Navigating Price Changes and Accidental Double Listings on eBay
Summary: vinylguy_45rpm sought advice about an issue they faced on eBay: two purchases were made when they only had one item to sell, after trying to adjust the price. christworks suggested that it was likely due to a quantity error and recommended canceling one sale as 'out of stock,' advising to communicate and apologize to the buyer. vinylguy_45rpm acknowledged the advice and expressed frustration with technology, while christworks offered encouragement, sharing that such mistakes are common and manageable.
Hi everyone! I'm seeking advice on handling an unusual situation I encountered on eBay. I was in the process of lowering the price of an item I was selling when a buyer purchased it at the original, higher price. To my surprise, the item was then automatically reposted at the lower price, resulting in a second purchase—yet I only have one item to sell! My challenge now is how to handle this without affecting my seller rating since none of eBay's cancellation options seem to apply perfectly to this predicament.
Have any of you faced a similar issue? How did you resolve it without impacting your store's reputation or incurring penalties? I'd love to hear your thoughts on best practices for dealing with price adjustments, managing accidental double listings, and ensuring customer satisfaction when you've run into inventory issues. Thanks for your insights!
christworks
·2 weeks ago · Edited@vinylguy_45rpm
You didn't have a seperate listing. You had a quantity of 2 filled in on that Dolly Parton record. That's why you got a second sale. This is user error.
If you do not have a second copy, you will have to cancel one of the sales as an out of stock. There is no way around it. By policy you cannot trick the buyer into asking to cancel, and you cannot lie about the cancellation reason. Either of those will be worse than the out of stock.
Message the second buyer and apologize. Let them know you made a mistake and had 2 filled in as quantity. I don't care if you think eBay messed up, your buyer doesn't want to hear that nonsense. Just man or woman up, apologize, and let them know you will have to cancel their sale due to being out of stock. You can offer them a discount on something else in your store to help ward off any red donuts.
One out of stock won't hurt you.
Make sure to go through your listings to ensure you don't have any more quantity mistakes.
vinylguy_45rpm
OP2 weeks agoThanks probably what it was. 71 & technology at odds again.
christworks
·2 weeks ago · Edited@vinylguy_45rpm I'm sorry. If it encourages you I'm 45 and I've made the same mistake a time or two. I know it made me sick to my stomach and that I felt very dumb. I don't think age has anything to do with it. Mistakes happens. It is how we handle them that matters. You have a couple hundred listings you are trying to manage. Congrats on being 71 and doing this. I have much respect for you. I hope I make it to at least 71 and am still able to do this.
Just let your buyer know. Apologize. Cancel due to the out of stock, and I would go through the listings just to make sure the 'ole finger didn't hit the wrong button.