Is this ripping customer off? Advice needed?

[colourmyevent2012]

Hi, everyone. I need some advises on this situation. 

One of my item (hairband) was recently sold on eBay auction. I originally bought this hairband for $14.95. I put it as auction starting price as $15.90. It had one bid, sold as $15.90. I sent it in an prepaid Australia Post Parcel and Tracking.

Yesterday, I received a negative feedback from this buyer who said 'Says on the tag that the item was reduced to $14.95. Outright ripping people off'

I immediately contacted her and explained to her I didn't rip her off. I hardly broke even on this sale after taking off the eBay fee and postage. I also said I do want her to have a positive shopping experience at my store and offered her to do partial refund if she could remove the negative feedback as it is important to have 100% positive rating for seller.

She responded back as 'Maybe you should say on your listing that it was on sale along with the RRP.'

She didn't mention anything about accepting the offer and removing the negative feedback.

I'm not sure what to do from now on.

I'd like to have some advises and opinions on this situation. As a seller, should I declare how much I paid for an item on the listing when I sell the item? How can I improve the listing content and service to avoid the similar situation in the future?

Also, what I should do with this buyer? Should I just move on or persuading her to considering removing the feedback?

Thank you in advance for all your help:)

[leader-of-the-band]

Yesterday, I received a negative feedback from this buyer who said 'Says on the tag that the item was reduced to $14.95. Outright ripping people off'

. . . . . I'd like to have some advises and opinions on this situation. 

hopefully you have learnt the lesson to remove price stickers/tags when an item sells for more than the sticker/tag price.  When it sells for less than the sticker/tag then leave it on.

As a seller, should I declare how much I paid for an item on the listing when I sell the item? How can I improve the listing content and service to avoid the similar situation in the future?

You are under no obligation to declare how much you have paid for an item.  I would state this information if the item was likely to sell for less than what I had paid, but not if it was to sell for more than I had paid.

I once bought some items from the Officeworks clearance table for less than 10% of the original retail price.  I removed all the reduced price stickers and sold the items for about quarter retail price.  I sold for more than I paid and my buyers bought for a quarter of retail price.  If I had left the sale price stckers on the items I would be in your shoes I am sure.

[bsal6160]

Yep, outright ripping people off, no two ways about it. AND she should also report you for feedback solicitation.

[***super_nova***]

Not very wise to leave the price tag on, but of-course people should realise that sellers sell to make money, not to give away items for less than they paid for it. 

As it is, there is nothing much you can do about the NEG; the buyer is not happy, and it is their right to express it in FB.  If you persist they may very well report you for harassment.

[davewil1964]

Yep, outright ripping people off, no two ways about it. AND she should also report you for feedback solicitation.

You forgot the tongue-in-cheek emoticon. Assuming you're not serious. If you are, you're incorrect. A  markup on cost price is acceptable and asking for a mutually acceptable solution which involves feedback review is not an offense. In fact, there is no point selling at cost or a loss. As you well know.

Not much you can do about it OP. The buyer is obviously one with a sense of entitlement. They were happy with the price originally, but when they found out you paid marginally less for the item, suddenly it became too expensive, so I doubt they will agree to a feedback revision.

[leader-of-the-band]

when I put the details of the transaction into my eBay/PP fee spreadsheet it shows that you lost $1.18 on the transaction.  This is based on you charging $8 for postage and it actually costing $8 for postage.  If it cost more to post then your loss would be greater, less to post then your loss would be less (or no loss).

$15.90 - $1.26 (fvf) - $0.87 (PP fee) - $14.95 (price you paid for item) = -$1.18 (a loss).

To break even, your item would need to have sold for $17.22.

Perhaps you could leave follow up feedback along the lines of " U paid about 1/2 retail, $15.90 - eBay fvfee - PPfee - $14.95 = Me losing $1.18 "

[putney32]

the solution to this prob in the future would possibly be to NOT quote a rrp if you are selling items with marked down tags.  or remove the marked down price from the tag before selling !!

[*sparklz*]

I would be telling the buyer that you did NOT rip anybody off as it was her choice to purchase at the price she did.

Also as for the feedback a buyer can NOT just change the feedback. The seller needs to to send a request to revise feedback for a buyer to be able to this.

[***super_nova***]

There is not much point sending a request in this case; the buyer is very unlikely to agree to it, and each seller has limited number they can do ( depending on number of sales each year)

[a_beautiful_room]

Unquestionably that is ridiculous feedback. I would be ringing ebay and explaining the situation. As hard as it is, be cool and professional even though that can be hard sometimes! The feedback she has left has NOTHING to do with your transaction and her voluntary purchase at the said price. I wouldn't reply to the feedback, I would call ebay.

The buyer is new (of course) and clueless. For goodness sake, they didn't have to even leave their lounge room, surely that's worth an additional buck or two to any reasonable person.

And please take note of other posters telling you to remove price tags in future.

FWIW I can often sell things at 300% and have even sold things for 600% on what I bought them for. A rip off, no. It's taken me many years to find what people will pay money for, and my time and talent in finding them is well worth any profit IMO. Luckily I tend to buy things with no discernible RRP so comparing is more awkward.

You've done nothing wrong OP. Call ebay.