Please help! The item didnt have anything wrong!

[4wheelstreasurechest]

Ok, I'm still new to this with selling. What do you guys do? I sold a lot of items and they were Hot Wheels cards. The lot was worth more then he nodded for. Great shape, no creases or bends. He now says that one had two slight creases and a few had soft corners. What would you guys do? It was a lot of like 8 valuable cards. I feel like I'm being scammed because I always note any flaw and take pictures of it.

[gracieallen01]

IF  you feel the need to respond, I suppose you could ask if he has a suggestion.  However, I wouldn't volunteer a solution.

I would still basically suggest waiting.  This is how I would do it - everybody has their own 'style'.

[mulligan_outfitters]

Don't do anything.  

[4wheelstreasurechest]

Update: I asked him to send me pictures if the damage he claimed. I never received a reply back, only to get a negative feedback stating that I sold damaged goods and not described correctly. I responded to the feedback that I asked for pictures and never received them and he never asked for a return. He just wanted a partial refund but didn't want to send them back.

[escuintla]

The damage to your reputation is done. 

Now, stay quiet. Don't go into a cyber match of words. 

Wait for the request for a refund or whatever. Nothing you can do. 

Good luck!

[ads*and*ends]

I just looked at your listings, and I have a couple of ideas, suggestions, and I don't mean to impose. I'm just tossing out a couple suggestions because I know what you are selling, and I know who your buyers are.

#1 - Don't worry about 1 negative. It sucks, but it's only 1. No one will care when they see that it's only 1, and there's no pattern.

#2 - Most buyers of Hot Wheels/1:64 cars are not going to freak out over soft corners. You and I know, soft corners/some sort of minor discrepancy is extremely common. I think you've altered item descriptions due to this one transaction, and I think you should consider altering them again. Description now reads like MAY CONTAIN SOFT CORNERS or something similar. My suggestion, look at each one you have, even if you have multiples of the same car, and quickly determine if they do or do not. If you're confident they do not, why state such a warning in the listing? Examine each car, like this collector would...and no, he's not the typical buyer of your product...just imagine he is. With cars that you examine and determine they have no bubble holes, no soft corners, then there is no need to state in the description "MAY HAVE SOFT CORNERS". Just say "new, sealed, excellent condition". If any you examine do have soft corners or a bubble hole (I never sell bubble holes, they always get opened and sold as loose)...be sure to photograph the corners and/or the bubble to show the extent of it. Soft corners won't matter to most.

#3 - get rid of the Hulk figure and the label in the pics. Every single Hot Wheels buyer who will view your listings, will just think you're ripping off the Gumby guy. That's his schtick. It works for him. You don't need it.

You're going to be fine. I hope you stick with it and don't give up. 1:64 is a tough product to sell on eBay.

[ads*and*ends]

EDIT - With the listings where you have multiples of the same car, obviously, corner pics won't help. Just be confident that none have soft corners, and if they do, maybe put those in a separate lot listing or save them for later. I'm just saying, if you're confident something has zero flaws, there is no reason to warn in every single listing "MAY CONTAIN SOFT CORNERS".

Also - I don't see that you're entering the UPC numbers in the item details. I would suggest doing that to help search results.

Anyway, good luck to you

[gracieallen01]

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@4wheelstreasurechest wrote:
Update: I asked him to send me pictures if the damage he claimed. I never received a reply back, only to get a negative feedback stating that I sold damaged goods and not described correctly. I responded to the feedback that I asked for pictures and never received them and he never asked for a return. He just wanted a partial refund but didn't want to send them back.

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In all likelihood, this is very true.   There are those that want something for nothing, AND think that they deserve it.  They play the game of 'I'm more important than you, so I win'.  Or, perhaps they are just plain scammers and this is their 'way'.

You get to smile, pick up your toys and suggest they go play somewhere else.  You put them on your BBL to protect them from themselves.  You firmly suggest that they 'return for refund' so that they can start over, anew, with someone else - and perhaps learn better manners.

It doesn't matter if you play fair or not.  You will still lose some, but you don't have to help the entitled, or scammer, along with their game.  Just make sure that you are 'right' to begin with.

(personal opinion - your mileage may vary)

[no_zero369]

@4wheelstreasurechest

This advice darth*bidwin* has given the original poster is good stuff!  (sorry gracie 4 replying to ur post! Oops!)

Particularly I like the comments about having changed the listings to all say MAY HAVE.

Seriously?   I mean I get it, it is a knee jerk reaction to having a bad situation happen - take a defensive stance so it doesn't happen again.  So I see why it was done.  But me thinks that one needs to consider the downside or consequences of taking such an action. 

When I see a listing, any listing that says "may have" in it it says to me one thing - the seller is too lazy to actually look at their product in detail and provide and accurate description of ALL of the flaws.  Either that or he's playing defense and is going to be a PIA to deal with, because the seller is always right.  MAY HAVE are weasel words plain and simple!  The do not convey a careful, thoughtful seller.

Now I know I'm one opinion on a MB, but the poster I replied to thought this was an important enough of a point to reply twice - so that is two votes against MAY HAVE.

In the end if a buyer claims a SNAD it is a done deal, so why not describe EVERYTHING to the best of your ability?

[no_zero369]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

If you really feel you could have gotten more for the lot, I would stick with return for refund and hope they open a dispute so you are only out the return shpping cost.

The only problem with that scenario is that the buyer can send ANYTHING back, even an empty box, and the refund will be given to the buyer from the seller's proceeds.  

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I see this posted on these boards all of the time.  And I'll add these comments.

• Apparently "bad buyers" are rare on ebay - less than 1%.
• Selling from a position of fear is a choice
• Selling on ebay & one is running a business
• Business plans could include money "in the cookie jar" for situations that may happen
• When situations happen, set emotions aside and be professional

I know it is hard, as when one feels they are dealing with someone who isn't above board the natural instinct is to go into defensive mode.  I have found that the more I sell, the more I understand what is happening, the more I understand the rules, the more I learn to be prepared for a "bad buyer" - the easier it is to have a buyer in my store, easier it is to not get emotional and easier it is to behave professionally with them. 

I have found, for me, that fear comes from the unknown or being unprepared.  When I have solved things (know the rules & the responses) and these situations occur, I know what to do and the fear now becomes irritation - and I can deal with a bit of discomfort.

Good luck! 

[gracieallen01]

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"This advice darth*bidwin* has given the original poster is good stuff!  (sorry gracie 4 replying to ur post! Oops!) "

No biggie. 

[no_zero369]

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@4wheelstreasurechest wrote:
Update: I asked him to send me pictures if the damage he claimed. I never received a reply back, only to get a negative feedback stating that I sold damaged goods and not described correctly. I responded to the feedback that I asked for pictures and never received them and he never asked for a return. He just wanted a partial refund but didn't want to send them back.

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Hmmm, can I make some comments from the "constructive critism" point of view?

The original post asked what others would do.  Seems like the majority of suggestions were to do nothing and NOT press the issue.  Does not appear as though that advice was taken.

It does look like the seller forced the issue and "called the buyers bluff" which is one way to handle the situation.  The action of calling the bluff resulted in negative feedback.

So from this perspective what could one have done differently? How could one operate in the future when a situation like this occurs?  Any project that is a success has stumbles and improves: plays have preview periods, software has beta testing, etc.  So examining the situations that don't go as planned, learning new ways to approach those situations and implementing changes can be part of the process of achieving  success!

But it appears as though the seller got in a debate with the buyer and got defensive?  I know MBs serve different purposes for different people.  Some just want to vent, some want affirmation of what they are doing, going to do or already did and some want advice or a different perspective.

Anyway, hope there is something here that helps!

Good luck!

[tunicaslot]

Totally agree. My suggestion is never use the word excellent - when listing I downplay my items. Most packaging has flaws of some kind - spell it out. Depending on a picture to define the flaws is wrong. Different monitors show different colors, brightness, some people don't see very well. I see a crease on one of the cards but it might only be a light streak or glare.

Just because the buyer didn't persue it doesn't mean he was a scammer - it's a low cost item - people often don't want to be bothered returning things especially at this time of the year. I had a customer dissatisfied with a top - I told him no problem - I have free returns just mail it back. He said he's too busy to bother and I can understand that - often if it's low cost - I'll just donate something rather than waste time returning it.

[moo*cow*corner]

---General reply----
A couple of the elephants in the room over on my part of ebay use those weasel words 'may have' all the time. I sell mostly dinnerware. They say may have scratches, utensil marks, crazing, etc. A long list of possible flaws with a disclaimer. The biggest one has a 3 tier grading system, but if you're not paying attention, it's easy to miss. It's not any better than saying 'great shape, see photos'. These kinds of flaws HAVE to be described, because they are impossible to photograph.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

I'll tell you what MooCow...the big one uses those words. I use them too sometimes. I take a good look at glass, holding it up with a black background, close to window natural light, and do just about everything but take out my loupe. That's where I draw the line. One time it happened to me--there's a small scratch on this goblet, you should have seen it and mentioned it in the listing. 1/8". Now there's a point where I have to draw the line for the "I found a tiny scratch" partial refund ploy. 

[collectablesofliberty]

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@4wheelstreasurechest wrote:
Update: I asked him to send me pictures if the damage he claimed. I never received a reply back, only to get a negative feedback stating that I sold damaged goods and not described correctly. I responded to the feedback that I asked for pictures and never received them and he never asked for a return. He just wanted a partial refund but didn't want to send them back.

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I have had that happen before, most buyers will read the comments you made and ignore the negative.