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Asking advice: how do you deal with insisting eBay buyers
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42 posts in this topic

4 hours ago, Number 6 said:

It’s a hard spot to be in because i’s through eBay and if he doesn’t like the way you handle it he’s holding the feedback hammer over your head. 
 

I don’t have any specific advice to offer in this situation.  I’m a collector so that means I’ve paid retail for my books and am usually doing good to just get most of my money back.  And after fees, there’s really not a lot of wiggle room. 
 

So I don’t usually encourage offers but in the past I haven’t minded people reaching out to ask if I’ll entertain offers. In a couple of instances, after looking through sold items, I have adjusted my price. 
 

Lately though, I seem to be noticing a trend of “by-hook-or-by-crook” negotiators.  If they can’t get the discount they want before the sale, they buy the books and then claim there’s a “problem” when they receive them and start fishing for a partial refund to get their discount on the back end.  And all with the implied threat of negative feedback. 
 

I’ve seen enough red flags on offers to start considering getting more proactive with unsolicited negotiations. 

I stopped putting "make offer" as a choice on my listings (which are very infrequent) because of this

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23 hours ago, vaillant said:

Thanks everyone.
Once again, I have nothing against the buyer (or making – even low – offers) I asked just because I do not understand insistence when I have already explained several times.

If @Buzzetta can chime in I’ll listen to some Frank Sinatra *and* Thievery Corporation simultaneously to thank for the advice. :)

As others said, once you have said no, then no it is. 

As I screenshot an ebay message and sent it to @kav, I had a buyer that insisted I should break up a set and sell her one of the pieces of jewelry.  She asked me for months. I said, no.  Finally she asked if I would trade the piece she wanted for another piece and partial cash.  Again, 'no'. 

She could not get over that.  At a certain point, there is no need to be polite anymore when the person keeps at it. Block them, move on, but let them know that their sense of entitlement is astounding. 

 

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@Buzzetta: The key question brought forth by @kav, however, is about a scenario where you specify "no returns" and for some reason the buyer is unsatisfied (with grades, whatever) and involves eBay.
Since I seem to get eBay tends to side with the buyer regardless, what sense does it make to specify "no returns" (which means "sold as is")?

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9 minutes ago, vaillant said:

Just a question Buzz: if I cancel a transaction I have to provide a reason. In such cases, which reason do you provide?

Depends... I have not cancelled one in a long time. 

I think the last time I had to cancel an item I used the truth which was something along the lines of there being a problem with the buyer's address or something like that.  The last time I cancelled the transaction a buyer insisted I send it to an address not registered with PayPal. 

 

The only time I remember cancelling something because I got a bad vibe was that someone with 0 feedback from another country bought a $500 GI Joe set and had a name like "X8wy34w_30q4y3qw80e" or something like that.   This was before I was enrolled in the Global Shipping Program.  When I called eBay to verify this guy they said I was under an obligation to mail the item.  I declined and used my better judgement not to. 

I cancelled it with the address option as well... I think it was with an option that the buyer lives in a place I do not ship to... I never sent it.

Within a week the buyer disappeared and his account was no longer a registered account. 

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17 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

 For example, when a buyer insists on sending it to an address other than the address issued by PayPal, cancel the transaction.

To be honest, I constantly ask for this (and I have never received a "no"): otherwise I could not do any cumulative shipment, if not for the help of a US friend holding the books for me.
But I see your point: it vanifies the PayPal "seller protection" side. I always count on people's fairness if something goes wrong, and I try to be flexible myself. Unless there are huge sums involved, it helps.

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Oh wait... the last time I cancelled a sale was over another GI Joe figure.  

Someone from Greece kept asking me to lower the price on this figure.  I met him half way.  He asked me to take additional pictures.  I did.  He said we had a deal and hit the BIN off the offer I made.   Even after he accepted the offer he wanted another $5 off.  Then he wanted more pics to be sure.   I took more pics but said the price was the price.  He then asked again for a discount.

I cancelled the sale and blocked the buyer.  He sent me a lot of mean messages.  

A week later another person from Greece bought the figure.  The address of the two buyers were very close to one another.

I called eBay... they agreed that the buyer was trying to circumvent the block.  So eBay told me to cancel because the buyer lives in an area I do not ship to and then advised me to do the following: 

Greece is blocked.  

 

Screen Shot 2020-02-28 at 5.19.07 PM.png

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9 minutes ago, vaillant said:

To be honest, I constantly ask for this (and I have never received a "no"): otherwise I could not do any cumulative shipment, if not for the help of a US friend holding the books for me.
But I see your point: it vanifies the PayPal "seller protection" side. I always count on people's fairness if something goes wrong, and I try to be flexible myself. Unless there are huge sums involved, it helps.

You can change your address in PayPal and eBay to ship it anywhere you want.  When I pay for an item, some things go to my house and some go to my parent's house.   You can control that as a buyer. 

But I will not under any circumstances ship to any address or alter any address than that on the PayPal label.   

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13 minutes ago, vaillant said:

@Buzzetta: The key question brought forth by @kav, however, is about a scenario where you specify "no returns" and for some reason the buyer is unsatisfied (with grades, whatever) and involves eBay.
Since I seem to get eBay tends to side with the buyer regardless, what sense does it make to specify "no returns" (which means "sold as is")?

If a buyer is unhappy with a grade then you are probably taking that back.  I don't do raw sales over eBay anymore on comic books. 

I allow eBay to look at the messages.  Sometimes the buyers say such foolish things and sink their own case. 

I am talking about buying a new CD and not liking the music or buying a new video game and wanting to return it after a month because you didn't like the game.

I have heard that things like that eBay still continues to find in favor of the seller.   

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13 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

Oh wait... the last time I cancelled a sale was over another GI Joe figure.  

Someone from Greece kept asking me to lower the price on this figure.  I met him half way.  He asked me to take additional pictures.  I did.  He said we had a deal and hit the BIN off the offer I made.   Even after he accepted the offer he wanted another $5 off.  Then he wanted more pics to be sure.   I took more pics but said the price was the price.  He then asked again for a discount.

I cancelled the sale and blocked the buyer.  He sent me a lot of mean messages.  

A week later another person from Greece bought the figure.  The address of the two buyers were very close to one another.

I called eBay... they agreed that the buyer was trying to circumvent the block.  So eBay told me to cancel because the buyer lives in an area I do not ship to and then advised me to do the following: 

Greece is blocked.  

 

Screen Shot 2020-02-28 at 5.19.07 PM.png

Thanks Buzz. But honestly the latter is unfair, it penalizes all of the buyers from Greece, not just people behaving badly.
It is a thing that I find deeply unfair, even if that is your call.

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On 2/29/2020 at 5:04 PM, nickdemeato said:

Nothing really you can do if someone keeps making offers. I too would try to remain polite, I dont see that as a problem. If they keep making the same offer just keep sending the same reply.

" Thank you for your offer but I will decline. I would however accept $--- for the listing."

 

Thank you. In the end, it turned out as a nice transaction. The buyer was just not so prone to words, not knowing him I was put off by the insistence.
He also did not seem to be much accustomed with collecting, he’s grading some of the books, so I am curious to see how they fare if he gets back.

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14 hours ago, vaillant said:

Thank you. In the end, it turned out as a nice transaction. The buyer was just not so prone to words, not knowing him I was put off by the insistence.
He also did not seem to be much accustomed with collecting, he’s grading some of the books, so I am curious to see how they fare if he gets back.

Dealing with customers is a pain in the . It's best to assume that, for the most part, people are trying to spend as little money as possible on expensive comics. Everybody looks for a bargain, but only some of them actually ask for one, figuring they don't have anything to lose by asking. It's just a trait of someone a little more extroverted than the typical person in the comic business, and I can see where you could mistake that as being headstrong or pushy, but they don't usually have any idea they've made you uncomfortable. Sounds like there was nothing wrong with this guy after all, but there are truly awful people out there. Don't put a minor irritant on ignore since he's proven that he will buy from you. Be nice and maybe occasionally give him a little discount, and he will have only warm fuzzy feelings about buying from you. Block the ones who cause your heart race, but learn to deal with customers who might get on your nerves by being themselves. The way you respond to the first inquiry is going to decide your relationship with these people, so just bite your tongue and make them happy if you can. I assume you would like to have some success.

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On 2/29/2020 at 4:18 AM, vaillant said:

Thanks Buzz. But honestly the latter is unfair, it penalizes all of the buyers from Greece, not just people behaving badly.
It is a thing that I find deeply unfair, even if that is your call.

Its unfair maybe but the fault lies with the grecian buyer.  He ruined it for the whole country, for Buzz.  

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On 2/29/2020 at 7:18 AM, vaillant said:

Thanks Buzz. But honestly the latter is unfair, it penalizes all of the buyers from Greece, not just people behaving badly.
It is a thing that I find deeply unfair, even if that is your call.

 

9 hours ago, kav said:

Its unfair maybe but the fault lies with the grecian buyer.  He ruined it for the whole country, for Buzz.  

Kav is right.    In this case the buyer that was using new names and new accounts to circumvent being blocked.  The only reason he did this was not to buy anything but to disrupt listings because he did not get his way.   At that point I have to decide if I lose more selling opportunity by blocking Greece or if I lose more selling opportunity by allowing my listings to be disrupted.

I found it better to cut off Greece.     Now will I take the block off?  One day.  But not for at least a year. 

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On 4/12/2020 at 3:33 AM, Pat Thomas said:

Dealing with customers is a pain in the . It's best to assume that, for the most part, people are trying to spend as little money as possible on expensive comics. Everybody looks for a bargain, but only some of them actually ask for one, figuring they don't have anything to lose by asking. It's just a trait of someone a little more extroverted than the typical person in the comic business, and I can see where you could mistake that as being headstrong or pushy, but they don't usually have any idea they've made you uncomfortable. Sounds like there was nothing wrong with this guy after all, but there are truly awful people out there. Don't put a minor irritant on ignore since he's proven that he will buy from you. Be nice and maybe occasionally give him a little discount, and he will have only warm fuzzy feelings about buying from you. Block the ones who cause your heart race, but learn to deal with customers who might get on your nerves by being themselves. The way you respond to the first inquiry is going to decide your relationship with these people, so just bite your tongue and make them happy if you can. I assume you would like to have some success.

Absolutely right, and that’s precisely what has happened. And as you properly read I mistook that as pushy.
I am not a person prone to insist much, or at least if I insist I try to do it in a non-annoying manner, so it was my first experience with an insisting buyer, but in the end all was just fine.

@Buzzetta: I see your point. If it was possible (I don’t know if it is) then I’d just allow people to send messages. I seem to get this is not possible if you exclude a country, and I know it has happened once to me with a US seller.
Thankfully a friend of mine was living in USA back then, and nearby that dealer's store, and he went in person to purchase that book that I have been seeking for (and that was a bit elusive).

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42 minutes ago, the blob said:

Maybe I have been lucky, but PITA buyers are maybe .5%-1% of my transactions, maybe less.

 

Sometimes it’s the clientele.  I like Disney but I’m not weird about it.  Once I stopped working for Disney I sold a lot of my old cast member stuff.   There were some “interesting” buyers back then. 

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