Can I vent just a little?

[mysistersclosetbyanita]

I sold a new with tags,  Diane Von Furstenburg silk dress.  As I often do before listing,  I search Ebay to see if there are other identical or close to items running.   I like to see other selllers perspective on an item.   Another seller had an identical dress that they listed MSRP $345,  and that it had a missing sash.   I wasn't aware that the sash was missing on this dress, but they were identical in pictures so I was glad to get this information and to include it in my description. 

Otherwise,  it was a stunning dress.   The other seller had hers listed for $65.   I listed mine for $50.00.   It had been up for awhile when a buyer offered $30.00.   I relunctantly took the offer,  but I'm from the old school opinion of,  a bird in hand is worth three in the bush.

I ship the dress,  and yesterday she writes me with several issues .   She said the hem had been altered.  She said several of the snaps at the bodice were loose,  and that it had a huge snag.   I go over my items with a fine tooth comb and I knew this was wrong,  but I will not argue.   I just said,   I am sorry to hear this.   I told her to send a return request and ship it back.

She comes back with she wants to get a reduced rate.   She wants to keep it for $10.   I say I cannot do that.   I tell her I will accept $20 and she can keep the dress.   She then says,  well negative feedback is on it's way!   She went on to say why did I have a $345 dress for sale for $50?  Why did I accept $30?   I explained how that I had researched the dress and I knew the sash was missing and plainly stated that in the description.   Her messages became increasing mean. 

I told her I had done all I could do in the matter and why would she threaten me with a negative?  She kept saying stuff like I should check my items and not send out stuff with so many flaws.    I asked her why she wanted to keep the dress if it indeed had so many flaws?

I began to check her out and saw she too was a seller and had several dresses listed.  It hit me  what she was doing.    She had bought this DVF dress, new with tags at a huge bargain.   It was also free shipping.  She then contacted me with a litany of flaws.   She offers to keep the dress for a pittance,   because she wants to resell it.    I was stunned.    So I wrote her telling her what my suspicions were.   Of course she denied it and again was hateful saying I just sent out bad items.     Again,  I said  send a return request, send the dress back for a refund.   Finally,  hours after all this started,  she did send the request and I accepted it.   I think she realized I was on to her scheme and if indeed she tried to list the dress I would know. 

I shudder to think the condition this dress will return in.   So far she's not left a negative for me.  If she does,  I will have to live with it.  So is the life of an Ebay seller.   :)

[partial*eclipse · Accepted solution]

You  do NOT hve to live with a neg from this buyer.  eBay will probably remove it if you present them with the email that threatened a neg if you didn't accede to her ridiculous demands ("She wants to keep it for $10.   I say I cannot do that.   I tell her I will accept $20 and she can keep the dress.   She then says,  well negative feedback is on it's way!").  eBay has strong opinoins about feedback extortion!

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-extortion.html

https://pages.ebay.com/help/feedback/questions/remove.html

Also, be sure to  put her on your blocked-bidder list.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/manage_bidders_ov.html#block

[mysistersclosetbyanita]

Thank you!  Yes,  I know Ebay will most likely remove the neg if she leaves one,  and I will call them.   I'm beginning to think she's not going to do it since so far she hasn't.   This all occurred yesterday.  

[keat-suss]

I'm so sorry that happened to you, but good for you for checking out her items and figuring out what she probably is doing to other buyers!  I think you handled it exactly right by telling her to open a return request and you would happily refund when you got the item returned.  And good for you for keeping your correspondence above board (and through ebay).  Here's hoping you receive the return in good condition quickly so you can sell it to someone who really wants it!

[mysistersclosetbyanita]

Thank you! I was almost amusing that she was so derogatory about the dress, yet she wanted to keep it. She gave herself away by that. I mean if an item has that many issues wouldn't you just want to return it and get your money back? I haven't heard anything else out of her.

[luannkelly]

Thanks for posting this. I had a similar, but not as bad, situation not too long ago regarding a silk Jones New York dress. It was returned and is back in my closet. I'll keep it.
Anyway, its a reminder that not only is a bird in the hand better than two in the bush, but another old saying is 'the devil is in the details'. I made up my own version with buyers and offers too, the devil is in the 'fine print'. In my short two year experience, it has been the low-ballers that give me the biggest headaches. I'm learning to just say no, politely. 🙂

[folorist]

Looking forward to hear if eBay actually protects your feedback as the buyer stated in writing negative feedback is on its way unless you refund most of the $ PLUS she gets to keep dress.

my only neg/neutral so far is from zero feedback person which appears to have just signed up to leave feedback, as the package was undeliverable as addressed.

[landyinc]

I am dealing with a similar issue. My buyer stated the package was opened and a part was missing. I packed and shipped the item brand new sealed in the box. So I will have no choice but to refund the buyer. In recourse, I placed that buyer on my blocked buyer list which prevents him from ever purchasing an item from me again.

[crossra]

landyinc, you should tell her to file a claim with the post office after all it has insurance up to 50.00 and yes this has happened to me several times so now I take alot of pictures before I ship something off like that, I take a picture of the item im sending before its wrapped and of the packaging of each piece and when and how I seal the box so I have proof that it was well protected.That has saved me a many of times. save your emails and send them in if she decides to write negative feedback on you, and you do not have to refund her money if the description you gave of the dress is correct. let her file a case on you and present pictures of the dress and the description you gave but be percise of returns you can look at my return policy, and you can borrow if you like it. Sorry you had a bad experience.

[tenbiksewingembroideryitems]

If the package was opened then why didn't you fle a claim with USPS?

[plumbingspecials]

I hope you reported her for all of her violations!

[callahanmagic]

@mysistersclosetbyanita

Grateful a PM on name of said buyer. 

Will too put on our BBL.

-

1) did your homework on dress + buyer

2) courage to call buyer out

3)  while remain professional without name callings in your 

email exchange 

4) do continue to stay professional with no name callings -

give buyer enough rope to hang self - let her rant be your 

ammunition against her shenigans.

-

Lucas

*still rollin' with the punches*

[postingid2017]

I learned this years ago (from the boards BTW) when I was actively selling . . . please return for refund.  This was before eBay had the return shipping paid via Seller and my buyer finally got it.  It took a while (like three (3) months), but she finally left me alone. 

Her problem was as follows:  first, her proxy bid was inching up.  The auction was ending that day, and she wanted me to "cancel" her bid.  I told her that she could do that, but I think that she did not want the bid retraction on her record.  Then she wins - great. NOT : scream:  The following day (which was a Sunday), she pays and proceeds to give me shipping instructions (how she wanted it packed), and to ship it to her place of employment, okay good because that what was on the PP address.  I pack up the dress, nearly to her "instructions," because that is how I ship anyway.  Later that evening, she asks where did I get the dress from because she knew the designer "personally."  I did not tell her the exact truth because it is/was none of her business. 

She gets the dress and I "measured" wrong and would I pay for alterations by a tailor of her choice.  And if the alterations did not work, can she return it?  NO WAY!  I explained that if the dress was altered, I would not accept the return - weeks/months of the same.  She tried her best to get me to comply with her wishes, I kept it as professional as I could, and every email conversation ended with, please return for a full refund and do not have it altered.  Finally, one morning, I was pulling into the parking lot where I worked and it repeated it one more time, please return for full refund and do not alter or there will be no refund.  Then I blocked her number.  That was the only way that I got rid of her, I blocked her number on my cell phone.  Sorry for the Novella LOL, but this is what I did or had to do.  

[missjen831]

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@crossra wrote:

landyinc, you should tell her to file a claim with the post office after all it has insurance up to 50.00 and yes this has happened to me several times so now I take alot of pictures before I ship something off like that, I take a picture of the item im sending before its wrapped and of the packaging of each piece and when and how I seal the box so I have proof that it was well protected.That has saved me a many of times. save your emails and send them in if she decides to write negative feedback on you, and you do not have to refund her money if the description you gave of the dress is correct. let her file a case on you and present pictures of the dress and the description you gave but be percise of returns you can look at my return policy, and you can borrow if you like it. Sorry you had a bad experience.

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Bad advice @crossra.insurance protects the seller! Not only is it bad customer service to tell the buyer to file the insurance claim, it's also plain stupid because the buyer is covered by the MBG and can easily file a case and get a refund from the seller PLUS collect the insurance! The seller needs to file the insurance and refund the buyer. 

[crossra]

Maybe it is or maybe it isnt I give great customer service to my buyers, I try to work with the buyers, for a resolution, but if they say it was broken or damaged after It left my hands after I know I went the extra mile, and I do to make sure that it is packed extremly well then it falls within the post offices handling of that package and I do agree on one thing you said and that is to file the case and have the money sent to them but they have to present proof that it was damaged. That is why I started taking pictures of the way I package my shipments because I have had to use them as proof that it was in fact the way the package was handled after it has left my hands.