Is it just me or are all the looneys out this week?

[van_werkhoven]

For the past 3 months I have had very little problem. I figured I'd gotten out of this whole money back garuntee thing pretty well. I think in 3 months I had NO defects, and TWO refunds for genuine listing errors on my part. Awesome! TRS and everything, no issues at all! I think two refunds across approximately 250 items in 3 months is pretty good numbers for someone selling second hand goods.

Then, this past two weeks, I have had SIX issues. all from different buyers. 

1. The scammer with the two tops who I posted about in another thread, who actually didn't end up leaving me feedback, and I didn't even end up refunding her, go me! 

2. someone who asked 20 different questions about an item before buying it, only to turn around and defect me because she didn't actually read the description and had made an assumption about another aspect she didn't ask about but was on the listing and in the photos. - defect, no refund

3. A random defect for a book, with no comment, no message, and no critisism in feedback - defect, no refund

4. A pair of shorts where the elastic had gone bad while in storage - This may well have been the only legitimate one of the bunch, and I refunded her happily, not a problem.

5. someone who bought some baby clothes then complained that they were ALL too wide and short (or, maybe you just have a long, skinny baby like my kids, nothing fit them properly either, still doesnt, onesies were always either too baggy or too short for my kiddos. Anyway, you want me to believe ALL of the onesies were stretched badly enough to be shortened and I didn't notice while laying them flat to photograph? no, just no) - refunded, begrudgingly

6. A woman who bought a pair of pants which she claims has a tear in the crotch held together by a safety pin. Now, I totally admit that an item or two will occasionally get by me, like the bad elastic mentioned earlier, but I honestly don't think there is ANY way I could possibly have missed a SAFETY PIN while sorting, taking photographs, reviewing for listing, or preparing to post. - refunded, begrudgingly

I know I wont be perfect and that things get past me, I have no problem refunding the one legitimate person in those 6 who presented a real, believable complaint in a polite manner, I was very apologetic to her in fact, as I was to the two people over the past 3 months who got items which had issues that got past me during sorting.

But as I said above, I've gone from 2 complaints in 12 weeks, quite acceptable for second hand sales, to 6 complaints in 2 weeks?! What is going on! I'm not really interested in whining about the money back garuntee, because, honestly, up until last week it had not effected me at all, and not ONE of these issues was actually brought to me through the return system anyway. It's just been a bad run of buyers trying it on, and a couple of careless buyers I guess. But it's really disheartening right now, I'd finally gotten over the paranoid feeling every time there was a message or feedback, but I am back to feeling anxious every time I have to check one of them again, I'm back on the edge of losing TRS. Quitting isn't an option, this went from being a hobby to an essential source of income a few months ago when my husband was diagnosed with a medical condition that prevented him from working. And generally I'm pretty happy with ebay, I roll with the punches, deal with the **bleep**py policies, accept I will have to cop a loss once in awhile, and generally I feel good about the whole thing. 

I guess I'm just having a whinge... why can't someone say something nice for once! And the last one, with the pants that apparently have a safety pin in them, is really pi ssing me off. I can be a touch careless in sorting sometimes, I am actually legally blind so I am suprised I do as well as I do! And I plan on having to refund one item a month due to damage I didn't pick up on while sorting, it's part of the cost of second hand sales. But there is no way I missed a big piece of metal all four times I handled the item, thats just an outright lie! but she knows bloody well I wont have her return the item, and even if I did, I'm sure she would just cut a hole in it to spite me. 

*goes off to read back over the lovely, encouraging comments from the last post to try cheer up*

[horizon1907]

Full Moon last night maybe !! 

[digital*ghost]

It never rains but it pours... I seem to have similar cycles. 

If it helps any, there are some good news stories around. A couple of mine...

Just this past week a buyer contacted me to let me know I had inadvertently sent them 2 x the amount of items they ordered and offered to pay for the extras (I declined - I pay for my mistakes 😄 ).

Another buyer ordered the incorrect item and asked if it can be swapped for the one they wanted, and again offered to pay any extra costs (again, declined, I just sent the same value of the second item, as they one they paid for was a bit more expensive).

And, late last year, a buyer purchased an item which I duly sent off. A couple of weeks later it was returned to me marked as invalid address... I checked the order details, and realised it was my mistake entirely. 😞 I contacted them, explained the situation, apologised (of course) and provided a couple of options to resolve. Their reply probably the best you can hope for in a situation like that (eg no worries, just repost 🙂 )

They've since bought more items, even. 

[phorum_junkie*]

I've gone from 2 complaints in 12 weeks, quite acceptable for second hand sales,

As a seller of second hand clothes I would be horrified if I had made 2 errors leading to complaints, no way would I count that as acceptable.

[cq_tech]

The difference is that unlike the OP, you're not classified as being legally blind.

[mbselections00]

As digi said - it never rains, it pours, always seems to be the way.  And I totally get what you're saying, once you get a couple of complaints you do become edgy - because of the Defect System.  I also posted on another thread yesterday that the new system seems to be breeding some quite 'stupid' buyers.

I swear I am lucky to have some of the best Buyers around and fortunately, they are the majority, I have only had two or three snakes.  I had one recently who bought quite a few charms from me & explained what they were for - a Memory Board (of her life).  Just this week she sent me a photo of it !   I have another who has bought charms to use on her wedding invitations and her favours bags & has promised photos of those (and even a wedding pic) when it's all done.

So chin up - keep rolling - there are more beautiful honest people out there than there are carpy ones.

Just a thought, & very sorry to hear about hubby's diagnosis, but if it's not sight related, could he become your second set of eyes & help with the visual sorting etc, specially now your income is of primary importance ?

[van_werkhoven]

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@phorum_junkie* wrote:

I've gone from 2 complaints in 12 weeks, quite acceptable for second hand sales,

As a seller of second hand clothes I would be horrified if I had made 2 errors leading to complaints, no way would I count that as acceptable.

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Glad to know some people are perfect and never miss anything, it's a goal to strive for I guess. I can't look at your listings but I would guess you likely deal with a higher price bracket than me, or do not deal with childrens clothes, which obviously take more of a beating than womenswear? Anyway, I've found that a number of the buyers who have had issues end up quite happy though, as the damage is rarely bad enough to make the item unwearable, and I give a full refund, so they get a freebie item I would have just chucked in the bin that they can actually use. 

My husband is helping with sorting, but, like I said before, I am pretty sure only 1 of the above 6 incidents was actually my error. There was one confirmed scammer, one not reading description, one random low-stars-just-because, 1 strongly suspected scammer, and 1 who I suspect doesn't understand the way sizing works and that not all children will fit standard sizes well. The final one was my fault, elastic went bad in storage as it sometimes does, and I refunded happily.

I know it'll get better again... hopefully I've finished with the last of them now. Fingers crossed for an uneventful week