Buyer has asked for discount after purchase. Twice

[harrymarshalcomics]

My item sold and I was contacted by the buyer asking me to make the price an even $16. It was .07 cents so thinking maybe they had a gift card with $16 left I sent an invoice. A full day went by and I sent a payment reminder to which they replied saying please discount .05 cents more and I will pay at 6pm. I asked why they claimed they are on social security. What should I do? All seems fishy.

[dbfolks166mt]

     I would do nothing more. If they don't pay after 4 days simply cancel the transaction as buyer did not pay and relist. You have no way of knowing if this person is on SS or just bargaining for a price reduction. 

[downunder-61]

eBay has auctions - this is where a buyer can bargain

eBay has offers - this is where a buyer can bargain

eBay has a BIN button, once pushed this is not where a buyer can bargain.

I would cancel on day 4 as advised above and put this buyer on your BBL - you agreed to one reduction and if they are now haggling over another 0.05c they are going to be trouble.

[soh.maryl]

"I asked why they claimed they were on social security."

Not sure how the fact that a buyer claims to be on SS has any play in this situation.

And it's rude to ask.  

Just cancel, citing the reason as buyer did not pay, after waiting 4 days for payment.  

[katzrul15]

---

@harrymarshalcomics wrote:

My item sold and I was contacted by the buyer asking me to make the price an even $16. It was .07 cents so thinking maybe they had a gift card with $16 left I sent an invoice. A full day went by and I sent a payment reminder to which they replied saying please discount .05 cents more and I will pay at 6pm. I asked why they claimed they are on social security. What should I do? All seems fishy.

---

It is odd at best.  Seems like a lot of work over another nickel off?  Maybe they truly only have xx they can spend and did not factor in tax?

[varebelrose]

Outside of the accepted system to do so (make an offer), a buyer who haggles before they have an item, will do so after they have the item as well....

[pburn]

---

@downunder-61 wrote:

I would cancel on day 4 as advised above and put this buyer on your BBL . . .

---

I would cancel on day 5 (or have eBay cancel it automatically), since the "buyer didn't pay" option won't be available on day 4--it doesn't appear until day 5. 😏

[kabilab]

Strangeness must run in clumps. Last Saturday, I received a request to lower a DVD from $5.49 to $4.69. I replied that so doing would place the sale at a net of -.06 and declined. The person's response was to raise the offer to an even $5.00 and add three "pleases." I ignored, but received still a third request at $5.00, including three more "pleases." Again I ignored and the person gave up. It was the strangest request of my years on e-Bay.

[harrymarshalcomics]

I didn’t ask them why they were on social security. My bad if it read that way

[harrymarshalcomics]

I didn’t ask why they were on social security. I meant I asked why they claimed and kept asking for discounts. They said they were on Social Security 

[heckofagame]

I would just discount the shipping 5 cents and take the sale, but that's me.

[justafemster]

It's the buyers who literally nickel and dime you that are the most trouble.

You know when they get it, something's going to be wrong and they'll want more of a discount.

They bought it at the price, they knew what they were spending, but have turned a their fault into a your problem.

Their income source has no part in your sale.  Hey, they've got a guaranteed income, good for them.  You're supposed to feel sorry for them for their financial situation?  We all have limited income, at least they get theirs regularly.  

If they pay, block them.  If they don't pay, block them and file the non-paying bidder report.  

[indievintagecloset303]

Honestly, I agree with this! I gave a buyer literally a 70% discount and she claimed it wasn't as described because I accidentally wrote that it had pockets when it didn't. They're like cotton shorts, so who actually uses the pockets on shorts? Anyway, the buyer tried to get the shorts for free and asked me to refund. I forced the buyer to send back the shorts at my expense and giving her a full refund. 😞 I know most people think I'm dumb for even getting them back, but I know other sellers who would have just refunded and taken a hit instead of taking a bigger hit taking them back. I don't want buyers to bully sellers into giving them what they want for free. It isn't fair! 

[dhbookds]

I accidentally wrote that it had pockets when it didn't.

I'd sure consider that as a not as described..........no matter what discount I got......

[monroe67]

"I didn’t ask them why they were on social security. My bad if it read that way"

Punctuation seems to cause trouble, especially when the typist is using a hand-held device.  

Your original post said, after your description that your potential buyer has asked for an addition discount of five cents:
"I asked why they claimed they are on social security."   

Without punctuation, it does read that you asked that person to explain why they were on Social Security.

My reading of your post, though, was that this "buyer" wanted to save an additional nickel, and you asked him/her why. 
As a response, that "buyer" claimed to be on Social Security.   I might have written it as this:
"I asked why.  They claimed they are on Social Security."

Which is an absolutely ridiculous "reason."  

As a retired person who does receive Social Security benefits, I can say this -- the amount I receive is the exact same amount every month.  The Social Security Administration sends what they call an "award letter" near the end of every year stating what the monthly benefit will be for the next year.   And I believe nearly every person receiving the Social Security retirement benefits gets those benefits as a direct deposit into a checking or savings account.  In my experience with my payments, that money goes into my checking account during the wee hours of the morning on the second Wednesday of each month.   Some other people receive their SS payments on the first or third Wednesday of each month.  

What to do with that "buyer"?  Stop communicating with him/her.   If he/she purchased your item, the price is The Price.  He/she is wrong to ask you to decrease the price.  If he/she doesn't pay, the problem is not yours.