Have you ever had an "entitled buyer"?

[sin-n-dex]

Fortunately I don't think I have (a few difficult customers, but no one who goes as far as what I'm about to describe). The coins & tokens industry seems to attract good customers as long as you're not selling any gold, bullion or coins that have a lot of replica copies made (not legally)... having a real one is risky, either they are scamming you, or they think yours is fake because lots of them are.

Anyway, I know someone who fits the description as "entitled buyer" (a member of my immediate family). She used to buy on eBay some 10-15 years ago (glassware, china, teacups and stuff like that). And when she found out I was into eBay selling she described some of her entitled behaviour on dealing with sellers (and I assume is on a lot of BBL by now).

- If it's not what she expected, she wanted gas money to drive back to the post office, and payment for her time and materials to repack it and ship it back

- She wanted to complain about things long past the 30 day window because she felt it's her right to complain because "the facts didn't change in the time I had it"

- If a seller told her they made a mistake, she'd accuse them of scamming, lying, and being deceptive, there was no such thing as a misunderstanding (and that goes beyond just buying and selling)

- If a flaw wasn't mentioned, she'd accuse of being deliberately misleading

- She demanded everyone ship to Canada by the means she thought they should be shipping, which included no tracking (that was possible back then), undervalued customs fees, and marked as gift

- Getting a full refund and an apology was never good enough because she wanted to reimbursed for the time she spent on the transaction (it's actually because of her that I often comp something to a customer when I mess up... one time a guy wanted a 1968 coin and there was a mix up in inventory. I sent him a bunch of 1968 coins from tropical countries from my overstock, no charge, to try and make up for his time being wasted buying my item)

And best of all... I lived in California from 2000 to 2002, and until I put an end it, I was asked on a weekly basis to write cheques to pay for all these items and accept shipments for anything that couldn't be shipped to Canada. She remibursed me the $20 for the teacup. I asked about the 37 cents for the stamp and she got mad at me for asking that. I said "did you expect me to mail a cheque for free?" (I ordinarily wouldn't be petty ,but my visa did not allow me to earn income and I wasn't going to ask my partner to pay for my family member's eBay shopping habits).

Anyway... in my history of 10,000 transactions on eBay... this one customer who never bought for me but is related to me through biology really takes the case for outrageous customer stories.

C.

[gracieallen01]

Boy, are YOU lucky!

I've got (had) a family like that.  I didn't leave a forwarding address when I left (65 years ago). 

[this*old*attic]

Oh, Gracie.... you’re cold! Ouch!

[gracieallen01]

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@this*old*attic wrote:

Oh, Gracie.... you’re cold! Ouch!

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Perhaps, but I'm much happier.  And, they probably are/were, too. 

[sin-n-dex]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

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@this*old*attic wrote:

Oh, Gracie.... you’re cold! Ouch!

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Perhaps, but I'm much happier.  And, they probably are/were, too. 

---

I haven't spoken to my relative for the past six years (it is difficult when it's close family). She came to visit me in my town in 2013 and I was doing my eBay shipping (at that time I had 180 auctions ending every Sunday with a 95% sell rate). I got an earful about what a "scammer" I must be to find coins in the junk bucket and sell them for good profit. (Sorry, people at my store don't read other languages and I spend lots of time identifying these pieces and selling ones that are pretty good).

Anyway that was the last contact, and let's just say I'm a lot happier as a result.

C.

[castlemagicmemories]

There's an old saying, everyone brightens a room.

Some by entering, some by leaving.

[dirk12955]

I've been in one sort of business or another for over 40 years.

Do any sort of business with a relative? That road leads nowhere but to sadness and madness.

[loveyourimagination49]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

There's an old saying, everyone brightens a room.

Some by entering, some by leaving.

---

I haven’t heard that one, but so true.

[broad_arrow_bayo]

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@loveyourimagination49 wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

There's an old saying, everyone brightens a room.

Some by entering, some by leaving.

---

I haven’t heard that one, but so true.

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I haven't heard that saying either, but I am going to remember it!

[turquoisetulips]

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

Fortunately I don't think I have (a few difficult customers, but no one who goes as far as what I'm about to describe). The coins & tokens industry seems to attract good customers as long as you're not selling any gold, bullion or coins that have a lot of replica copies made (not legally)... having a real one is risky, either they are scamming you, or they think yours is fake because lots of them are.

Anyway, I know someone who fits the description as "entitled buyer" (a member of my immediate family). She used to buy on eBay some 10-15 years ago (glassware, china, teacups and stuff like that). And when she found out I was into eBay selling she described some of her entitled behaviour on dealing with sellers (and I assume is on a lot of BBL by now).

- If it's not what she expected, she wanted gas money to drive back to the post office, and payment for her time and materials to repack it and ship it back

- She wanted to complain about things long past the 30 day window because she felt it's her right to complain because "the facts didn't change in the time I had it"

- If a seller told her they made a mistake, she'd accuse them of scamming, lying, and being deceptive, there was no such thing as a misunderstanding (and that goes beyond just buying and selling)

- If a flaw wasn't mentioned, she'd accuse of being deliberately misleading

- She demanded everyone ship to Canada by the means she thought they should be shipping, which included no tracking (that was possible back then), undervalued customs fees, and marked as gift

- Getting a full refund and an apology was never good enough because she wanted to reimbursed for the time she spent on the transaction (it's actually because of her that I often comp something to a customer when I mess up... one time a guy wanted a 1968 coin and there was a mix up in inventory. I sent him a bunch of 1968 coins from tropical countries from my overstock, no charge, to try and make up for his time being wasted buying my item)

And best of all... I lived in California from 2000 to 2002, and until I put an end it, I was asked on a weekly basis to write cheques to pay for all these items and accept shipments for anything that couldn't be shipped to Canada. She remibursed me the $20 for the teacup. I asked about the 37 cents for the stamp and she got mad at me for asking that. I said "did you expect me to mail a cheque for free?" (I ordinarily wouldn't be petty ,but my visa did not allow me to earn income and I wasn't going to ask my partner to pay for my family member's eBay shopping habits).

Anyway... in my history of 10,000 transactions on eBay... this one customer who never bought for me but is related to me through biology really takes the case for outrageous customer stories.

C.

---

Before I dealt with someone like that again ,,  I'd shoot myself first . I had my fill  of that type of personality  with a friend I had to let go of  many years ago . I'm not sure if these types are cheapskate money grabbers  or  just over the top control freaks  or both . There's not a single thing I miss about those days.  Tulips

[this*old*attic]

Well, my sister hasn’t spoken to me since mom died. She had a number of health issues, including moderate dementia. I packed up our childhood home (alone), found a wonderful house that fit all her beloved possessions + had a mother in law wing so there was the appearance of dignity and privacy + moved my family in and cared for her myself for 5 years. 

Why hasn’t my sister, who did NOTHING for 5 years to help, stop speaking to me when mom died?

Because she only got half of an embarrassingly large stock portfolio but not half the house too. Mom felt it was my home and I should have it.

I guess I’m a goofball, though. It most certainly makes me angry but it makes me sad, too. It’s rotten when family breaks apart.

[castlemagicmemories]

And sadly that often happens just at the very time when it's more important than ever to stay together~when you are mourning a loved one.  

Not that it will make you feel any better, but I have heard similar stories from many people.  I had had no idea that things often play out that way, and was shocked and dismayed to learn that sadly, it does.

[bigdeals.etc]

Wherever she goes, sounds like your family member is the type of lady who always would like to speak to the manager.

[thecollegefund]

I have a relative who is a retired teacher, buy a lot of like items from me on Ebay. Since this relative didn't like every single thing in the lot once they were received, I got the distinct impression that they were going to leave me a negative for the transaction! Even after a tense conversation with them where I pointed out that everything in the lot was shown in multiple photos and very well described. I wound up blocking this relative after telling them not to ever buy from me on Ebay again.

[gracieallen01]

I can understand that.  I had issues with my family when my great grandmother died and the grand daughters came swooping down to clean out the house.  My great grandfather wasn't home at the time.  Also, having been raised by my great grandparents, I sort of took exception.  I probably would have gotten 'talked about' had I stayed around.  Never went back or looked back.  My great granddad passed soon after - I did speak to him and he understood..