And we had another ebay problem resolved through a phone call which their customer service people discourage. Why? Because they cannot monitor what is communicated as they can with emails in their system. I have seen so many situations that become intractable after a misunderstanding develops in an email. With phone calls at least there is considerable human feedback exchanged, not much with emails. When you get the customer or seller's phone number on ebay you get notified that it has been done usually. So do you call direct with your number coming up or with a *67 so it is unidentified? The bottom line is to not scare or ruin the communication through threats but to try to find common ground because this is first a hobby then a business in my opinion. And many of the coins are not that fenceable. Do buyers really want to do serious damage to their accounts and reputations in the collector community over a few hundred dollars where there is no confusion on the right and wrong in the situation? Unpaid items customers have few rights; paid, the customers have full rights.
Does ebay actually do anything after an unpaid item has been opened? I opened one 3 days ago and have not got any response whatsoever from anyone. I NEED A PHONE NUMBER!
update yall, all 4 of my buyers paid after I shipped. As I mentioned, I normally don't do it, but these were all cheap coins so I did it so it would go out and save me a postal trip
If you ship before an item is paid you're shipping to the address the buyer has on file with Ebay. This may not be where the buyer wants the item shipped, and could be old or different than the address or addresses the buyer has on file with PayPal they use for shipping. If you ship to the correct address, and this is only obtainable through the buyer and/or Payal, then you help eliminate the possibility of a problems occurring with the riskiest part of the transaction for the buyer and seller. You're also eligible for seller protection if there's an issue anywhere in the process. If you've done business many times before with a good customer or friend, and know the routine, then it's still not worth it because both the buyer and seller still need protection from issues caused by the Postal Service. It's foolish to introduce unnecessary risk in a very simple and safe process for both buyer and seller if the normal process is followed. Most of the time it will all go well, but when it doesn't you risk two good people pointing the finger at each other upset over something that never should have happened.
Well, I finally got a response from the seller now 13 days later how im harassing him because I gave him no time to pay. In this day in age with ebay and paypal these transactions should happen quickly. Being slow or not having the money is not an option. Especially when you add on no communication. Do your job!
It looks like you are getting somewhere then. The phone number is readily available through ebay, call them for details on how to get this. Phone calls can resolve problems quickly while emails are seen by some as cold, heartless that leave too much room for misunderstanding.
<< <i>Does ebay actually do anything after an unpaid item has been opened? I opened one 3 days ago and have not got any response whatsoever from anyone. I NEED A PHONE NUMBER! >>
I sent him a certified demand letter last week and got several calls from him today wanting to make payment on the coin; his wife took care of it and sent me the payment. He said he had changed emails a while back, hence the misunderstanding.
<< <i>Does ebay actually do anything after an unpaid item has been opened? I opened one 3 days ago and have not got any response whatsoever from anyone. I NEED A PHONE NUMBER! >>
Ebay can't make buyer pay. Purpose of opening case is to nudge buyer or to get seller fees returned and for ebay to keep count on bad buyer and eventually ban him.
The government is incapable of ever managing the economy. That is why communism collapsed. It is now socialism’s turn - Martin Armstrong
<< <i>I sent him a certified demand letter last week and got several calls from him today wanting to make payment on the coin; his wife took care of it and sent me the payment. He said he had changed emails a while back, hence the misunderstanding. >>
Share with the rest of us what you learned from the ordeal.
The government is incapable of ever managing the economy. That is why communism collapsed. It is now socialism’s turn - Martin Armstrong
As usual most people have a hard time offering direct advice on resolving an issue unless they are aware of all the particulars, it is so much easier to point the finger. Of course do not trust customers unless they are known as reliable. It looks like the guy may not have gotten my emails since he changed his email. But then why didn't the attempt to reach him via phone get through? He changed the number too?
This was the best advice I got on an advice site:
One of the great American myths is that collections has the upper hand in this country. Unfortunately, for most small amounts the only way to get it back is to bluff. If the customer is an initiate of the system, they'll recognize the bluff and laugh. If they are new to the game you might get your money or the product back.
What proof do you have of the transaction? Did the other party say anything after the deal, like claiming they didn't get it? In other words, is there something, other than your word, that the coin was requested, shipped and received by the buyer?
If the answer is no, you probably have no recourse at all.
Was this transaction via U.S. Mail? If so:
1. Kindly inform the deadbeat that you are initiating a U.S. Postal Inspector mail fraud investigation. I do mean "kindly." No threats or harsh language. Inform him that part of the process will include a phone call to his local police department. He may freak out and buckle.
2. Initiate a mail fraud investigation through the post office. This will in all probability do nothing. This function is a useless waste of you time. However, most police departments will not initiate any type of report unless you have done this.
3. Call the non-emergency police number in the city where the deadbeat lives. Odds are this will also yield no result. However there is a slim chance of 2 possibilities. The person may be a known trouble maker and the detective might enjoy the opportunity to rattle the guy's cage. If the detective sounds like they aren't going to do anything, see if you can sweet talk them into making a call to your deadbeat.
If that route isn't appealing, you can go the collections route. There are on-line collections agencies that will send the proper legal letters and give the buyer a credit report finding. They typically charge a flat fee and a percentage. It will chew up about $50. If they care about their credit rating you may get paid. If they don't care about their credit rating, it will sit on their credit report for 7 years.
Typically someone willing to rip you off for $150 in this manner fears neither the legal system or collections
If people haven't paid me on the threat to perform legal or collections, rarely will the follow up by those authorities actually work.
Comments
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
<< <i>never ship till you are paid >>
all 4 of my buyers paid after I shipped. As I mentioned, I normally don't do it, but these were all cheap coins so I did it so it would go out and save me a postal trip
<< <i>Does ebay actually do anything after an unpaid item has been opened? I opened one 3 days ago and have not got any response whatsoever from anyone. I NEED A PHONE NUMBER! >>
Doesn't ebay give 4 days before case closed?
"As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot."
~John Lennon~
Now let this be a lesson to you. If you want something done right, ya gotta trust the other guy's wife to get it that way.
<< <i>Does ebay actually do anything after an unpaid item has been opened? I opened one 3 days ago and have not got any response whatsoever from anyone. I NEED A PHONE NUMBER! >>
Ebay can't make buyer pay. Purpose of opening case is to nudge buyer or to get seller fees returned and for ebay to keep count on bad buyer and eventually ban him.
The government is incapable of ever managing the economy. That is why communism collapsed. It is now socialism’s turn - Martin Armstrong
<< <i>I sent him a certified demand letter last week and got several calls from him today wanting to make payment on the coin; his wife took care of it and sent me the payment. He said he had changed emails a while back, hence the misunderstanding. >>
Share with the rest of us what you learned from the ordeal.
The government is incapable of ever managing the economy. That is why communism collapsed. It is now socialism’s turn - Martin Armstrong
This was the best advice I got on an advice site:
One of the great American myths is that collections has the upper hand in this country. Unfortunately, for most small amounts the only way to get it back is to bluff. If the customer is an initiate of the system, they'll recognize the bluff and laugh. If they are new to the game you might get your money or the product back.
What proof do you have of the transaction? Did the other party say anything after the deal, like claiming they didn't get it? In other words, is there something, other than your word, that the coin was requested, shipped and received by the buyer?
If the answer is no, you probably have no recourse at all.
Was this transaction via U.S. Mail? If so:
1. Kindly inform the deadbeat that you are initiating a U.S. Postal Inspector mail fraud investigation. I do mean "kindly." No threats or harsh language. Inform him that part of the process will include a phone call to his local police department. He may freak out and buckle.
2. Initiate a mail fraud investigation through the post office. This will in all probability do nothing. This function is a useless waste of you time. However, most police departments will not initiate any type of report unless you have done this.
3. Call the non-emergency police number in the city where the deadbeat lives. Odds are this will also yield no result. However there is a slim chance of 2 possibilities. The person may be a known trouble maker and the detective might enjoy the opportunity to rattle the guy's cage. If the detective sounds like they aren't going to do anything, see if you can sweet talk them into making a call to your deadbeat.
If that route isn't appealing, you can go the collections route. There are on-line collections agencies that will send the proper legal letters and give the buyer a credit report finding. They typically charge a flat fee and a percentage. It will chew up about $50. If they care about their credit rating you may get paid. If they don't care about their credit rating, it will sit on their credit report for 7 years.
Typically someone willing to rip you off for $150 in this manner fears neither the legal system or collections
If people haven't paid me on the threat to perform legal or collections, rarely will the follow up by those authorities actually work.