posted on February 26, 2005 04:34:59 PM new
Hi all,
I got this Question for Seller today:
"I am having trouble bidding on ebay, but I will offer you $50.00 for the XXX. Email me at XXX. Thanks"
Upon checking the sender's feedback I saw she was a -2. Signed up 1/26/05 and already has two negs. If those two sellers hadn't left the negs she would have been able to bid on my auction and I wouldn't have known she was a deadbeat.
My auctions are blocked to bidders with -1 FB or lower. I've added her to my blocked list too.
I haven't replied to her email... Would you? If so, what would you say??
posted on February 26, 2005 04:50:23 PM new
Lucy: I'd do just what your instincts are telling you to do: I'd block her from bidding and not reply.
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posted on February 26, 2005 05:06:55 PM new
Funny, had a -1 ask me a question today allowing her to bid. I politely told her that it would require me to change my global ebay settings which I would not do. She said she did not realize that shipping was $8 and the seller agreed to cancel the sale, but the feedback certainly told a different story!
posted on February 26, 2005 05:35:55 PM new
I would respond. Tell her that your policy is not to accept bids from anyone with a negative feedback record. You might add that since many other sellers have the same policy that it would be in her best interest to take care and follow the auction TOS so that she will achieve a better feedback record.
Also tell her that Ebay considers such solicitation to buy off EBay as spam and that it could be considered fee avoidance.
A lot of new bidders and sellers don't know the rules and this may be the case with this bidder.
Negative feedback is sometimes justified as an effort to save other sellers from an encounter with a bad player...just as Lucy's thread title suggests. With this in mind, it could be argued that by communicating with this negative buyer that you may also be contributing to an improved sales experience for those sellers who may encounter this buyer in the future. Chances are that she will make an effort to correct her past mistakes. If not, at least you have tried and by doing so have not risked anything other than a couple of minutes to write an email.
posted on February 26, 2005 06:30:23 PM new
Helen, I like your response. May I plagiarize? Paraphrase?
And I do agree - hopefully other sellers won't get caught up in an NPB situation.
That said, I think I will answer her email.
One other thing I plan to do is NEG the two Newbie NPBs I ran into this past month. Both of them signed up within a day or two of bidding. One has written a couple of "It's in the mail..." messages. The other hasn't said a word.
posted on February 26, 2005 07:16:54 PM new
Hi Helen,
NPB #2 has 24 hours before the FVF credit is available. So I guess I just have to wait, drumming my finners on the desktop.
I haven't been in the habit of leaving negs for NPBs. Seems most of them are NARU once I file for my fees, darn it. But this time I think I'll be able to neg them.
posted on February 26, 2005 07:30:25 PM new
Here's my reply to her email:
"Hello,
You had problems bidding because of your feedback record, which is -2. I do not accept bids from anyone with more than a -1 negative rating.
Since many other sellers have the same policy it would be in your best interests to take care and follow the rules and try to achieve a better feedback record.
Incidentally, eBay considers solicitation to buy off eBay as spam. It is against eBay rules and I don't do that.
posted on February 26, 2005 10:41:06 PM new
Oh, I forgot to share with y'all one the "wonderful" emails I received last week.
I had an expensive item listed. Local delivery only, due to size. Got an email from a buyer asking if I would end the auction and sell to him so I could save Ebay fees. He also wanted me to ship the item. (400 lbs, I DON"T think so!)
I nicely replied back to him through the listing page, for all the world to see. Told him Ebay is how I sell my stuff and I was not about to do anything that would jeopardize my ability to sell on Ebay.
Ok, I'm not a saint. If he had been local and if he had said he was ready to come pick it up, I might have agreed. But jeez, everything he wanted went against my TOS for that auction.
PS, I have those - FB bidders blocked also. Who needs the hassel???
