cancellations / refund requests within minutes of purchase, with no explanation/message/apology?

[darak10]

I have been noticing the last several months an emergent trend:  people buying items, usually new customers, then within five minutes requesting cancellation of the purchase and a refund - no message, explanation or oops, sorry, this or that was the reason.  Pretty much all brand new customers or with limited (<10) feedback numbers.  

This is turning into a regular thing for me.  

Is this happening to anyone else on here?

My first inclination is to think these are other sellers with malign intentions but ultimately I dont know the reason why this is happening so much more than in the past.   

If anyone has any theories or ideas why this is happening (if other folks are experiencing it I mean), please post away.

Thanks!

[byto253]

I think that you are doing pretty high volume media items that will attract more newbies.  They may be treating it like a cart and then shop around for other options or prices after "buying" it.  Then they cancel when they find it somewhere else.  I could see this happening with folks in the US since you have to contend with other sellers getting access to media mail (used within and outside the rules!). 

IMHO it is also the Amazon effect with so many folks buying tons and returning tons.  I am amazed what I see in the line at the post office for Amazon returns. 

[msau4301]

This hasn't happened a lot lately but certainly has happened several times in the past. Here's a few reasons I think (and some have been told to me by buyer) of possible reasons.

- I do a lot of auctions (I know, I know, why?) and often people battling it out get carried away and bid more than they wanted to pay and of course change their minds.

- Someone didn't pay attention to the shipping charge and when they see the total at the end (now with taxes of course) they think it's too much money.

- They have overspent on other stuff and now have buyers remorse.

- US buyers don't understand Canadian money/exchange rate and panic if they see the (higher) Canadian amount. This one I have gotten the most questions/concerns with. They think they are paying more and I have to explain that they are still paying the US amount they saw.

And of course, as you say the newbies are a large portion, I was tempted to block them in the past but have had enough good new buyers to take the chance. Always hoping there are more good people out there than bad!