Bidders asking stupid questions ?

[scotchtapeboutique2017]

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@turquoisetulips wrote:

Had a new/sealed bluray for sale....buyer asked if it was in a smoke-free, child-free, pet-free home.  I simply responded, LOTS OF SMOKE, LOTS OF KIDS, LOTS OF PETS (none of these, even if present, would affect a new/sealed item).  then I blocked.scotchtapeboutique 

I'm going to hurry and type this before I get another error message  but I just want to say I don't block people who ask questions ,,stupid or not .  Answering questions is just part of the job  and I've made sales  from simply being patient with interested buyers . However  I agree  with  this . It's utterly ridiculous  for a person to insist on that type of criteria for a sealed new DVD . Tulips 

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It just seems to me that these people with the nitpicky questions always have problems when they get their items....the odor and disc scratches always seem like a setup to get me to say something definitive about a subjective evaluation.  

"you said this had no odors! I can smell perfume!"

"these scratches are much deeper than you described" 

on and on.  

Most of my sales are done on another site so I am less tolerate of nonsense here because the volume is so low for me.

[scotchtapeboutique2017]

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@myboardid wrote:

Sending back stupid answers just makes you look like just as much of an idiot as the buyer who asked the question.  Calm yourself first, and be a professional.  Maintain your integrity and respond politely. 

I just had a buyer ask if an item was "new".  The title said "brand new", and it was listed as new.  He also asked if it was "authentic".  There is no such thing as a non-authentic item of this design, it simply isn't something that is profitable enough or in enough demand for anyone to copy. 

My answer to him, after thinking about all the sarcastic things I could say, was one word - yes. 

My questioning buyer bought the item at full price, not even doing a Best Offer, I shipped and he is very happy with it. 

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im less concerned about how a potientially PITA buyer views me than I am about my time and energy, which these people tend to waste.  If an idiot thinks I am an idiot, then I am flattered by the perception. 

And trying to appear as a 'professional' ebay seller is like trying to appear as a 'professional' burger flipper.

This is a flea market, not a professional sales position.

[scotchtapeboutique2017]

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@ed8108 wrote:

Blocking a buyer because you can trump up some reason, does make you appear as a hobby seller, not as a serious seller.

Good for your competitors but unfortunately does help motivate buyers to not shop ebay.

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yes hobby seller here at ebay...im basically clearancing the stuff I cant sell at the other site, usually at a loss to begin with, just to get the merch out of my house.  So yeah, some nitwit asking questions about a new sealed bluray that i'm selling for $7 gets on my last nerve.

[myboardid]

"It just seems to me that these people with the nitpicky questions always have problems when they get their items...."

This is a potent rumor that has been posted on these boards for years and it is simply not true.  Buyers who ask questions and get straight, honest answers don't cause any more issues than buyers who don't contact sellers ever. 

[lamber9347]

This is my favorite reply although I agree with several others. The questions don't seem stupid to the person asking which is why they are asking. People have stopped reading these days. They are busy and only scan the listing, concentrating on the price. I find that's the main reason why they ask such nonsense questions. 

I do answer the questions although I also tend to write very little. Almost every single one turns into a sale for me and I have never, not once, had a return from someone who asked a question prior to purchasing. Not one time! 

That's the main reason why I do take three minutes to type up a short answer....

[inhawaii]

I never block potential buyers for simply asking a question, stupid or otherwise.

[lamber9347]

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@evanmann73-8 wrote:

Thanks for the post, I seem to be very unlucky when selling items on ebay. I very rarely sell anything due to an extremely unpleasant experience regarding a very expensive designer jumper that was basically brand new but overnight developed a massive hole on the shoulder according to the buyer .. .. 

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I'm sorry you've had some bad experiences selling on eBay, I'm certain every seller can match your bad experiences. However they typically are far less then the positive experiences so perhaps you should start to concentrate on your good sales. 

Clothing items have always been an issue to sell online. Even in retail stores clothing is the top item that gets returned. People feel they can purchase an expensive clothing item, wear it, save the tags, put the tags back on, and return for a full refund. Happens all the time. Now they've moved to doing this with online shopping, made easier by eBay's extremely lax return policies.

So expensive clothing are not good items to sell online. If you are basing your bad experiences on a bad clothing sale then that's a shame and the one who loses in the end is yourself. 

Turn this into a positive and change your anticipation. Maybe don't list expensive clothing items anymore. Try to sell your other items and keep in mind eBay remains an online flea market. Best of luck to you....

[scotchtapeboutique2017]

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@myboardid wrote:

"It just seems to me that these people with the nitpicky questions always have problems when they get their items...."

This is a potent rumor that has been posted on these boards for years and it is simply not true.  Buyers who ask questions and get straight, honest answers don't cause any more issues than buyers who don't contact sellers ever. 

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for me it has been personal experience, as I dont hang on these boards much but I have been selling on ebay since about 1996.

[scotchtapeboutique2017]

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@inhawaii wrote:

I never block potential buyers for simply asking a question, stupid or otherwise.

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good for you!  keep at it and happy sales!

[scotchtapeboutique2017]

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@donker55 wrote:
In the bidders opinion it is important enough to contact the seller. Don't let your opinion show in your response. As another responded, customer service oriented industry may not be for you.

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definitely not for me, but it pays the bills, gives me something to do, and after losing my engineering/sales engineering job in the cluster that was 2008, i'm doing just fine and actually enjoy online selling more than I did doing engineering work, despite the odd nitwit trying to trick me into saying something they can complain about later in order to shake me down for a partial refund, etc.

[scotchtapeboutique2017]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

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@scotchtapeboutique2017 wrote:

1.) Had a new/sealed bluray for sale....buyer asked if it was in a smoke-free, child-free, pet-free home.  I simply responded, LOTS OF SMOKE, LOTS OF KIDS, LOTS OF PETS (none of these, even if present, would affect a new/sealed item).  then I blocked.

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Just wanted to interject something here.

New, sealed items can absolutely pick up smoke smells. That smell can work it's way through the plastic wrap and into the item.  I picked up three brand new, factory sealed OTR CD sets once at a thrift shop for a really great price. They weren't for resale, they were for me since I love old radio shows.

Yes, they had a smoke smell, but that's okay, right? Since the smell can't go through the wrap, right?  WRONG.  The discs themselves even had a smoke odor that took months to dissipate.  It was a good thing I didn't intend to resell them. I would have most likely bought some red donuts along with the CDs.

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i would suggest that a person such as you should not be purchasing items on ebay if you are THAT sensitive to odors.

P.S.:  Perhaps you can tell me if children are particularly odiferous--I have not procreated...had no idea they reeked so much.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@scotchtapeboutique2017 wrote:

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

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@scotchtapeboutique2017 wrote:

1.) Had a new/sealed bluray for sale....buyer asked if it was in a smoke-free, child-free, pet-free home.  I simply responded, LOTS OF SMOKE, LOTS OF KIDS, LOTS OF PETS (none of these, even if present, would affect a new/sealed item).  then I blocked.

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Just wanted to interject something here.

New, sealed items can absolutely pick up smoke smells. That smell can work it's way through the plastic wrap and into the item.  I picked up three brand new, factory sealed OTR CD sets once at a thrift shop for a really great price. They weren't for resale, they were for me since I love old radio shows.

Yes, they had a smoke smell, but that's okay, right? Since the smell can't go through the wrap, right?  WRONG.  The discs themselves even had a smoke odor that took months to dissipate.  It was a good thing I didn't intend to resell them. I would have most likely bought some red donuts along with the CDs.

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i would suggest that a person such as you should not be purchasing items on ebay if you are THAT sensitive to odors.

P.S.:  Perhaps you can tell me if children are particularly odiferous--I have not procreated...had no idea they reeked so much.

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Oy...

Odors don't bother me. I was just noting that smells CAN permeate through packaging and into the item itself.  It's something to think about when one buys or acquires items for resale.

And yes, children can be quite odiferous at times.

[yankeeseats]

I win ...I had a lady ask me if the piano I was selling was heavy?

[domin-tomas]

They are out there. Had one today, selling  an item for $145. and the buyer asked if I would take $100. for it. So I just didn't respond.

[coolections]

@scotchtapeboutique2017 

You must not buy on Ebay much. None of those questions are stupid and in fact the odds of getting any of the three items in those conditions are very possible on Ebay. A buyer who does not ask you those questions would be crazy to purchase without asking first.