Dear eBay Queen;
I had a buyer email me today, and asked where their item was. My first thought was they hadn't paid, but after I did a search of my PayPal account, I realized they did pay. I never received the PayPal notification! I had no idea, and this was a total accident. What should I do?
Janet R, Springfield, MO
Dear Janet;
I completely understand your frustration. I have had the same thing happen to me. It's important you let your buyer know what happened, and that you are sending their product out today. When this has happened to me, and my buyer seemed especially upset I have refunded their shipping, or offered them free shipping on the next item they purchased.
A good way to check who has paid you without looking at your PayPal account, or watching for emails, is to check out your sold listings on your My eBay page. In the top right corner of any eBay page you will see My eBay click on it. Once you are on your "Items I've Sold" page you will see the items that have been paid for with PayPal.
Dear eBay Queen;
I took a little break from eBay, as I always do between the end of December and March. I was doing a little research the other day, and noticed that everything was different! The searches, and really the whole look of the site. I don't remember hearing anything about a change like this being in the works. Can you explain to me what is going on?
T.S.M
Dear T.;
There have been quite a few changes since you last listed an item on eBay. I believe the search changes you are talking about is eBay's new "Finding 2.0" or Best Match. Best Match is the new sorting algorithm that is suppose to revolutionize the way people search for items on eBay. eBay has taken all of the data they have accumulated in the last 10 years and put it to use, creating this new search tool.
As a buyer, I don't like it much. If I search for "polka dot pig", I want all the pigs on eBay with "polka dot" in the title. I do not want a computer or search algorithm to decide what I mean by the keywords I am searching for.
As a seller, this new tool can effect how a buyer comes across my eBay items. There are several factors that influence this search tool. It is important you know what they are so your listing will come out on top.
1. Make sure your Title has good keywords. If you are having trouble creating a good, effective title, try this eBay title builder. http://labsebay.com/raghavgupta/demoto/to?
2. Always use Item Specifics when they are available
3. Keep your shipping and handling fees fair
4. Create a great buying experience.
eBay scores you as a seller and each item you have listed. Here are some of the things they are scoring.
1. Listing Time or ending time
2. Listing Format (auction, store, fixed price)
3. Distance (how far the buyer is from you)
4. Other terms of sale such as warranty, refund policy and shipping cost.
5. Seller performance factor. This is where the Detailed Seller Ratings and PowerSeller status comes into effect. If you have above a 4.6 in your DSR scores for the last 30 days you will be advantaged in the search results. I f you are below a 4.2 in the last 30 days you will be disadvantaged.
No one really knows what weight they put on each of the factors listed above. Many people in the industry believe that the Seller Performance factor weighs heavier than listing or end time.
This new search tool is optional, and you can select to opt out of it by changing the sort feature in the blue gray shaded area above the search selections. The box will read "sort by". You can select; date ending first, shipping price or even nearest to you. If Best Match is in that box, that is your current search.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 190206930123 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the eBay homepage). This seller makes the jewelry she sells. Her spring flowers are selling for quite a bit of money. Carved Bakelite Jonquils Flower Clamper Bracelet SOLD $441.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP.dll?ViewItems&item=190206930123
Friday, April 4, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Stingy Feedback givers and Vero problems
Dear eBay Queen;
Here’s the scenario; a buyer from overseas won/purchased 4 items from me. He paid promptly and I gave him prompt service. After a couple of weeks, he still hasn't left me feedback. I want to know my item arrived ok and met the buyer's expectations before I leave feedback.A month later, this person purchased 5 more items. I promptly shipped the second set of items to him. I presumed he was happy with the first purchase, so I left him feedback for the first 4 items he purchased. I’m bit nervous, about these transactions. I’m sure the second set of items should have arrived by now, but still no feedback from this buyer. I checked his feedback record and see that he hasn't left feedback for other sellers either.Right now - I don't feel like giving this person any more positive feedback. He has indicated he wants to buy more of the same items from me when they become available. Frankly, I am a bit soured on doing more business with him. Are some folks just plain miserly with feedback, or what? How would you handle this?
Stingy with Feedback
Dear Stingy;
Don’t take his lack of feedback personal. Most buyers don’t understand how important feedback is to sellers. I believe your overseas buyer is of the same mind; since you've already reviewed his feedback left for others. His lack of attention to feedback shows his inexperience or perhaps he just doesn't care about leaving feedback.
If you concerned about how this buyer feels about your product and services, I would email him and ask if he is happy with the items you've sent him. When he responds to your email you'll know for sure how he feels. I really think he’s already told you how he feels by continuing to purchase from you.
Keep in mind that feedback is optional, no one is required to leave it. The fact that this buyer is continuing to buy from you should be all the feedback you need. When it comes to eBay, a buyer buying things from me, is more important than them leaving feedback. I sell stuff on eBay because I want to earn money, not gain feedback.
Dear eBay Queen;
I recently had a listing pulled because of a trademark violation by the Richemont Group who owns the luxury watch and jewelry brand, Cartier. My item was a pair of vintage boots by the shoe brand Roland Cartier. I wrote them explaining the mistake they made, and they say that even though the brands are not related, it still infringes on the jewelry brand, Cartier. The Richemont group also told me that Roland Cartier shoes are allowed only to be sold in the UK and Ireland. I have not been able to confirm this on the web. However, many other sellers from out of that territory are selling the same brand of shoes/products.
If I were to re-list the item, but pull the brand name, (because honestly, it is relatively unimportant to me in terms of selling the item,) could I still get in trouble with the Richemont Group, or get an account suspension?
Rachel
Dear Rachel;
Vero! I think that word should be considered profane. I did a preliminary search of eBay, and did not find any active listings for Roland Cartier. I did see some on the UK site, so that just might back up what you were told about where they can be sold.
At this point I would appeal to eBay by filing a Copyright Counter Notice. http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/programs-vero-ov.html I believe Cartier is abusing the system by pulling your items, because the Richemont Group clearly does not make your boots. I would probably not list the items again without the approval of eBay. Your eBay id could be suspended if you violate this policy again by listing these boots.
I know this is very frustrating. I wish there was something I could do to help you out.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 280206732307 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the eBay homepage). After selling for this price, I’m not sure I could bring myself to use these Fire King Salt & Pepper shakers SOLD $650.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280206732307
Here’s the scenario; a buyer from overseas won/purchased 4 items from me. He paid promptly and I gave him prompt service. After a couple of weeks, he still hasn't left me feedback. I want to know my item arrived ok and met the buyer's expectations before I leave feedback.A month later, this person purchased 5 more items. I promptly shipped the second set of items to him. I presumed he was happy with the first purchase, so I left him feedback for the first 4 items he purchased. I’m bit nervous, about these transactions. I’m sure the second set of items should have arrived by now, but still no feedback from this buyer. I checked his feedback record and see that he hasn't left feedback for other sellers either.Right now - I don't feel like giving this person any more positive feedback. He has indicated he wants to buy more of the same items from me when they become available. Frankly, I am a bit soured on doing more business with him. Are some folks just plain miserly with feedback, or what? How would you handle this?
Stingy with Feedback
Dear Stingy;
Don’t take his lack of feedback personal. Most buyers don’t understand how important feedback is to sellers. I believe your overseas buyer is of the same mind; since you've already reviewed his feedback left for others. His lack of attention to feedback shows his inexperience or perhaps he just doesn't care about leaving feedback.
If you concerned about how this buyer feels about your product and services, I would email him and ask if he is happy with the items you've sent him. When he responds to your email you'll know for sure how he feels. I really think he’s already told you how he feels by continuing to purchase from you.
Keep in mind that feedback is optional, no one is required to leave it. The fact that this buyer is continuing to buy from you should be all the feedback you need. When it comes to eBay, a buyer buying things from me, is more important than them leaving feedback. I sell stuff on eBay because I want to earn money, not gain feedback.
Dear eBay Queen;
I recently had a listing pulled because of a trademark violation by the Richemont Group who owns the luxury watch and jewelry brand, Cartier. My item was a pair of vintage boots by the shoe brand Roland Cartier. I wrote them explaining the mistake they made, and they say that even though the brands are not related, it still infringes on the jewelry brand, Cartier. The Richemont group also told me that Roland Cartier shoes are allowed only to be sold in the UK and Ireland. I have not been able to confirm this on the web. However, many other sellers from out of that territory are selling the same brand of shoes/products.
If I were to re-list the item, but pull the brand name, (because honestly, it is relatively unimportant to me in terms of selling the item,) could I still get in trouble with the Richemont Group, or get an account suspension?
Rachel
Dear Rachel;
Vero! I think that word should be considered profane. I did a preliminary search of eBay, and did not find any active listings for Roland Cartier. I did see some on the UK site, so that just might back up what you were told about where they can be sold.
At this point I would appeal to eBay by filing a Copyright Counter Notice. http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/programs-vero-ov.html I believe Cartier is abusing the system by pulling your items, because the Richemont Group clearly does not make your boots. I would probably not list the items again without the approval of eBay. Your eBay id could be suspended if you violate this policy again by listing these boots.
I know this is very frustrating. I wish there was something I could do to help you out.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 280206732307 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the eBay homepage). After selling for this price, I’m not sure I could bring myself to use these Fire King Salt & Pepper shakers SOLD $650.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280206732307
Friday, March 14, 2008
International Shipping
Dear eBay Queen;
I sold a vintage jumpsuit for $60.00 to a buyer in Great Britain. I shipped it as soon as the payment was received. Today I received this email:
"Hi, before I leave feedback I just wanted to let you know that I received my jumpsuit, thank you it’s amazing. However, I had to pay £20, (approximately $40), because the customs form had been filled out wrong. I just wanted to make you aware in case it happens again, especially if a premium has already been paid on international shipping. Thank you."
If I'm to blame, then I guess I need to reimburse her the $40. I ship internationally all the time, (not that it means I never make a mistake,) but how do I know? I looked back at my Endicia postage log, compared it to some other international transactions, and they all look exactly the same. I don’t want to just give her 40.00 if she’s taking me for a ride. I don’t like thinking she's up to something, but most of all, I hate that she started off by saying, "before I leave feedback," like I better fix this or she’s going to be leaving me negative feedback.
I guess I have to reimburse her either way, but it really burns me up. Do you have any ideas?
Bettye
Dragon Fly Vintage
Dear Bettye;
This is quite the predicament! I completely understand you want to do the right thing by the buyer and avoid negative feedback. I have a sinking suspicion this buyer is confused about duty fees. When she said “the custom form had been filled out wrong” I immediately thought someone told her if you would have marked this as a gift on the customs form she would not have had to pay duty on the package. Duty is a tax government’s assess people for buying goods outside of their own country.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_(economics)
If this were happening to me, I would contact my post office. They keep a record of all packages that go out of the country. Once they pull your customs slip, the postmaster will be able to look at your form and see if there were any discrepancies that would warrant a $40.00 charge. Once you have this information, contact your buyer and let them know what your postmaster said. I would also ask your buyer for a receipt to show how much she paid the customs office to receive her package.
If your postmaster says she was only charged for duty, I would not refund her money even if a negative feedback were in my future.
Dear eBay Queen;
I sold a book for $9.99. I shipped it media mail, and yesterday it came back to me. You can imagine my surprise when my mailman told me I had to pay $2.47 to get the book back. The post office said the address I gave them didn't exist. The buyer said her address is correct.
She still wants her book that she paid for, but if I send it out again I will be out the 5.00 on this book in postage. What would you do? Would you ship it back to her? Ask her for extra money to send it? I asked her to pay for return shipping, but she didn't want to pay any more and so I offered her a full refund. What would you do in a case like this?
Bookish Problem
Dear Bookish;
This kind of situation is very frustrating, but there is only one thing to do. Send the buyer her book and try to recoup your fees from the post office. Since the address the buyer gave you is correct, this is really a problem between you and the post office.
Contact your postmaster and let them know what happened. If your postmaster does not offer any suggestions, I would contact USPS Consumer Affairs http://www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-cam.html I can’t guarantee you will get your money back, but you might be able to get some of it back.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 160213905313 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the eBay homepage). Vintage tin toy are always popular. Check out this Lehmann Duo Rooster and Rabbit toy from 1910 SOLD $1874.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120224865722
I sold a vintage jumpsuit for $60.00 to a buyer in Great Britain. I shipped it as soon as the payment was received. Today I received this email:
"Hi, before I leave feedback I just wanted to let you know that I received my jumpsuit, thank you it’s amazing. However, I had to pay £20, (approximately $40), because the customs form had been filled out wrong. I just wanted to make you aware in case it happens again, especially if a premium has already been paid on international shipping. Thank you."
If I'm to blame, then I guess I need to reimburse her the $40. I ship internationally all the time, (not that it means I never make a mistake,) but how do I know? I looked back at my Endicia postage log, compared it to some other international transactions, and they all look exactly the same. I don’t want to just give her 40.00 if she’s taking me for a ride. I don’t like thinking she's up to something, but most of all, I hate that she started off by saying, "before I leave feedback," like I better fix this or she’s going to be leaving me negative feedback.
I guess I have to reimburse her either way, but it really burns me up. Do you have any ideas?
Bettye
Dragon Fly Vintage
Dear Bettye;
This is quite the predicament! I completely understand you want to do the right thing by the buyer and avoid negative feedback. I have a sinking suspicion this buyer is confused about duty fees. When she said “the custom form had been filled out wrong” I immediately thought someone told her if you would have marked this as a gift on the customs form she would not have had to pay duty on the package. Duty is a tax government’s assess people for buying goods outside of their own country.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_(economics)
If this were happening to me, I would contact my post office. They keep a record of all packages that go out of the country. Once they pull your customs slip, the postmaster will be able to look at your form and see if there were any discrepancies that would warrant a $40.00 charge. Once you have this information, contact your buyer and let them know what your postmaster said. I would also ask your buyer for a receipt to show how much she paid the customs office to receive her package.
If your postmaster says she was only charged for duty, I would not refund her money even if a negative feedback were in my future.
Dear eBay Queen;
I sold a book for $9.99. I shipped it media mail, and yesterday it came back to me. You can imagine my surprise when my mailman told me I had to pay $2.47 to get the book back. The post office said the address I gave them didn't exist. The buyer said her address is correct.
She still wants her book that she paid for, but if I send it out again I will be out the 5.00 on this book in postage. What would you do? Would you ship it back to her? Ask her for extra money to send it? I asked her to pay for return shipping, but she didn't want to pay any more and so I offered her a full refund. What would you do in a case like this?
Bookish Problem
Dear Bookish;
This kind of situation is very frustrating, but there is only one thing to do. Send the buyer her book and try to recoup your fees from the post office. Since the address the buyer gave you is correct, this is really a problem between you and the post office.
Contact your postmaster and let them know what happened. If your postmaster does not offer any suggestions, I would contact USPS Consumer Affairs http://www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-cam.html I can’t guarantee you will get your money back, but you might be able to get some of it back.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 160213905313 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the eBay homepage). Vintage tin toy are always popular. Check out this Lehmann Duo Rooster and Rabbit toy from 1910 SOLD $1874.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120224865722
Thursday, February 7, 2008
eBay Listing Standards?
Dear eBay Queen;
I buy lots of stuff on eBay. I've been searching for a couple of what I call, high-priced technical items. After searching for this stuff, it seems there are no standards of what is in an eBay ad. I searched everywhere on eBay and I can’t find any kind of standards on basic information to supply when selling something. What do you think of about this? Do you think there is something I can do to make this better?
Dear Standards;
You are right! There are no real standards on what a seller must include in the auction listing in order to list it on eBay. I did do a little digging and came up with this link under eBay’s Seller Central http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/bestpractices.html . It only is a guide on the best practices of how to sell on eBay.
As a seller, I like it that other sellers don’t include all the information that I include when I write up an eBay ad. It puts me in front of the pack. I completely understand as a buyer why you’d like to see some kind of standards in eBay listings. I’m not sure that eBay would be able to enforce these kinds of standards. You, as a buyer, have much more power than eBay does. You can simply not buy from that person who is not including the right information for you.
At this time, eBay is definitely a buyers market. You have your choice of sellers to buy from. When I come across a seller that is not giving me enough information in the eBay ad, I ask them a question. That usually enough of a hint to tell that seller they are not putting enough information in their ad. If you don’t receive the answers you are looking for, you can always move on to the next seller.
Dear eBay Queen;
I have a dilemma. I sold an item Tuesday night and it was paid for on Thursday with an e-Check through PayPal. The problem here is that I told the buyer if she paid me with PayPal by this weekend I'd get the package shipped to her on Monday. I'm leaving Monday for the week and I won't be back until next Sunday. Of course the payment hasn’t cleared my PayPal account yet. I promised her I would send it out, but the payment hasn’t cleared.
The buyer has a feedback of 2. She had four total with one negative for nonpayment. How does that math work? The negative cancels out a positive? She's been a member since March of 2004, but her activity only began in May of 2007. Her last transaction was June 2007. All except the negative indicate she's a good customer who pays quickly. So, what do I do? Do I write to her and tell her I’ll send it next week when I get back? Take the packed item with me and mail it when the e-Check clears or go ahead and send it today? If it were you, what would you do?
Wanda
Dear Wanda;
This is quite a predicament. You told her you’d mail it if she paid by a certain day, and she did, but the funds won’t be available until the check clears.
I think your best bet is to email the buyer and let her know what is going on. Explain to her how e-Checks are fast, but the funds are not available in your account until the check clears. I would then offer to send the item while I was away, or ask her if it is ok to send it when you get back from your trip. I’m sure your buyer will understand.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 230197327736 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page) With all the ice that has hit the Mid-West I thought it would be interesting to see what a top selling “ICE” item on eBay is going for. Check out this Vintage Opco 1950’s Ice Gun SOLD $6000. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110190385285
I buy lots of stuff on eBay. I've been searching for a couple of what I call, high-priced technical items. After searching for this stuff, it seems there are no standards of what is in an eBay ad. I searched everywhere on eBay and I can’t find any kind of standards on basic information to supply when selling something. What do you think of about this? Do you think there is something I can do to make this better?
Dear Standards;
You are right! There are no real standards on what a seller must include in the auction listing in order to list it on eBay. I did do a little digging and came up with this link under eBay’s Seller Central http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/bestpractices.html . It only is a guide on the best practices of how to sell on eBay.
As a seller, I like it that other sellers don’t include all the information that I include when I write up an eBay ad. It puts me in front of the pack. I completely understand as a buyer why you’d like to see some kind of standards in eBay listings. I’m not sure that eBay would be able to enforce these kinds of standards. You, as a buyer, have much more power than eBay does. You can simply not buy from that person who is not including the right information for you.
At this time, eBay is definitely a buyers market. You have your choice of sellers to buy from. When I come across a seller that is not giving me enough information in the eBay ad, I ask them a question. That usually enough of a hint to tell that seller they are not putting enough information in their ad. If you don’t receive the answers you are looking for, you can always move on to the next seller.
Dear eBay Queen;
I have a dilemma. I sold an item Tuesday night and it was paid for on Thursday with an e-Check through PayPal. The problem here is that I told the buyer if she paid me with PayPal by this weekend I'd get the package shipped to her on Monday. I'm leaving Monday for the week and I won't be back until next Sunday. Of course the payment hasn’t cleared my PayPal account yet. I promised her I would send it out, but the payment hasn’t cleared.
The buyer has a feedback of 2. She had four total with one negative for nonpayment. How does that math work? The negative cancels out a positive? She's been a member since March of 2004, but her activity only began in May of 2007. Her last transaction was June 2007. All except the negative indicate she's a good customer who pays quickly. So, what do I do? Do I write to her and tell her I’ll send it next week when I get back? Take the packed item with me and mail it when the e-Check clears or go ahead and send it today? If it were you, what would you do?
Wanda
Dear Wanda;
This is quite a predicament. You told her you’d mail it if she paid by a certain day, and she did, but the funds won’t be available until the check clears.
I think your best bet is to email the buyer and let her know what is going on. Explain to her how e-Checks are fast, but the funds are not available in your account until the check clears. I would then offer to send the item while I was away, or ask her if it is ok to send it when you get back from your trip. I’m sure your buyer will understand.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 230197327736 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page) With all the ice that has hit the Mid-West I thought it would be interesting to see what a top selling “ICE” item on eBay is going for. Check out this Vintage Opco 1950’s Ice Gun SOLD $6000. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110190385285
Can a Grandma Share some eBay Love ?
Dear eBay Queen;
Do you buy a lot of stuff on eBay? I would imagine you sell a lot, but do you buy a lot? I’ve seen the T.V. commercials, and I have friends that have been getting great deals on hard to find toys and gifts on eBay for Christmas. Do you think this Grandma can get a little shopping done without leaving her home?
I’ve registered as a buyer, what else should I do? Any tips?
Grandma to Many
Dear Grandma;
I do buy lots of stuff on eBay. I have been known to check eBay before buying an item in a store. I love the variety of unusual and hard to find items you find on eBay. I also enjoy the mystery and fun of bidding.
Here are a few buying tips:
1. Read the descriptions and review the photos. Sellers post descriptions about their products. They also use photos to illustrate the condition of the items they sell. Carefully read the terms to avoid unpleasant surprises like extra taxes, higher shipping costs, or a broken product.
2. Check out the sellers feedback before you buy. Negatives are ok, and can happen to the best seller. Read their feedback over to make sure your trading partner is a good one. If they have several negatives because they did not ship out the item, I would consider bidding on another item.
3. It’s good you’ve registered as a buyer. Do you have a PayPal account? https://www.paypal.com For me, PayPal is the only way to pay. I like the safety, speed and convenience of paying with PayPal. The money can come out of your PayPal account, credit card or checking account. PayPal offers buyer and seller protection, and they are a safe way to pay fast.
4. Remember your bid is binding. If you are looking for a Lego RC Car, and you find 5 of them, don’t bid on all of them, unless you want ALL of them. If you win all the auctions you bid on you are obligated to pay for them.
Good luck finding your grandchildren the perfect Christmas gift. I hope you find a few things for yourself too.
Dear eBay Queen;
My mothers reads your article every week, and told me I should write you and ask your opinion about this eBay problem I have. I only sell a few things a month. So I’m not really a big time eBay seller. I sold a vintage Nintendo game console about three weeks ago. The buyer never contacted me or paid. I filed a non-paying bidder alert on him.
He emailed me to let me know he had sent a money order. I have not received any checks or money orders from anyone in the last month. I asked him for a receipt, and he said he did not have one. What should I do? Do I give him the benefit of the doubt? Should I send it anyway? I checked out his feedback, and he has 25 positives and 2 negatives for not paying. This really isn’t the kind of person I want buying from me. What can I do to prevent this from happening again?
Johnny J.
Dear Johnny;
You have been very patient with this buyer. Waiting 4 weeks is a long time. You could block this bidder from buying from you again, http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/biddermanagement.html and you could set your buyer preferences so they exclude buyers that do not meet your requirements. This is an easy way to eliminate the riffraff from bidding on your auctions.
If this were my transaction, I would ask the buyer for a receipt for the money order again. If he doesn’t produce the receipt, and does not pay for the game console, I would follow through with the non-paying bidder process. If he produces the receipt, ask him to contact the money order company and to see if it had been cashed, and ask the name of the bank it was cashed on. That way you can see if it was your bank.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 280176616086 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page) Here’s a Christmas Classic! Have you ever wondered what an old book would sell for? Check this out. 1879 Santa Claus or The Night Before Christmas Book SOLD $2026.01 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110190385285
Do you buy a lot of stuff on eBay? I would imagine you sell a lot, but do you buy a lot? I’ve seen the T.V. commercials, and I have friends that have been getting great deals on hard to find toys and gifts on eBay for Christmas. Do you think this Grandma can get a little shopping done without leaving her home?
I’ve registered as a buyer, what else should I do? Any tips?
Grandma to Many
Dear Grandma;
I do buy lots of stuff on eBay. I have been known to check eBay before buying an item in a store. I love the variety of unusual and hard to find items you find on eBay. I also enjoy the mystery and fun of bidding.
Here are a few buying tips:
1. Read the descriptions and review the photos. Sellers post descriptions about their products. They also use photos to illustrate the condition of the items they sell. Carefully read the terms to avoid unpleasant surprises like extra taxes, higher shipping costs, or a broken product.
2. Check out the sellers feedback before you buy. Negatives are ok, and can happen to the best seller. Read their feedback over to make sure your trading partner is a good one. If they have several negatives because they did not ship out the item, I would consider bidding on another item.
3. It’s good you’ve registered as a buyer. Do you have a PayPal account? https://www.paypal.com For me, PayPal is the only way to pay. I like the safety, speed and convenience of paying with PayPal. The money can come out of your PayPal account, credit card or checking account. PayPal offers buyer and seller protection, and they are a safe way to pay fast.
4. Remember your bid is binding. If you are looking for a Lego RC Car, and you find 5 of them, don’t bid on all of them, unless you want ALL of them. If you win all the auctions you bid on you are obligated to pay for them.
Good luck finding your grandchildren the perfect Christmas gift. I hope you find a few things for yourself too.
Dear eBay Queen;
My mothers reads your article every week, and told me I should write you and ask your opinion about this eBay problem I have. I only sell a few things a month. So I’m not really a big time eBay seller. I sold a vintage Nintendo game console about three weeks ago. The buyer never contacted me or paid. I filed a non-paying bidder alert on him.
He emailed me to let me know he had sent a money order. I have not received any checks or money orders from anyone in the last month. I asked him for a receipt, and he said he did not have one. What should I do? Do I give him the benefit of the doubt? Should I send it anyway? I checked out his feedback, and he has 25 positives and 2 negatives for not paying. This really isn’t the kind of person I want buying from me. What can I do to prevent this from happening again?
Johnny J.
Dear Johnny;
You have been very patient with this buyer. Waiting 4 weeks is a long time. You could block this bidder from buying from you again, http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/biddermanagement.html and you could set your buyer preferences so they exclude buyers that do not meet your requirements. This is an easy way to eliminate the riffraff from bidding on your auctions.
If this were my transaction, I would ask the buyer for a receipt for the money order again. If he doesn’t produce the receipt, and does not pay for the game console, I would follow through with the non-paying bidder process. If he produces the receipt, ask him to contact the money order company and to see if it had been cashed, and ask the name of the bank it was cashed on. That way you can see if it was your bank.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 280176616086 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page) Here’s a Christmas Classic! Have you ever wondered what an old book would sell for? Check this out. 1879 Santa Claus or The Night Before Christmas Book SOLD $2026.01 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110190385285
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
How to be a good eBay Buyer
Dear eBay Queen;
I am very frustrated. I had company coming into town the first weekend in October. I purchased a new sheet set from a seller on October 5th. The seller shipped the item out on the same day, and I received them before the weekend. I washed the sheets, and noticed a small piece of tape residue on the fitted sheet. I desperately needed the sheets, so I let my guest sleep on them.
I contacted the seller last week to him know what happened, and ask if he would give me a refund for this sheet set. The seller emailed me back and told me I could send the sheets back for a refund as long as they were in the condition they shipped them. I don’t want to send them back; I want a refund because there is tape residue! I let the seller know this, and sent them a photo of the tape residue. This seller’s suggestion is the tape residue is from when I unpackaged the item, and I didn’t take the tape off of the sheets because it was taped to the cardboard insert. Who cares? The tape residue is still there! I want a refund for these sheets. I don’t want to send the item back!
Would you please tell me what to say to this seller to get them to realize they need to stand behind their product? I guess I am going to have to leave them a negative for this.
All Taped Up, Ottawa
Dear Taped Up;
I’m not sure there is anything that can be said to get a seller to change their refund policy. I think before I try to help you change the seller’s policy; perhaps we should change your expectations of buying. My first concern is you noticed the tape residue, but went ahead and let your guests sleep on the sheets. If this tape residue were so bad, why would you want your guests to see it or sleep on it? My second concern is the seller offered you a refund if you would return the items, but you don’t want to return them? If I read your note right, you want to keep the sheets and get a refund. My third concern is the seller offer a suggestion on how and why this tape residue was there. Could you have left the tape on from the packaging?
I’m not sure that negative feedback is warranted for this seller. They did offer you a refund if you sent the item back, but you did not want to send the item back. They shipped the sheets fast like you asked them to. Another thing to keep in mind is that this seller could give you a negative in return. So, weigh your options when thinking about leaving a negative for this transaction.
If I were the buyer of these sheets, I would let the seller know about the tape problem, and thank them for the fast shipping. My feedback for this would be positive, because I could have left that tape on, and the whole mess could be my fault. I think it is important to keep in mind that even though this is a internet transaction, there are real people involved behind the email address we are sending our complaints too. Would you return this same item to a store after using it with the same complaint?
Dear eBay Queen;
I am wondering how long I should wait for a seller to respond to a question before I send it again. I purchased a set of glasses from a woman and I need to make sure insurance is included. Do you have any suggestions?
Waiting
Dear Waiting;
I would email the seller via their email address (listed at eBay) and via eBay’s message system. If they don’t respond in 24 hours, call them. To find their contact information, go to: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQtZvbQQsofindtypeZ9 you just need their eBay id and the eBay auction number.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 220161170264 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). It’s time for a new hat! How about this one! Rare Edwardian Titanic Purple Violet Toque Hat SOLD $431.99 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250172516752
Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? E-mail: questions@asktheebayqueen.com.
I am very frustrated. I had company coming into town the first weekend in October. I purchased a new sheet set from a seller on October 5th. The seller shipped the item out on the same day, and I received them before the weekend. I washed the sheets, and noticed a small piece of tape residue on the fitted sheet. I desperately needed the sheets, so I let my guest sleep on them.
I contacted the seller last week to him know what happened, and ask if he would give me a refund for this sheet set. The seller emailed me back and told me I could send the sheets back for a refund as long as they were in the condition they shipped them. I don’t want to send them back; I want a refund because there is tape residue! I let the seller know this, and sent them a photo of the tape residue. This seller’s suggestion is the tape residue is from when I unpackaged the item, and I didn’t take the tape off of the sheets because it was taped to the cardboard insert. Who cares? The tape residue is still there! I want a refund for these sheets. I don’t want to send the item back!
Would you please tell me what to say to this seller to get them to realize they need to stand behind their product? I guess I am going to have to leave them a negative for this.
All Taped Up, Ottawa
Dear Taped Up;
I’m not sure there is anything that can be said to get a seller to change their refund policy. I think before I try to help you change the seller’s policy; perhaps we should change your expectations of buying. My first concern is you noticed the tape residue, but went ahead and let your guests sleep on the sheets. If this tape residue were so bad, why would you want your guests to see it or sleep on it? My second concern is the seller offered you a refund if you would return the items, but you don’t want to return them? If I read your note right, you want to keep the sheets and get a refund. My third concern is the seller offer a suggestion on how and why this tape residue was there. Could you have left the tape on from the packaging?
I’m not sure that negative feedback is warranted for this seller. They did offer you a refund if you sent the item back, but you did not want to send the item back. They shipped the sheets fast like you asked them to. Another thing to keep in mind is that this seller could give you a negative in return. So, weigh your options when thinking about leaving a negative for this transaction.
If I were the buyer of these sheets, I would let the seller know about the tape problem, and thank them for the fast shipping. My feedback for this would be positive, because I could have left that tape on, and the whole mess could be my fault. I think it is important to keep in mind that even though this is a internet transaction, there are real people involved behind the email address we are sending our complaints too. Would you return this same item to a store after using it with the same complaint?
Dear eBay Queen;
I am wondering how long I should wait for a seller to respond to a question before I send it again. I purchased a set of glasses from a woman and I need to make sure insurance is included. Do you have any suggestions?
Waiting
Dear Waiting;
I would email the seller via their email address (listed at eBay) and via eBay’s message system. If they don’t respond in 24 hours, call them. To find their contact information, go to: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQtZvbQQsofindtypeZ9 you just need their eBay id and the eBay auction number.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 220161170264 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). It’s time for a new hat! How about this one! Rare Edwardian Titanic Purple Violet Toque Hat SOLD $431.99 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250172516752
Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? E-mail: questions@asktheebayqueen.com.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
eBay Feedback Extortion Does Anyone Care?
Dear eBay Queen;
My husband and I are in our 50's and we run a very small eBay business called ZIP_N_SHIP selling DVDs & CDs from our home. We currently have 100% feedback from over 1,000 customers after several years at eBay. We don't make much money, but we are honest and very hard-workers.
I recently auctioned about 15 DVD's and suddenly have become a victim of Feedback Extortion, which is apparently a severe violation of eBay policy. I contacted Live Help, and sent an email to eBay. Live Help told me to report it, and I did, but I haven't heard back from anyone at eBay. There is simply no viable means to report this incident anywhere on eBay, even though I have tried several times. All responses are impersonal, computer-generated mumbo-jumbo, and I can't believe for a moment that there is not a single live human being anywhere to help me with this serious extortion violation.
Here's what happened: a big time buyer, who's feedback is PRIVATE, with several negatives attached, purchased roughly 15 DVD auction items. After he won the items, he demanded that I combine shipping costs (which was not an offered option as my shipping costs were more than fair) "or else" he will leave negative feedback for each and every transaction.
He has since written again and has further threatened that, unless we pay him real money for shipping costs, then he will leave 15 negative feedbacks on our account.
If he does this, and it seems that he will, then our small business will be ruined.
As you can see, this is clearly FEEDBACK EXTORTION, which will destroy our hard-earned feedback rating just because this man is blackmailing us for money, which was never offered to him or anyone.
He can't get away with this, can he? Do you suppose he has done this to other sellers, which is why he keeps his feedback private? Can eBay remove the feedback availability on this man's account so that he cannot leave undeserved, extortion-generated negative feedback on our eBay account?
Does eBay actually have an Investigations Team? If you can help us with some good advice or let us in on where the REAL customer service help is, we would be most appreciative, to say the least.
Kathy G. ZIP_N_SHIP
Dear Kathy;
You are right Feedback extortion is against eBay rules, and is a pretty serious violation. eBay does have an Investigations department called "Trust and Safety". Since you are an eBay PowerSeller, you will be able to receive priority email support and phone support. To get your PowerSeller support phone number go to: http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/welcome.html Log in, and you will be given the phone number and also the priority email support link.
I have had a similar problem happen to me a few years ago. I did report it via the PowerSeller phone number but I had to follow up the information with an email. eBay will want proof of the extortion. You will need to send the headers of the email and the email (hopefully sent via email messaging system) to eBay for them to follow up with it. Keep in mind if this buyer gives you 15 negatives only 1 negative will count towards your score. You will also be able to respond to each negative and leave him 15 negative feedback in return. As for this ruining your business, I do not see how it would. Most buyers out there are savvy enough to see through someone who is as disingenuous, as your buyer. His negative feedback will certainly not mean anything if he has his own feedback as "private".
Let me know how this turns out. I completely understand your frustration and anxiety with this transaction. eBay will not be able to remove his ability to give feedback, but they can remove the negatives if they find it to be feedback extortion.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 250156080764 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). If you saw this at a garage sale would you buy it? I bet the seller would have had higher bids if her terms were nicer too! Rare Creel Reyes Lightship Nantucket Basket Purse SOLD $3929.89 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250156080764
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