posted on April 4, 2011 07:53:19 PM new
I received a message from a buyer asking if he was to purchase an item from me and it didn't fit, if he could return it (my listing specifically allows exchanges, no refunds). I emailed him back and gave him the exact measurements for the item and explained how I took those measurements so he could compare them against other shirts he already owns.
This was his reply:
"That wont determine if it will fit . . I need to know Length from top of the collar to the bottom of the item.ANd that probally still wont matter to much either. its hard to determine but I just dont want to buy an item thats a FAKE size 60 5XL. Soooo i guess ill probally buy it and go from there. I know ebay offers buy protection which can help if nessary. . . Thanks Mike"
Then he goes on to send me a 2nd message right after purchasing it:
"And Y do u put a "best offer" when u set the price at $64.99??????? Just wondering . . I also purchased the item , sooo i guess we will see how things workout."
After reading this I can see exactly where this transaction is going. If it doesn't fit, he will use eBay's buyer protection and claim INAD to force me to take it back. I am not willing to pay shipping costs for him to "try it on". No way!
I refund him the payment, and send him a message explaining my refund. I called eBay and per their suggestion I also sent him a cancellation request stating that I was concerned about it not fitting him.
"I have refunded your payment. I provided measurements to help you determine whether this item will fit or not. If you needed length, I could have provided that very easily if I knew you needed that measurement too. My policies are stated in the listing for every buyer to read. I do not appreciate threats of filing claims before we have even attempted to conduct a transaction and would prefer not to do so under these circumstances."
His response (edited due to profanity- hopefully this doesn't get me in trouble):
Wow that's some ni@@er s#!t dude . . Really refunded my money cuz ur not sure if ur s#!ts fake or not???? And i never make any threats of any sort. Just said I can take other action and UR POLICY doesn't mean a f%@king thing. If ur s#!ts fake and don't fit as advertised the u shouldn't sell FAKE s#!t. Don't worry just a FYI I have saved u an ur name and will report ALL ur auctions to eBay that I feel are fakes or so forth . . F%@k offf @&&hole Mike
I immediately called eBay and CSR Josh went to work. First he completely removed the item from eBay so that the buyer couldn't leave feedback, DSRs, etc. 2nd, he filed a Member to Member Message violation. Finally, eBay refunded my FVF on this item. In both conversations from eBay reps they were pretty shocked that a buyer would go out on a limb and threaten a seller with their Buyer Protection policies before even getting the item. I explained to them that this is the "new eBay" and that their INAD is a major problem... even before a buyer has purchased the item they are already waving that in my face.
I have been selling these items on eBay for 11 years with over 10,000 transactions. I have absolutely no concerns over legitimacy of my items, however I am quite concerned that one bad apple can create a nightmare for a seller.
posted on April 4, 2011 08:18:13 PM new
I wish I could add to my listing that buyers must use proper English when contacting me, not some text lingo abbreviation garbage... though it shows just how mature this person really is. Unreal.
Also... I immediately blocked them from all transactions...
posted on April 5, 2011 02:21:12 AM new
Again - mostly ebay fault. They flash that buyer protection sign every chance they get. It could even put ideas in someone's head if they are less than honest.
It's great that ebay had your back on this one as the buyer was clearly out of line.
posted on April 5, 2011 08:22:46 AM new
"Also... I immediately blocked them from all transactions..."
I would have done this after his first inquiry. A potential sale isn't worth the hassle of a transaction like this.
posted on April 5, 2011 12:58:07 PM new
I've got a background in PR, marketing, and customer satisfaction (in eBay's case, the customer is the seller. We're the customer, our buyers are OUR customers.)
If I ran eBay, I'd pick a team of about 10 - 20 sellers, offer them free listing and FVF, and ask for feedback on how NEW policies are working out. And I'd LISTEN to them.
posted on April 5, 2011 01:18:32 PM new
"If I ran eBay, I'd pick a team of about 10 - 20 sellers, offer them free listing and FVF, and ask for feedback on how NEW policies are working out. And I'd LISTEN to them."
Roadsmith, I agree. Unfortunately, the new policies are in place so as to enhance the bonuses of upper management - not our profits.
posted on April 5, 2011 04:40:26 PM new
I have to say that this is the first time in years that I have called eBay and they have acted so fast.
Now if I could get them to fix that 4.9 on my shipping costs.
I am still perplexed how 2 months of a 4.97 in the dashboard equals 4.9 on my visible DSRs. Yet, a 4.96 in my dashboard equals a 5.0 on my shipping time DSR.
posted on April 6, 2011 09:36:29 PM new
Ok. Make this 2 in a row from eBay!
First, I had a buyer that sent me an email asking to return something they purchased. Without any hesitation, I told them to return it for a refund... provided the item still had the labels attached to it and was returned in the same condition as it was listed and received. I even offered to send them a return label so that it wouldn't cost them anything to return it. Beyond reasonable, eh???
Well, the buyer turned around and filed an INAD against me, claiming my listing stated "no returns" and that I stated it had to have labels on it still.
I was in shock. Total disbelief. I rolled out the red carpet and even offered free return shipping! Obviously, that didn't matter, they wanted to return them even though they used them.
So, I called eBay and they closed the dispute in my favor. They saw the photos with the labels attached, and felt that my response through eBay messaging went well beyond what they expect from sellers.
posted on April 7, 2011 04:41:21 AM new
Again, excellent response by you and excellent response by eBay. Your rep needs a serious 'atta-boy' to his supervisors.
posted on April 7, 2011 08:48:44 AM new
I recommend contacting eBay by phone before responding to any INAD disputes.
Maybe eBay has realized it was biting the hand that fed them for so long. I am certain that their CSRs were getting frustrated by angry sellers calling in about their crazy anti-seller policies. It was the rubber stamp tactics that frustrated me most.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting a judgment in my favor. I had called them because I followed eBay policies, and even offered more than eBay suggests. I was concerned about an INAD affecting my account. I was prepared to accept the return and issue a refund, however I did want my concerns on file before I proceeded to contact the buyer.
It is nice to have a CSR review the transaction and communication to see what is going on. They can make a rational judgment based on that.
posted on April 7, 2011 09:10:19 AM new
Good for you and good for EBay but....you must have a Hot Line directly to EBay!
I have never contacted them by phone although I must say I have rarely felt the need to as almost all of my customers are reasonable BUT if I do...how do you do it?
posted on April 7, 2011 09:47:59 AM new
What I do is go to the Customer Support tab in upper right corner. When it prompts me to enter what I need help with, I say, "billing". This always gets me where I want. On the right side you will see "contact us". Click that and you will get a phone number and pin# to call them.
I would say that 1 or 2 out of every 300-400 customers are problematic. For some reason, it seems to happen in streaks.
Both of these instances were on separate accounts that have nothing to do with each other.
Seems like eBay is starting to recognize inappropriate buyer claims and communication.
posted on April 8, 2011 08:05:53 AM new
Thank you, I will store that info im my memory bank.
You are right some things do come in streaks and then all coasts along well for a while then it is 'rinse & repeat'.
