eBay

gilliankehler · ‎01-30-2016

Sigh. Every experience with buyers lately has been frustrating, is it just me? So here's the long-short on the latest one. Buyer made an offer on a pair of boots. They left a message with their offer saying that they didn't have very much money and would I please consider it. Buyer is also within Canada and I offer free domestic shipping. The offer would have been enough to cover the shipping costs for these heavy boots, but that's about it.

I declined their offer, and they made another one, this time for $10 less than the buy-it-now price (which isn't unreasonable, but again barely enough when shipping is calculated in). So I declined again. I was hesitant to counteroffer because they said they didn't have much money, in fact I was surprised by the second offer.

Anyway, buyer made a final offer of the asking price, which ebay immediately accepted for me, but here's the kicker - they leave me another note with their offer saying "Is this offer good enough for you!?!"

A few hours later, they pay.

Now I'm hesitant to ship these out because the buyer already seem agitated that they had to pay the asking price. I could send them an elaborate email trying to explain why I couldn't accept a lower offer, I could ship them and hope they don't open a case and try to get them for free or leave neg feedback, or I could simply refund this person and cancel the order. I've never done the latter before but I assume it would result in a defect. I'm not trying to make a business here, just getting rid of leftover things, so one defect isn't going to bother me too much (I don't think?). I'd rather take a defect than be out the boots and the money.

Any advice on this? Am I just being paranoid and should be grateful for the sale, despite the buyer's snippy attitude?

mr.elmwood · ‎01-30-2016

@sequinsnvelvet wrote:
Sigh. Every experience with buyers lately has been frustrating, is it just me? So here's the long-short on the latest one. Buyer made an offer on a pair of boots. They left a message with their offer saying that they didn't have very much money and would I please consider it. Buyer is also within Canada and I offer free domestic shipping. The offer would have been enough to cover the shipping costs for these heavy boots, but that's about it.
I declined their offer, and they made another one, this time for $10 less than the buy-it-now price (which isn't unreasonable, but again barely enough when shipping is calculated in). So I declined again. I was hesitant to counteroffer because they said they didn't have much money, in fact I was surprised by the second offer.
Anyway, buyer made a final offer of the asking price, which ebay immediately accepted for me, but here's the kicker - they leave me another note with their offer saying "Is this offer good enough for you!?!"
A few hours later, they pay.
Now I'm hesitant to ship these out because the buyer already seem agitated that they had to pay the asking price. I could send them an elaborate email trying to explain why I couldn't accept a lower offer, I could ship them and hope they don't open a case and try to get them for free or leave neg feedback, or I could simply refund this person and cancel the order. I've never done the latter before but I assume it would result in a defect. I'm not trying to make a business here, just getting rid of leftover things, so one defect isn't going to bother me too much (I don't think?). I'd rather take a defect than be out the boots and the money.
Any advice on this? Am I just being paranoid and should be grateful for the sale, despite the buyer's snippy attitude?

That can be read so many different ways.

It can be read as an aggressive angry remark.

It can also be viewed as a plaintive cry for forgiveness of "Please accept my offer as I am a good person begging you".

I have found that the more I expect trouble, the less I get it. With my customers, the more they chat, up front, the faster I respond professionally, the less they are a problem later.

I believe you have done everything correct and in a professional manner. Do NOT respond with any sort of email. Ship and forget.

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triber · ‎01-30-2016

Do you have the option in your listings that you accept offers? If not, you have every right to tell that to the potential buyer. I don't have that I accept offers, but I do occasionally, otherwise I just explain to the buyer that I don't accept them as can be seen on the listing.

mr.elmwood · ‎01-30-2016

"Anyway, buyer made a final offer of the asking price, which ebay immediately accepted for me"

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pierrelebel · ‎01-30-2016

The listing shows that you counter-offered and they accepted your counter offer.

Sold for:

US $39.99

Best offer accepted

sylviebee · ‎01-30-2016

It sounds like you were using Fixed price with a B.O. option and had the system set to automatically accept/reject offers at set levels.

Elmwood suggested that the comment may be neutral, and he could be right, but I read it as aggressive and sarcastic.

I've found that the system has changed so much that it's no longer clear if a buyer can leave FB when a sale is cancelled by the seller.

It seems to change by the day. Currently it seems that once the item has been cancelled that's the end of it, but I'm not sure. If you can check that out that might help your decision.

These situations are tricky, but I've learned to expect the worst when a transaction starts out like this.

Honestly, I'd probably throw in a nice freebie (that costs me nothing but would mean something to a buyer like that), but I have a lot of stuff that I don't need/want. You might not.

I think that's your best bet that this will go off without a hitch.

gilliankehler · ‎01-30-2016

"The listing shows that you counter-offered and they accepted your counter offer."

Not sure which one you're looking at, the Chinese Laundry boots? Weird that it would say I countered it, because I declined both her offers, then for her third offer I received two notifications from my ebay app - another best offer received, and an item sold. The best offer received was for 39.99.
I just assumed because the buy-it-now price was also 39.99 that ebay went ahead and automatically accepted the offer on my behalf, because it would have been no different had the buyer simply clicked the buy-it-now. That's another thing about this that makes me think she's upset.... why make me an offer with a "is this good enough" note when she could have saved herself the trouble and just clicked on the buy button...

pjcdn2005 · ‎01-30-2016

I agree with that the message can be taken at least a couple of different ways.

I would likely go ahead with the sale and once the item had been sent out, i would send a friendly thank you and your item is on the way message. When dealing with a grouchy customer in person, I always tried to be even nicer than usual...in other words..I would try to kill them with niceness. lol It doesn't always work though.

You do not need nor should you explain why you couldn't accept her lower offers. That is one thing that really annoys me is when someone writes and asks for something cheaper because they are broke, their mother is sick, their brother out of work etc etc.

so I usually ignore that information. If I was selling a 'need' rather than a "want' I might feel differently..I don't know.

If you do cancel and she declines the cancellation, you will get a defect and will not get your fvf back.

Even if she doesn't decline it, you may still get a defect.

rosscd57 · ‎01-31-2016

Yr all overthinking this. Just boil it down, you accepted an offer and they paid - sent the item.

__________________________________________________________

Old enough to know better. Young enough to do it again. Crazy enough to try

femmefan1946 · ‎01-31-2016

Your boots are going to be shipped with Delivery Confirmation since within Canada there is no service without DC for anything that heavy.

When you ship, give the buyer the tracking number and the date of shipment. I do this in my feedback, but an eBay Message would work too.

At the very least, you are telling the buyer not to bother with an Item Not Received claim.

And that cynical devil on my left shoulder notes that you got the payment instantly. That means either that your 'impoverished' buyer has a substantial amount in her PP balance just for buying on eBay or that she has a credit card attached which she can pay off at her leisure.

zee-chan · ‎02-01-2016

I've found that the system has changed so much that it's no longer clear if a buyer can leave FB when a sale is cancelled by the seller.

Yes, the buyer can still leave feedback. Last year I had a nice repeat buyer who I had to cancel (ebay somehow relisted a sold item) and immediately refunded. She still left me positive feedback.