Buyer Story

[wastingtime101]

I don't typically share my crazy sales stories here, but this one was unusual. Buyer makes a purchase. The next day the buyer receives a message that the item shipped which prompts him to send a message asking me to cancel the order ASAP because he didn't make the purchase. I told him the package already shipped, but he can return it if he doesn't want it, and I sent him the eBay page on what to do if your account is hacked. The order was only $15 had the guy's address, not a different one, and he's an active buyer. I assume it's a remorse situation, or perhaps his kid was making purchases on his account.

Then he says he got messages from my account about a $250 sneaker purchase, but that he doesn't see it on his eBay page and he needs me to cancel it. I told him there's nothing on my end and I don't sell sneakers so he'll have to sort it out with eBay. He's been chain messaging me about it and making accusations that I somehow hacked his account to charge him hundreds of dollars. Right. OK.

Welcome to my BBL.

Any of you dealing with special buyers lately?

[sin-n-dex]

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@duncanvr wrote:

Hi Sin yes do report these buyers to ebay every time as account hacked ebay has to make note of it and take action. Its been going on for years. Some years back I had a buyer from France bought an East India Company envelope from me about $125. Tells me the next day he did not buy it and was quiet angry at me directly. I'd already sent it and he wanted his refund. It don't work like that. He raised case and got refunded. I lost the item. So don't race to ship items out the same day because to many can request to cancel and others claim hacked. If its a false claim they may run into trouble if ebay restricts the account when we report them. I know they do it. I had another buyer create 6 accounts to buy multiple items. Then slowly he raised 6 I did not receive my item cases on me from each account. I contacted ebay and was told they were restricting his buying accounts. Sadly some people are just such low life's they stoop to stealing items online. Don't get me wrong most of my buyers are fantastic its just a handful of shady characters out there. I like to think reporting them as hacked ebay has to take action.

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People in this forum have given me a hard time about my extended shipping times. (I get some things need to be shipped fast, but not everything does).

My extended shipping gives a few days between the purchase and receipt by the courier so if there's an issue I can do something about it. It's happened twice in the last two months that someone complained they didn't buy something 3 or 4 days after they purchased. If I was diligently shipping things out quickly I may have lost the item. This way all I had to do is cancel and refund and keep my item.

C.

[oldwestgold]

Well, you beat me.  But I had a newbie buyer recently purchase an item in the evening. The next morning he paid, seven minutes later he asked to cancel the transaction. Poor guy probably is challenged every morning on which underwear to put on. 

[oldwestgold]

You have every right to use the word "special". How anyone interprets the word is up to them. So sick of the PC stuff. Here's a dictionary definition of the word if anyone would like - "better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual." You used the word correctly to describe your "special" buyer.

[katzrul15]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

Yeah, the original phrasing that came to mind would have been bleeped.

Use PSS if you like it! We're always saying it. Commonly heard in our conversations:

Got another case of PSS.

What is it this time?

Then comes the relaying of an online shopper story or a recounting of someone at the store that started going nuts and yelling or something. Some guy nearly attacked me at the pharmacy last month because I was waiting in line and he couldn't get inside the refrigerated case beside me since I was standing in front of the door. I was next in line and he was behind me - couldn't wait 30 seconds to grab his energy drink. He was a big dude and screaming at me out of the blue. He hadn't even asked me to move. I really thought he was going to take a swing at me. I stepped out of the way fast so he could get his drink even though it meant the cashier getting angry with me for stepping up before I was called and not keeping 6 ft distance between me and the shopper at the register.

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@wastingtime101 

Good grief!  Some days you just cannot win!

We had a gal the other day screaming at us to not put our items on the belt.   She had not paid (the belt was empty), but she was yelling.  The cashier told her to "chill" and all Hades broke loose.  My son and I just stood there and waited for her to walk away.  The cashier got the brunt of it, unfortunately.  We were just dumbfounded.  Meds must have been too expensive that month or something.  Going to get groceries can be really stressful!  (and evidently for you, the Pharmacy!  Yikes!)

[duncanvr]

I think especially with stamps etc you don't want to rush shipments out. My international buyers must wait 2 to 5 weeks to receive their stamps anyway because of slow airmail. The buyers we have all know the items will take time to reach them. So 2 or 3 days dispatch time should not make a difference to these buyers. If someones complaining their in a rush I'd rather not sell to them. It just spells trouble. But collector buyers are not like normal buyers they don't mind the wait. They know they can trust a seller with a feedback score like mine. Perhaps those complaining about extended shipping don't know the difference between our items and say new common goods. For common goods I could see where you would have quicker shipping. The point being of course if someone cancels the next day we can still stop the items going out in our niche.

[moondogblues]

I just started collecting vintage playing cards and found a whole bunch in Australia that I loved.  The Seller sent 2 batches of them, and they took FIVE weeks to get to the US even though they were sent Airmail.  That's how much everything is messed up all over the world.

I used to buy jewelry from Thailand, some for resale and some to keep.  They won't even sell to the US now as the planes are not flying here.  Well, that was a year ago and maybe things have changed now.  Don't know.

What I do know is that the Spanish Flu of 1918 killed more than FIFTY million people and came in three waves until it burned itself out.  What I think is that we (as a world) are maybe half way through this and still need to be cautious.  And patient with the postal systems.  And gentle with our Sellers.

[dbfolks166mt]

     You may also want to let the buyer know that when he/she receives the package they can simply refuse the shipment and have the post office return to sender without having to pay a return shipping charge. Once opened that is no longer a viable option. 

[wastingtime101]

Thanks. We actually got home and were able to retrieve the package last second before the carrier picked it up. It was a sub and they came late that day, so I cancelled his $15 order and let him know. The original message exchange happened after the carrier's regular pickup time and via messages I sent from the app because I wasn't home - at that time I figured the carrier had already come so I told him I couldn't cancel, then followed up later when it turned out I could cancel.

The chain messages about the $250 sneakers and accusations that I somehow hacked his account to purchase my listings were coming in for several days after I canceled his $15 order. He stopped messaging me a day or two ago.

[dbfolks166mt]

That was fortunate. Don't forget to cancel the shipping label so you get reimbursed for that. Generally takes USPS, if that is who you used, 4-6 weeks to process the cancelation and the refund. 

[wastingtime101]

Yep, already done, but I appreciate you guys all looking out!

[buyselljack2016]

Late getting here, but I have one.

Buyer purchased/paid July 1st.

I shipped July 2nd.

About 3 hours after it is picked up by the carrier I get a message from the buyer.

I will need a refund on this item because it is the wrong one I need a    XXXXX  not a  XXXXX

Buyer purchase error. I sell 4 widgets each photographed for the position/location of use with bold, large font, colorful, repeated position/location warnings.

I'm gonna lose the shipping as it is included, but I can live with that. I reply to the buyer special eBay'er that it has already shipped, and that he can refuse it at/after delivery without opening it to just have it sent back with no additional postage required, and that I will refund as soon as I get it.  No response. No big deal.

Selling price ($30) did not make it a good candidate to attempt an intercept.

Item gets delivered July 5th (yup, on the USPS Holiday). 

I wait expecting the "refused" to pop up.

July 8th I message the buyer to again suggest that if they have not already done so that they can return the item  to USPS "refused" so that it would get back so I can process a refund.

Crickets.

July 11th send another message that I do not see the tracking showing the item being returned, and that I do not know if they are getting my messages. Requested that they reply to let me know if they are getting the message.

Crickets.

At this point I don't know what this person is up to.  Such a simple issue to resolve by sending the item back.

I don't know if they just expect a refund for their error, without return.

Don't know if there is a health issue.

Don't know if there is a comprehension issue.

Not looking forward to the possibilities.

Scan shows delivery, so INR should be out of the picture.

INAD/SNAD should not happen for a buyer error, but we all know how that goes. Also it isn't needed. Just refuse the darn thing. INAD/SNAD, account ding for me, and pay the unneeded return postage cost.

Waiting to do a CC chargeback? 

I have the messages. I have a screenshot of the delivery. Don't know why the item is not on the way back.

Buyer on eBay about  1-1/2 years. Has never left feedback for anyone. Has 2 feedback in past month. 1 after purchase from me. 8 total

In 5 days last years false INAD (only INAD) is to drop off. This may replace it.

[godwulf]

I've been selling my collection of game worn MLB jerseys since November, and up till now it's been fun and pretty profitable. One Buyer has been messaging me asking for the "pit to pit" measurement on various jerseys; apparently just knowing the size on the jersey's tag isn't sufficient information. Now I do understand that some jersey collectors - a small minority - wear the jerseys they collect, even the ones that are autographed and are MLB authenticated. (How they then wash the jersey, assuming they do, without destroying the autograph I have no idea.) 

So after giving him the "pit to pit" measurement on various jerseys, he buys one and upon delivery immediately requests a return and refund. It seems that, according to him, my measurement was 2" off, and the jersey is "much too big" for him to wear. Suffice it say I will not be answering any more "pit to pit" questions. The jersey is the size the tag says it is - deal with it. They're sports collectibles, for crying out loud.

Oh, yes, and a couple of minutes after arranging for the return and refund, guess who bought another one of my jerseys? I messaged him, saying "unless you state for the record that you will not return this jersey, I am going to have to cancel your purchase". 

[inhawaii]

I would never report someone else's account as being hacked.  That's ridiculous. If the other person wants to report his account being hacked, that's up to him, not me.

[gjs_16]

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@oldwestgold wrote:

You have every right to use the word "special". How anyone interprets the word is up to them. So sick of the PC stuff. Here's a dictionary definition of the word if anyone would like - "better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual." You used the word correctly to describe your "special" buyer.

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I watched a video recently of a special individual who had traveled to Africa...
Their attitude and demeanor was pretty incredible, the locals however were quite humble and respectful, so much so that one of the locals referred to the individual as "the King of kings" and in such a way... The individual struggled with that a little, thou you could see they couldn't quite decide, wanting so much to believe as their head wanted to inflate with ego soooo much... Back and forth it went, one of the locals finally said "it is a compliment, here in Africa we believe you are the King of kings" (and bowed in front of said individual)...

They kept a straight face, finally this individual smiles from ear to ear...

It was hysterical from my perspective.

[Anonymous]

MANY thanks for the follow up and the happy ending!!!!