eBay

needalittlehelpsometimes · ‎01-25-2019

I have this buyer who gave me a sob story when she bought her item about her being disabled etc. She bought a tube of lipstick from me. She receives it and immediately emails me that it broke over halfway down when she tried to use it.

The only way that would happen is if she advanced it all the way and then used it. Anyone who has ever used lipstick knows you only advance just enough to use because it will break if it's advanced all the way and then pressure is applied.

I asked her to clarify how it broke because I wanted to know if this was a defect or if she broke it by advancing it all the way and this is what she said :

"I am disabled and on disability and $12 is a whole lot to pay for lipstick that I cannot use. I had told you in my email before that it broke down over half of the way down. It won't work for me, unfortunately. Don't know what I need to do about this and I thought I had explained already what happened."

I have a feeling that she may be wanting something for free or it is her fault that it broke. Why tell me she is disabled? I'm sorry for her but I am a stranger to her. Why tell me that?

My thinking on this is to have her return it because if she is trying to scam me and if she gets away with it, she will do it again to another seller. It will cost me more money to get something I can't resell back but it's the principal of the thing.

I have a feeling that when I ask her to return it she will balk. I'm betting she will tell me again she is disabled, doesn't have access to a printer, no paper etc.

My question is what are my options if she refuses to return it?

There isn't a retail store out there who would give a refund without getting the item back.

I'm telling you all this before I ask her because I need to be ready to respond quickly. She has already berated me for not shipping on MLK Day and for taking more than 5 hours to respond to her email.

Thank you for any advice you can give

Anonymous · ‎01-26-2019

I would have to google the address to see where she lives, just out of curiosity.....

Anonymous · ‎01-26-2019

@lsislanders wrote:
The word "disabled" can mean several things. She may have physical, emotional, intellectual, or other disabilities. For the amount of money in question, I don't think this is an issue to resist. She may be having a very difficult time even getting this far. She may also be a crook, but I tend to think she is probably disabled.

I'm disabled because I drink too much and always break my lipstick when trying to put it on my pig.

city*satins · ‎01-26-2019

After 20 years on eBay I've become immune to the pity party messages buyers send. I am quite robotic when I handle complaints - I just made sure that when I developed my process that I chug through, I created templates that sounded caring and concerned and customer focused. Now I just plug them in and let them run.

As for breaking a lipstick - hmmm. I only ever broke one lipstick in my life, and that was the first lipstick I ever bought when I was 16 years old and the Beauty Councillor seller came to our house and my mom and I each bought 1 lipstick and 1 eyebrow pencil. I went to use my brand new lipstick and without any sense whatsoever (because in the first 16 years of my life I had never once seen my mother own or apply lipstick) I extended it all the way and smooshed it on my mouth, breaking it of course.

I went whining to my mother who shrugged and said "Well, live and learn. For the next year you can apply your lipstick with the end of a bobby pin until you've used the broken half."

So I did.

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city*satins · ‎01-26-2019

And condolences to everyone who's ever lost a loved one. Time blunts the pain somewhat but never truly heals us.

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*madison · ‎01-26-2019

@sam9876 wrote:
Something else?

How about air?

Well, thanks for that suggestion, I'll give it some thought.

And on that note, I'm packing my bags ready for Vegas on Monday.

Farewell, for now.

needalittlehelpsometimes · ‎01-26-2019

@*madison wrote:
She lost her battle 14 months ago. She was only 74. I miss her.
------------------------------------------------------------

So sorry for your loss, I understand how difficult it is.

My mother was killed in a car crash, 10 years ago next month, and it still feels like it only happened this morning. They say time is a great healer, but so far, time is not healing me.

I am so sorry for your loss. You are right, time does not heal. It just lessons the pain. My mother has been gone 34 years and I still feel like it was yesterday. I think we never really heal, we are just better able to carry on without them. That soul crushing pain subsides and we can remember them without all the pain and tears.

rainbowcolorz · ‎01-26-2019

@needalittlehelpsometimes wrote:
@lintbrush* wrote:

She lost her battle 14 months ago. She was only 74. I miss her.
I am very sorry for your loss. I lost my mother when I was 17 and she was 42 and my dad when I was 41 and he was 63. It is no less painful whether you are a teen or middle aged.
I miss them both more than I ever thought possible.

Oh my goodness. I am very sorry to read this and also about your sweet grandmother...... I cannot imagine.

rainbowcolorz · ‎01-26-2019

@*madison wrote:
She lost her battle 14 months ago. She was only 74. I miss her.
------------------------------------------------------------

So sorry for your loss, I understand how difficult it is.

My mother was killed in a car crash, 10 years ago next month, and it still feels like it only happened this morning. They say time is a great healer, but so far, time is not healing me.

Oh my goodness!! I am so sorry to read this!!!! OK, I'm crying now ... signing off.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-26-2019

@turquoisetulips wrote:
@needalittlehelpsometimes wrote:
I have this buyer who gave me a sob story when she bought her item about her being disabled etc. She bought a tube of lipstick from me. She receives it and immediately emails me that it broke over halfway down when she tried to use it.

The only way that would happen is if she advanced it all the way and then used it. Anyone who has ever used lipstick knows you only advance just enough to use because it will break if it's advanced all the way and then pressure is applied.

I asked her to clarify how it broke because I wanted to know if this was a defect or if she broke it by advancing it all the way and this is what she said :

"I am disabled and on disability and $12 is a whole lot to pay for lipstick that I cannot use. I had told you in my email before that it broke down over half of the way down. It won't work for me, unfortunately. Don't know what I need to do about this and I thought I had explained already what happened."

I have a feeling that she may be wanting something for free or it is her fault that it broke. Why tell me she is disabled? I'm sorry for her but I am a stranger to her. Why tell me that?

My thinking on this is to have her return it because if she is trying to scam me and if she gets away with it, she will do it again to another seller. It will cost me more money to get something I can't resell back but it's the principal of the thing.

I have a feeling that when I ask her to return it she will balk. I'm betting she will tell me again she is disabled, doesn't have access to a printer, no paper etc.

My question is what are my options if she refuses to return it?
There isn't a retail store out there who would give a refund without getting the item back.

I'm telling you all this before I ask her because I need to be ready to respond quickly. She has already berated me for not shipping on MLK Day and for taking more than 5 hours to respond to her email.

Thank you for any advice you can give
It sounds as if she's being evasive to your question about how the lipstick broke . I would just ask her to return it for a refund . IMO , there's about a 60 % chance she won't . A lipstick can still be used even half full. Tulips

It can be used in this condition by just putting the top broken half back in the tube and lightly pressing it on the bottom half, and being sure to not extend the lipstick fully when using it, which is what she should have done in the first place.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-26-2019

To all those who have suffered loss, may God comfort you and bring peace to your hearts.

moondogblues · ‎01-27-2019

"I'm disabled because I drink too much and always break my lipstick when trying to put it on my pig."

OMG...I just about spit whiskey all over my keyboard. Not cheap stuff either....

moondogblues · ‎01-27-2019

I'm with castle...peace...and as we get older we lose the people we love more and more. My hubby and I are musicians and volunteer at a few places for the elderly...as well as hanging out at the Legion and doing karaoke. Lots of older folks. I adore a lot of them, but it is hard because we lose a few every year. I've been trying to store up the good memories so I have something to keep when they are gone.

About the lipstick...I've also broken one. Actually it broke itself in my purse. Somehow the cap came off and it rolled up and broke. Messed up my purse too. BAD lipstick!

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-27-2019

My heart goes out to all who have suffered loss, and you know, everyone has.

The pain can stay with you for years and years and never truly go away. Everyone grieves in their own way; there is no set time frame to "get over" that which you really will never get over. You just go on as best you can and it may lessen somewhat but it is still there, a part of you, and those we lost live on in our hearts and our memories until we can be together again.