Was I taken in......just to lower the price?

[rio1953]

Hello guys, would like to explain my situation and ask how would you handle I.

Over the last few days I have had a person interested in buying three set of my glasses. After some going back and forth we agreed on a price and I adjusted the listings to reflect the new amount. I sent an email informing her that she could now buy the items.

I was very surprised when she only bought one set of the glasses, but decided  to give her some time. Anyways to make the whole story short after 2 emails asking her to complete her purchase not only she hasn't bought the other two set of glasses but she hasn't even answered my emails.

i am very disappointed at this point because I only lowered the price due to the fact that she was going to buy all of the items. I don't know if is possible to cancel the order but I have a bad feeling about this transaction. She is not a newbie but a seasoned buyer and seller with good feedback. What is your take on this. Any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks 

[cumos55]

The next time someone does this...add the Best Offer option to each listing.

Set up the Best Offer such that the buyer has to make an offer on all three before you accept an offer.

Set up each item such that the potential buyer cannot offer less  than the  dollar value that was  agreed upon.

Set up the Best Offer Option in a way  that you have to accept each offer....  

No... No ... immediate acceptance of an offer as soon as the offer is made. in each listing

[thestuffofchris]

The buyer may have simply changed her mind on buying the other sets of glasses. While it's frustrating that she is not communicating this to you, she is not required to purchase the others sets just because she initially showed interest.

You also do not have to keep the listings at the lower prices. Raise the prices back to what they were before she came along. If she replies and says she is interested in them again, then you can consider lowering them again.

[sylviebee]

Has she paid for the glasses she bought?

[rio1953]

Usually people that I have dealt with in the past, are very good at keeping their word or at least communicate with me.
She has paid . i guess no chance of cancelling the order at this point.
Well another lesson learned. She will be added to my list of blocked peoples.

[recped]

You are going to block a buyer who paid?

[femmefan1946]

No.

She is going to Block a bidder who got a deal on three sets of glasses, then turned around, broke her word and bought only one set.

I've Blocked customers for less.

It's hindsight, but it would have been possible to make a 'special' new (Fixed Price) listing for the customer with all three sets in the listing, one price and one shipping fee.

Use the customer's ID as the title and give her a deadline.

Miss the deadline, end the listings and BBL the timewaster.

[zee-chan]

What femmefan said.

For future reference, definitely add Best Offer and tell the buyer to make offers on with the agreed upon prices instead of adjusting the initial price. It's certainly frustrating when people don't keep their words. On eBay at least we have the option to block these kind of buyers. I wish I could do the same at my job...

[rose-dee]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

It's hindsight, but it would have been possible to make a 'special' new (Fixed Price) listing for the customer with all three sets in the listing, one price and one shipping fee.

Use the customer's ID as the title and give her a deadline.

Miss the deadline, end the listings and BBL the timewaster. 

---

A "custom" listing like this might be one solution, but it does require some co-ordination and messaging with the buyer.  

I think in this situation, I would probably not have haggled via email with the buyer, but would have lumped all 3 sets into one listing at one price and one shipping amount with Best Offer (and an automatic bottom rejection set at her stated offer), then let the buyer take it from there.  

Mind you, then the vacillating buyer may have decided not to buy at all.  On the up-side, as things are, at least the OP made one sale, a real accomplishment on eBay these days.  Bird in the hand...

[ricarmic]

What I have done in a similar situation is:

-we agree to the total price for the items

 -they buy all but one of the items at the regular price

-I get them to send me a question on the last lot so I can reply with offer (remember I sell on .COM). The same could be accomplished by putting best offer on the last lot. The total reduction on the last items price is the overall discount amount across the group to achieve the total agreed to price.

I've done this successfully a few times.

[hlmacdon]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

It's hindsight, but it would have been possible to make a 'special' new (Fixed Price) listing for the customer with all three sets in the listing, one price and one shipping fee.

Use the customer's ID as the title and give her a deadline.

Miss the deadline, end the listings and BBL the timewaster. 

---

The only gotcha with this is when you have an issue with one of the items in the order and need to handle a return/refund scenario.

[reallynicestamps]

Not really.

TheDescription is an amalgamation of all the descriptions. The pictures are all the pictures.

Only the title has changed (to the customer's ID) and the price.

If there is a NAD dispute, it would be handled the same as any NAD where only some of the items are unsatisfactory.

Which is to say, with wailing and gnashing of teeth, because those are always a foofaraw.

[rose-dee]

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@ricarmic wrote:

What I have done in a similar situation is:

-we agree to the total price for the items

 -they buy all but one of the items at the regular price

-I get them to send me a question on the last lot so I can reply with offer (remember I sell on .COM). The same could be accomplished by putting best offer on the last lot. The total reduction on the last items price is the overall discount amount across the group to achieve the total agreed to price.

 I've done this successfully a few times. 

---

But I think you have buyers who not only read, but are willing to communicate.  

[ricarmic]

Hi Rose!

Yes, but irregardless, the way I've described, I have control ie everything has to sell for the good price to be obtained.

If the buyer can't manage the process/making a best offer, in the grand scheme of things, some potential customers are better not being customers in the end..... 😉

[femmefan1946]

rose-dee You and ricarmic and I are all blessed.

Stamp collectors, seamstresses/ tailors, and book buyers are all, for the most part, not only willing to read, but also have high comprehension skills and are willing to follow instructions.

[cooltoycars]

Cancel the sale and refund the money. Claim that the item was damaged and therefore you cannot ship. Wait a month and then relist the item at the price you want.

[pjcdn2005]

The buyer probably has their item by now since the thread was started earlier in June.  If the seller did take your advice they would receive an out of stock defect and too many of those will cause a problem for a seller.

[sylviebee]

I doubt that this buyer ever actually planned this out.  However, as it unfolded the buyer must have noticed at some point:  "Hey, I could buy just one of these at the discounted price," and came to the realization that this would be preferred.

The buyer probably never gave it a second thought.  Buying/selling on the net is like that for a lot of people.  They simply view the whole system like an impersonal machine.

[rosscd57]

I get this happening a lot and here is what I do.

The buyer and I reach agreement on a lower dollar amount for the items. Then I tell the buyer to go ahead and purchase the items and after they do that, I will give them a partial refund for the difference between the agreed upon amount the the total purchase price of the items.

Easy - works every time.