The more we try to help people the worse they treat us
I have noticed a recurring issue in my 22 years on eBay. The people who beg us for discounts, who demand we have conversations with them, who ask us to make exceptions, special requests, etc. those are the people who frequently leave us bad reviews, cause problems and headaches.
Has anyone else reduced their customer service to short YES or NO answers, removed their phone line and simply stopped complying with outside of transaction demands?
14 comments
rudy2828
·3 years agoAfter two questions I block them from bidding, but I don't tell them. One asked six questions about a $10 hat. Most facts were in the pictures. Then says he couldn't buy the item. When I explained why he agreed with me.
movieman630
·3 years agoThat's why as soon as my "antennae" perks up when I read someones "lengthy message" or they make requests of me before they've even bought something I usually add them to the BBL immediately. Because in my experience that person is going to be a nightmare to deal with. It's always the same recipe for disaster. They're never happy.
About 50% of the time I can tell they will be a nightmare if they message me asking me questions about an item that's clearly written in the listing, Sometimes more than once. Those people too make it to the BBL. I know when someone is just "confused" or "double checking" as opposed to just being confrontational.
Do yourself a favor and start using your BBL preemptively.
inhawaii
·3 years agoKinda of a related story.
A potential buyer recently pointed out an error in one of my listings.
This is an item I had listed and have been selling for years.
No other buyers have ever complained or pointed out this error.
I corrected the error, thanked the potential buyer and the next day he bought the item.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoHave you never heard the old saying: "No good deed goes unpunished"?
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoTransactions with beggars have never worked out well for me. Whatever you do is never enough.
toomuchstuffagain35
·3 years agoSame with relatives/friends/acquaintances. It's not just 'buyers'.
sin-n-dex
·3 years agoPreaching to the choir my friend...
I had 20 listings up for a particular coin set. A buyer in Canada bought one and I noticed he took the one with the damaged coin. I thought maybe he didn't realize the coin was damaged, I may not have documented that too well, so I swapped his damage coin with another set (to rephotograph and do a better listing of the damage). What do I get? an INR case and demand for refund. Well that's what I get for doing something nice for someone.
Kinda makes you not want to be nice to anyone when you constantly get treated this way... this certainly isn't the first time I was considerate and it backfired.
C.
earthdreamer
·3 years agoAs a counter example, my most demanding buyer ever turned out to be my best customer.
After spending hours in email exchanges, they ended up buying a large chunk of the inventory I had listed over the next three months. I am talking thousands of dollars.
All the same, I realize this is the exception to most of the challenging interactions with buyers.
dhbookds
·3 years agoI think we often forget how many buyers are absolutely no trouble........
12345jamesstamps
·3 years agoI have a buyer who request .15 cents off every once in a while on an item. I give it to them. A night out in San Francisco bars is like $75.00+ . I just laugh it off.
dirk12955
·3 years agoI've always said that on ebay anything out of the ordinary is a good time to walk away
from the transaction.
vintagecraze50
·3 years agoGenerally speaking many of the low ball offer types, special requests if it involves doing something not in the listing can be a problem. I answer all questions, because then I can get a better feel for the vibe of the customer. If they become demanding and rude, I block, or ignore after that.
ms.rodriguez*
·3 years agoThose that ask for discounts are often more "loaded" than me. I got a request once for a discount and the person sold and had thousands of feedbacks in less time on ebay than me. (I sell with 2 other IDS). I have learned to ignore requests to end ads early or ship elsewhere or will you take X for the item because I am travelling to Y. The only thing that I do is sometimes knock a dollar off an item if someone asks for a discount. I just want to get rid of the item. I sell mainly diecast cars and often put in a free car and I never got a thank you for the freebie. I stopped doing that now.
I don't have conversations with people. I don't have the time. If they ask if I have more of item Z, I always say not now. I am not going to look at my inventory to find a specific item for a person either. My time is limited.
Learn to stop doing those things. Do Not give out personal information either or say where you live. I got invited to StarBucks last week from a buyer with 2 feedback that just won an item. He lives about 10 miles from me. I did not even respond to the request.
movieman630
·3 years agoI had someone offer me $8 on a $12 (with free shipping) car part made of cast iron that I would have to ship in a USPS Priority Bubble Mailer that costs $8.30
They have no clue.