Problem Buyer - How to Handle

[emptycloset]

Buyer purchased vintage kitchen item from me. Before the sale, she negotiated a lower price and a lower shipping cost. (My first error.)

Once received, she started finding complaints with it. First she said it contained "random screws or something." Then she amended it to "Bolts." My photos clearly showed nothing of the kind. Eventually I came to understand that she was referring to the factory-installed feet on this item, which hold it level on the table. (My photos clearly showed this feature, incidentally.) When I offered her this explanation, she agreed that it made sense.

But then she complained that she had not realized the extent of the light rust on the item, which was photographed clearly in the listing, AND described accurately.

Next she claimed general disappointment with the item, at which point I offered a full refund after return.

No, she didnt want that -- she wanted a discount and to keep this pestilential item.

Even after I agreed to this, she has continued to complain, sending inscrutable photos that she claims show "chips" in the item. (Her photos show a copper colored item -- the sold item was black.)  

What more can I do? I understand ebay always sides with the buyer. I really feel that nothing will satisfy this buyer and I will never be rid of her.

Any suggestions?

[silvervintagephoto]

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@whatmorefabric wrote:

My SIL is a master scammer.     She will buy a coffee table from say Wayside,  and when it gets delivered,  uses a washable marker and complains it was scratched.    She gets the coffee table free

She will negotiate for lower prices and than when that fails,  complains that it is damaged.      A little extra discount will help the problem.     You would be amazed at how many people just refund.  

On Amazon,  she will complained that the item was not delivered.      She will request a replacement and get another item free.     If you do not have the customer sign for an item,    Amazon does not consider it delivered. 

This is just another person looking for a little extra off.

Have them return it.

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Your Sister-in-Law is a criminal and should be in jail.

[emptycloset]

Thank you, ebooksdiva, for your succinct and to-the-point suggestion. I did exactly as you recommended. And the buyer responded by opening a return request, which I approved within minutes of receiving it. I also immediately sent out a prepaid mailing label for return.

I was under the impression that this action on the buyer's part would automatically block future communication attempts from her, but evidently not so. She has continued to pm me through ebay. Therefore I  blocked her buyer ID. However, she has my business email address from my 'thank you' card with the delivered merchandise, and continues to email me at this address, claiming the item I sold her is "not functionable" in her words.

Next stop: contacting ebay regarding their "abusive buyer" policy.

[emptycloset]

Thank you, uniquebargains3. I appreciate your input, especially your suggestion to "focus on future sales." I have already wasted entirely too much time with this buyer when I could have been listing!

[emptycloset]

You are right, chapeau-noir. With over 6000 feedback, your judgment cannot  be questioned and I appreciate your comments. I have sent the buyer a return label, and will refund the moment I receive the item back. And no responding to her communications henceforth.

[emptycloset]

I am not sure this buyer is even calculated enough to be scheming toward any specific goal. I find it impressive that a single manufactured object can serve as the basis for so many individual complaints about it.

Nonetheless, I have accepted her return request and will promptly refund when the article arrives.

Thank you very much for your input. Your huge experience on ebay is striking, and I appreciate you taking time from your surely crazy photographing-listing-shipping schedule to assist me.

[emptycloset]

Thank you, gurlcat, for your comments. The item in question was sold within the last 2 weeks and appears under my Solds. Much of my inventory is my own, from years of collecting and inheriting. I am trying to empty a house to spare my heirs the trouble, and to allow me the freedom to move!

The question you posed in your response has helped me focus. What really DO I fear? I suppose I was hoping for an unblemished record of customer satisfaction. I guess I have been fortunate until now to have dealt with the cream of the ebay buying public. Most people are reasonable, and I try to be accommodating. Sales is a service business. But 'most people' is not equivalent to 'all people.' 😄

[emptycloset]

Thank you for taking the time to write, terrycece62. With your feedback score, I am sure you have dealt with just about everything during your tenure at ebay. I appreciate your comments and suggestion.

I have discontinued communication with this buyer. I only wish she would discontinue (attempting) communication with me!

[emptycloset]

Yes, ma'am98031!

Yes indeed, the buyer has been added to my blocked bidder list.

Thank you for writing to suggest this. I only wish I had added her sooner, at the point when she began negotiating for a lower price for my item. That was surely a tip-off, which I was too dense to identify, that the going ahead would not be easy ...

[emptycloset]

Thank you for writing, pickapaper.

I had originally offered her a discount, which she agreed to.

But the very next morning she changed her mind, and told me that the discount offered was inadequate. Fortunately, I had not yet authorized it.

She will be receiving a full refund instead, once she returns the object.

[emptycloset]

cityslickercreations2004, thank you for writing.

I think many people would be embarrassed to behave as this buyer has. The best I can do is to offer her the benefit of the doubt, and assume it is ignorance, and not malice.

Although the buyer has opened a case with ebay, it seems she is experiencing difficulty with following their procedures, as she continues to pm me even though I have accepted the return, and sent her a prepaid mailing label. That is why I am suspecting true ignorance on her part.

[emptycloset]

Silvervintagephoto, wiser words were never spoken -- "Anytime a buyer asks to negotiate at the beginning, I know that they are likely to be a headache and WAY more likely to open a return on the flimsiest pretext."

I will be tattooing this line on my mouse hand in the near future.

Thank you for writing!

[emptycloset]

Wow, whatmorefabric. Thank you for the insight into the mind of a master scammer! I would be curious as to how your SIL justifies her actions.

Thank you for writing, and for your suggestion. Yes, I am having the buyer return the item.

[ebooksdiva]

You can send her eMails to you in your spam folder Besure to click block sender. 
Happy Holidays! 

[emptycloset]

You are right, grand-and-glorious-purpose. I have been fortunate thus far, but should not have expected to avoid this type of buyer forever.

Thank you for the pointed reminder that rain falls on everyone, and thank you also for writing.

[gurlcat]

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@emptycloset wrote:

Although the buyer has opened a case with ebay, it seems she is experiencing difficulty with following their procedures, as she continues to pm me even though I have accepted the return, and sent her a prepaid mailing label. That is why I am suspecting true ignorance on her part.

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It could be true ignorance or it could be a continuance of the behavior she engaged with all along, which seems geared toward trying to exhaust you into issuing her a refund while keeping the item.  I've had scammers pretend they didn't know how to print the return label, didn't have a printer, had no way to get the package to the post office, etc. 

If you don't mind saying, what sort of "difficulty" has she claimed to have? 

-Just so you know, now that she is on your BBL she cannot send you any more messages .... or rather, she CAN and there will be nothing to indicate to her that her message will not be seen by you.  It's a very tricky conundrum, whether to leave the buyer free to maintain contact AND buy more items, or blocked from both, and believing they're being ignored, possible anger heating up as a result. 

I know you are tired of seeing messages from her, but this goes back to why I asked what you would consider the worst case scenario.  If it is receiving a "blemish" -and by that you mean a negative feedback, then her feeling you won't help her with whatever return issues she's having .... then she very well could give you a neg.  But I really hope that is not so threatening to you that you would cave and refund her money without getting the item back.  -Take a look at my feedback.  Would you consider it too blemished to buy from me?