Can I Rant for A Bit - Stupid Buyers?!?

[jakeeangel]

I get that everybody has an opinion. I get that, honest. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. But how does eBay expect us to deal with or counter or react to stupid people who just don't get it?

I got a negative today. Ya, ya, boo hoo for me.

I don't know what the heck I did wrong! I'd love to know. For several reason. So I can correct the bad behaviour, I mean, ultimately isn't that what eBay wants us to do? Isn't that the best approach to customer service? When someone brings something you do wrong to your attention you can analyze it and correct the offensive behaviour? I'd like to have been given the opportunity to right the alleged wrong through refund or sending another item.

I ship the pictures in a bubble envelope with cardboard and right DO NOT BEND on both sides.

In the neg all that's there is the sad face icon. " 😞 ". That's it. Nothing else. This guy didn't even email me saying anything at all. They bought, they paid and I shipped. WTH!!

He bought the thing, a stupid little $3 item by the way, on April 15th. I shipped on April 16th and he got the dum thing on April 19th. I don't get it! What on earth did I do wrong? Was it because it was *gasp* a free item that I sold. 😮 The horror - the horror!! LOL

I emailed him on April 16th thanking him for his purchase and payment.

I emailed him on April 16th when I bought postage for the item giving him the DC number from USPS.

I emailed him on April 18th after I left feedback for him, telling him I shipped it and thanking him again.

What on earth did I do wrong and how does eBay expect us to deal with that crap? Too bad so sad? They're allowed to have their opinion sure but don't whack me in the head with a 2 by 4 because of someone else's foolishness. I did everything I was supposed to and yet now I'm going to get the dreaded "You Suck" email from eBay and the drop in store, listing exposure, higher fees, PS status, TRS status, discounts etc.

I try not to whine but this really bothers me. How do you guys deal with this?

[dipmicro]

courier should work as proof of delivery.

First, I'll anticipate jakee - this isn't worth a slander suit.

That's what I said, one can make eBay to remove the negative, but it's not worth it. Plus it's all theoretical, the court may give ruling, but how is it going to be enforced if eBay ignores it? I just cannot see police jumping into their cars arresting Donahoe for that.

[chivalryincanada]

Sorry to hear about that, I just had my own idiot today. Left negative, never tried to even contact me about what the problem was, although I have a return policy on my invoice that is sent with every order, all she did was send me a very nasty message and leave negative feedback. I think im going to be the first of many on her list.. I was her first purchase, there seems to be 2 others as she only has 3 feed backs, im the first item she received, im curious to see what shes leaves the others. I Never replied to the message, dont care to play games.

We cant help the idiots ... wish we could. It can be very upsetting when you try really hard to provide good customer service and communication.

Chin up.

[craftycatsattic]

We've all been there. It really sucks when you know you didn't do anything wrong. Wrong or right, the buyer should contact you and give you a chance to resolve any problems. It's just common courtesy!

My first unfavorable feedback was a neutral for slow shipping. Customer paid on a Thursday night, I shipped the next day before the 5pm pick-up and it took exactly 14 days to get to him...standard shipping from Montreal to California. He never bothered to email me and was not apologetic once I pointed out how quickly I shipped. I negged him. That was about 2 or 3 years ago and he hasn't left bad feedback for anybody since!

In the last year, I've received 2 neg's. One where the buyer claimed not to have received one item of many. I am a highly organized shipper. I keep good records and a photographic memory. I know I shipped the item so don't know what happened. For all I know, customs or the post office may have tampered with the package. Buyer also didn't bother emailing me. That one ended well because I refunded the one purchase only since everything else was received, filed with CP and got re-reimbursed the item cost plus the entire cost of shipping! I also asked the buyer to do a FB revision and they did.

The other was an Italian lady living in England (also didn't bother emailing me)...but go figure that her English wasn't too good and she bought my pattern "book" thinking she was buying the finished items. I had the full book cover up on that listing! It cost me a full re-reimbursement to get her to revise her feedback.

I am glad to have all those behind me but know they will not be the last. What can you do? It's unfortunate but not something we have much control over.

I most definitely think though that ebay should have a "process" for leaving unfavorable feedback where you MUST CONTACT the seller first and can only leave it x number of days after contacting the seller.

[chivalryincanada]

I wish it worked that way! Too bad ebay doesnt Liston to anything we say 😞

[momoftwingles2]

I bet your customer doesn't know the metric system! Especially if they are in the States. It's a foreign language!
I know...I taught math for 10 years and during the entire school year we would spend approximately 4 - 5 math sessions on it!

Susan
momoftwingles2

[westernstargifts]

Sorry to hear about that, I just had my own idiot today. Left negative, never tried to even contact me about what the problem was, although I have a return policy on my invoice that is sent with every order, all she did was send me a very nasty message and leave negative feedback. I think im going to be the first of many on her list.. I was her first purchase, there seems to be 2 others as she only has 3 feed backs, im the first item she received, im curious to see what shes leaves the others. I Never replied to the message, dont care to play games.

We cant help the idiots ... wish we could. It can be very upsetting when you try really hard to provide good customer service and communication.

Chin up.

I spent a year buying craft supplies on eBay before I began selling. I saw many a seller neg'd because the buyers didn't expect the beads or pearls to be that small. When I first bought 3mm beads I was surprised too that they were so small. However I blamed myself for not doing my homework. I didn't take it out on the seller who had given an accurate description.

I have seen some sellers post diagrams showing the actual sizes of 3 mm, 4mm, etc., beads. Many people don't realize what a difference 1 mm can make. A diagram might help you to avoid neg's for that reason in the future.

[chivalryincanada]

I did think of that, however the customer has escalated the situation now and is now also saying I took money from her paypal account ... I think shes just plain crazy. Its all being done through resolution center, she also flat out refused to send back the item. I know ebay will just refund her the money in the end.. im just making it a bit harder for her.

Some people arg! .. thank you for the support 🙂

[jakeeangel]

Dipmicro - I was ranting/whining/complaining/expressing frustration with what happened. I wouldn't waste time suing the guy for a multitude of reasons one of which being the guy didn't even say anything in the feedback. It's just " 😞 ". Which means what? Who knows. It's not slander because he didn't 'say' anything.

I wanted to hear how others deal with buyers essentially leaving negs just because they can with no bearing whatsoever on product or service.

Thanks Chivalry. I'm sorry you dealt with one of 'those types' too. I don't get it. I've seen bead sellers get smacked because it looked bigger in the listing. ??? Holy mackeral people! I buy beads to make things. Unless this is their first time buying them you'd think they'd have seen a bead or two in that size to know it's not going to be the same as what you seen on your screen. sheesh From the outside I laugh and shake my head at the stupidity of the person leaving the comment. If it was done to me, I'd be so PO'd because of the stupidity.

Thanks Susan and Crafty.

I too would like eBay to do something to assist sellers who get dinged just because the buyer was able to do so. I don't see it being possible though. It's not practical because they won't see what I've sent, they won't see what the buyer got etc etc. It just grates on my nerves when they spew that the buyer is allowed their opinion. grrr Opinions sure but outright lies & falsehoods??

All this rating of 1 - 5 in all the different levels without a clear set of rules or guidelines defining those ratings and on and on and all the changes to it. It just makes it more difficult for buyers to figure out the ratings then eBay goes and whacks us in the head because of them.

I don't have a solution. I don't know that there will ever be one. I just know that I don't like being a victim of some goof who can do what he did just because he's able to do so. I give great customer service and I would never, ever show one thing and ship something else. I've made a mistake or a few over the years and upon discovery correct it however it can be - refund or resend of item. Keep whatever you got. But never on purpose.

This guy was just hitting sellers because he could. Who knows how many others do it or how many other ID's he does it on or when people like that will strike again. And eBay does nothing. It's frustrating. How do we know he's not a disgruntled seller taking out his frustration with the system on unsuspecting sellers. It only cost him $5.50 to do it. Cheap thrills I suppose.

[chivalryincanada]

I hear ya, it is very disheartening.

I dont think ebay really cares, whats dumb is when they refund the money, ebay loses too as they have to payback the fee's. You would think they would want to keep them.

Why people do it.. because they can, why not. Ebay resolved my issue today and gave her a full refund even tho she even told them that she has the beads and will not send them back. To me thats just allowing her to steal them. I guess ebay is saying, yup go for it.. and enjoy! She only has 3 feebacks, im curious to see what she does with the other 2 items she bought, she purchased them 2 days after she paid for her beads. I left a reply on the feedback too. Seeing as this was her first transaction she has either done this before and had to get a new account or she read how to scam people somewhere and went for it.

Just a 😞 is really odd.. Maybe he was to guilty to be a total ass lol. No matter how hard you try, theres always one crazy ass out there to ruin it all.

Chin up 🙂

[surplusdealdude]

she also flat out refused to send back the item. I know ebay will just refund her the money in the end.. im just making it a bit harder for her.

Stick to your guns on this - "No refund until item is returned."

She might be so determined to have her way that she'll muck up the dispute process and lose.;-)

At the very least, ebay may refund her and not charge you for it.

[dipmicro]

jakeeangel, all I had to say was there isn't much you can do about it. There were suits and they are futile.

On another note. I just read in the newspaper how some policemen are corrupt in my old country. A guy drives a car with german plate, goes through intersection and police after him. He stops and they tell him in broken German he just run red and ask for 150 EUR. He decided to play the game and answered in German that he surely did not and would like to see proof. One cop says to another in native language - "This stupid German is not going to get out so easy". Then our guy takes the paper and starts writing - "What are you writing?", asks the cop. - "Your badge number" answers our guy in native language. The cop grabbed the notebook, spewed few swear words at him and both cops took off.

This story hit the news today. Cops broke at least 3 laws if not more and they are probably going to rot in jail for it, but how many stories like this do not make the news and people pay.

Now, you are worried about eBay feedback.

[bighillbargains1]

I wanted to hear how others deal with buyers essentially leaving negs just because they can with no bearing whatsoever on product or service.

I would defenitley post a professional respond to that feedback and also to the feedback you've left earlier for that Buyer.

[fatdane]

Aside from the Feedback issue, if the buyer has received money back for an item that he/she/it has received, and is refusing to return that item I believe that is mail fraud and can be reported in the US at https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx and in Canada at https://www.recol.ca/login.aspx. Being realistic these organizations are not going to go after a person for a $5 dispute, but if there is a pattern of many $5 disputes the person may receive some governmental attention that they will not enjoy.

In years past , pre Ebay, there were some stamp collecting scammers in the US who ended up receiving a "vacation" in a US penal institution. Doesn't get any money back but does get the scammers out of our playground.

[chivalryincanada]

Thanks for the links, I have them bookmarked.

It is mail fraud, plain and simple. I also left a follow up to the feedback I sent her, never thought of doing that, thanks 🙂

I feel like ebay supports mail fraud, thats what they did. Sad.