People, man.
Summary: quadcitypickers discussed frustrations with recent e-commerce transactions, mentioning a negative review for an electronic item they sold due to what they suspect is user error. They also shared the annoyance of a buyer canceling an alternator purchase shortly after buying. pickapaper critiqued the listing's clarity, pointing out inconsistencies between "brand new" and "open box" descriptions. Several participants shared similar experiences with uninformed buyers and discussed the challenges of responsibility and customer service in online sales. Other sellers suggested focusing on niche markets or adjusting prices to mitigate return risks, while emphasizing the unique challenges and benefits of online selling compared to traditional retail.
Sold a new electronic item, buyer claims it don't work. Half the time electronics don't work it's user error.
Told them to contact the manufacture and if it does not indeed work, file an INAD return as I stand by what I sell.
They did neither and negged me.
Sold an alternator later today. 30 minutes later I get a cancel..."Found one in store".
I was so mad, like seriously you didn't think to check beforehand?
Things always happen in 3's, waiting for what the third one will be.
baydealz
·Sep 6, 2026 at 10:45 PM · EditedThe third will be that clutch you have being sent out,an INAD filed and their old broken clutch sent in return, and not much you can do. eBay was a gold mine for DIY fixers like us and my friends, but due to the dishonesty in society and eBay's feeble attempt to be Amazon (on sellers' backs), it is now an ecommerce platform. Accept 25-50% BS and increase your prices to reflect or move on like me. Maybe we can get enough of us to start a Shopify site or something. There is a need and demand, but ebay is not the answer. Regarding the cancelation, let those go, it's frustrating, but not as much as them waiting till you send out and filing a claim, or worse, purposely breaking it to show in photos of 'condition you hid,' then getting their money back and you being out the cash AND the part. You are at risk, my friend.
bolensparts-360
·Sep 6, 2026 at 1:02 PMThis is why I removed about 90% of my higher dollar and electrical items off ebay and just sell on my site , 13 years of business 99.9% of all the problem buyers and "issues" are always on ebay.
inhawaii
·1 month ago · EditedYou never tell a customer to contact the manufacturer.
They bought it from YOU.
They expect YOU to make it right.
*****************************************
Look on the bright side.
Be thankful they canceled the alternator sale BEFORE you sent it.
christworks
·1 month agoBuyers do not have to go to the manufacture for help. Absolutely nowhere does eBay require this. It is your responsiblity to assist them or take the item back. If you can't or won't do that, the solution is simple: Don't sell electronics. But then, what would you find next to complain about?
Cancellations: eBay does not require you to cancel orders. You can decline to cancel and ship the order.
adamcartwright
·1 month agoI had a buyer complain that the DVDs he bought didn't play on his CD player.
inhawaii
·1 month agoHave him contact the manufacturer. 😉
adamcartwright
·Sep 6, 2026 at 10:06 PMI just ignored it because it was months after the purchase, but I could have, seeing as they were new in sealed packaging.
krazzykats
·1 month agoSome manufacturers won’t honor warranties for items bought on eBay unless they were sold by an authorized distributor.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 month agoContacting the manufacturer when one buys an item which is DOA is not the responsibility of the buyer. After the Ebay MBG expires, it is.
Cancelling before an item has shipped is far more common than sellers who get lots of those request would like. But comes with being in mail order retail.
Retail is a fundamentally annoying business unless one has a boutique or niche business with customers who share the owner's appreciation of the merchandise.
Being old and having modest financial goals for my Ebay sales, I can limit my offerings to items which appeal to people who I actually like, and we treat each other with respect. I consider myself among the more fortunate of Ebay sellers in that respect.
I have buyers who have purchased from me on different venues at different times who find me based on the types of products I offer. I never use the same SellerID or store name on different venues. And sometimes they guess before they buy and see my name, and sometimes they are surprised.
mam98031
·1 month ago@pickapaper Brings up a great point on the keyboard.
As for the second situation, just cancel it using the reason that the buyer requested the cancellation, relist it and move on. Selling on the internet has its own set of issues with buyers. Fortunately for all of us, the vast majority of transactions go through without a problem, otherwise there would be no reason for us to be here.
But don't forget, while the problems are different, selling in a Brick & Mortar is no walk in the park either.
quadcitypickers
OP1 month agoIt's just crazy to me I spent about 10 years helping my dad at flea markets around the state.
Know how many times someone bought something, walked around and went "ya know, I don't really want this after all".
None.
I've bought oodles of stuff online. Never once asked to cancel. I just don't get why buyers can be so wishy washy.
mam98031
·1 month agoWelcome to Internet Selling. It isn't always fun, but as I stated before, the vast majority of the sales go off without any issues. And the perks of being able to work from home is fantastic.
baydealz
·Sep 6, 2026 at 10:51 PMThey were trained immproperly. Mainly due to Amazon and Costco, so since eBay is trying to compete with them they have shifted all satisfaction to the buyers. But Costco and Amazon budget for that and get the benefit of brand loyalty. eBay has no risk as they shift that risk to us sellers, not a bad gig. Don Corleone would be impressed.
pickapaper
·1 month agoRegarding the keypad you got the neg for, you said in the condition that it was "brand new, unopened, etc." but clear down at the bottom of your listing under description, you have typed in "open box". Which is it?
If you are selling open box items, there is always a chance they might not work. And if indeed you do stand behind what you sell, as you say, why would you tell the buyer to contact the manufacturer, especially if this was an open box item?
quadcitypickers
OP1 month agoMost of the time "something doesn't work", it is operator error.
So if they return it, then usually been used, scratched, etc and missing pieces, which then lowers the resale value significantly. Some items are worth only 30% used vs new/ob.
ten_o_nine
·1 month ago@quadcitypickers Most of the time "something doesn't work", it is operator error.
===
I had a few chronograph watches returned because buyers didn't know how to use them.
grann-4629
·1 month agoSome of the instructions in those products, that have been converted from Chinese to German to French and then to 'English' are very hard to understand, and you have to fold them out like an old road map to find the little part in English.