The frustration with being an eBay sellers...... read the nasty letter I got from a customer today.
BUFFNIXX
Posts: 2,727 ✭✭✭✭✭
I buy and sell coin folders and albums on eBay. Have been doing this (folders n albums) since 2010 and I made a mistake with a customers order. Have over 2400 positive feedbacks and no negs. This is the email I got from this one customer today.
(have actually been a flea bay member sine June of 1999)
========================================================================================================TTom,
You did not explain why you substituted a torn up Whitman 1916-1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Album in my order for one described in perfect condition. The torn up Whitman 1916-1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Album with no attached book cover would not even be sold at my local public library book sale for .25, but would be thrown in the dumpster as there is no way to put the book cover back on this book. You also did not explain why you substituted a cheaply made in China modern Whitman Twentieth Century Type Collection Folder in my order for a better quality made in the USA 1950's Whitman Twentieth Century Folder when you, yourself, described the modern made in China folders as "tending to bow, bend or flex while sitting on your local dealers shelves waiting to buy them." Why did you, as a reputable dealer, do this substitution to me? If I had received what I actually bought, you would not have heard any complaints from me.
I was satisfied only with the Buffalo Nickel folder and the other better quality made in the USA 1950's Whitman Twentieth Century Type Collection Folder which I bought and which I did receive.
Here is what I will settle for to conclude the matter: A refund of the $6.00 plus $3.00 shipping for a TOTAL REFUND of $9.00 for the torn up 1916-1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Album and I keep the book with an apology and an explanation of why I received the torn up book and why I did not receive the second Whitman Twentieth Century Type Collection Folder I clearly bought. I am not going to spend half of my working day and lose income to wrap a book in a package which is clearly trash and go down to my post office and stand in line to get it weighed and pay additional postage for something that was deliberately done to me. My time is valuable. I, too, am old enough to remember when the Whitman folders were .35 each and the albums were under $2.00.
I expect to receive my $9.00 REFUND today to my debit card through my Paypal account.
I requested that the whole order be returned to me and I would issue him a refund which would include his cost of sending and
receiving the package. Boy did this ever make my day, it is amazing who nasty some people can be. What do you think?
I am at a loss as to what is wrong with the WL half folder, but he is to send the whole package back for a refund.
When someone treats me like doggie-do, I will treat them the same way.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
Comments
Make sure you get on that apology ASAP.
My Ebay Store
Dear customer,
I'm so sorry you are upset.
Looks like a couple auctions were mixed up and you were sent the incorrect album. I'm sure you understand, as would any reasoning person, that the possibility for errors such as this can occur.
Unfortunately I cannot retrieve the other missent album so you will need to return your order for a refund to be processed.
Once all items are returned you will be issued a refund to include actual shipping costs so please ensure the shipping label reflects this when you print it up.
The original packing material will suffice, which will avoid additional costs. As this is not an oversized package it is eligible for pick up by your carrier which will be convenient. I suggest tracking as well.
For your protection no partial refunds will be processed and excessive value declarations made for insurance purposes will be reported to the USPS.
Again, I am terribly sorry you feel this way, and I'm sure you understand that as the correct item is now unavailable a refund is the only possible recourse. This will be cheerfully given once the full order is returned. Normally I would offer a discount on future products, but unfortunately this is not possible at this time due to technical issues.
I look forward to our next transaction.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Too much?
Way too nice for my taste.
"Return the friggin' thing for a refund" is more like me.
BHNC #203
Most of the problems come from the people that spend the least.
"When someone treats me like doggie-do, I will treat them the same way."
Was not nice by him.
BHNC #203
Do his claims have any basis in fact? He certainly could have been more civil and pleasant in his correspondence (ultimatums never go over well) but I can understand his frustration if the items he received were not as described.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
The Penny Lady has a coin she titled "The Penis Coin", in another thread. I think it (that title) should be an award freely given to customers like yours. And to that end, the buyer is attempting to extort (in my opinion) .
I could win that award too.... just for being a dick.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
I am not going to spend half of my working day and lose income to wrap a book in a package which is clearly trash and go down to my post office and stand in line to get it weighed and pay additional postage for something that was deliberately done to me. My time is valuable. I, too, am old enough to remember when the Whitman folders were .35 each and the albums were under $2.00.
I wouldn't want to spend that time either. Refund the seller. Simple. Then move on.
Some people are just beyond reasoning with. Mistakes happen. Refund the buyer and let 'em keep the folders.
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
Refund, Block, Move On.
Not worth the electrons working for $9
$9? Definitely refund and move on. At least it was a very inexpensive error.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
The way you have formatted your post leaves me a bit confused as to where the buyer's message ends and where you pick up again and explain. Does the buyer's message end with the all caps refund demand? Also, we don't know if you asked the buyer to return the entire package prior to the buyer sending this message to you. These details (timeline, requests, full messages in quotes, etc...) might go a long way toward explaining the lengthy message from the buyer.
However, I will play Devil's Advocate here and suggest that the buyer might simply be someone who writes like a scientist (like I do in many of my posts) and this type of writing style can be "heard" by the reader in a less than warm and fuzzy manner. Therefore, if the buyer requested a return and you told the buyer to send the complete package back then and this is the result then the buyer might have begun the response in a methodical manner to help any SNAD case he may believe he may have to pursue. The last section, where he requests a full refund and states he should keep the books, might obviously be worded in a more friendly manner, but the demand/request doesn't seem too bad if there indeed was a mixup. After all, not everyone can take time off from work to package something up and go to the post office in order to rectify a seller's mistake (if that is what happened). The all caps ending is obviously a bit gratuitous, but overall I am not seeing this buyer in the same light as you are. Of course, once again I will state that I am not certain where the messages end and begin and what the timeline or previous correspondence, if any, had been.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Bottom Line if I really made the error I would've done just that Apologize and move on. wasting time and money for your mistake is foolhardy. 9 bucks it is not even worth the return let alone you apparently made the error unless I am mistaken. The tone of the email was annoying but so what move on and fix the mistake.
Now on the other hand: If you made a mistake, then you should make restitution, as a seller. There are twosides2acoin, of course.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
The written word definitely leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation, and there are many writing styles out there which makes it tougher sometimes.
My response above was with tongue firmly implanted in cheek...but I have no idea if it came across that way upon a re-read or to a more literal minded person. (Notice the 'apology' was only about how they felt and not a real one for example). I truly wish we had a sarcasm font. And a venting one--so if a post is really about just venting it is more apparent too.
Honestly IMO the best response is to say return/get a refund per eBay policies. Nothing more, nothing less and no drama. Maintain boundaries and don't engage. Don't waste time or energy otherwise.
Or shoot, it really might not be worth the return part...in which case the mildly wicked part of me would say 'donate the mistake to the local library or shelter' which BTW is what Amazon has told me on the rare occasion of a mis-sent or double sent item. The nitwit will either recognize s/he is being over the top or it will float over their head and confuse them...but maybe a YN somewhere would score a free item.
The guy/gal was clearly having a moment (or a continuing lifetime of moments and who'd want to live inside that head???).
You made a honest mistake at first but your reply back is going to bite you.
I have to disagree, Quite the opposite in my experience, it is mostly Watch buyers that are the worst of the worst. Pocket watches on the other hand have a very pleasant community of people.
all around collector of many fine things
I refunded the perp and put it to bed without asking him to return anything.
case closed.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
I would only ask the customer to keep the merchandise while I issue a full refund without return. It's not worth of the headache nor the hassle to the customer due to my mistake.
Then again what do I know ? I am not in coin business nor sell on ebay. I only sell few thousands suits shipped in bulky boxes per year on Amazon. The cost of shipping is around $30-$50 each way. lol
Buffnix, if this is the worst you got, you're ahead of 99% of us. As long as you keep stacking Matte Proof Buffs from clueless retailers for AU/Unc money, you're WAY ahead of the game. $9 isn't even tuition. You did the right thing.
Thanks roadrunner, really appreciate. I have to count my blessings.
buffnixx
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
Bingo~ Selling on ebay/amazon is all about avoiding negative feedback until you become a volume seller. One always has to think of the prevention it would take to decrease the chance of receiving one.
For $9.00 you are asking that the item you sent in error be returned? That is the problem. Offer an apology, send the correct item for what the customer paid and let him keep the wrong item. It is the cost of a burger, fries and drink and it was your error.
Tyler
Well to me, it wouldn't matter if it was $9, $90 or even $900. It is not how much I lost today but how much more money I can make in the near future.
For the record, apparel in which I am in has the highest return rate online. And I must had issued over $30-40k worth of refund including frauds etc last year in addition to the cost of shipping .
I'd forget the $9 loss. Issue the refund and avoid the neg. Not having the hassle of handling the return and the negative feedback I'd probably get for anything other than an immediate refund is worth more than $9 to me.
that is what i did, issued refund today
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
Why does it matter how much the customer spent? His complaint was legitimate even if his response was disproportionate to the infraction. Sadly the reputation of Ebay sellers in general is not good and the guy figured that he was intentionally ripped off.
To buy out of a problem for $9.00 is blessing. Better than $1400.
I think that customer wasted more than $9 worth of time composing that little diatribe.
I would do as you ended up doing, refund the buyer's $9.
No apology.
He will likely leave at least a neutral.
That's how these types operate.
.
@BUFFNIXX ...You did the right thing.. in this case. Such a letter is upsetting, and totally unnecessary if no prior communications were conducted. If it had happened to me, I would have politely contacted you with a communication which asked it there was an error. However, case closed, move on. Cheers, RickO
Just refund the 9 bucks and move forward.
Do not really care if I get a negative feedback. I have run across real nasty types a few times as this is not the first case. In fact he was lying that the Whitman bookshelf walking liberty half dollar album had the cover separated from the first page as it did not, I always check this and will not sell the item if the cover is separated. I think he just wanted some freebies. He demanded that I send his stuff media mail which is illegal. What a complete jerk.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
Had something similar happen recently with eBay. I got someone else's coin and they got mine. I let the seller know immediately, and his communication was outstanding. I am sure I sounded nervous, as my coin was a few hundred dollars more than the other. In the end, the other buyer shipped me my coin the same day it arrived, I got his out to him the next and we all left great feedback like nothing happened. Seller refunded us some money to cover our postage and time.
Exactly why he stated he would not send the item back.
Would this be worth reporting to ebay in case he has a history of doing this to other sellers on inexpensive items?
Collector, occasional seller
Simple. With such little money at stake here, I'd roll over on this one. Apologize, kiss ars, swallow pride, whatever. You bumped into a rude nut case who has completely overreacted. Avoid the neg, but block him going forward. My 2 cents.
Dave
Refund & write it off then block the guy and move on. This is simple. Never let emotions dictate how you respond. That is bad business, always.
Don't sweat the 1 neg (if he leaves you a neg).
Compared to your 2400 positives, having 1 neg wouldn't stop me from doing business with you.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
You did the correct thing. I just sent out a replacement Mint set as I made a mistake in shipping and sent the guy the wrong year (sent a 67 instead of a 64). I realized my error after I'd mailed the wrong one. I just sent the guy a note saying the correct one was on the way. Told him to just keep the 67 set.
Easiest solution, period.
bob
Within the last month I've had more weirdos and liars and "system=players" than I have had in the past several years.
well guess what i got positive feedback from the perp.
"Seller made good on the damaged book and sent a refund to me of my money.Thanks"
and i did not have to make an apology, which i will now make to him in a message.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
All is well that ends well.
Can i get $9 for my time reading the thread?
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Good on you for refunding. It was the most sane thing to do, all things considered.
Still, I kind of admire this disgruntled customer's lengthy letter. Over the top? Of course! But, nonetheless, letters like this are a lost art.