Re: [CR] Testy buyers on Ebay

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot)

From: <gpvb1@comcast.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] Testy buyers on Ebay
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 18:29:18 +0000


Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 07:22:22 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Naiman <hetchinspete1@yahoo.com> To: classicrendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR]Testy buyers on Ebay.

Wonder if anybody has had buyers get testy or nasty with them on Ebay. I've noticed a few occasionally getting this way lately and I've written other buyers who have purchased on a regular basis from my auctions and they've all experienced similar things going on. Take in mind, once my auctions are over I contact the buyer usually within 24 hours of the end of auction.

Just shipped a small item to a buyer, unnamed in NYC on the 18th, but as of yesterday he had still not received it. USPS can occasionally be very slow, as I've had items occasionally take more than two weeks to get to a location within the U.S. I ship everything by either USPS First Class or Parcel Post. Two days ago I received my first email since the item was shipped with the buyer threatening to report me to Ebay Fraud alert and ask Paypal for a refund. I replied to him in a brief, firm, business and non-confrontational as to why he hadn't as least initially asked me what date it was shipped out on, or if it had been shipped. Also included in my note was why he had to be so confrontational in a first letter. He replied with a very quick answer saying only Thanks !! Will wait another week. Hate to rant onward, but what a jerk. Have you had this happen. Just another quick addition, is that it took me about a week, and three or four invoices for me to get him to repond to pay for the item.

Please take in my mind that the auction closed on January 12th, and I had to send atleast two or more invoices and a another reminder through Ebay to this seller asking for Payment, without any response until he finally paid on the 17th, but without ever responding directly to me. The item was promptly shipped on the 18th. In none of my invoices or letters to the Buyer was I ever confrontational asking why he never responded, as the content of my notes only asked for payment.

Another note is that when I went to the Post Office to find out about collecting on a missing package that was insued for which I still have my receipt, I was told to wait until it was 30 days old and I could come back to the PO. If I wait 30 days and do not refund the buyer, if he does not receive his item, I'm sure he'll respond with negative feedback. OUCH !!

Peter Naiman Shorewood, WI

A few thoughts: 1) Never, ever use Parcel Post unless you absolutely have no other reasonable option whatsoever (which means virtually never!). I always use Priority Mail or First Class (which is really the same thing, but First Class becomes Priority after 10 ounces of total package weight). Time is money, and it is a cost of doing business to use an expeditious method to ship things (so you don't get an unwanted negative feedback, for example!). 2) Yes, there are more unpleasant transactions on eBay these days. eBay is now ubiquitous, and every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Jane with a computer can be on eBay. One percent of an increasingly huge number of registered users is becoming more statistically significant now, unfortunately. This makes it even more critical to do your homework as a buyer, and thoroughly dot your "i's" and cross your "t's" as a seller. Clearly, eBay has peaked in the US - witness their recent financial reports and subsequent stock price hit.

3) With cabin-fever occurring here this time of year (the "dead" of Winter in many parts of the US), people have shorter fuses, generally, in my observation. Additionally, the current Political / Economic environment in the US is extremely caustic, and tolerance is decreasing rapidly, so that creates a National trend of increasing "ugliness," if you will, IMO. Call it de-evolution, or whatever you want (maybe Devo was right??), but clearly the world is changing globally, and we here in the US are now watching our standing in the World slip - it's no wonder folks can get testy more often now! 4) You'll catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. ;-)
Greg Parker
Dexter, Micigan