How long should I wait?

Boopotts · January 17, 2004 2:12PM

Hi All-

I've got a couple deadbeat bidders on my hands, and I don't know how long I should wait before relisting the items. I've tried contacting them, although I haven't tried too hard, since both cards sold for well below market value-- and it's not like either of 'em have been banging down my door, so I'm ready to throw in the towel and try again; that is, if I'm allowed to. One of them is from October so I assume I'm OK there, and the other's from 12/23 of last year. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Guy

qualitycards · January 17, 2004 2:27PM

<< <i>I've got a couple deadbeat bidders on my hands >>

Gee! For a minute I thought you were talking about our ongoing transaction the last few days

...jay

RobE · January 17, 2004 3:07PM

You know,feedback paints a completey distorted picture about people sometimes.

I had the same problem,Guy and it's possible that everything is going to be fine since I got on the horn with a bidder who gives the impession by his feedback that he's a problem.

This guy has a 4 figure rating,only leaves negative feedback and has received about 19 for the same reason I had which was - "does not respond to emails and doesn't pay" type comments.

Just before filing a NPB thing which doesn't do a hell of a lot,I decided to call the guy.We talked for about 10 minutes and it looks like everything will be fine unless he assured me with a line of BS.

Try getting on the horn with your bidder and maybe you can get a better grasp on wether to relist or not.

Boopotts · January 17, 2004 5:00PM

Jay=

LOL! I actually thought about putting some wise-ass remark in my post to that effect-- something along the lines of 'I don't know either of them, except that one of them calls himself 'Wolt'-- but I didn't want to create an uproar on the boards, or sully your impeccable rep.

Again, Jay, thanks. Everything ships Monday.

Boopotts · January 17, 2004 5:07PM

Rob-

A fine idea. However, the situation is complicated somewhat by the fact that really would just as soon relist, since both cards went for less than I hoped (a 1970 Alan Page PSA 8, which went for 22$, and a 1961 York Yellow Back Toe Blake PSA 8, which went for somewhere around 14$). I hate getting into a negative feedback war, since ebays fraudulent feedback system, whereby a guy who doesn't pay for something can somehow screw up an honest ebayers rating, is something which I typically choose only to employ when the transaction goes smoothly.

As an aside-- does anyone else hate when sellers request that the buyers leave feedback first? As far as I'm concerned, when you're the buyer, your job is done when the seller gets the money. That's it-- end of story. If the seller can't deliver you the goods, then justice is only served when you receive a positive review for having done your part, and the seller receives an neg. for having dropped the ball. I ran into this problem with parrotthead88, and even after I asked him to leave me feedback for having paid for my goods he refused.

What a ridiculous system. I'm hoping one day collector's universe gets on the stick and starts an online auction site for cards, coins, etc., so we no longer have to deal with ebays BS. You'd think for the exorbitant transaction fees we pay they'd work a little harder to build a system that rewards their solid customers, and encourages the losers not to return.

RobE · January 17, 2004 9:10PM

I hate getting into a negative feedback war, since ebays fraudulent feedback system, whereby a guy who doesn't pay for something can somehow screw up an honest ebayers rating, is something which I typically choose only to employ when the transaction goes smoothly.

This is the perfect reason to give the bidder the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to have a chance to pony up.You should give them a call and tell them that you've made an attempt to contact them,it's cost you money and time,try to listen to what they have to say to get a feel of what is going to happen if you relist.They could be civil about it,pay or even give an excuse and you don't have to leave feedback, or you could relist without notice and then suddenly this person suddenly comes out of hiding feeling like you've done them wrong and then possibly give you negative feedback.We both know they all come in shapes and sizes so it's best to exaust your options before putting your feedback at risk for $36.

Hell,my only Neg came from a non sports item consignment where I was offering to refund but this person wanted give me a negative even though I tried to do everything to make it right.At the time I only left feedback after the buyer did which I didn't realize was not prudent or an ebay turn-off.So the next run of auctions I just left them as I returned from the PO.So in this next run I sold a car stereo to a guy who sent me over 40 emails saying I paid where's my feedback.I kept telling the guy I will leave it when I return from the PO.40 emails later the next day he's making threats while I'm explaining that I have like 80 orders to fill and his feedback will be issued upon return from the PO which I did.So now a few weeks go by and things slow down,I email the guy asking if he received the radio and hope everything is okay and he doesn't respond but leaves a neutral saying the radio is damaged due to packing which the only way that could be possible is if the PO took a sledge hammer to the box.I email the guy saying what can we do to make it right if there is a real problem and he never replies.Then he winds up with a series of negatives,private feedback and next NRU same for the other person I mentioned.

Moral of the story?(I'm not sure there is one)

However,I've come to the conclusion that if someone is going to rip you,blow off their purchase,leave negative feedback or none at all you can't stop them.All you can do is try to do everything possible for your customers,make efforts to contact them and pay equal attention to the $1 transaction as you would the $500 transaction.All you can do is try your best to do everything right and hope for the best but keep an eye open and be prepared for the worst.

Just send your invoices,emails.If that doesn't work make the last effort by phone before you ditch, file a NPB,or leave a negative.Try it before someone decides to tell a BS story like the radio guy who I followed until he was NRU.
One person I spoke to that dealt with him thought he was going to take Ebay by storm and corner the Car Stereo market with the way things went between them.Like I said,they come in a shapes and sizes.

BigKidAtHeart · January 17, 2004 9:23PM

well, I can speak from recent experience
in saying that AOL users are NOT getting
all their emails and notices.
You need to send a request for response
and if you get nothing, then use the Ebay
contact info and CALL THEM
It stinks but works.

sometimes just requesting the contact info
(which they are also notified of) is all it takes
to get them in gear, because they do not
want to talk on the phone either.
~jeff

RobE · January 17, 2004 9:30PM

<< <i>well, I can speak from recent experience
in saying that AOL users are NOT getting
all their emails and notices.
You need to send a request for response
and if you get nothing, then use the Ebay
contact info and CALL THEM
It stinks but works.

sometimes just requesting the contact info
(which they are also notified of) is all it takes
to get them in gear, because they do not
want to talk on the phone either.
~jeff >>

Jeff,actually after reading up on your experience I assumed that the Aol user who I made several attempts to contact was having the same problem you are saying so I called them.I told him what the buzz with your problem but he said he got my emails though he had some other problem with his Paypal acct.getting hacked.Maybe we were both Bssed.

BigKidAtHeart · January 17, 2004 11:39PM

well I really am having trouble
getting through to Hotmail.com
addresses over the past few days of so.
(not ebay related)
and it has been true for about 6 different
people, and I have used 3 different address
I have to reach them.
they are just not getting through.

so who knows.
~jeff

NickM · January 18, 2004 3:34AM

If your email account is hosted by a server that AOL considers to have too high a number of abuse complaints, AOL will block your email because it blocks all email from that server. I called AOL customer service about this. The woman I first spoke to was totally clueless. Her supervisor understood what was going on, but was extremely rude and basically said that AOL doesn't want people using hosting companies that allow spam, and that he couldn't care less how many innocent people had their email blocked because of this. He indicated that AOL does not revoke domain blocking for any reason. His phrase was "Once a spammer, always a spammer."
I suspect that it is part of a corporate strategy toward monopolization of email services. How better to get businesses to become business hosting and email customers than by blocking them from sending to your member base if they use a competitor's services?

Nick

How long should I wait?

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