The buyer didn't like the lot I sold her
Hello
Today a buyer sent me a message telling me that the lot of jewelry and coins were worthless, neither the coins nor the jewelry.
I price jewelry boxes for one dollar and I say in the description that I don't know anything about jewelry. I sell a lot and haven't had any problems, or very few.
The buyer told me that the coins were worthless and that I listed "old coins."
I explained to her that I price auctions for one dollar and I don't know if they're worth anything or not. The buyer paid 31 dollars for the entire lot.
When I explained to her, she said I'm very rude.
I don't know what she expects me to refund her money.
Now I see that she has a bid on my other box.
I asked her if she wanted me to cancel the bid because it has the same items as the other box, maybe she won't like them.
And she didn't answer my message anymore.
Now I don't know what to do, whether to cancel her bid or not.
What do you advise?
Thanks.
albertabrightalberta
·11 months agoI'm going to disagree with all the responses given as well as your "offer" of compromise.
Since the buyer claims that lot is "worthless," I would have told the buyer to open a return request and send back the "worthless" lot. (@cristian3_6 - since you (nor I) know jewelry, you can't honestly know for sure that it's worth more than she paid. As an auction listing, presumably, it's worth exactly what the ending price is! In fact, we tell sellers that all the time when they claim items are more valuable than they are.)
I suspect that had to just repeated as many times as necessary to "open a return request," that neg could have been easier to get removed.
I'm not sure why all the responses are agreeing with you and not just repeating the mantra that we advise so often.
gurlcat
·11 months agoThe worst part is how cleverly she did this. She knew to say something about all the factors that the feedback software considers "relevant" (item as described, value, communication, shipping speed, packaging) .... so that puts her neg at the very TOP of page 1 of your feedback. Even though you've had 10 positives since then, the only way to see that is to change the sorting to 'Recent'. Unfortunately the default sorting is 'Most relevant' so her scathing comments are the first thing all buyers see when they go to look at your feedback. And that will likely be the case for a year, unless other buyers leave positive feedback that hits all those points too.
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoI responded like this
24 clear photos of more than 80 items. I've done the math, and it's worth much more than what you paid. You didn't respond to my messages when we could have fixed everything. The auction started at one dollar, and the photos were clear. You decided to bid and then tell me it wasn't worth anything. I blocked it so I wouldn't have this same problem if I bought another lot.
I don't know if I did it right, but that's it.
bonanza125
·11 months ago"Please someone help me respond to that bad feedback with something that will help me."
Just respond with facts to the best of your ability. It's best that you create a response on your own. Avoid any name calling, or bad language.
Change your returns to 30 day w/seller pays for shipping cost. That's a feedback that could've been removed if you had a 30 day w/seller pays for shipping cost policy. You could try appealing the bad feedback but there is no guarantees due to your no return policy.
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoThanks for the reply.
You say that if I have 30 days to return a negative feedback, they'll remove it?
But isn't 30 days a long time?
reallynicestamps
·11 months ago"you don't want a year of scammers thinking you're someone who'll doll out partial refunds if they just complain a little."
gurlcat
·11 months ago"This lot was precisely as described and shown in 22 photos including many closeups. There was no claim that the lot included U.S. coins or anything else that wasn't actually in it. The lot was titled as Junk and the starting bid was $1.00. The buyer set the winning bid, received the item fast and decided to keep it rather than return it."
-I would not address the $5.00 thing whatsoever. She didn't answer your offer of that, so I don't know why she brought it up in feedback. All I know is, you don't want a year of scammers thinking you're someone who'll doll out partial refunds if they just complain a little.
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoPlease someone help me respond to that bad feedback with something that will help me.
chapeau-noir
·11 months agoI would be so tempted to reply to that neg "Hey, you set the bid, sunshine, this is on you."
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoThank you for your response.
Now, please help me decide what to say in response to that feedback.
jonathanbrightlight
·11 months agoIf you want my opinion, I don’t think I’d even respond. If you do, it should be very simple and concise.
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoImagine if you're a seller, you put things up for $1.
They buy it from you, then send you a message saying it's worthless.
What do you reply? So if it's worthless, why do you buy it?
Didn't you see the 24 photos?
What does she expect for that price of a kilo of gold and diamonds?
She paid a very fair price. I think if she sells four things, she'll get all the money back and much more.
But no matter what, everything someone does with malice comes back double.
worldcoinauctions
·11 months agoShe just vented, I'd have replied something like "Sorry you were disappointed, better luck next time!"
She can cancel her bid if she wants, but I would just let it play out. Customers have to work at getting on my BBL. She hasn't asked for a refund or anything like that.
glorybells
·11 months agoThat “better luck next time!†comment sounds a bit smart a$$y; might aggravate the buyer even more. Some buyers have expectations that are way too high, especially for some of the inexpensive things on eBay. Best not to poke the bear anymore than necessary.
gurlcat
·11 months agoLOL no kidding. "Better luck next time!" not only sounds dismissive, it would be like the seller is pretending to be a "luck" machine, with no responsibility for buyers' satisfaction. I do believe this buyer in the OP is a partial refund scammer and could very well have a personality problem where failing to successfully scam could really trigger them even worse if they felt dismissed .... but even as a non-scammer, if I wrote a reasonable concern about my purchase and the seller replied with "Better luck next time!" -yeah, I think I'd go ahead and give them a dose of reality to show them luck has nothing to do with eBay. 🤣
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoThanks for the reply.
The things in that box are worth much more than what she paid.
On top of that, I put $8.99 and I had to pay more for shipping. I think it was two or three dollars more.
I paid $5 for the old cigar box. It came out in a garage.
The sterling chain is worth about $15.
The Franklin Mint Gold Scrabble Collector's is worth $15 and was inside the box.
The ring is worth about $10.
Not counting all the other jewelry, which also cost me money.
Considering the auction started at $1 and many people bid,
This lady really wanted the money and probably to keep everything.
If she wanted to return it, she would have opened a case and told me that in a text message.
It's a shame for me. I don't know why this is happening to me.
gurlcat
·11 months agoWOW the beat up Zippo auction of yours is sure surprising and exciting! I guess I thought of Zippos as something like Beanie Babies, something that lots of people probably wrongly assume to carry collector value, when really they're too common to be worth listing. In fact I would have assumed even worse value retention than Beanie's, because (from what I've heard) smoking paraphernalia has plummeted in desirability across the board, with only oddball exceptions like the Dunhill handmade fish tank lighters.
Now I need to dig through my death piles and see if I tossed in any Zippo's that I found in junk lots and storage units over the years!
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoThanks for your reply.
This Zippo is worth a lot.
Within 20 minutes of me putting it up for sale, there were like 5 messages asking me to buy it now.
One offered me $100, I said no.
Another offered me $250, and I said no.
This Zippo is very old and one of the first, which is why it's in that condition and everything. People really like it.
reallynicestamps
·11 months agoI've never understood sellers who buy on eBay then leave negative FB for their "competitors".
There are so many sellers here, including many who sell comparable products, that trying to take down one is a stupid waste of effort. Stupid with a double "oo", stoopid.
We are competitors, sure, but it's like neighbourhoods that become known as the "restaurant district" or "the area where all the outdoors shops are".
The competition is good for all the stores.
jdbelt1960
·11 months agoI used to buy lots of coins for my collection hoping to find a few to for my folder slots. Knowing nothing super valuable will be there it is a crap shoot. This buyer has unrealistic expectations and sound like they picked through and want to return the rest. Yes you need to specifically mention in your description no returns and buyer expectations.
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoThe jewelry is worth it. The watch is worth it. The sterling chain is worth it.
The coins have their value too.
The box is also worth it.
And I don't know much about jewelry. There are also things that aren't marked that are worth it.
90 percent of people are happy buying my items, but there's always someone...
She sells things like that too, she's probably a competitor.
youn2240
·11 months agoThe whole lot was worth it because she bid it to that price. She's a loon that is trying to blame you for her lack of self control while bidding.
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoand to top it all off she wanted to buy another similar lot
chapeau-noir
·11 months agoOr, really, her expectations beyond the dreams of avarice.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoShe already signed a negative.
I called eBay customer service and asked them to help me.
Customer service helped me and sent the review.
She told me to wait for eBay to decide.
this is the negative
Promised a refund of $5 since the value was not worth the shipping price. Old coins were all foreign. I contacted the seller but he wouldn't work with me. Now I am blocked. As an ebay seller I always try to work with my customers. Very sad and disappointed. Shipping was fast, packaging was good. It really was not as described. Definitely not worth the value.
soh.maryl
·11 months agoWhat does this mean: "Customer service helped me and sent the review."
cristian3_6
OP11 months agoHe helped me send the feedback review.
soh.maryl
·11 months agoWhat "feedback review"?
gurlcat
·11 months agoI can only guess an appeal?
meme6253
·1 year agoCancel, & Tell her to return the other for a full refund, This way you let her know she can return it & you should be in the clear from any bad feedback, This one sounds like nothing but trouble!
reallynicestamps
·1 year ago"Old " is too vague a term. Like vintage.
I came across a KEVII dime in my pocket change this weekend
A Canadian dime dated 1910.
That's old.
A 1946 dime? I'd call it a 1946 dime. (I'd also note that it was silver not base metal.)
A 1999 dime? I 'd call it a Millennium piece but not old.
Of course, I just celebrated my 79th birthday.
YMMV
glorybells
·1 year agoHappy Birthday! I used to think 79 sounded “oldâ€. Now that I’m 64, it sounds like a goal!
soh.maryl
·1 year agoJust wait til you hit 92.
an-57470
·11 months agoHappy 79th! Have a great day.
m60driver
·1 year agoI would infer that if you price these lots starting at $1 that you don't have much cost in them. Honestly, I would just refund, block, and move on.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoThanks for responding.
The buyer just sent a message saying it wasn't worth anything.
But she didn't say she wanted a refund.
I think she wanted to test me to see if I'd tell her I'd give her money or something.
Afterwards, when I offered her $5, she didn't answer the messages anymore.
sin-n-dex
·1 year agoNot necessarily true. I had a lot of lots priced around $1 (well maybe 1.99 or something close to that), and sometimes it was a silver coin with $5-10 of silver. I had silver melt invested but was gambling to see if someone else might think the coin was worth more than that. Lots of the coins ended around melt, so it was a break even. I'd have been particularly annoyed if someone got a coin for melt price and then whined the coin wasn't worth anything because of condition or whatever, when I took good pictures of it for the listing.
The last person who sent me a message on an auction that said "for the money I spent in your store I could have gotten XYZ which is so much better" got an immediate block and ignored.
C.
bonanza125
·1 year ago@cristian3_6
Listen in this business you will get buyers who expect something completely different than what was listed. You can word it exactly the way it is and 95% of buyers will understand exactly what you mean its just that other 5% will not. You got a buyer in that 5%. I feel it was this particular buyers expectation not the listing. You did what you had to do. Like others have said if the buyer wants to return the items they have 30 days. I would just leave it at that. You did the right thing with canceling the other bid and blocking this buyer. You don't need this particular person as a buyer. One thing I would recommend is change your return policy to "30 days seller pays for shipping" That way if you run into an issue then all you have to tell the buyer to return the items. If a negative is left you have reason for removal.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoThanks for your response.
Why 30 days and not 14?
30 days seems like a long time to me.
And I think if they leave negative comments, even if I accept returns, a negative post will never be removed unless the buyer insults me.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoBecause they have signed me very unfair negatives and neutrals and I called eBay and they did not remove it.
gurlcat
·1 year agoJust a note to say I'm an experienced seller in your same range of categories, and looking at your listings it seems you're doing everything right. You just have to expect a scammer once in a while, no matter what you sell here. Yes they were fishing for a partial refund, probably bigger than $5, but anyway please don't offer those anymore. It only teaches them that it 'works.'
One note: the 6-figure price on a very worn-out looking Trifari I.D. bracelet. Not sure how you came up with that price but even if it was based on age, those engraved numbers must be something other than a date. It couldn't be from 1882 because Trifari didn't start up until 1918. Also monogrammed/engraved pieces tend to have less value than ones that aren't. I'm afraid that piece would probably not sell for any more than its sterling melt value, maybe $30 or so, max.
https://www.costumejewelrycollectors.com/vintage-costume-jewelry-research/costume-jewelry-marks/researching-costume-jewelry-history-companies-and-signatures-11/
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoThanks for responding
But it says "trifar" and it's missing the i at the end.
That's what makes it weirder.
gurlcat
·1 year agoIncomplete mark stamps aren't that unusual, it even happens with coin minting sometimes, though more often with jewelry manufacturers because there's not a strict government standard.
Trifari sterling i.d. bracelets are definitely out there, tons of them. Looks like they might have had a WW2 affiliation, or at least the 1940's is when they were in production. I once found a Coro one in a junk lot, also sterling and basically identical design, but that's not surprising because Trifari and Coro were sort of twin companies for a long time, competing with each other but also sharing designers, copying each other, etc. Wild times!
cristian3_6
OP1 year agothe message was like this
Good morning, so disappointed. 10 coins - all foreign- the description said old coins. Sorry not worth the purchase price.
I answered
HelloHelloI'm sorry, but the coins were visible. You paid $31, which isn't a very high price.I'm sorry, but the coins were visible. You paid $31, which isn't a very high price.And all the jewelry inside is worth it.And all the jewelry inside is worth it.Next time, before you buy, send a message with your questions and concerns.
buyer respond
Nothing is worth $31 - sorry your so rude
I answered
I'm not rude.I'm not rude.I started the auction at $1.I started the auction at $1.There were 24 clear photosThere were 24 clear photosand the coins were old.and the coins were old.That's why I told you, before placing the bid, you should ask me with a message and I would respond correctly.
After that the buyer did not respond to the messages anymore and I sent another one telling him
If you want, I can refund you $5, but I can't refund more because otherwise I'd lose money.If you want, I can refund you $5, but I can't refund more because otherwise I'd lose money.I see you have another bid on another auction I own, and it has similar items.I see you have another bid on another auction I own, and it has similar items.Do you want me to cancel the bid? So you don't have the same problem?
And the buyer didn't respond further.
Tell me, was I rude?
If it was like that, I didn't realize it.
chapeau-noir
·1 year ago"Rude" for this person = "You're not doing what I want you to do, but I won't tell you what that is."
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoI really don't understand these people.
I start auctions at one dollar.
Sometimes there may be very valuable things that I don't know about, and other times they may not be worth anything.
But in that lot, there was a 925 silver chain that was worth something.
And many other things.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/205647917073
That was the lot. Tell me it's not worth anything. She bought it for $31 and it's clearly worth much more.
With 3 things she sells for $9.99, she already earns everything and much more. There are more than 100 items in there.
chapeau-noir
·1 year agoI've dealt with some really impossible people in this business (I sell on several platforms) - my only explanation is that dealing with the public takes strong nerves because along with all the nice people (vast majority), you're gonna get some 'difficult' people. She's all mad because there wasn't some unknown magic in the box she 'expected' (solid gold krugerrand? Signed Tiffany bauble?) - your listing was as complete as I can imagine, so I think this is on her having way too high expectations.
ETA: A lot of box lots and junk drawer listings aren't as well presented.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoNow I'll be afraid that he'll give me negative feedback.
chapeau-noir
·1 year agoIf they do, I would respond a little differently than you have to the previous two. You want to reassure your future customers that you seek to present your items as clearly as possible and are willing to answer any questions before purchase. Don't argue with the previous buyer or tell them that they've been blocked - that issue has been and done, and it does nothing because no one else knows who that buyer was, anyway.
You can turn a neg around to a positive with a well worded response.
ETA: (I'm thinking in sections today) I've had a whiny neg before saying the item wasn't worth it blah blah blah - actually it was, they got a deal. They wanted a pristine item from 1973 (or something) in 1973 dollars. I joked a bit and said in 1973 I could live on $2/hour, etc.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoso that in the future I don't have the same problem that I should put at the end of the description?
I put the following
estate sale, flea markets, and the grandmother finds I don't have time to test everything or see if things are marked. some need repair
some is tangled I don't know anything about jewelry, please look at the photos for a perfect description I have more boxes like this for sale, you can't miss my other items
what should I change?
sin-n-dex
·1 year agoIt looks like a junk lot, but that's what you called it. It's kind of a treasure trove, you can't know exactly what's in there until you go through it and examine each piece. I think $31 is worth the effort to find out what's in the box. It's not that much money, you might find something of value, or it might just all be junk.
Not sure what a silver chain is worth these days... back when silver was dirt cheap, I bought 1mm box chains for $8 brand new. I imagine they're worth a lot more, so the chain might be most of the value in the box (to sell and get most of the money back, then the rest is a gamble).
C.
soh.maryl
·1 year agoYour remark about not being able to refund more than $5 was a mistake.
If your buyer opens an NAD case, you will not only be sending the prepaid return label, but refunding in FULL when you receive the item back.
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoCANCEL CANCEL CANCEL!!!
YOU MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoI have already canceled it saying
I cannot verify the identity of the bidder
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoIf I cancel the bid now, eBay will ask me for the reasons.
What should I include there?
I'm afraid of losing my performance if I cancel the buyer's bids. Will that be the case?
an-57470
·11 months agoCan you just cancel the listing, saying you can't find the box or something like that, or will eBay punish you for that also?
jonathanbrightlight
·11 months agoThere's three possible meanings to that, so let me cover them all:
A seller can cancel any bid they wish, without penalty. eBay says "To try to prevent potential buyers from being disappointed, we discourage the canceling of bids unless absolutely necessary." But there are no penalties regardless of the reason. https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/selling-auctions/cancelling-bid?id=4140
A seller can end a listing, but if it is an auction with bids, they will likely be charged a Final Value Fee based on the highest bid (the policy say "Yes, you may end the listing by cancelling all bids. You may be charged a final value fee based on the amount of the highest bid, or you may sell the item to the highest bidder."). Note that if you set a Reserve Price and the bidding hasn't reached that, it doesn't even give you the option of selling to the highest bidder, according to the same policy document, but I don't run auctions so I don't know for sure how that works. https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/ending-listing?id=4146
A seller can cancel an order, but they only get three choices when they cancel, and if they choose the most honest one for this situation ("Out Of Stock or Damaged"), that will earn them a defect on their metrics. If their metrics are otherwise good, and especially if they're selling higher volume, that may not affect them at all, but a habit of doing so would cause any seller problems. https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/order-cancellation-policy?id=5298
caldreamer
·1 year agoIn the future, I would remove the word "old" from your description of coins when selling "random lot of mixed items" as some people could misinterpret it to mean valuable.
If this customer opens "not as described" case EBAY will force you to refund (purchase price + shipping BOTH ways). EBAY 30-Day Money Back Guarantee (supersedes "no refunds" policy) allows customers to return item by claiming "not as described, counterfeit, defective, missing parts". EBAY does NOT require customers to prove their claims.
I would definitely cancel her bid and add her to your "block bidder" list.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoThanks for your response.
But the coins are old, so what do I put in?
I think she's looking for some money back, or I don't know what she wants.
Because I sell these boxes often and get excellent feedback
She also sells jewelry, so she could be a competitor.
24 clear photos of things. She should see things better.
titipeo
·1 year agoAsk her to file case for return for refund, don’t be surprised if she picks through the lot and keep the good stuff. As for the current bid, others may chime in saying to block her or cancel bid, I’m not sure on the proper process to follow through. Good luck
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoThank you for your responses.
Afterwards, I sent her a message offering her $5, and I couldn't give her more money because otherwise I would lose.
But she didn't respond.
I blocked it.
But the bid keeps going up in her name.
So if I'm thinking about canceling her bid, maybe she put in too much money, that's why her bid keeps going up.
The auction has about an hour left.
jdbelt1960
·1 year agoI am not sure you could arbitrarily cancel the bid. I also do not think she has a case to complain as it is an auction.
reallynicestamps
·1 year ago@jdbelt1960
Not on the first paid shipped and delivered auction.
But a seller can cancel any bid on an open auction for any reason before it closes.
@cristian3_6
I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. It can be returned for refund.
No mention of who pays return shipping.
No mention of what the refund would be.
No advice on how to return or make a claim.
cristian3_6
OP1 year agoThanks for your response, Realnicestamps.
But I don't accept returns on jewelry boxes because there are so many items. What if the buyer keeps the best and returns an incomplete item?
The buyer will always be right.
soh.maryl
·1 year agoIf/when ANY buyer opens an item not as described case on ANY purchase, your no returns stance means nothing.
You need to review the MBG.
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·1 year agoI'd cancel her bids and block her and then let her know she can return the first box for a full refund.
stainlessenginecovers
·1 year agoI would cancel their bid; then block her. If she opens a 'return' so be it. Let her. Live to sell another day. That buyer is a complete xxxx.