Hi @suavepenguin
I don’t find enough information in the message to determine the intent of the sender. So, as a matter of course, i would take it at face value and politely reply.
New buyers are good for the health of the platform and therefore i treat them as i would any customer: as a valued trading partner.
A few advocate the use of snarky replies, but showing basic courtesy when answering any shopper’s enquiry has served my interests well. My main goal is to sell my items, so my choices/actions are geared to support that effort. Courtesy enables smoother transactions. Emotions like fear, suspicion and lack of patience do not (though completely understandable to have such feelings under the circumstances).
It’s good to be cautious—and it is helpful to temper it with common sense, because it’s true that we sellers take a risk of loss in every transaction. But rather than fearing every sale, pre-planning can help to mitigate some of the liability we face.
Actions like a) learning all the policies that govern the platform, b) having “cookie jar” insurance, c) setting up one’s Buyer Requirements to their strictest levels, and d) determining one’s risk tolerance prior to listing the item, could possibly minimize our threat of losses.
e) Having a more buyer-friendly return policy may also lessen risk. Free returns are not for everyone, but i have offered them for many years (and follow eBay Best Practices) to maintain my seller metrics, and hopefully to prevent an unhappy customer from opening a case.
We sellers are at a disadvantage when it comes to the Money Back Guarantee. The buyer will always have his interests protected by eBay—and often done so at the seller’s expense. That’s the risk we all are at the mercy of.
Wish you much smoother sailing ahead.
