Letting Go

[777infinity]

Hello Everyone. 

I sold an item and the buyer told me that the item was moldy when they received it and cannot be used. I check everything I send out. The item was not moldy or warped. I refunded them the money because I didn't want a bad review. I didn't think to ask them to send it back. It makes me so discouraged and makes me want to quit. How can I let go when things like this happen? 

[luckythewinner]

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@adamcartwright wrote:

@luckythewinner 

I don't think @777infinity  was dwelling on it -- just asking for advice and encouragement.

But great advice to avoid wasting time on negativity.

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IMHO not being able to "let go" is sorta the definition of "dwelling on it" 😜

[chapeau-noir]

@777infinity   Trust me, you're not alone in experiencing this! Online sales is a real learning curve, so as said above, just keep going - consider it "tuition".

The way I see it is if I made a mistake, I try to take the lesson from it, and once I understand the lesson and make the change, there is no more reason to dwell on it, or even think of it at all - into the past it goes not to be referred to again.

[buyselljack2016]

Just accept the possibility that it was what it was. That will make it a more positive thing.

Just accept that you did the very best that you could to be a good person, and a good seller.

On the + side you did not pay return shipping for a "moldy" item.

Now move on to the next positive experience and accept it for what it is. 1 of 245. Hopefully 1 or 2,450. Nothing to be bothered about/stressed about.

I've had them where I know for a fact that it is a  buyer error. It's done. We move along.

[grand-and-glorious-purpose]

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@777infinity wrote:

How can I let go when things like this happen? 

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By selling so much more stuff that this one sale is inconsequential 

[meme6253]

Did they send you any photos of the alleged mold?, I would have asked for them & i also would have offered the return of the item with a refund, But don't be discouraged over it, It's just not worth it these things happen.

[ittybitnot]

 I refunded them the money because I didn't want a bad review. I didn't think to ask them to send it back. 

@777infinity 

For next time:  

Never base your business procedures in fear of getting the red donut bad review.  You could refund, let them keep the product, and send them an extra $50 for their disappointment, and still get the red donut.  They do not count for your seller status, so don't even go there. 

Try this: 

Dear Buyer

So sorry your are not pleased with your purchase.  Please return for a full refund.

Sincerely,
You

You are not required to refund 'just because they asked' and you live in fear of a red donut.  You are not required to help them file the return claim.  If there is no claim, and they keep messaging, just repeat the "Dear Buyer" message again. 

[buyselljack2016]

Probably a musty/moldy smell.   Hard to photograph that.

[sin-n-dex]

On the subject of mould, I have vintage coin albums and have to be nose aware of smells when sorting them because they don't always look mouldy to the eye. So perhaps the buyer noticed a slight smell that you didn't notice when listing, and perhaps it got worse in storage and you didn't notice when packing. I would give the buyer the benefit of the doubt on this one.

We've all had days that are discouraging and issues we dwell on... fortunately most of my issues that I dwell on are not about eBay. I've had days where I had to refund hundreds of dollars because of a lost package (happen a few times actually), and I got a neutral feedback because of one disappointed buyer who's package got lost in the mail.

And most recently I had a buyer get upset with me because I didn't have the same speedy shipping standards for his second package that were applied to his first package (on account of not shipping every day and on the first package he just got lucky and bought while i was packing my orders before I ran out and mailed them). It's kind of discouraging, but you will get over it when you're ready to move on.

C.

[adamcartwright]

@luckythewinner 

Reread OP's comment.

@777infinity  didn't say they couldn't  let go. Rather, they asked how  to let go.

[youn2240]

There are thousands upon thousands of items sold every single day on here. i'd estimate about .1% of the sales are to absolute lunatics that think scamming or arguing about knick knacks is worth their time.  you won the lottery for a crazy customer on that sale. it's not as common as you think but since it happened to you it seems like it happens all the time. it is definitely a risk of selling not in person but it's a very low risk at the end of the day. just sourcing if you buy lots of items to resell it is definitely possible to buy something damaged or gross and not notice it because youre just taking pics and moving through your items. end of the day it is part of the risk of selling on the internet just like driving a car could end up in a car crash no one wants to be in a car crash no one thinks they'll be in a car crash and most likely won't be in a car crash but there is a chance of it happening. best way to deal with it is to sell more stuff so the % evens out to an insignificant number at the end of the day. just for pettiness alway block these buyers so they can never buy from you ever again lol. 

[agentbonehead]

Its not always easy to let things go, what I try to do is accept that mistakes happen, and look at the refunded item as a lesson learned. I also sometimes type down my rules and process to take for myself for when a buyer has a complain, so I dont have to really think once a situation happens a second time, I just refer to my 'rules' i set for myself. 

Keep pressing on!!

[gloryglorygifts]

Looking through your feedback, it looks like you have buyers that all had a very good experience with you. Good for you!

I hate to say this, but, there are people that will claim a problem with an order just to get the item for free. My suggestion? In the future, ask the customer to send you a photo of the item. You want to assure them that their business is important to you. They can open a return for a full refund or provide a photo and get a refund that way. 

Don't let this one sale discourage you. It will happen and as others have said it is business, not personal. It looks like you are off to an otherwise good start! Keep going and good luck to you! 

[777infinity]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your advice. 

[777infinity]

Thank you so much. Good advice. 🙂 

[777infinity]

Thank you so much for understanding.