topic Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother in Selling

I Don't Know Why I Bother

*tippy*toes* — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 13:01:08 GMT

I had a buyer buy 7 items tonight. She sent a request for total. Normally I'd just send the invoice with the reduced postage cost, but when I added up the weights, they might go a bit over 500g when packed. I sent her a message thanking her for buying and I would send her the invoice tomorrow once I'd packaged everything up and got an accurate weight and postage cost. I also said I wouldn't be able to post Monday due to having to go to the city. 10 minutes later, I got a notification on my phone, PAID.

THEN, a few minutes later she bid on another 3 items which finish tomorrow night. So, instead of paying (probably) $8.20, she's paid nearly $58. That means I've paid over $5 in fees for the postage instead of about 80c. Yes, I can refund the difference, but she's going to get a bit snakey if I keep the $5 for the fees she's caused me to pay. Then if I do what I'm supposed to do and post tomorrow nights item separately, she'll probably get even more snakey

Why would you send a request for total, then go ahead any pay anyway? Waste of her time, and a waste of my time sending the message saying I'd send it tomorrow. It's nearly 11pm, I wasn't going to start packaging everything up now just to send an invoice.

Rant over.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

davewil1964 — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 13:14:31 GMT

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

stationmasterhobbies — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 13:18:04 GMT

Yes you try hard. ebay does not make it easy/ go to help and contact and ebay will credit the 10% FVF to your account, but it is frustrating if they paid for the items individually.

Have a good night. Possibly when the other items finish or end them then send her an invoice and deduct the $5 of the other postage.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

*tippy*toes* — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 13:25:37 GMT

She didn't pay for them individually, she paid in one transaction, just didn't wait for the postage reduction.

The other items she's bid on come to nearly the over payment. It's tempting to send her a message saying I am ending the items without sale and I'll send them with the others. EBay would still be getting their fees the same as if they sell at auction. I'll sleep on it and decide in the morning. At least that way I don't have to refund, she still gets the other items she wants and eBay still gets their fees.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

*tippy*toes* — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 13:35:05 GMT

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

clarry100 — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 22:27:16 GMT

We have done a partial refund before for overpaid postage. Did the partial refund via the PayPal transaction.

All I did to get my FVF back on the refunded part was to contact support via the live chat link.

They verified that I had indeed done the partial refund and then gave immediate credit for the fee component.

All too easy and only took a few minutes. No defects or other problems.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

beautysecretfashion — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 22:33:18 GMT

I can understand your frustration, however I would be thinking GREAT I have made a few sales... there are lot of sellers who would love to have your predicament at the moment♥

As advised previously once you have refunded the $ for P&H simply call ebay CS and they will assist with a credit... I have done it before.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

davidc4430 — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 23:01:04 GMT

i think its called 'buyer brain explosion'

the buyer becomes so excited apon buying an item their brains litteraly explode. for the next 24 hours they find themselves walking in circles, froffing at the mouth and doing hand stands.

other symptoms are as you described, sending out messages then ignoring the answers. buying more items. paying imediately without waiting for post reductions.

there is no cure however it seems to wear off eventually and some sufferers go into denial, messaging sellers with angry messages about why they paid so much more than they should have.

the poor seller is left trying to sort the whole mess out, sometimes causing a 'seller brain explosion'

its a vicious circle, take a bex and have a good lie down is best at this point.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

englishrosegardens — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 23:11:57 GMT

Forgetting the extra things she's bid on for the moment, if I have sales that are borderline for weight, rather than wait until I've packed everything I'll send the invoice for the higher amount (in your case a 3kg satchel if she's in a different state) and then tell them there's a chance it may only cost $X if it comes in under 500g, and if this is case I'll refund the difference. Much better to have them pay $12 total postage and have it end up being too much than risk having them pay $58 - if it comes in at under 500g you only have to refund around $4, and the fees would be fairly small. Most buyers wouldn't notice it if you kept 40c.

I usually deduct the fees I pay from overpaid postage before I refund, but where I know the weight will be borderline I figure the few cents I might pay in fees is worth it because I don't have to stress over the weights. In fact, sometimes if a buyer has already paid and the weight is only a few grams under the next category I deliberately pad things more to make it go up to the weight they paid for so that I don't have to fiddle around refunding, or I just tell the PO to charge the higher amount. I doubt buyers are likely to weigh their large letters. I must admit I haven't done that since postage went up and I rarely did it before, but there were occasions when it was the easiest solution.. My PO looks after me so it doesn't bother me if they get a few extra cents occasionally.

What bugs me about your buyer is that whatever you do you'll probably be rewarding her bad behaviour, but sometimes you don't have much choice. If I estimate postage and allow for the maximum it lessens the chance of them paying before I work out the exact postage.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

*tippy*toes* — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 01:34:36 GMT

She sent me another message later saying she'd had a seniors moment and to just refund through PayPal (which made me think she's done this before). Then she said to wait as there might be other things she wants to buy. I have a 5 day handling time, so will still have to post the already paid for items, even if she keeps buying more.

I might send her another message and tell her how much the excess is and if she wants to buy more things up to that amount to do so, but not pay when I send the invoice. Then I can just include them in the other parcel. EBay still gets their fees because the transactions wouldn't be cancelled. I just can't be bothered getting on the phone to eBay. I have a slight hearing deficit and I don't do accents real well on the phone. Even work colleagues who's accents I'm used to, I struggle on the phone with them.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

mountainherbs-123 — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 01:50:41 GMT

Well it's great that you have such a good buyer! Of course buyers are buyers and mostly not sellers and probably they don't care all that much and thinnk that ebay is a big brain who takes care of everything it's not. I think ebay should improve when it comes to multiple sales. The design of the site is not great here.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

lotsamagsnbags — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 12:49:50 GMT

I sympathise, I had a similiar situ very recently. request total, you reply will respond shortly, (you can't always do the combining etc on an iphone) then pays anyway.

and then there was the one who bought 13 items, and I had to do 13 unpaid items disputes. and then I needed 13 more listings to relist - there goes my 40 free and missed the buyers I could have had in the waiting to pay/ dispute period. As you say its a time thing too. we all have a life.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

go-tazz — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 23:18:35 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:

On my other account I had a buyer message me last night asking if I could drop the postage cost on one of the

listings by half,(I received the message three minutes before the listing ended),

I messaged back showing them how I arrive at what it costs me to post the items,(I sent the message with one

minute to spare),

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

lane-ends — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 03:23:19 GMT

TBH I have always sent revised invoices ASAP, every moment delayed is a moment that a buyer can get impatient. I would have guessed a 3kg satche, and sent it in one any way, even if it would have snuck into below 500gm.

Quick, simple and convenient is important to buyers.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

collect247 — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 04:01:35 GMT

You could fit 100s of items in a 3kg satchel so that would be a waste of a 3kg satchel

in tippys case anyway

Honesty, is important to sellers

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

*tippy*toes* — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 14:51:31 GMT

She did it again tonight with the other items she bought. I wasn't in a position to send an invoice as I was driving back from Sydney. First time, call it a seniors moment. Second time, she needs her butt kicked!

Scrambler, most of my items are on the larger side, so I'm only be able to fit 3 items, mayby 4 at a push. If I've sold some plates and teacups that I want to fit into a satchel, I can normally only fit one. If I try to fit more in to a box that will go in a satchel, they won't be packaged adequately. Most of the firgurings I sell are smaller, so would be able to fit quite a few of those in there.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

digital*ghost — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 15:49:03 GMT

I know you do auctions so this probably doesn't apply, but since the cart was introduced and the "request total" link started appearing there, I think sometimes buyers think the request function provides an automatic update to the total, a bit like how on other sites you can press a "calculate shipping" button and then go through checkout immediately with the correct, updated total ('request' in all reality isn't really conducive to that concept, but it's a plausible theory, still _.

But, at the same time sometimes there is no helping someone - I sent several messages in a back-and-forth exchange with a buyer who specifically wanted to know how to checkout all items at once with combined postage (to get discounted rates).

I explained it in very simple, easy to follow instructions (after confirming the device she was using), and then...

5 separate payments.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

*tippy*toes* — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 02:47:54 GMT

I sent her a message this morning letting her know I'll hopefully get her stuff posted today. I also said to PLEASE wait for an invoice in future because eBay charges fees on postage and it can take a lot of effort to get them refunded when you have paid excessive amounts of postage, even moreso when it's 2 transactions. She's only got about 100 feedback, so far from being very experienced. I did say that most sellers are happy for you to keep bidding over multiple days because they can see that you have bids on. Then when done, send a request for invoice and WAIT until the invoice is sent.

I had to do a refund of postage about 3 weeks ago and even though I only refunded excess postage, the items are showing as not paid and the buyer is getting reminders to pay. I checked PayPal and their payment is there, as is the $25 refund for excess postage, so I definitely didn't accidentally do a full refund. There is nothing to suggest anywhere that I refunded in full. My balance only went down by $25.

If this happens again with this buyer and she gets reminders to pay, she's just as likely to pay again.

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

imastawka — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 02:56:47 GMT

Awww c'mon! 100 fb and she doesn't know yet? What a doofus.

Hate to be you Tippy

Re: I Don't Know Why I Bother

davewil1964 — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 06:57:55 GMT

I've only got 80fb so I must be an almost newbie.