Adding "total" in Best Offer Additional Terms

[emilyplusthree]

I had an item on sale at $9+ and $3+ shipping. I was offered $5 plus a little paragraph about needing it in time for her wedding which was a non issue since my shipping estimate is 8 days earlier than the date she gave. But I declined that original offer because the item was really listed at $13+.

So a little while later I receive an offer for $8 with that same little paragraph and I accepted the offer and sent her an invoice at a total of $11+ ($8 and $3 shipping).

This morning I have a message stating that she offered $8 TOTAL. I didn't notice the word "total" since she added the little paragraph, so this is when I realize she's trying to scam me and she had included that word "total" in her $5 offer too, so she was trying to get a (basically) free item.

I messaged her back saying that she can pay the amount she offered or I can cancel the order.

Then I called eBay and was told that I should not close the order, I should open an unpaid item case on her, let it close, and then I can't get negative feedback.

but I am still nervous about the word "total." Has anyone ever encountered this situation and had eBay consider that as a term for free shipping? I tried to get the rep to give me his information and he didn't give it to me, he was just reading me the policy and I'm afraid different reps might say different things. 

Thanks!

[emerald40 · Accepted solution]

Shipping cost always remains the same on a best offer.

So imo her putting that in is not enforceable.

If she only wanted to spend $8, her best offer should have ben $5. + 3 shipping that was declared in the listing.  

[luckythewinner]

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@emerald40 wrote:

Shipping cost always remains the same on a best offer.

So imo her putting that in is not enforceable.

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I agree.

But since many buyers don't pay attention to eBay's policies and procedures, IMHO it is always agood idea for sellers to carefully read what the buyer writes in the offer in order to head off issues like this.

[starroute-us]

I would just let her know shipping cost are not part of best offer *terms* when shown in the listing and she can request a cancel if she misunderstood.

Otherwise file the UID in 2 days, if she doesn't pay and leaves a neg that can be removed by calling ebay a *few* times if not auto removed when the UID closed "unpaid".

[geotouloupos]

When you have such cases with "total" is better to send a counter offer to buyer briefly explaining the total cost and explaining that shipping cost cannot be changed when listed as best offer. Another way is to have buyer to send you an ebay message and then use the new make offer button which will allow you to fix price.

In this case yes you should message the buyer explaining why shipping cost is something you could not change and offer the change to cancel the sale by customer's message for cancellation or open an unpaid case after 4 days.  If the unpaid item case is  closed in your favour (which would happen in that case) then i think customer can not leave negative feedback. If the customer do not ask for cancellation but you cancel anyway the customer may not like it.

[emerald40]

Yes seller should have clarified, but also buyers need to be familiar with the ins and outs of a site before they puchase as well.

The way she put in the word "total" and knew how to make a best offer, makes me believe she knew exactly what she was doing in trying to score free shipping.

[emilyplusthree]

Thank you all for your help, I am going to follow the advice of the eBay rep and not cancel the order, but this is the first time I've dealt with this so I'm just nervous about the whole situation. I feel like the paragraph she added was there to distract me (and it worked) because if she said just "$8 total" I wouldn't have accepted it. When my shipping estimate says it will be there 8 days before the item is supposedly needed, there's really no reason to put that in there other than to distract me. And to jump up by $3 on such a low priced item, I can tell this was definitely the point of her game. 

Lesson learned, hopefully this can have a good ending. Ugh. 

[richard1rst]

Separate from the issue you raised with the shipping:

It strikes me that this is just a buyer trying to nickel and dime you.

If she really NEEDED it for her wedding do you really think she would be dickering about a few dollars.

If she really NEEDED it for her wedding then getting it would be more important than arguing over the price.

I think you were just being hustled.

[emilyplusthree]

I totally agree, and I was like "if it was my wedding, I wouldn't be ordering it online when I can't try it on". I think 1. She wanted me to cave and give her a low price as a wedding gift, and 2. She wanted to distract me from the word "total". So far she hasn't replied to the message I sent her before calling eBay. I was also instructed not to contact her anymore. I just hope she doesn't ask me something and then I look like a bad seller for not replying. 

I felt sketchy after the $5 offer (which I declined) and I considered blocking her but she really hadn't done anything bad at that point so I didn't. From now on if I get any sketchy vibes I'm blocking before they can buy! 

[emilyplusthree]

I meant to make it clear that the line I put in quotes at the beginning of my last reply was my thoughts to myself, I did NOT say that to the buyer haha 

[emilyplusthree]

Update: the buyer paid before I could even open a case. What has two thumbs and is definitely going to get hit with an INAD? THIS GAL! 

10/10 experts would agree this is a scam. lol

literally she messaged me "I agreed to pay $8 TOTAL" and I said politely that she can pay what she offered or I can cancel the order (prior to calling eBay) and then there has been zero communication on either side since then so I'm sure that's her plan. I will literally be floored if I don't hear from her again. 

Anyway, thanks again everyone for your help!

[myangelandmyprincess]

it sounds like she initially offered $5 plus the three shipping.  Was the total in the paragraph with the first offer or just in the second?   If it's only in the second she offered the exact same amount the second time around but tried to sneak it in the terms.  

[emilyplusthree]

It was in both! So she would have tried it to get the item for $1 ish