Pre-Sale Buyer Harrassment about not getting the free shipping

[calhounmonster]

My item number 181697060202 offers Free First Class Shipping with the option to pay for Priority Mail or Express shipping. Very standard eBay listing, most of my items are the same.
A buyer attempted to purchase my item but did not complete the order. He is claiming that he was being charged shipping at checkout, and is accusing me of all kinds of fraud, etc.
I sent him a screen shot showing the 3 shipping options and he's still harassing me.

Here's the message thread:

Buyer:
Doesnt free shipping mean free not paid for by the customer. If so whats the fraudelent shipping applyed after its in the cart. This my friend is bait and switch. Change this practice or you will be turned into not only ebay but state attn. General and doj not to mention ftc. THIS PRACTICE WILL STOP TODAY.

Me:
Within the United States, the item has 3 shipping options, one of which is the default free shipping.
See attached screen shot.

Buyer:

Then the 3 options must be made known at the time the decision is to be made, this is called FULL DISCLOSURE and that is one of the very main rules of Uniform Commercial code..nothing is to be held secret in any transaction. In fact by the very nature of your bussiness you enter into a contract every time you sell any product and all is governed by the U.C.C. Now its either "free shipping" or paid shipping not if i decide to ship it free shipping, AFTER I SOLD IT under the condition of FREE SHIPPING. Just stop this practice, its your choice....

Ps. The shipping was tacked on just before i made the purchase in the check out portion of the shopping cart. This is where it takes the shipping out not at the begainning of the process where it is to be disclosed.

So, he must have missed the step where you choose the shipping option, but the default should have been the Free Shipping.

At this point I have blocked him for rudeness and probably won't reply to him again, but my question is...

Why would he have been charged shipping in the first place??

[futuremarine2011]

maybe he missed a dose of his meds. maybe he misses them habitually

[lamber9347]

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@skeletonstore wrote:

 I can picture him buying a plum and complaining that because he didn't eat the pit he shouldn't have to pay for the weight of it.  

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I am so-o-o-o stealing this line....

[popblox]

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@skeletonstore wrote:

We should be able to report this because if we don't answer the harassment(?)even after we block them ebay thinks we're performing bad customer service.  

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Except he's not your customer, he's someone you reserve the right not to do business with. I don't think twice about those kind of messages -  just block and move on.

[lamber9347]

@calhounmonster - You handled this well. 

People who write like this buyer are people who actually have no idea how our legal justice system works. They speak hyperbole and would be shocked to learn of the reality of law in a court room. Let's say the seller purposely manipulated the system to add in shipping for another $100. This buyer thinks that the state attorney general, the DOJ, and the FTC would be interested in one person doing a bait/switch for $100 in shipping....This is the damage that reality TV has done to couch surfers....

[skeletonstore]

I'm talking about the search algorithm.  That's my only customer.  I've been trying to woo her for a long time now.  Ebay called the cops on me last night to complain I was on bended knee crooning Beegees songs outside the building that houses the Ebay servers.  😉

[calhounmonster]

Good responses on here. This is definitely one of those "do not engage" situations because you cannot win by engaging with crazy.  I knew others would get a kick out of it — I've been on eBay 20 years, this has to be the worst rant I've ever gotten, especially from someone who isn't even a customer.

[chapeau-noir]

Lawdy - this guy has a fool for a lawyer.

No, I wouldn't reply to him again, either.

[lightlily_arts]

I truly applaud your helpful responses to your potential buyer as that was quite professional despite the fact his first message was threatening with fire and brimstone.  I would have blocked the buyer immediately and forgone bothering with a response.  Anyone that threatens you is someone you don't want to do business with.

[candd205]

If you use Global Shipping Program for international sales, that might have been the global shipping charge he was seeing.

[calhounmonster]

I thought about Global Shipping, but the message said he's in Texas.

[bigdeals.etc · Accepted solution]

Let him report you to Attorney Gen, DOJ, and FTC. I'm still waiting to hear back from the Attorney Gen. for a sale I made to an angry buyer back in 2003 who said he reported me. Should be any day now.

Recently I got a negative from a buyer who said I ripped him off because I charged him more than what was advertised and demanded I refund him for the difference or else he will file a chargeback. That price difference was the shipping and sales tax that was advertised for the item. Some people just don't have a clue. I'm still waiting on that charge back.

[calhounmonster]

Ya I'm on pins and needles waiting to hear back from all of those agencies. Hahaha.

[clemowbooks]

I hope you offered to cancel his purchase immediately.

You can do this as Buyer Request with no Defects.

But he can leave feedback.

Or you can wait for 96 hours (48 since you are in the USA) open an Unpaid Item Dispute and end the transaction, giving him a Strike and stopping him from leaving feedback.

You did the right thing by Blocking and stopping communication.

[calhounmonster]

clemowbrooks, there was no purchase. He aborted the purchase.