Suggestions on how to deal with problem Buyer
I sold an item yesterday to a buyer around 10am. At noon they message me to 'Please ship my item'
I replied that I had until the 19th to ship out their item (sent a screenshot) and that the payment was still processing but I would ship out their item today (saturday)
They reply that they have called ebay and the payment has cleared. And that I won't be paid until I ship the item and it's delivered (i know this is not true as I get paid daily) and to please ship their item
Tonight they message me again stating item shows it has not been shipped yet. asking if I am going to hold the item until the 19th because I can. and tells me again the payment has cleared.
I did ship the item but the worthless USPS didn't pick up any of my packages today!
I'm tempted to just refund and take a negative because after 20 years of doing this I just know this buyer will either open a return or leave a negative anyway!
sextons-sweet-deals
·3 years agothis is a red flag for me and a mess for both sides.
Sounds like you were buying time stating the payment was still in process. Manage Payments does not work that way.
You stated: I did ship the item, but the worthless USPS didn't pick up any of my packages today! That should mean you bought and printed a shipping label that should automatically upload tracking and show as shipped even if the USPS may not have possession for a day or two, it shows shipped.
for the buyer to state: They reply that they have called ebay and the payment has cleared. And that I won't be paid until I ship the item and it's delivered (i know this is not true as I get paid daily) and to please ship their item. Sounds like harassment.
Your call but sounds like a bad buyer. Did you review their profile and all feedback? Google map their address.
If you still have the package, you need to decide yourself what to do.
Cancel and block buyer?
Upload tracking# if not done yet.
ship and deal with buyers' future possible claims?
ship with signature required to prove delivered.
ms.rodriguez*
·3 years agoI would never tell a buyer that I have until X date to ship. They want their item in the postal system within seconds of paying. I would have told the impatient buyer the following , Dear Buyer, thank you for your payment . I am going to ship on X when I get home. I am on a mini holiday and I don't let my spouse/kids ship. Thank you.. That is it. This buys you an extra day or two if you need it.
Now, the post office did not pick up on Saturday. The buyer does not know that. Tell them that you put it in the mailbox and the carrier picked it up late and it will most likely be scanned on Monday. Again, thank them for their payment. Don't assume that they are bad. Maybe just impatient. Perhaps the item was for a child that is driving them nuts for the package. Do NOT refund.
I don't know if you were the person that I responded to yesterday who did not get their packages picked up 2 consecutive days. If you are not that person, my advice is the same. Go to that post office on Monday and speak with a supervisor. The carriers are supposed to pick up any mail in the mailboxes . That is part of their job and this particular carrier must be educated.
bauble-babes
·3 years agoYou may want to try this in the future:
Immediately after each sale, I send my buyers a Thank You note and inform them as to when the item will be shipped. That takes all the guess work out of the equation and my buyers appreciate it.
sin-n-dex
·3 years agoYou're going about it all wrong.
Just tell them you'll ship at the earliest opportunity. Don't talk to them about payments or anything, they don't need to know.
I've had a few "ship my item immediately" customers. For the most part, how I've replied calms them down and they relax for a few days until their item gets to the post office in Niagara NY (because I'm in Canada and items have to be transported across the border).
I think in the past few years, I only had one guy that was jumping up and down throwing a hissy fit, so I gave him my private courier tracking info (that takes the package to the US), and that seemed to work. He ended up leaving a positive.
Telling a buyer how long you have to ship suggests you might hold the package that long. They don't need to know how long you have, they just want to know when it's going to happen.
C.
ed8108
·3 years agoBuyer paid, you ship, the end
m60driver
·3 years agoYou only need to ship out within your noted shipping time but you need not wait for the payment to clear Ebay's processing of the funds. That step, funds being released from processing, is unrelated to shipping.
rwinter7
·3 years agoAs was mentioned by another seller on another similar subject , its only business , don't take it personally. This buyer may or may not be a problem. Hard to say what his motivation is , maybe they are really nice and have had problems before and are simple worriers. And maybe they are simply nuts. Neither of these scenarios are your problem. When I receive messages that I perceive as a possible problem in the works I go straight to "Feedback Left For Others" , if the screen lights up bright red you may have a habitual problem. Unfortunately eBay doesn't leave you an easy out. You can cancel as out of stock and refund but you take a hit for that and risk a possible negative feedback. We are pretty much forced to deal with some people that are habitual problems. I would probably cancel and block but that may not be the best move. We promise 3 day shipping as a cushion but 99% of the time ship in 1 or sooner. Everything has to go, we see no reason to delay. I print a pick list every morning , before I do anything I look up EVERY buyers "Feedback Left For Others", this alerts me to possible issues well in advance of a problem developing. Then the ball is in your court, cancel and move on, ship immediately if that seems to be their biggest issue. Sometimes I will upgrade to 2 day and absorb the difference if I think this will result in a happy customer. Or if it looks like you tangled with a bad buyer get on the phone and call eBay , explain your concerns , get the agents name and do whatever they suggest. At least you can't be faulted for not trying to do right. Sorry to ramble , bad buyers are a real sore spot with me. Good luck.
simply-the-best-for-you
·3 years agoI am rarely on the cancel/block train, but I am with this one. This sounds like someone who is trying to weirdly pressure you. The whole thing sounds very strange to me. First they tell you you won't get paid til it's been shipped, which as you know is untrue, then they tell you payment has cleared & they called Ebay? Very suspicious. US Buyer? What does the buyer's history look like?
If you decide to complete it, I would tell them the PO didn't pick up & is closed on Sunday & it will ship MOnday. My pickups don't happen half the time either 😞 I'd be very suspicious of this one. At least in my demographic of buyers, this would be very strange & alarming behavior. Enough to make me think they are a scammer of some sort. Different categories attract different types of buyers though.
sin-n-dex
·3 years agoThat conversation with a buyer never should have happened... buyers don't know when we get paid and the arrangement we have with eBay. So if this person doesn't sell, they're just guessing. Also in some cases of holds, you DO get paid after it's delivered. (Happened to me once on a $300 item, they held my payment until one business day after delivery, started out as a 21 day hold).
Generally info to buyers should always be on a need to know basis. They don't need to know what a seller's issues are in any given situation.
C.
dirk12955
·3 years agoMy ebay rule #1 is Anything out of the ordinary, Back out and walk away.
Another rule, regarding the payment and the timing, and the handling time, I'd not discuss that
'or let myself be drawn into a discussion. It is what it is.
The buyer pushing for immediate shipment and quite obviously being dishonest
about contacting ebay would be non starter.
Cancel and block.
This transaction is no way and no how going to end well for the OP.
onlinecentral
·3 years agoYou were not obligated to send your reply to the buyer on Friday afternoon. If you had replied after 8:00 PM on Friday, the buyer would have assumed that you were away from your house and computer, perhaps working an afternoon/early evening shift. Voluntering at the animal rescue shelter, etc.
You were not obligated to disclose that you intended to use the Postal Service. The buyer could have assumed that you would use FedEx or UPS. Since they are closed on Saturday, the buyer would assume you would ship on the next business day, Monday in this case.
When an impatient, lack of planning buyer pressures you to ship, resist the kneejerk reaction to reply immediately. That delay can give you more control over the situation.
There is an old saying that goes, "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."
sin-n-dex
·3 years agoNever assume the buyer will assume anything themselves... I had a guy message me every half hour between 4 and 6 am, the later messages demanding to know why I didn't reply. When I got up and finally replied (at 7:30), I told him "I'm sorry I was sleeping". You'd think a buyer might assume I sleep at 4am, but apparently not.
C.
rugerskick
·3 years agoYour gut feeling might be right on this one.
frecklesfinery88
·3 years agoNot all Post offices are open on Saturday, ours isn't. So even if you did mail it, it would be there until Monday. You have until Monday to mail it. I would not worry about it, you can only go by eBay rules. Get on chat just to verify with them. Then mail it and hope for the best. You'll have a verify from who you chat with just in case they do anything. We understand, we've been there too.
Sellers need better options.