Buyer cancellations

[bigdeals.etc]

Are buyer cancellations totally on the rise for you guys during this holiday season? They seem so for me. It's as if Paypal is hiring peons to buy your stuff on ebay then filing cancellations.

On a side note, here is one flaw I never expected (probably because of recent policy changes) for offering Express Mail options. An experienced buyer nonetheless (over 500 buyer feedback) sees my listing and messages me why the Express Mail shipping is so expensive. Minutes later, she buys the item with paid Express Mail shipping. Hours later she messages me outraged at the price she paid for the shipping and demands a cancellation.

Paypal---> Ka-ching! You have to wonder why they even decided to purchase knowing the shipping price was high for her.

[bigdeals.etc]

I've been hornswaggled! How do I know you're not doing some sort of reverse reverse psychology jedi mind trick?

[southern*sweet*tea]

This is the internet, nothing is real, we're all bots. This is a recording.  ::beep::

[upgradedendmills]

Usually, it is just a NPB. I have had bidders and buyers try to negotiate after a sale, but not very often. At this time of the year I don't really care if I get sales or not. Too easy for someone to make a faux purchase and return or demand refund later. Earlier this week I went through my current listings and deleted any that were directly related to Christmas or gift giving to avoid problems.  Most of my items are task related for machinists and have a slow but steady sales history that doesn't depend on holidays or seasons. 

[upgradedendmills]

I am a real person and think you are too!!!!!

[mam98031]

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@bigdeals.etc wrote:

Good point. Shifting the blame to someone else. I think you're right.

And yes, bad position indeed. Thus is ebay

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Again, Ebay does plenty of things that I think are wrong and need adjustments.  But blaming Ebay for something they didn't cause or create does no one any good.  To fix any problem you have to understand what the source of the problem is.  And the source of the problem was NOT EBAY.  It was your buyer.

Any additional costs you experience due to how you decide to handle this situation is again NOT EBAY's fault.  If you do a cancellation you will get Ebay fees back, if you decide to do a partial refund, you can call Ebay and get your fees back.  The costs come from PP as you can't get those fees refunded.

Placing blame where blame does not belong does NOTHING to gain a better understanding of the problem at hand nor the best way to deal with it.

[bigdeals.etc]

To clarify I meant the buyer is shifting the blame to ebay when probably they overlooked.

And I'm referring to that's how the ebay marketplace is nowadays where buyers are allowed to do this kind of thing. For instance if this was a buyer within my own ecommerce, you can bet there'd be actually some consequence for the buyer here, probably in the form of a fee retained (much like how Paypal keeps fees now too).

If you give a chimp a gun, and the chimp shoots someone... you don't blame the chimp. You blame the guy who gave the chimp a gun.

[jeweloftheheart]

It certainly seems suspicious. 

Just when Paypal started keeping the fees,

I received 8 or 9 payments over a period of 3 months from complete strangers to my email address by the person clicking on "send money for goods".  I had to keep refunding them and calling Paypal to refund my fees until I finally found a representative who told me how to block those types of payments.

I had to go in to Paypal, under settings go to "Payment preferences",  go to "block payment" and click on update, then scroll down to "Initiate payments from the “pay anyone” subtab of the Send Money tab", and put a check mark next to it.

You have to un-check that box temporarily if a family member is sending you money as family and friends, then re-check it when you have received the money.

I think that once eBay is completely done with Paypal  processing their payments that eBay will be a more secure place.

[pjcdn2005]

How would a complete stranger have your email address and why were they sending you money?

[reallynicestamps]

@mam98031 

You could do a partial refund and then ship via the method the buyer wants. Unfortunately you have those pesky fees

The partial refund should not include the fees that were incurred by the seller for the buyer's mistake.

If the difference in postage is $10 and the non-refundable fee for $10 is $0.29 then the refund to the buyer is $9.71.

[mam98031]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

@mam98031 

You could do a partial refund and then ship via the method the buyer wants. Unfortunately you have those pesky fees

The partial refund should not include the fees that were incurred by the seller for the buyer's mistake.

If the difference in postage is $10 and the non-refundable fee for $10 is $0.29 then the refund to the buyer is $9.71.

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Thanks.  I was talking about those pesky PP fees that will not be refunded.  I should have stated that more clearly.

[jeweloftheheart]

That is what I asked, "how would a complete stranger have your email address and why were they sending you money"? I have been selling for 14 years and never had this happen until Paypal started keeping the fees. No one has the answer, however, Paypal has my email address...........  😉

[uncseniorsportsfan]

In my first 19 years on ebay I never had a buyer cancellation - in the past six months I have had three.   I don't think it has anything to do with the holiday season - it is all about eBay showing buyers the same item (or a very similar one) from other sellers when they check out and afterwards as other things they might be interested in.  .  

[bigdeals.etc]

Very good point here. Can buyers help it if a more enticing carrot is dangled in front of them with no real consequence?