I'm a total hypocrite

[bigdeals.etc]

Bet you thought I was gonna say that a buyer called me this huh. WRONG!

I'm calling myself on this as I have learned yet again that my rules are implemented for good reason. A buyer messages me complaining about yadda yadda yadda (one of those SNAD things that really is remorse but the buyer won't believe it... like item not fitting).

As per my rule, I just reply with apologizing that they aren't happy with the item and offer to honor a return for a full refund. The buyer then says it's a gift for someone and asks if they can just get some sort of discount. I just copy/pasted my previous response. They came back and asked me again for a small discount instead.

HYPOCRITE TIME: I told him that normally I'd rather not, but since they insisted I'll give them back $4 (basically my return postage cost). I had previously seen a post here talking about taking a chance every now and then. I told the buyer let me know if you accept or if you'd rather just return it for a refund. Buyer replies back "How about $6, can you do that?" I basically went to shut down mode to stop all negotiating and said to just return it for a refund.

He comes back and says "Okay, $4 then." I took that off the table since he rejected it and said "I'd hate to force anyone to keep an item or to accept an amount they are unhappy with, please return the item back for a full refund."

Now he's machine gun replying (within seconds after each of my responses, likely from his phone), each one telling me to refund him $4. I know this goes against good CS service, but I'm considering ignoring his messages now since he responds each and every time so quickly. Going on 20 total messages back/forth since last night haha (20 copy/paste replies from me).

The business side of me is calling the personal part of me a total idiot and hypocrite.

[a_c_green]

At some point you need to just stop responding, and let him have the last word. Please do so. Besides, you know exactly what he will respond with now, if you send him any further messages, so don't.

[inhawaii]

Don't be too hard on yourself. I know the volume of sales that you do.  Dealing with that many customers  must take it's toll. 

And about partial refunds.   I know some may disagree with giving partial refunds, but i give partial refunds too. The course of action i take is the one that will cost me the least amount of money.  How can anyone fault me (or you) for that?

Let us know what you end up doing with this guy...

[pooh333piglet]

You are allowed to make mistakes AND change your mind.

You did that and now you know better. 

Tell yourself YOU ARE AN AWESOME SELLER!!!

Smile at yourself in the mirror and go list some more. 

[inhawaii]

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."   😀

[dbfolks166mt]

Put him on your BBL list and block him from messaging you. He/she will either go away or will file a refund request. 

[*smedley*]

good luck...

lesson learned...

[city*satins]

You aren't a hypocrite.  You just made an exception to your usual rule and after the buyer decided to look a gift horse in the mouth and try to bargain with you, you decided NO.

Nothing wrong with that.

It's a strange thing - the partial refund offer route.  I had a buyer complain about a new in package linen pillow sham - she paid $80 for it and it was 'sunned' on an edge that had been exposed to light. I invited her to return it for a full refund including return shipping or let me know if there was a partial refund $ that would make it worth keeping.   I rarely do this but since I really didn't know what I'd do with it if I got it back, I figured a partial refund was ok, even if it was a large $.  (I mean gosh - $80 for a pillow sham?  Seriously???)

I waited a week and then suddenly she wrote back and said thanks, she'd decided to keep it as-is and didn't want any  money.

Go figure.  Buyers are unpredictable.

On the other hand I gave a 50% refund to a buyer for a non-delivered item that actually showed as delivered.  He thanked me and then negged me.  So that was a bad move on my part.

[calntom]

I do not get near the number of PITA buyers as you do.  I usually make them wait ~24 hours for each response after the first one. It does not matter how many they send in the meantime.  

[bigdeals.etc]

---

@calntom wrote:

I do not get near the number of PITA buyers as you do.  I usually make them wait ~24 hours for each response after the first one. It does not matter how many they send in the meantime.  

---

Yes, I need to adopt this rule more often.

[quiltgeek]

The message block is only for messages sent through the listing.

There isn't a block for messaging from your own messages. Every message has a Reply button that the member can use to send as many messages as they want.

[nuclearomen]

It all depends on seller, sellers are not obligated to give partial refunds so it's up to the seller really.

Short Story: Last week (i think, maybe 2 weeks almost now) sold an expensive vinyl, limited edition out of print, one time pressing in a special die cut tri-fold jacket with tons of hot foil stamping inside/outside of jacket, with bound in special parchment booklet and splatter vinyl's with side "d" etched - complete totally mint. So anyways, buyer gets package and mails me "you did an awesome job packaging, unfortunately, the spines of the trifold jacket busted out. Now it was 100% mint when I sent it, listing completely showed the jacket perfect, I also do not send vinyls with the vinyls inside the jackets - THAT is what blows spines out, the jacket was packaged separately from the vinyl's and both were wrapped in bubble wrap, then placed into a tray/cradle (special make them for vinyl) then nicely folded and fitted bubble mailers around all four sides of tray (trays are little bigger then vinyl jackets and when centered into a 14x14x3 box there is 1/2 inch remaining on all four sides) - then finished with anti-static packing popcorn and box is sealed. No way sides could have possibly blown out of the jacket. 
So anyways - I don't feel like going rounds with the buyer, I know what happened - nothing to the item i sent them - they already had the item, but it was damaged with blown out spines, tried doing a switcheroo - I offered him $10 partial refund or the option to send back for full refund - he took the partial, I sent it, waiting 2 days, then blocked them. Do I feel bad ? - not in the least! If someone wasn't happy with the price, then shouldn't have bought it, or mailed me and asked if I'd go down some - be honorable.