In the last year I've built a successful ebay business from nothing. I'm very proud of that. I have 100% feedback, am Top Rated and have almost 1,500 items currently listed. I haven't even passed the one year mark. I pay a sizable amount to ebay every month and go out of my way to treat my buyers as best I can.
But I am tired of being treated like **bleep** and the system is broken.
In the l;ast 6 months I have been scammed no less than 8 times. The most common one is they get the item, claim there is something wrong with it but want a "partial refund" instead of a return. The first few I just went ahead and did, but then one that was obvious happened and I contacted ebay about it. I was told to tell the buyer to return the item, so I did. They told me they would return it but would be leaving negative feedback. I called ebay back, asked if they would protect me if I honored the return and they didn't give me a definitive answer. So I caved and did the partial refund to protect my reputation/feedback.
I've weathered the unexpected poor sales of second quarter, which I had no prior experience with but everyone seemed to agree was the worst ever, and things started to pick up recently.
But this last week I was hit twice with possibly scammers. One I am sure of and the other may be a buyer who just didn't read the description and is trying to get away with a free return.
Now, I do not do free returns. I can't afford it. The buyer pays for the return, The first buyer started a return request without contacting me and ebay automatically accepted it because they selected "Item not as described" as the reason. In their comments they say it is "trashed" and "has a large crack in the back."
The thing is, I totally described the cracks in the description and took photos of all of them. So I call ebay because they already accepted the return and explain the situation. They tell me to try and work it out with the buyer first.
OK, so I e-mail the buyer. I point out some of that damage was already on the item, so it was not as decribed, unless there was additional damage caused during shipping.
He replies almost immediately that it is "totally smashed." I message him and request pictures of the item so I can verify the damage for myself. If I can confirm it, I explain, we could probably work something out where he didn't even have to return the item.
I don't hear from him for 5 days. I think maybe I spooked the scammer off, but sure enough yesterday he messages me, totally ignoring my picture request and says he will be returning it on the 3rd, or he would take a $100 partial refund.
Now, if the item is "smashed," why would you want to throw $100 down the drain? (the item cost $200, so he'd still be paying $100 for it).
I message him and again request pictures, saying that if we were to work out a partial refund I would need proof of the damage. He responds with a rude e-mail in all caps saying "YOU SHOULD MAKE ALL YOUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY AND I AM NOT. YOU SHOULD ACCEPT ALL RETURNS."
I politely explain the return policy, my concerns and why I want pictures again. He replies "I'll send them to you right now."
So I wait and then today he sends me this message: "Absolutely. Will send pictures soon as I am ill at this time and not going outside to the other house."
So this is where I'm at. This guy is stringing me along, because he did not actually read the description before he bought the item and now wants me to pay for the return and/or get 50% off.
The other one happened over the weekend. This time it's a $440 item and I covered the shipping (almost $40, including full insurance).
I get a message from the buyer: "THE ITEM IS MADE OF WOOD! YOU SAID IT WAS EMBOSSED! TERRIBLE DESCRIPTION AND EVEN WORSE PACKAGING!!"
He includes three pictures of the packaging. The Post Office, had indeed, crushed the box, but because I wrapped the item in large bubble wrap and then plastic wrap it was protected and was undamaged. Of course, convienenctly (and intentionally), he only included pictures of the box unopened and the top of the box with just the kraft paper on top visible, not the actual bubble wrapped item.
So I message him and point out it says it's wood in the description. I also include the definition of embossed: "carve, mold, or stamp a design on (a surface) so that it stands out in relief."
The wood at the logo stood out in relief, so yes, it was embossed. I gather he assumed embossed meant metal, even though it said wood clearly.
I ask if the item was damaged in shipping, explaining I fully insured it. He replies "BY SOME MIRACLE IT WAS NOT!" So I message him asking how I can help make him happy.
"I will need to talk to some local collectors before I make my next move. Very disappointed!" he says.
Today I get a message:
"I'll definitely need a full refund. For $20 ,I can ship it back to you on my ups account fully insured. Need your address to do so and need confirmation of refund."
So you can see he's trying to do an off ebay return and wants me to refund him BEFORE he ships. I tell him, no, that he will have to do it through ebay and I also tell him that I cannot accept a return for the reason "Not as described" because it clearly as described. We go back and forth. He doesn't even address the latter part, just the part about not wanting to do it through ebay.
Finally, I get a return request for the item and, of course, it says "Not as described" even though it was and ebay automatically accepts it!
I'm so sick of this abuse and the scamming from buyers and ebay treats us sellers like dirt.
UPDATE: After the buyer of the first item e-mailed me saying they "weren't going to the other house" I sent them this:
"Okay, I am glad we can agree on that. I just want to find the best way to handle this situation and the pictures will help me determine that. Please send them as soon as you can. Thank you."
His reply: "Remember I am sick. Bud, it ain't all about U. Think about others, what is wrong with u."
What the heck? How would I even know he's sick? Maybe he's using this line to scam another ebayer as we speak.
Oh, and did I mention he wanted to send the pictures TO MY PHONE. Why wouldn't you just attach them to an ebay message?
Buyer abuse and I haven't even bought from you! That's a new one!
