Harassing email

[toysandstuff2015]

Several weeks ago a user began emailing about a number of book series listed on ebay. The yser originally demanded that I greatly reduce the price of the items to the point (80-90%) where I would be paying him to take them. I refused, he then bid on them and won for a higher price and then claimed that "we had come to an arrangement where I would pay all the shipping costs and reduce the winning price" which I had already refused. He then paid for the items and demanded two texts free for "buying such poor quality items". After a dozen emails I gave in and sent the two texts (valued at 100.00) at my expense. He then indicated he wanted more series and I sent the links to them on ebay. He demanded that they be relisted first on half.com as he had a coupon, then ebay.com, then kijiji so he could get discounts. I refused and relisted them on ebay.ca. Last night he again emailed demanding that I remove the listings of these series despite them having bids on them. I refused owing to the bids and his attitude. At first he threatened that I "owed him for poorly describing the items" in the first series and that "I should in fact send him this set of books" (300.00 value) for free. He admitted that he has not received the original four boxes of texts but insists that I did not describe them appropriately. I refused and he over bid the user bidding on the texts. Despite there being 5 days left on the bidding he then began demanding that the bidding be stopped as he was now the high bidder and that I sell them to him for 200.00 (the starting bid place) rather than the current high bid. I refused and I then received over a dozen emails in which his demands increased. I finally pulled the items and lied stating that I had stopped the bidding and given the texts away to goodwill and asked that he please not email me any further. This user then informed me that he would be filing a claim to recoup his funds from the first purchase and demanded that I go get the books from where I had "given them away to since I did not want them" and give them to him for free. These emails and demands keep coming, and vary between being very odd, very demanding and rude, and clearly designed to get free items without paying. His emails continue to come throughout the day by the dozens and I have no idea how to stop them or protect myself from his claims once he receives the items. They are insured but I am unsure if that will help. I have pulled all of my book listings owing to his individual's attitude. At the time of writing this message, in the course of one week, I have over four dozen emails from this user. I need help!

[strange*highways · Accepted solution]

Add them to your Blocked Bidder List and tick the box that says "Prevent Blocked Members from Contacting me"

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/manage_bidders_ov.html#block

[lucitabby]

Block him as others have stated.

Report him to ebay.

Do not have any more communication with him.

Save all the emails he has sent in the event he starts a SNAD claim.

[toysandstuff2015]

Awesome I never knew of this feature. I get to sleep tonight knowing I won't have a dozen more emails in the morning! Thank you both so much!

[momcqueen]

I think you need to call ebay to report this member's behaviour. 

This might be the worst example I have ever heard of extortion. 

Call. Do it soon. 

[momcqueen]

I don't mean to disrupt your sleep but the 'block' feature will not work with this gentleman because he is a former customer. You need to CALL ebay STAT.

[momcqueen · Accepted solution]

As I mentioned in my Comment elsewhere on this page, 'blocking' the buyer from 'communicating' in this case won't actually work because he is a former (and current) customer. 

By all means, formally add him to your 'blocked bidder list' so that you have proof he is on that list should he create another account to circumvent your block. Should he do that, for this reason, you can have the transaction cancelled with no repercussions to you, only him as it is prohibited practise for him to do so.

And DO check your auto-blocks to ensure you are preventing buyers from reports of misbehaviour to bid on your listings! 

I have replied to your other posts about untoward buyer activities and I am a little alarmed on your behalf. I've been selling toys here for a few years and do not have the difficulty that you do with such very odd buyer behaviour. Auctions may also bring out the worst in people. I stopped running those too. 

But you ARE going to have to call ebay about this person. They sound very dangerous to your business.

And never agree to give anyone anything for free unless it's your idea! Good grief, it's like being mugged online! Fight, don't give in to something like this. That's outrageous.