This buyer is weird!

[westernstargifts]

I sold a locket on eBay and received this message from the buyer on another site on which I sell.

"won the auction on ebay for the Butterfly Silver & Copper Locket BUT ebay won\'t accept my debit card without bank confirmation but my bank won\'t do that.


What I.m wondering is if you will accept a bank check for this item."

I replied that she should contact me on eBay since that was where she made the purchase. Then I found the order and sent her a second message through eBay messaging. I gave her some alternative payment choices and asked her to contact me through eBay. After a few days she did not reply so I opened a UID. Then today I received this message...again from the other site.

"I won the butterfly silver & copper locket. First of all, pay pal would not accept my debit card. So then I purchased a gift card and sent that.I have not heard anything as to whether or not this item is paid and whether or not I can expect receiving this item.

Please advise."

Again I contacted her through that site and told her to contact me through eBay. I have no idea where she purchased the gift card or to whom it was sent and when. This is not a newbie. She has well over 100 FB. If she doesn't contact me by tonight the UID will be closed & the buyer blocked.

[zarzuella]

I swear they get weirder every day. Lets hope she doesn't try to exact retribution on you on your other selling venues.

Ann

[zarzuella]

And how did she know where to send the gift card? eBay no longer provides a seller address on the invoice.

[westernstargifts]

Good question! Not only do I not know where it was sent, I don't even know if she purchased a gift card from eBay or from the other site.

She had to have seen my messages because you can't log into either site without it being prominently displayed that you have messages. They would also be sent to her email address. I wonder what her game is? I checked her feedback. Her last purchase on eBay was a year ago and before that it was 2008. Maybe her PayPal account isn't verified anymore but she could still have mailed payment or paid by credit card but she hasn't answered any of my emails.

I think I'll block her on the other site too. I'm glad you mentioned the retribution thing.

[kittykarma1954]

Hi everyone!
I am seriously considering blocking all new to Ebay buyers!! I now live in fear of emails with the title 'item not as described'. These newbies are scary! The good news is that I stood my ground with an newbie who bought a coat from me recently. I thoroughly described all the coats faults in my listing and when she received it, she wrote me threatening to leave me bad feedback because I hadn't described any of the faults in my listing! I went to Ebay expecting to be told to handle this with the buyer but low and behold, Ebay sided with me and urged me to NOT to send a refund and that if the buyer left me anything but positive feedback, they would remove it. I printed this chat just in case but when the same buyer placed a claim, Ebay sided with me again! I have to say that this was very encouraging and frankly a big relief to not have to refund this buyer just to protect my feedback. HOwever, it never ends! I just got another 'item not as described' from another newbie saying the coast I sold her was too big so she would never buy anything from me again! Needless to say, I had listed every measurement of this coat and like so many, she didn't bother reading it. Has anyone else out there taken the decision decided not to sell to newbies and what amount of feedback do you accept? Best! Kitty

[pierrelebel]

"considering blocking all new to Ebay buyers"

Cannot be done

[westernstargifts]

Hi everyone!
I am seriously considering blocking all new to Ebay buyers!! I now live in fear of emails with the title 'item not as described'. These newbies are scary! The good news is that I stood my ground with an newbie who bought a coat from me recently. I thoroughly described all the coats faults in my listing and when she received it, she wrote me threatening to leave me bad feedback because I hadn't described any of the faults in my listing! I went to Ebay expecting to be told to handle this with the buyer but low and behold, Ebay sided with me and urged me to NOT to send a refund and that if the buyer left me anything but positive feedback, they would remove it. I printed this chat just in case but when the same buyer placed a claim, Ebay sided with me again! I have to say that this was very encouraging and frankly a big relief to not have to refund this buyer just to protect my feedback. HOwever, it never ends! I just got another 'item not as described' from another newbie saying the coast I sold her was too big so she would never buy anything from me again! Needless to say, I had listed every measurement of this coat and like so many, she didn't bother reading it. Has anyone else out there taken the decision decided not to sell to newbies and what amount of feedback do you accept? Best! Kitty

Unfortunately it isn't only the newbies who cause problems. I have a UID open for a buyer with over 1700 feedback, much of it recent.

Regarding my OP, the buyer finally contacted me through eBay after I closed the dispute. Apparently she "really wants" the locket and asked if I would take a bank cheque. I told her I would accept a cashier's cheque but not a personal cheque. It should be interesting to see what she sends.

[jakeeangel]

If the buyer is in the US tell her to go to Walmart and buy a money order or her nearest grocery store. They're cheap for them down there.

[femmefan1946]

An International Postal Money Order would be good too. She could mail it as soon as she buys it at the Post Office.

There are some ways of reducing the number of newbies bidding. Blocking bidders who do not have Paypal accounts would be one. Listing Fixed Price/ Immediate Payment Required would be another.

But those slow down bidders who have not set up payment systems yet. Your main problem seems to be buyers who don't read the description.

Looking at the blue afghan, you start with a lot of pictures. Never a bad thing, but then you are into the second paragraph before you actually describe the item. And most of your description is several paragraphs of Terms of Sale.

Perhaps if you put the description first, the pictures second and reduced the Terms of Sale to one paragraph, your bidders would find it easier to see what they are buying.

[jakeeangel]

An International Postal Money Order would be good too. She could mail it as soon as she buys it at the Post Office.

I wouldn't recommend that. Huge cost difference. Walmart money order is around $1. The International ones at the post office are $5/6.

[reallynicestamps]

Yes, but that is the buyer's problem, not mine.

If I get a Walmart money order, I have to wait to deposit it in my bank. All my banking is electronic these days so this is difficult until spring comes and I can get on my bike again. An IPMO I can cash at three convenient RPOs and two Post Offices within my normal bus route to work.

I would ship immediately though. I do have confidence in the MO itself.

[bilge21]

I have to wonder if that was a hijacked account. 100 feedbacks indicates the buyer is not a newbie and last purchase being a year ago makes me think hijacked account.

[westernstargifts]

It is strange that this buyer knew about the other site on which I sell. She was not logged in on that site when she contacted me. She is not a repeat customer either.

[westernstargifts]

Whoo-hoo!! Wonders never cease!

I received payment from this buyer today, Mar. 17, for the purchase which was made on Feb. 25.....and it was an "International" money order.

We used to be able to mark a transaction as paid when payment was received after a dispute was closed. The FVF credit and the unpaid item strike would be reversed. It seems we no longer have that option. Does anyone know of any other way to get it reversed?

[zarzuella]

You will have to call eBay and ask that they remove the strike.
You have nothing better to do, right?

[westernstargifts]

:^O

Funny you should ask! I was just thinking that I'm gonna need a spring break when "spring break" is over. I love my grandkids but all of this babysitting is gonna kill me! Today it was 6:20 a.m. until 3:15 p.m.....3 kids aged 21 months, 3 1/2 & 10.