posted on April 4, 2002 07:16:14 AM new
Hi All,
I had a buyer leave me a neg yesterday claming I misrepresented the size of some pants I sold. I was careful measuring them, so I don't believe I did, but if this guy had just emailed me I would have offered him a full refund. Instead he dropped a neg (never emailed me at all) and that neg just cost him $18 + shipping. I just don't get it? Why not email first and see if the seller would respond.
I haven't left him any feedback yet (but I did respond to his feedback explaining that I was careful measuring, but even so I would have refunded if given the chance to. What kind of feedback would you leave someone like this.
posted on April 4, 2002 07:18:39 AM new
I would leave him negative feedback as well for awful communication. There is no excuse not even to send an email first.
posted on April 4, 2002 07:28:59 AM new
Hi Ashlandtrader, I agree all the way with the 2 posts above, I feel leaving a neg stating the communication was awful and you were willing to work with him, shows you are a pro, and you are willing to work with your buyer. I think your response to his feedback for you was precise and right on the money.
Reenie
posted on April 4, 2002 07:43:20 AM new
A negative would be more satisfying, but a simply stated neutral would probably look better to other bidders, and makes you MUCH more believable in my book. I always consider the possibility that a really bad seller might lie in his response to his own negative ("I would have worked this out" ) but is unlikely to have the self-restraint not to neg back.
Like it or not, the guy did complete his obligation (he paid for the auction, and I assume in a timely manner since you didn't say otherwise) and was unhappy with the outcome.
I am not saying you would not be JUSTIFIED in leaving a negative, but that you would be hurting yourself if you did. A potential buyer, especially a newbie, is likely to sympathize with the buyer if given half-a-chance, even though in this case their sympathies would be misplaced.
[ edited by msincognito on Apr 4, 2002 07:54 AM ]
posted on April 4, 2002 08:08:29 AM new
Okay, I will put myself in the place of a bidder and yes, I do bid also. I see this negative and I see that the seller has given a neutral back.
So I sit here and say in my best sucky voice, "Oh what a nice seller, they took it up the a** and then took the high road."
Or I see that the seller negged them back and I say "Good for them! That bidder was a major dink and he deserved it!"
The neutral makes the seller look wimpy to me and the negative makes them look like they are in control. The negative also shows the bidder that maybe he should try to work things out first otherwise what stops him from doing this to other sellers?
posted on April 4, 2002 08:10:05 AM new
i would not neg a customer for the reason he did not communicate before he acts.i would respond to his neg by saying you wish he would give you a chance to correct the problem.and email him and explain you would have refund or correct the problem .
some buyers are emotional people,they think this is a deliberate act on your part to deceive them.
you never know,he could be a repeat buyer!!!
I agree completely with you! Not to mention... if I see a seller who doesn't leave negative feedback in return for an issue like this.... I have to start wondering if maybe the seller feels that they might actually have been partially to blame.
Stopwhining,
I don't think that ashlandtrader want's this buyer for a repeat customer! There are plenty of buyers out there that WILL communicate with the seller. Those are the people you should try to retain as customers..... not the buyers who think their responsibilities in an auction end when they have mailed the payment.
posted on April 4, 2002 08:47:29 AM new
First thank you for your replies.
After some more thought on the matter I have decided to neg him. I held off because I do not like to leave negs in anger (that is never a good thing) and I needed to make sure that I really wanted to do that. I don't want this guy as a repeat buyer at this point, so that is a non-issue.
I thought long and hard about my future bidders and I decided that if they can't see through his neg and my response to it and would hesitate to buy from me because of him, then maybe those are customers I can also live without. Wow that was a long winded sentence.
:0)
Keeping this all in perspective! It is such a beautiful day here. I think I might take my youngest to the park and enjoy a little bit of it.
Thanks again!
posted on April 4, 2002 09:23:56 AM new
I use to post feedback as soon as the buyer paid..no more! I wait until feedback is posted for me first now..and post accordingly. The transaction is not complete until all parties have been dealt with...that is how I look at it. All too often buyers post negatives out of spite, without giving the matter much thought...but it's too late after feedback is posted.
Each seller must decide for themselves what is important to them with regards to posting feedback. Some people cannot be pleased no matter what you do..and on occassion that is what I have posted for feedback.
And any buyer who posts negative feedback before contacting you with a problem..isn't much of a good person to deal with in the future anyway. That is just plain in poor taste. I've experienced that too.
The bottom line is this: run your selling business how you see is best for you and don't let those few bad eggs cause you any headaches. With any business (offline or online) you will have idiots to deal with. Just do what is set policy for your business and then move on.
posted on April 4, 2002 09:31:25 AM new
If this happened to me, I would probably leave a neg to warn other sellers. I would use very sharp wording, so it hopefully would be a wake-up call for the buyer so they don't do again. If the buyer does do it again, the negs will start to appear from other sellers.
edited to add that I agree with Peg. I don't leave feedback as soon as I receive payment, either.
posted on April 4, 2002 09:39:27 AM new
Here is why I would neg him - Because his action was really quite unacceptable. It's like a seller giving a neg if payment is not received within 5 days, without communication. The buyer could have at least tried to resolve this.
Now, the reason why a neg is most appropriate. I believe most buyers do not like receiving negative feedback. This guy will probably feel wronged. MAYBE he will evaluate what he has done, and next time around won't give a neg without trying to resolve first. That is the best reason to give a neg. Giving no feedback, or a neutral won't be as effective as giving a negative.
Now, the reason why a neg is most appropriate. I believe most buyers do not like receiving negative feedback. This guy will probably feel wronged. MAYBE he will evaluate what he has done, and next time around won't give a neg without trying to resolve first. That is the best reason to give a neg. Giving no feedback, or a neutral won't be as effective as giving a negative.
Some people have the opinion that sellers don't like negative feedback either, so some buyers leave negs irresponsibly. When a seller does come along and leaves a neg, the buyer soon finds out what it's like. Particularly when they receive more.
posted on April 4, 2002 12:35:03 PM new
I recently got a neutral feedback for the same reason. "Ring not the size advertised." The buyer never contacted me about this, simply left a neutral. I did not leave a neg, but did respond to the neutral with: "Would have been happy to refund $$ -- too late now!!" I think it's more important that you respond to the neg than retaliate. People who check your feedback are not likely to check on the feedback you have left others, but will read any responses you have left to feedbacks other than positives.
