Difficult buyer

[nevillesdaughter]

Just a quick one for the "Special List". Had a buyer over the weekend who bought and paid for a brand name item and for Express postage, THEN starts peppering me with emails questioning its authenticity (8 emails from her). I responded that as far as I knew the item was authentic but that if she found it not to be, I would immediately refund.

Over the following torrent of emails - during which time she reminded me that if I was wrong "People could die!' - she sent me  links regarding fake skiwear and tried to get me to provide a personal guarantee. Given that she couldn't even spell "Gore-Tex", I probably would have been safe!

However, I once again explained that although I believed it to be genuine, the only guarantee I could give was that I would refund if she had it proved to be a fake. I also offered repeatedly to cancel the transaction if she was so concerned. Finally, late at night she insisted that she wanted to go ahead with the transaction, so I wrapped the parcel, addressed it, allocated an Express tracking number and put it in the posting pille for the next day.

Upon checking the computer first thing in the morning I find another email asking me to cancel the transaction because her friend said it looks like a fake.

I took a deep breath, sent her a request for mutual cancellation and when she agreed, refunded her money and very promptly added her to my own special list.

I now find she has left me feedback - Positive - saying something along the lines that it all worked out okay in the end.

Not happy - it makes it sound like I tried to pull a swifty but she sorted me out!   Tomorrow I'll be making a phone call to see if I can have it removed, but I thought fellow sellers might like to learn from my experience first.

Happy selling.....

Marina.

[nevillesdaughter]

I  WAS certain that the item in question was genuine and I said I wasn't looking for a bunfight - I didn't accuse anyone else.

EBay can throw me off their site for any reason they choose - it's their club/their rules, but in my dealings with them today, the supervisor iterated that I had done nothing wrong, and that the buyer had to prove an item was a fake, and only if I refused to refund in the face of such proof, MIGHT  I be sanctioned.

My only issue was with feedback and DSR's implying that I was less than honest when no such ideception was proven. She hoist herself on her own petard in one of her own emails (after she paid for the item, requested Express postage and refused my first offer to cancel) when she said "I can't tell if it's a fake from photos" - then later asked for a cancellation because her friend said it looked fake. The eBay supervisor said that I do not have to hold proof of authenticity to list an item (particularly used items).

I saught and received legal advice which was that it is up to the buyer to prove an item is fake - not for the seller to prove it is genuine. If eBay choose to evict me because I am "too much of a risk"  then that is their choice and a totally different matter. If this did happen, I would just have to find somewhere else to list - eBay kicking you out doesn't make you a criminal.

Again, although my concern in the original post, was that  if  a "potential" buyer who eventually cancelled a transaction based on suspicion alone, who received her full payment back on request and without ever seeing the item, could go on to trash my reputation.

Even eBay said this wasn't right!!

And again, I will only ever list items I believe to be genuine (whilst accepting that I might not be all-knowing and may be wrong, in which case I will refund all costs), BUT if I feel I have been unfairly treated by a buyer, or potential buyer, I will do my best to defend myself.

And if for any reason, eBay decide I'm not worth the risk/trouble - I will accept that and go and play elsewhere.

I am not a fraud and do not intentially sell fakes and according to eBay (in thought and deed) I am behaving acceptably.

Marina.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@nevillesdaughter wrote:

You really are too kind Cranky. I'm actually a very timid soul by nature, and dislike confrontation intensly, but I dislike even more being thought of as dishonest. But if you keep being nice, kind and understanding, I shall surely find myself sobbing into my wine.

I'm always much more likely to stand up for myself when people are mean or dismissive!

Happy eBaying,

Marina.

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*points and laffs*

you called me Cranky!

Spoiler

You've been speaking to my OH, haven't you?

LOLOLOL

[*crikey*mate*]

I bet that you are sooooo glad that you tried to do something nice and share with others a tricky buyer, eh? I bet that you're sooooo glad that you opened up your own trading practises to unsolicited advice (which you appear to have well under control) and critique, aren't you?

It was a really nice gesture Marina.

[thecatspjs]

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@nevillesdaughter wrote:

I am not a fraud and do not intentially sell fakes and according to eBay (in thought and deed) I am behaving acceptably.

Marina.

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No one said you were a fraud.  No one said you intentionally sell fakes.

I posted that IMO if in doubt don't list.  

What I am posting has been posted in several hundred threads before this one, I would post the same no matter what ID started a thread that touched on this topic.

[thecatspjs]

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@phorum_junkie* wrote:

 I responded that as far as I knew the item was authentic

Not good enough and could get you into serious trouble! Unless you can prove by way of a receipt from an authorised re-seller or an independant expert that it is genuine you should not list it, selling it or indeed owning it if it is not genuine can have serious consequences

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Another rare occassion that PJ and I are in agreement on such a matter.

[nevillesdaughter]

Might just keep my head below the parapet for a while lest it be blown clean off! All I ever wanted was a quiet life, I've never understood people who enjoy high drama. As Grandma Newman (no relation to Campbell) always said, " Do try to get along."

Maybe I'm just not meant for written communication - strains of Joe Cocker singing "Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood". Love that man...

Sorry, where was I?..... Oh yes, I often find myself thinking that if I can't communicate effectively without the use of emoticons etc (NOT that there's anything wrong with that - a la Seinfeld), then maybe I should save my exchanges for face-to-face dealings only. At least then people could gaze upon my meek visage and toothy, ingratiating smile - just like the dog! 

Back to the coalface - or at least the couch.......

Marina.

[andy.mrfb]

I  too had a difficult buyer. I have been on Ebay for many years and had 100% feedback until this buyer. Listing was for a Crochet PATTERN which was serioulsy accurately described. She did not read the description correctly and thought she was buying the actual item(for $6.00)??? I received an abusive email from her telling me in no uncertain terms that I was "RIPPING OFF PEOPLE" so I told her to go back and read the description. She ended up opening a dispute with paypal for wrongly described item which she lost because the item WAS correctly described. She has now left me NEGATIVE feedback and Ebay will not do a thing about it. Apparently this buyer has done exactly the same thing to another seller leaving the same exactly worded negative feedback for her. She was also 100% feedback.She contacted Ebay and they removed it for her but they will not remove my NEGATIVE feedback as I asked this buyer"If she could read English??????" It absolutley stinks that one can put every effort into their ebay store and have it all ruined by some buyer who did not read the description correctly.

andy.mrfb

[*crikey*mate*]

May I please ask if you created the pattern that you copy or if you had to get permission from the person who did make it/create it to reproduce it?

[chezzy]

ahhh, I'd be interested to know how you worded the title of the item you are talking about eg you could be talking about (example only) a paisley pattern (regularity) on a shirt or an actual paper pattern (template).

To use one of your current listings as an example (which does NOT mention paper in the main title)  I would be inclined to say something like

Paper pattern only - to create crochet bonnet etc etc etc

[chezzy]

I also find it best to make the most of the title because I have found buyers don't always read the descriptions.

Not sure if it because many people are now accessing the listings via their mobile devices and things are

set up differently as far as the descriptions/detailed info goes