Cancellation for wrong payment info. Giving a buyer a warning or not?

[iamalwaysright]

Call me a glutton for punishment. A buyer bought and filed a cancellation request last week saying they bought by mistake. I accepted, no BBL. This weekend they bought multiple items, one of which was the exact same item as the item they bought last week. Buyer also filed a cancellation request again but this time said they entered the wrong payment info. 

I'm going to accept it and still not BBL the buyer, trusting in his "wrong payment info" excuse. This is where the glutton for punishment comes in. Should I politely warn the buyer that if another cancellation request gets filed, that I'll BBL him? This would at least let the buyer know they are on thin ice. Or should I just keep quiet and let whatever happens happens?

[biggymoe]

Why wait?   BBL now.

[pikabo-icu]

Is it an experienced buyer? 

If not then perhaps politely explaining that cancelling orders can result in some sellers blocking them. That they need to double check everything before they submit the payment & finalize the order.

That's a warning but only indirectly from you.

If they do it again I would BBL 

[chevymontecarlo88]

Since you have an infinity for punishment....

I would say try communicating with them and offer to hold their hand through the entire process. If you don't want to invest the time trying to coordinate the purchase, i would apologize, thank them, cancel and block. 

I am rooting for you and wait for the update. 😀

[wastingtime101]

Hi Glutton for Punishment. No, do not warn the buyer. Whatever happens, happens.

[12345jamesstamps]

Block the buyer.

Sounds like a 'drama buyer'.

After item from potential buyer is in the mail or in the hands of the buyer...bet there will be more 'drama'...I would say 99 % more problems.

[fbusoni]

Be nice... the buyer might be old, like me.

And unlike me, prone to confusion... and not too bright.  😂

I'd not issue a warning... just let it unfold "organically" as they say. 

He did come back a second time, after all.

[iamalwaysright]

I ended up messaging the buyer but didn't really give a warning but rather a suggestion.

"Hello,

I just approved your cancellation request. I understand that mistakes can happen, but please in the future be more careful when you are checking out as filing too many cancellation requests can look bad on your ebay account. If you have questions feel free to ask me before committing to the purchase. Thanks."

We'll see if this guy would actually green light a shipment and if so, if it'll be a "fool me twice, shame on me" scenario.

[chevymontecarlo88]

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@iamalwaysright wrote:

I ended up messaging the buyer but didn't really give a warning but rather a suggestion.

"Hello,

I just approved your cancellation request. I understand that mistakes can happen, but please in the future be more careful when you are checking out as filing too many cancellation requests can look bad on your ebay account. If you have questions feel free to ask me before committing to the purchase. Thanks."

We'll see if this guy would actually green light a shipment and if so, if it'll be a "fool me twice, shame on me" scenario.

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That is the way to handle warnings. Warning could be taken out of context and some as old as @fbusoni (j/k sorry 😀) may appreciate the communication/help. Don't warn them as much as encourage them. 

Use a velvet hammer to make your point without offending or making the transaction combative. 

[fbusoni]

@iamalwaysright 

I hope that works out...I would not have done it lest I be perceived as schoolmarm-ish and/or annoying.  

The way I see it, my job as a seller is not to instruct or reprimand, but simply to do what the customer asks.  I've always found it a better idea to let folks experience their own consequences with minimal to no discussion.

Having said that, for me it's pretty easy to determine when someone  ("Yo, what's ur lowest price?") is begging to be blocked.

[chevymontecarlo88]

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@fbusoni wrote:

@iamalwaysright 

I hope that works out...I would not have done it lest I be perceived as schoolmarm-ish and/or annoying.  

The way I see it, my job as a seller is not to instruct or reprimand, but simply to do what the customer asks.  I've always found it a better idea to let folks experience their own consequences with minimal to no discussion.

Having said that, for me it's pretty easy to determine when someone  ("Yo, what's ur lowest price?") is begging to be blocked.

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I will preface this with everyone has the right to conduct business that works for them. 

@fbusoni runs his business well and does not need the punishment but others reading may need sales/punishment.

That (bold) is the difference between clerking and selling. Selling requires more than holding your hand out for cash or closing it if the buyer asks about the price. It is a two-way street (respect), and communication allows both parties to find/chose which is the best route. Buyers are reaching out not to be annoying but to find/buy something they need or want. That does not mean you have to engage with every inquiry or take additional time on transactions that sell for little money. (less than $100) Communications can lead to better outcomes (assuming the skills exist) and everyone needs to know which battles to pick. The OP picked "punishment" which would require some tap dancing and qualifying. I commend them on choosing the more difficult scenario and challenging (punishing) themselves to achieve a better outcome. That is a good way to sharpen ones selling skills regardless of the outcome. I hope it works out for them.

Sometimes letting the buyer make their own decisions/experience is what leads to returns/disappointments. Qualifying and educating is just as important as the close. (even if it does not come with coffee) Don't let the inmates run the asylum. 

That being said, you do have to weigh your options when deciding to engage with customers. Don't spend an hour with someone looking to spend a dollar. This may not apply to 90% of sellers that sell lower value items but if sellers are looking to build their customer base, communicating (personalized) is a great way that only uses time and brain power. (if available YMMV) This is not a judgment on those who just want to be a clerk or just don't have the time to invest. If you want to sell high value items, having good communication/sales skills is paramount. IMHO

Selling - Communicate, qualify, educate, pitch and close. 

Clerking - Waiting for the door to open/close. 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@iamalwaysright wrote:

Call me a glutton for punishment. 

I'm going to accept it and still not BBL the buyer, 

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Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. 

If you don't block after the second cancellation, I have little no sympathy.

Don't be a pushover. 

edit: I posted before seeing @iamalwaysright 's update in post 8 . 

My crystal ball says you'll be back either announcing cancellation #3 or a return request from the buyer.

[chevymontecarlo88]

@iamalwaysright 

Any update? 

[iamalwaysright]

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@chevymontecarlo88 wrote:

@iamalwaysright 

Any update? 

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No not really. Actually I just noticed I made a mistake in saying they claimed wrong payment info. They actually said they used the wrong account entirely to purchase, not just wrong payment info. Not that it matters much I guess.

I checked for any similar orders (combined order of two different items) made by any buyer since I cancelled the purchase on 4/21 and nothing comes up. I wouldn't be surprised if I never hear from the buyer again. But that made me think that it would be kinda pointless to put him on my BBL if he did in fact use the wrong account to purchase from me.

[fbusoni]

@chevymontecarlo88 

For the record, "doing what the customer asks" has led me, over the last 26 years of selling, to spend what I'd estimate to be a couple hundred hours (cumulatively) helping eBay buyers purchase from me.  

Put another way, they've asked me for help -- creating new listings to meet their specific requirements, assistance with tracking, packaging an item to precise specifications, rushing to the post office before it closed at 5 pm, the list is endless -- and I've always been willing to go the extra mile.

If someone -- like the buyer in the OPs case above -- is ordering, cancelling, then re-ordering, it would never occur to me to block him, as it did to the OP.   I would chalk it up to confusion, uncertainty, or unfamiliarity with the eBay platform.    

If the buyer was really struggling, I'd trust him / her to let me know.  That's always been my experience with buyers for whom navigation of this site has been a challenge.

And I would be happy to assist, generously, as I always have.

As long as I am in possession of the item, I see no reason why I should tell the buyer "too many cancellation requests and your eBay account is at risk of being closed."  

If I were to receive such a message, I'd probably respond with an expletive-laden message of my own.  If I even read it in the first place.

Not everyone takes kindly to receiving gratuitous instructions on how to suck eggs.

Please let me know if I have missed the point you were trying to make or otherwise misunderstood your comments above.