How do I SPEAK to eBay Agent NOT A.I Chat
I'm having an Issue with a Buyer. They initially messaged they wanted a Refund. NOW, they seem to want to Keep the items but left Negative Feedback. I have offered Full Refund upon return of the unacceptable items Lot of 25 figurines. Their communication seems Emotionally Triggered, and comments are inappropriate. I would like to Speak Verbally to an Agent or Representative of eBay, but can't seem to get passed A. I. Chat.
26 comments
krazzykats
·4 months agoScroll to the bottom of the page and click on Contact Us.
Then browse through the AI section until you can choose the option to have an agent call you.
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krazzykats
·4 months agoEach figurine should have been wrapped individually to prevent them from rubbing or bumping into one another.
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meme6253
·4 months agoYou were Very careless in the way you packaged that order, This one is on you,nothing a Rep. would do for you if you even could contact one, Sometimes we need to learn some tough lessons, This is one of those times for you.
kensgiftshop
·4 months agoIf you packed the items like that, the negative will probably stay.
broto_64
·4 months agoHmmm, I have read both sides of the argument and I believe it is going to be hard for you to prove what the buyer said isn't true. Mind you I am not saying your side of the story isn't true, I am saying you're telling one story and the buyer another. Unfortunately that makes this a case of your word vs the buyer's, and here ebay is always going to take the buyer's side.
Interesting as well, the buyer refused to accept the offer of returning the items for a refund. This was not a $5 or $10 item, not even $20, it cost that buyer well over $100... I personally would've absolutely sprang for a return, this however is not an argument that would mitigate the negative since it is truly the buyer's choice whether to return something and/or leave less than positive feedback.
As for the reply to the feedback, while I certainly understand your point of view, if I may remind you the reply isn't something most of the members who left the negative in the first place will ever come back to read. It is however something that future buyers may peruse, and thus our replies to negative / neutral feedback are more of an opportunity to shine in front of future buyers than anything else. Perhaps one of the biggest issues with replies is that once we click that button we can not go back and edit the reply, so we must think carefully, again keeping in mind that 99% of the time the reply will be viewed only by future buyers (and often before they buy, future buyers who do this use feedback to determine if they should buy from you).
That said I have found it best to simply apologize profusely and continue to offer a full refund for the return of the item(s). Once I've done that there is not much else doing, I will say I would likely and carefully consider what some other members here have pointed out in terms of packaging and shipping.
toddsplace
OP4 months agoThe Buyer has now initiated a Refund/Return Request, much to my approval. Do note, though, in review of the 24 pictures Originally shown in the Listing, I realize ALL but one of the items "damaged" were shown to be Damaged. My listing notes " See pix for Overall Condition and Contents". I did show the most obvious damaged ones, but the others had "minor" chips and breaks, which I didn't view as "unaccpetable". Obviously, that was a poor assessment on my part. Thank you for your input.
inhawaii
·4 months agoThis is very simple.
You don't need ebay.
The buyer can start a return through ebay.
It is the buyer's responsibility to get the item back to you where ever the item may be now.
If/when you get the item back, refund.
If you don't get the item back, no refund.
As far as the negative feedback goes, explain yourself the best you can, which you already did.
Ebay may or may not remove it.
There is a way to request removal online.
Good luck.
itsjustasprain
·4 months agoAll that is technically true - but the buyer photos show some items broken that appear undamaged in the listing photos. The most obvious example is the elephant that arrived with its trunk broken off. The seller should try to negotiate a refund to cut his losses here. With suitable apologies he might be able to get the buyer to agree to a feedback revision.
inhawaii
·4 months agoI agree.
I always say ... i'll always consider doing a partial refund if it costs me less than a return.
I'm not a big believer in feedback revisions mostly because they almost never happen.
toddsplace
OP4 months agoI can live with the Negative Feedback; after almost 30 years of selling on eBay, I've come to realize you can't please every Buyer. I offered full refund upon return of the Lot of 25 figurines. Apparently, the Buyer wants to keep the Lot and get a Refund too.
mamacassidy
·4 months ago@toddsplace said: "I can live with the Negative Feedback; after almost 30 years of selling on eBay, I've come to realize you can't please every Buyer. I offered full refund upon return of the Lot of 25 figurines. Apparently, the Buyer wants to keep the Lot and get a Refund too."
Then there's no reason to speak to a representative. All of this is automated. If they open a return and send the item back, you issue a full refund. If they don't open the return or send the items back, you don't. They can't have it both ways.
The option to offer a partial refund it completely up to you. I personally have issued partial refunds when part of an order arrived damaged, but again, that is totally up to you.
a_c_green
·4 months agoI've been following this thread with some interest, because in my buying account I frequently buy bulk lots of multiple vintage parts or pieces, and over the years I've received more than a few partially-damaged shipments like this.
While I am really unhappy to receive vintage pieces that got broken in transit, I also don't want to give up the rest of the lot that survived the trip and which I wanted to buy in the first place. I find that a carefully worded message (and not simply opening a Not As Described case immediately), and maybe a photo or two, will usually yield a partial refund for the damaged pieces.
I've found that sellers of bulk lots in general don't want the stuff back anyway. It's more a matter of clearly documenting the damage for them, and the problem gets settled.
mamacassidy
·4 months ago@a_c_green
Yes, I agree with you completely. I had an instance where I shipped a set of 12 dishes of varying shape and size. When the package arrived, one of the dishes had broken. The buyer sent me a message with a photo and I immediately offered a partial refund if she wanted to keep the rest. Of course, if she wanted to return them all, she could. But I was very happy to give the partial and not have to deal with the return and/ or re-selling them.
Unless the broken item is the main component or the most valuable part, I think most buyers would accept a partial refund and still want to keep the rest.
Now on the other hand, if they are demanding a full refund (or an unfair percentage refund), I would just tell them to go ahead and open a return. The OP keeps saying "the buyer wants to keep the lot and get a refund too", so I'm not sure exactly which situation is happening here.
toddsplace
OP4 months agoI offered a Full Refund upon return of the Lot of 25 figurines. It seems the Buyer wants to keep the lot and get a full refund too.
itsjustasprain
·4 months agoTHAT was your packaging of 25 ceramic figurines? All stuffed loose into a Ziplok bag? For $152 + Shipping? Regardless of what kind of language the buyer used in messaging you definitely earned your Neg in this case.
Rather than trying to get the whole lot back - which will probably arrive with even more breakage unless the buyer puts more effort into packing than you did - it would be better in this case to negotiate a refund that he will accept and let him keep the surviving pieces.
toddsplace
OP4 months agoThank you for your opinion. There was more protective packaging Not Shown in pix
dhbookds
·4 months agoAsk for an agent in chat....they are going to tell you to tell the buyer to open a case and return for refund.
BUT if they see that picture, I'll make a wild guess and say they will refund (from your funds) and charge you with a defect for not handling the situation.
Did you really mail those 20+ ceramic items in a plastic bag with no protection? If so, I'd refund them and let them keep the items to save my account.......The neg is deserved.
just my opinion
toddsplace
OP4 months agoThank you for your opinion. There was more protective packaging Not Shown in pix.
dhbookds
·4 months agoWere they put into that bag? and padding around it?
grann-4629
·4 months agoThank you for staying around. Where is the pix showing more protective packaging? That might be useful in your case.
toddsplace
OP4 months agoExactly. and technically in my defense, of 24 pictures posted, Only one figurine she posted as damaged was in fact broken. All the others were shown in several pictures with chips, breaks, and missing parts. In my description I note "See pix for Overall Condition and Contents". Thank you for your input.
tobaccocardyahoo
·4 months agoNo additional external packaging will remedy the fact that these items were shipped together in a baggie.
You earned the negative, and your response to it makes it clear that the buyer was more restrained than he needed to be.
Your response is a warning to all future buyers which goes beyond the negative.
This buyer has 21 days to file an INAD claim, so don't think that you have ducked the bullet. He has even longer to file a credit card dispute.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months agoYou're wasting your time. Nothing a rep could do if you could talk to one.
Your reply mentions nothing about how you packed the items, so you should just use this as a learning lesson. Protect the Breakable!
toddsplace
OP4 months agoThank you for your opinion. There was more protective packaging Not Shown in pix.
inhawaii
·4 months ago"There was more protective packaging Not Shown in pix."
Every seller/shipper who has ever had something arrive broken claims it was packaged well.
Bottom line ... if it arrived broken it wasn't packaged well.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months ago@toddsplace Good thing you stated that in your reply to the feedback.