How do you deal with finicky, picky and ignorant buyers? (1 Viewer)

[Gideon]

Do tell, I am about to lay into someone big time but need to get a bearing so I don't totally lose my cool.

 

[IXEC]

Do tell, I am about to lay into someone big time but need to get a bearing so I don't totally lose my cool.

What are the details?

 

[Njja]

Wow, tough deal! I'm fairly lucky, have only had a few problems......but they can be a real pain!

I usually ask them what would make them happy, if they are reasonable problem is solved........if they want three fingers, and a nose..........

 

[maddadicus]

My last 4 auctions were shipped to Austrailia, France ,Spain, and latest ,Brazil.....2 out of 4 successful so far, but I sweat every one..Michael

 

[Gideon]

I've sent most of my listings over seas too. Great people.

I had a shipping delay due in part to the bad weather we had on the east coast. So I sent out an update to everybody. All are a-ok. One asks for a tracking number. I send the tracking information. Then I get this threatening email "It's been 10 days since I won this auction", "it's not here yet", "I have yet to hear from you", etc.

I re-sent the tracking details and told this person to check their email again.

No word.

Then today, I get this threatening email:

"I was disappointed when I finally did receive this item in that you described it as in "Excellent" condition but someone had painted the King and Country item # on each of the figures. None of my King and Country figures have paint on them. I would like to hear back from you before I leave my feedback."

This is about WS28 - an older set which would have the set number and a,b,c,d painted on the bases.

Maybe I am just thinned skinned at the moment but this is just really stupid. Part of me wanted to say that "you're absolutely right, I'll take the set back and give a refund."

I know this person is going to try to screw me on feedback, I can feel it heading that way tho I did nothing wrong and have been nothing but responsive.

This user has 3 feedbacks. So I am assuming this person doesn't really know much about what they're dealing with in regards to older sets.

I've already blocked from bidding on my auctions again. I just don't have patience for this kind of stuff.

 

[mikemiller1955]

That is a shame, because I think most people (at least me) always read the feedback, especially the negative responses.

Always.

I guess just try and explain (in a nice way) that the earlier collections were made this way.

Unless he is just an azzzzzz, he will understand.

On the other hand, as a buyer, I have recieved lots of items that were damaged in packing or shipping.

You first thought, is that you got screwed by the seller, but I have watched the UPS guy just literally drop packages on my porch.

I received an Ebay shipment on some Frontline 24th Foot, from Michigan Toy, that were so mangled it was unbelievable. Some of the bayonets were actually pointing back at the soldiers. Some were joined together like a twisted pretzels.

The packing was horrible (no boxes, two to an envelope and with no foam inside separating them) and before documenting by photo, I straightened them all out with no paint chips and no breakage, luckily.

I sent an email to Michigan Toy and they offered to take them back, which I declined and then offered me a 20% on my next purchase. A great company to do business with.

On a purchase a few months later, I mentioned it to the salesman on the phone and he admitted packing the order himself. He apologized and said he did a bad job. I was impressed with his honesty.

In you case, you're at the mercy of the buyer. He can ruin your creditability with Ebay and hurt your sales. You can't control everything in the mail.

I owned a restaurant in Galveston for 27 years, and believe me, the public is hard to work with.

I could make a pot of gumbo, one guy would say it's the best he has ever had, one guy would say it was good and the next guy would say it was terrible.

The public is a tough crowd.

I always let the customer take the initiative and would respond accordingly to his tone.

If he was polite to me, I gave back more than he wanted.

If he was rude to me, I threw him out the door.

I hope you get treated fairly.

Blocking him from future transactions is a good idea.

You don't need that kind of business or the aggravation that goes with it.

Good luck,

Michael

 

[VIRIATO]

I guess a buyer's feedback is also important to him:. To me, feedback for a buyer does not just reflect how fast he payed but also how he dealt with the seller, especially when solving any kind of problem. I obviously see no legitimate claim from the buyer on this one, especially if the seller takes the time to educate him on this...


Paulo

 

[Spitfrnd]

I am sorry for your trouble with that clown Gideon. It does seem from what you posted that he is more ignorant than obnoxious but both can be a challenge. I have always tried to educate the ignorant, with as much patience as I could muster. I have a different approach to the obnoxious. I might suggest that you use the Ebay messaging center (if you didn't), as well as email, since it creates such a nice record of your communications. Best of luck resolving this.

 

[IXEC]

Gideon, some advice.



As you know you can not leave " bad feedback " for a buyer. But you can leave him a bad comment. It will show as good feedback but your comment can be read.

Don't worry to much about getting bad feedback from this idiot.

Now, your dealing with a azzzzzzz treat him that way.

Send him some emails that you will offer him so money back, this is the bait.

When he emails you that he wants such & such amount to make him happy, then you got him.

Save his email about wanting money back and then contact eBay's Safety & Wellness Dept, tell them you recieved the email asking for money. eBay will remove his bad feedback and your done with him.

 

[Gideon]

I'm not worried so much about the bad feedback. I have 100% positive at 1,745.

So, yeah, if this person leaves something stupid I'll paid "paid fast but what a pain in the butt". Something like that.

If this continues, I'll just offer to take the set back. I'll likely get more for it if I post it again anyway.

What a putz.

 

[gk5717]

For me the problem with ebay buyers is they can go back to paypal and try and get their money back, which in turn ties up that amount in your paypal account.
A few months ago I posted the problem I had with a guy from Germany trying to rip me off on a lousy broken horse claiming it was rare.
He did the paypal thing with me tying up $165. Lucky for me I then initiated the claim with which he failed to respond to in the proper time and I won.
No I don,t want negative feedback, but for me it,s the paypal problem.
Gary

 

[Njja]

Paypals current policy is to issue a refund to the buyer for any reason once the item has been sent back to the seller. All they have to show is the item being presented for delivery accepted, or not.

This is part of Ebay's buyer (your customer) is always right.....seller (ebay's
customer) is always wrong policy.

It does not matter what your auction states......All Sales, are Final, No Returns, don't waste your time. Even if you purchase insurance and item is damaged in shipping you are S.O.L.

I had one Brain Surgeon that was to cheap to buy insurance which I provided
anyway, item was damaged in shipment so he naturally insisted we had broken the item and the post office hand carried it across country. He refused to use the insurance instead returned the item to me addressed to my wife.....he received a full refund from Paypal. I could not use insurance since the party receiving the item must file claim.

On a positive note, Paypal will work with you (Ebay could care less) when I contacted them I was issued a full credit for the amount refunded to this jerk who by coincidence is also an Ebay seller. This piece of work does business using 4 different variations of his name in two states.

 

[Mardasson]

I found that Njja's advice to ask the other part what would make him happy usually bring a good solution. It worked several times very well in the past and often bring you repeat customers.

I also think that this hobby is not prone to dishonest people: if you want to make money in a dishonest way you probably pick up another area than toy soldiers.

And as mentionned already, using the Ebay communication channel when you feel there could be a problem helps you keep traces that may proved useful later.

But again, I think we are talking of a very very small percentage of transactions (but it's no fun when this fall on you)

Michel

 

[Gideon]

I agree, asking a buyer what they would like is usually best. I usually accept whatever the buyer suggests - this means that almost all people who have bought from are very reasonable and just plain nice. I can count on one hand how many difficult people I've dealt with in the past year and it's not even a full finger count.

The problem comes when the buyer is plain wrong but will not accept anything other than him/her being right. I have a severe problem with that and I'll fight tooth and nail based on principle. I am like that with unwarranted tickets too, and I usually win.

Anyways, I have yet to receive a response from this person so it's probably not an issue anymore till the feedback is left.

I actually suggested to this person to come to this board and post a question it if she/he is not satisfied with my answer. So keep your eyes peeled.

 

[VIRIATO]

Once I had a problem with an item that I bought, one of the two mounted figures arrived broken, I contacted the seller and all was sorted out this way: I didn't have to send the item back to the US and the seller refunded me for half the price I had payed him. Another time, another US seller just sent me a new item and I sent him back the broken one. Recently I've done the same out of E-Bay. Yes I admit this is sometimes unfair on the seller (depends on the situations: lousy packing or mail/customs carelessness?). Fortunately these situations have been a small minority for me... I would hope the same happens with everyone, for toy soldier's dealing sake...


Paulo

 

[Gideon]

Well, I am happy to say that level heads prevailed on this one. Thank goodness.

 

[theBaron]

It all boils down to being a mensch to others, and not jerking them around. Viriato's story is a good example of two people, dealing in good faith and being considerate. Unfortunately, as we know, a lot of folks out there are just plain selfish and childish, or predatory, or a combination. That's the bad part about our fallen world, but we try not to let it be the rain in our beer.

We need to find an alternative to eBay, too, I think, since they seem to want to enable that kind of behavior.

Prost!
Brad

 

[gk5717]

For the first time I had a guy not pay. I sent 3 emails to him reminding him he did not pay and never received a response. So today I filed with ebay a no pay on this guy.
No joke, not 5 minutes after I filed the complaint he sent me an echeck.
Gary

 

[VIRIATO]

For the first time I had a guy not pay. I sent 3 emails to him reminding him he did not pay and never received a response. So today I filed with ebay a no pay on this guy.
No joke, not 5 minutes after I filed the complaint he sent me an echeck.
Gary

Similarly I once gave a 1 week deadline to someone who was taking days to pay after 2 messages from me, with everything clear from the start including shipping cost: if he wouldn't pay I would relist the item, the next day payment came. Can't tell if he was in good faith or not, probably just too busy...

Paulo

 

[Union Cove]

Even if you purchase insurance and item is damaged in shipping you are S.O.L.

I had one Brain Surgeon that was to cheap to buy insurance which I provided
anyway, item was damaged in shipment so he naturally insisted we had broken the item and the post office hand carried it across country. He refused to use the insurance instead returned the item to me addressed to my wife.....he received a full refund from Paypal. I could not use insurance since the party receiving the item must file claim.

Are you using USPS or some other carrier? I have had no problems getting refunds from the post office on damaged returns. I just tell them I refuse to put my customer through the hassle of dealing with claims.

Jan