to that a thought-out rebuttal to her negative and you will be able to alleviate any worries bidders have when they look at your profile. In all honesty, when I look at a sellers profile and they HAVEN'T left negative feedback in return for one they have received, I have to really wonder if they might not have really been to blame for the problem. It will give you more opportunity to explain your side of the story. Sorry this happened to you! It's always the small items that have the biggest headaches, isn't it?!?!
posted on April 4, 2002 02:31:14 AM new
What you should send her back is her original money order with VOID written across the front and back. You should also mail back the envelope you received it in, this way she can see that it is totally the USPS fault.
posted on April 4, 2002 05:45:51 AM new
But if the envelope is postmarked 2/19, it won't prove anything to the buyer. She'll continue to think the seller had the MO the whole time. In addition, she may think the seller only offered to return the MO after being reported as a fraud.
I would return the original MO. Why purchase a new one? I don't see the reason? Maybe a signature, too, would be worth the cost to prevent future headaches from her?
She was unwilling to trace or cancel the MO even after you offered to pay the fee? That should have validated you in her eyes.
Someone on this board once said that negatives come from where you least expect it.
posted on April 4, 2002 09:25:09 AM new
Having re-read the orginator's post, I would recommend posting a negative on the buyer.
As for the mo, if it was me, I would consult with my post office (if it was a USPS mo) if putting a void on the mo. That does sound like a good plan. Put void on it and mail it back (of course after photocopying it!) to the buyer. You may want to have the return mail so that she would have to sigh for it on top of DC, ship it priority.
Even though it is only for $10 auction, for the fraud charges it may be worth it.
posted on April 4, 2002 09:29:50 AM new
Good Clarksville - I would most definitely leave a negative feedback. The seller would not look bad here, they would protect themselves from a nutcase. In this situation, I would not buy a money order for this person, just send it back to them.
I have a question though, why would you as a seller offer to pay for a trace of the money order? As far as I am concerned, that is the responsibility of the buyer to make sure that payment gets there.
