Agressive buyer

[kcgwynne]

I have a buyer that has been messaging me all night, everything was going good until the final price was discussed. He began to get aggressive and demanded I send him a paypal invoice for 2 of the 18 comics we were discussing and just throw the others in for free as they are just 'trash'. The word 'trash' was the first warning sign the others were when he sent another message demanding the invoice that he might not pay tonight and that I take down the listings as we already had a deal. I immediately put him on my Best Buddy List.

The help I need is, Does this stop him from messaging me and clogging up my phone all night? As per professionalism I did not respond in any way once he started making demands.

His last 3 feedback from sellers were of nonpayment and wanting free shipping( against the rules but thankful anyway.) As I wrote about the feedback I just realised that could be why he demanded outside ebay transactions as I have the regular blocks in place for non paying and no paypal accounts.

FYI any deal I make is considered null and void as soon as anybody becomes rude and aggressive.

[momcqueen]

Again, I don't know if it's a site-wide thing or just me. I have had some oddities with my account like the 'Ship to Russian Federation' checked by default on each listing of mine despite being a blocked country in my settings and when I mentioned that on a different board awhile ago, it seemed it was not universal. Yet it is there, on every single one of my new and 'sell similar' or 'relist' or whatever. Gremlins.

[femmefan1946]

and was assured my most recent offender had been death with.

At last! Firm and concrete action!

[momcqueen]

Oh. My. Gosh.

Now that is a fine example of a Freudian slip: I meant to say only that he had been 'dealt with' but, really, I was thinking about the 'death wishes' he sent me. Hah hah!

Not that I hoped to hijack this thread, I empathize with the poster. Oddly, I responded earlier today to a buyer who said a seller was sending him wretched messages too. It must be a phase of the moon. 

[rose-dee]

---

@pierrelebel wrote:

"Is it possible to do that "

Yes.

From the moment a PayPal invoice is sent, and until it is paid, you are given two options by PayPal:

1) Send reminder

2) Cancel

Test it!  Send me a PayPal invoice.  I will NOT pay it.  Then cancel it.

---

After all these years of using Paypal, I had no idea.  I thought it was like an email -- once you hit that "Send" button, you're out of luck.  

Thank you for posting this.  I won't send you an invoice, but I'll put this in my "future reference" file for sure!

[rose-dee]

---

@mjwl2006 wrote:

I have had some oddities with my account like the 'Ship to Russian Federation' checked by default on each listing of mine despite being a blocked country in my settings and when I mentioned that on a different board awhile ago, it seemed it was not universal. Yet it is there, on every single one of my new and 'sell similar' or 'relist' or whatever. Gremlins.

---

Yes, that Russian Federation box suddenly popped up on all my listings, too.  This was most irritating, as I had just re-set my preferences a couple of weeks earlier to specifically exclude Russia. 

Now however with the 34 country "seller protection" list (announced in January), which includes Russia, I'm not so worried if I don't catch every erroneous listing.  When I asked at a Wed. board session whether that 34 country list applied to Canadian sellers, I was given an unequivocal "yes".  I hope they were right.  

I've never had the kind of problems you're experiencing with the BBL, but then it's impossible to know what activity was blocked that might otherwise have got through.  My advice would be to continue to follow this up with eBay and make sure any buyer who utters threats or sends frightening emails is, in fact blocked from contacting you.  You can probably get your ISP to do the same. 

[kcgwynne]

My buyer blocks prevented this situation from getting past the bullying messages, but I just notice to day I only have them set to block any violations within the last month. If he would have waited a couple more hours things may have gone very differently for me.

I was sure my blocks were set for within 12 months but as I have been using the same template for over a year I never checked until now.

[pjcdn2005]

Yes, that Russian Federation box suddenly popped up on all my listings, too.  This was most irritating, as I had just re-set my preferences a couple of weeks earlier to specifically exclude Russia.

You're seeing when you revise or relist/sell similar an item...is that right?

If so, I don't think that affects anything on your live listing. The majority of my listings are worldwide yet  sometimes I notice that just France and Germany are checked off..no other countries. But even if I don't change that, my listings still show as worldwide.

[momcqueen]

You're seeing when you revise or relist/sell similar an item...is that right?

If so, I don't think that affects anything on your live listing. The majority of my listings are worldwide yet  sometimes I notice that just France and Germany are checked off..no other countries. But even if I don't change that, my listings still show as worldwide.

Yes and no. It's checked by default on all of mine whether it is a relist, sell similar, or brand new listing from scratch with nothing in common with anything I've done to date. It is just checked, always, until I un-check it. Which I thought was sneaky because it began immediately after the 'extra protection in 34 countries' announcement.

The Russian Federation was always on my blocked countries list. (Along with most other high-risk places.) I'm not convinced the 'extra protection' would save me from defects or negative feedback and paypal could still refund their money anytime after day 31 if it were stuck in transit or at Customs, no?

I'd love to offer actual Worldwide Shipping but that would mean service by Xpresspost (Tracked Packet coverage is too thin) and then what buyer wouldn't complain about paying $65 CAD in postage on a $35-item? That's a big red dot right there. 'Shipping cost too high' and maybe I wouldn't get a defect but they could still leave a big, fat negative for the transaction. Reading between the lines, I think that Negative would still stand. It's not Shipping Time, it's not a complaint about Item Not Received, and it's not a beef about taxes on import. Therefore, valid.

[mcrlmn]

It ain't worth it.
Get out any which way you can... then add to your eBay and cell phone block list.

[reggiesgear]

Thanks for your advice about the cookie jar ,after loosing 3 items giving 3 refunds and getting I negative. can you imagine getting a negative loosing your item and giving a refund all to the same person.All In the last 2 months.I am using tracking on all items over $10.00. On a Canadian small packet us air the price doubles with tracking, when the customer wants me to use no tracking  I say E Bay wants to protect buyers by letting them know where there item is, and that's their policy. So they will have to have tracking.In the long run its just less hassle for me.I feel bad for them,Its time to give myself a shake.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Ebay wants a Safe Environment for Buyers & Sellers & trust me, they really do care.

While I was reluctant in the past to Report Buyers, I always do it now.

Ebay has a paper trail on questionable buyers & sellers & will " Put The Hammer Down " on who they suspect are working the system.

Grew a little tired of issuing refunds & in December I finally decided to Report A Buyer.

Lo & Behold, they told me not to refund this Buyer as they have a habit of launching INRs.

Happened again last month, again do not refund the buyer for the same reason.

Of course they will view ones selling record, which helps in the long run.

While CS has been questionable in the past, I now find them to be very well trained & very helpful.

Bottom Line, Report Any & All Questionable Buyers, you may be surprised at what you'll hear from CS.

[momcqueen]

Grew a little tired of issuing refunds & in December I finally decided to Report A Buyer.

Lo & Behold, they told me not to refund this Buyer as they have a habit of launching INRs.

Happened again last month, again do not refund the buyer for the same reason.

Wait, what?! Did you call Ebay Customer Service to ask them if you should issue a refund? The reason I'm asking is that since Small Packets Airmail has begun to print barcodes on the postage labels, nothing has gone missing.... until a pair of my buyers discovered in their stores in UK were now stocking a toy which had previously been unattainable. Thirty+ days later, I get the 'I didn't get this' message with no reply to my query to please confirm everything was okay on their shipping label. Not an Item Not Received message from ebay but a private one from the buyer. At the time, I was glad not to get the defect but still suspicious and, with refunds issued and compete silence from the buyers in return, I Report a Buyer using the online form. Do I think those things really went missing? Nope. Were they delayed at Customs for import fees? Maybe. Was it a case of Buyer's Remorse? Signs point to yes.

I will tuck this information away for later. Thank you. In fact, the next time it happens, I will straight out tell the buyer that I'm going to call ebay for advice (true) since it is so impossibly unlikely their parcel has gone missing. (Also true.) And then await their reaction. 

[bb_cool_stuff]

No, No, No, do not telegraph your move by sending a message to a questionable buyer prior to calling eBay first.

eBay CS will tell you exactly what to do & what to say in your message.

Keep it professional in regards to your messages with the buyer as they can be monitored by CS Staff.

Put it this way, if your are transferred to Mediation or Escalation there is a genuine concern at eBay's end.

Be polite with the staff & one will be very surprised at the service you will receive.

Of course, I can only speak in regards to my own experiences, but put it this way, some buyers have a habit of launching INRs.

[momcqueen]

Very good. Very good. This is top-notch advice. Brilliant! Thank you. You have made my day!

[bb_cool_stuff]

Did you call Ebay Customer Service to ask them if you should issue a refund?

No, I called eBay to Report A Buyer.

Explain the situation.

This buyer may have a questionable buying record with other sellers.

Even though eBay CS is limited as to what they can say, I have found they are very aware of questionable buyers & sellers.

[momcqueen]

Perfect. I will follow this process the next time it happens. Valuable advice and very much appreciated.

[femmefan1946]

The reason I'm asking is that since Small Packets Airmail has begun to print barcodes on the postage labels, nothing has gone missing..

Yup. That's one of the reasons using (untracked) Light Packet which has an invoice number but no tracking is possibly worth the small extra cost over LetterPost which has neither invoice number (since it can't be printed out) nor tracking. You give the buyer the number and he assumes it's tracked. Sneaky but we are dealing with some sneaky people.

BTW, I actually use the Cookie Jar Insurance system instead and because I have a source of discount mint postage rarely use any tracking on my shipments, which are pretty cheap in any case.

Ten dollars is way too low to be tracking. If you refund and get a Mutual Cancellation you will be getting your fees back so your loss is the shipping price and the procurement cost. However, if you feel more comfortable with it...

Now compare that to the additional costs of tracked postage. For Light Packet from BC to Georgia a paperback 17x10x2 weighing 200 grams costs $5 to ship, but Tracked Packet would be $16.08. (Oddly Letter Post would be $5.15, so apparently it can be more expensive than Light Packet. Hmm. I'll have to look into that.)

since it is so impossibly unlikely their parcel has gone missing.

Errr. Since it is possible that the parcel really hasn't reached them, and because, true or not, most people react badly to being accused of dishonesty, try really hard not to say that out loud. Muttering about postal delays is probably okay. And reminding them to ask family about unmentioned parcels, and the postal clerks about checking on the shelf in the back room, perhaps?

[bb_cool_stuff]

Right Femme, it is entirely possible the item has actually gone missing.

eBay will have a record of the buyer & they may not have a habit of launching INRs.

Still best to protect yourself & possibly other buyers by reporting the situation.

[momcqueen]

I am painfully polite but not overly apologetic to a buyer who says they didn't receive it. See, what I think has happened is that they are staring at the parcel in their hands, entering the unregistered barcode on Canada Post as well as Royal Mail and guessing it isn't trackable anywhere.

My first reply is always to send them a copy of their postage label and photo of the receipt which shows it was taken to the postal counter and received. Requesting that they confirm the address was properly supplied. My second reply (because there is never a reply from them to my first) is to send them a link to their government's website to show them what the 'taxes on import form' looks like if they have been unfortunately selected to pay duty. I also remind them as per the listing that taxes on import are not included in the purchasing price, and that they can't receive the item until that payment is remit. This message also goes unacknowledged. Both times.

Finally, another two weeks pass and I have still heard no reply to my first and second replies, what I get is a third one-sentence 'can I get a refund' and then, yes, they are refunded and what else can I do? Without tracking, I am 'so outta luck' if a case is actually opened. It's hush money. At no point do I ever EVER suggest I don't believe them and, as per your advice to others before, I do kindly remind them to pay me when it arrives. 

Small Packets Airmail is reaching destinations for me in six business days or less, based on feedback received. I'm quite certain this is Buyer's Remorse. In both cases, these were extremely high-demand toys not available in overseas until a few weeks ago. I suspect they walked into the UK equivalent of walmart, saw their $20+postage CAD for seven pounds and went, harumph. 'I paid too much.' Contact Seller.