posted on December 1, 2002 05:54:59 AM new
I've got a real PITA buyer on my hands. First of all, she bid on and won the auction. Then she emailed with questions about my TOS...lots of questions. I tried to accomodate her but made it clear she should have asked these types of questions before bidding. She was concerned about a manufacturer's warranty on her purchase. I've had these warranty problems with buyers before, so I had inserted a disclaimer in my TOS saying "No warranty is stated or implied." She wanted to know if she would be able to get a manufacturer's warranty. I told her, to the best of my knowledge, she would. She also inquired about the UPC...my TOS states some are removed for rebates. I mistakenly told her it was intact when, in fact, my partner had removed it for the rebate. She asked that I include an invoice...I always include the "Packing Slip/Invoice" printed from AW.
Well now she's making my life AOL Hell! She insists she cannot get a warranty from the manufacturer without the original sales receipt...so I emailed a copy to her. "But my name is not on it!" No kidding! How do you think someone gets warranty service on an item they got as a gift? They use the sales receipt with someone else's name on it.
She insists I lied to her right from the start to complete the sale. I resent that deeply...I tried to answer her questions as best I could, though some were rather ambigious, i.e. "will I get an invoice?". I admit I was miffed at all the questions after the auction had ended and not before, but I could see by her lack of feedback she was a newbie. Not to mention the AOL address...am I the only one who cringes when I see that aol.com on the end of an email address? What is it with AOL users? Ah, but that is another can of worms altogether...
Anyhow, she waited for a week after I emailed the copy of the original sales receipt, then nailed me with a neg. After I sent the receipt and got no response, I figured she was satisfied. No so! Of course, she didn't get the email with the receipt attached. AOL strikes again...
So now I'm still corresponding with this PITA, trying to work something out with her. My business partner wants to know why I'm still dealing with her crap when she has already negged me..."it's a done deal, ignore her". I'm the type of seller that wants my customers to be happy, I guess, although I am aware you can't please everyone.
I will be posting eBay's link to the NEW warranty program in all my listings in the future. I sent this link to my AOL PITA, too, with the caution that eBay is not a retail store and if she wants that type of service go to a B&M and pay full price!
I guess I'm just venting here, but any advice or comments would be appreciated!
posted on December 1, 2002 06:09:13 AM new
aol has 36 million subscribers,so you are bound to run into some difficult ones every now and then,aol is also easy to navigate,so it gets the newbies.
at one time i thought all aol bidders are deadbeats,not so,it is just there are more aol users out there.
if your partner has removed the UPC ,then you should tell her so ,i take it you two remove the UPC codes to get rebates and then sell the items ,making money both ways.
nothing wrong with that,except here comes a bidder who wants the UPC code and the warranty and the discount price,see,she is just as business savvy as you are,she wants the cake and eat it too,but the problem is that you have already eaten the cake,leaving her in the dust!
under the banner -customer is always right,you as retailer will have to get used to eating crows,no one said retailing is easy,if making money is easy,inflation would be much higher everywhere,a Malibu condo would fetch 1 billion dollars,as we all know inflation is too much money chasing too few goods.
having said all that,i can suggest you can let her return the item and refund her money and move on,it is up to you,if you like playing savvy retailer.
my bagel is too dry and my coffee not hot enough this morning,
posted on December 1, 2002 06:32:29 AM new
I did apologize to her for the oversite in telling her the UPC was intact. Yes, we do remove them for the rebate whenever possible. We wouldn't be able to resell at the prices we do and make any profit if we didn't. However, she doesn't need it for the warranty if my previous experiences with the warranty issue are any indication.
As for AOL users, I do believe that AOL has dumbed-down the internet so much that some of these folks cannot even copy and paste the checkout link from the WBN...that is, if they even get the WBN because AOL sees fit to filter it to the trash with its default settings, unbeknowst to most of its users it seems. I have more difficulties with AOL users than I care to relate. Maybe it is because their are so many of them, I don't know...I don't even want to contemplate their numbers!
I guess that will be my next move in this case...tell her to send it back for a refund and be done with it. I've bent over backwards trying to placate this woman, but to no avail so far.
posted on December 1, 2002 06:51:09 AM newSo now I'm still corresponding with this PITA, trying to work something out with her. My business partner wants to know why I'm still dealing with her crap when she has already negged me
I would have to ask the same question. You are wasting way too much time on this person.
Rule #1
You can not make everyone happy no matter what you do.
Refund? This is a joke,right?
Put this bidder on block, you do not want to deal with this bidder from hell again.
Once they neg you I see no point in keeping up any contact with them.
posted on December 1, 2002 07:45:01 AM new
I would also update your TOS to include that you sell opend items... if I were to win an auction from you and see that he UPC had been removed, you would be asked for a refund immediately.
I don't understand why she would want the warranty, if she can return the item to you for a refund?
Some places need the Original sales receipt before they will touch the item.
posted on December 1, 2002 08:47:38 AM new
I made that suggestion to her, but she indignantly claimed she knew nothing about the rebate. However, she just replied to my last email with the statement that she could've gotten this item at the store with the rebates and discounts and paid less for it. How would she know that, I wonder...maybe she was just guessing. I should've told her to go and do so next time!
My previous suggestion that she claim it was a gift and she didn't have the receipt seems to have settled the matter, but she's been quiet for a week previous to this and then all AOL Hell broke loose again...so, we'll see.
This will be a moot point after this...I'm putting the eBay Warranty link in my listings and that's the end of it. If you want a warranty, buy it.
posted on December 1, 2002 09:32:04 AM new
You did everything that you could do, and more...and she accuses you of being a liar! Refund her money...are you nuts? At this point if she's neg'd you there should be one last e-mail. From you, telling her what a PITA she was, and explaining to her the rules of Ebay and how she violated them. Also explain the importance of feedback. Leave out all that AOL stuff, it's irrelevant. This could happen AOL or any other ISP. After that, leave her the big fat negative that she deserves so that I never deal with her.
posted on December 1, 2002 09:41:33 AM new
I explained to her that leaving negative FB before throughly attempting to resolve the matter is not the way to go.
I've made no mention whatsoever to her about being an AOL user other than she should check her mail settings because I sent a copy of the receipt to her a week ago. She had claimed she didn't get it, and thus she negged me.
She accused me of being unprofessional...something most of my customers would definitely beg to differ with. My reply was that if it wasn't for my professional courtesy and personal integrity, we wouldn't be continuing this correspondence. She had already negged me.
Unfortunately, I post positive FB as soon as payment is received. I found it distasteful to hold FB hostage, but I may aquire a new-found taste for it now!
posted on December 1, 2002 10:04:31 AM new
NAG or NEG,thats the difference.
BIDDERS DO NOT READ,HOW DO YOU EXPECT PEOPLE TO READ EVERY SELLER TERMS OF SALE??THERE ARE SO MANY SELLERS AND BIDDERS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN
posted on December 1, 2002 11:20:09 AM new
shething: May I make a suggestion?
It's simply this: Treat this buyer-from-hell the same way you would want other sellers to treat her.
With that precept in mind, I cease communication and effort on BFH's behalf as soon as a neg is lodged. She needs to learn from this and that's how she'll learn.
After that I would internalize to myself that I cannot make everyone happy. You are wasting precious resources (your energy, your power, your peace of mind) in a fruitless cause. Assume that at least one out of every 100 customers would not be pleased even if you personally delivered the item on a solid gold platter and gave them the platter, too. Sometimes it helps to give the 100th customer a name and a face. Do you know anyone (family, acquaintance, heaven help us...friend) who can be completely and utterly unreasonable because they've got their head stuck in one place? Close your eyes, visualize that person's face, and imagine they're wearing one of those jail booking number boards. This one says "100th Customer".
Last, I would remind myself it's not personal. As we've discussed on this board before, women customers often try to make it personal even when dealing with a faceless vendor. A lot of emotional baggage seems to emerge and it looks like yours had it working before you ever shipped the item.
posted on December 1, 2002 04:54:20 PM new
Thanks fluffy...and thanks to all who responded with words of advice.
I think the BFH has crawled back under her rock. I've blocked her from bidding on any more of my auctions, and I have no intention of answering anymore of her emails.
I can live with the neg...it's not my first and, unfortunately, probably won't be my last in this business. The first two negs hurt but they're from unregistered users anyway....I have a feeling the BFH won't be with us very long either. Only wish I had the chance to give <i>her</i> a well-deserved neg...
posted on December 1, 2002 11:18:53 PM new
shething
I am one, who gives 100% customer service in all my dealings with customers you alway get that ONE who will make your life he double sticks. she has given you a neg respond to it be professional. Then move on.
As far as AOL users yes it is newbie heaven
they kicked me off AOL in 1997 because I scored to high on the IQ test.
