Reporting a buyer for misuse of the messaging system to cancel an order

[royalprincessdesigns]

I had a buyer purchase an item tonight. About an hour later, she messaged me asking to cancel the order. I replied and told her that I was packing the item up for shipping and to please place the cancellation request through ebay.

She messaged back asking me to do it since she placed the order less than an hour ago and didn't see why she had to go through ebay. I again asked her to please make the cancellation request through ebay.

She came back with this reply: "You know I really would understand if I purchased it even yesterday but I think it’s pretty bad customer service since I just purchased it an hour ago and you have not even shipped it yet you’re just packaging. I don’t think I should have to go through eBay when you haven’t even packaged your ship yet. I would expect a lot more with someone with 100% satisfaction rating. I never give negative reviews but sadly I will do that today based on this customer service"

I went ahead and cancelled the order and refunded her money. I want to report her for making threats via the messaging system, but the system is not allowing me to do so because the order was cancelled and it tells me the item number is invalid. 

Would you contact customer service about this? She has been blocked and I have not replied to her yet.

[sin-n-dex]

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@royalprincessdesigns wrote:

I had a buyer purchase an item tonight. About an hour later, she messaged me asking to cancel the order. I replied and told her that I was packing the item up for shipping and to please place the cancellation request through ebay.

She messaged back asking me to do it since she placed the order less than an hour ago and didn't see why she had to go through ebay. I again asked her to please make the cancellation request through ebay.

She came back with this reply: "You know I really would understand if I purchased it even yesterday but I think it’s pretty bad customer service since I just purchased it an hour ago and you have not even shipped it yet you’re just packaging. I don’t think I should have to go through eBay when you haven’t even packaged your ship yet. I would expect a lot more with someone with 100% satisfaction rating. I never give negative reviews but sadly I will do that today based on this customer service"

I went ahead and cancelled the order and refunded her money. I want to report her for making threats via the messaging system, but the system is not allowing me to do so because the order was cancelled and it tells me the item number is invalid. 

Would you contact customer service about this? She has been blocked and I have not replied to her yet.

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If they ask to cancel, why not just cancel and be done with it? (Assuming you hadn't shipped it yet).

the back and forth is really unnecessary. If you ship them their item they'll just make an excuse to return it on your dime. Better to avoid the whole situation and just block the buyer.

C.

[fern*wood]

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

. If you ship them their item they'll just make an excuse to return it on your dime. Better to avoid the whole situation and just block the buyer.

C.

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They probably feel their disclaimer on their free returns will save them from refunding

[wastingtime101]

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@fern*wood wrote:

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They probably feel their disclaimer on their free returns will save them from refunding

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Unfortunately your advice about that on their last discussion was ignored.

[aproudparent2010]

You should have just cancelled when they asked you to. They sent you a message asking you to cancel so that is them making the request through eBay.

Just let it go and next time just cancel if they ask before it is sent.

[rosachs]

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@robbie31415 wrote:

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@rosachs wrote:

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@lakefor94 wrote:

Never ever try to send a buyer something they dont want.

The buyer cannot cancel an order and eBay will not cancel in the buyer's behalf. Only the seller can cancel.

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That first line I agree with - why waste the time and effort?

The second line is incorrect - buyers -can- cancel a purchase, but they have a limited time to do so. 

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Buyers can NOT cancel, only sellers can.

Buyers can only REQUEST cancellation.

Within the first hour they can do an actual request, that gets sent to the seller if they accept it or not. Seller can deny, especially if they shipped fast. I have shipped an item from when it turned to 'Paid' within 15 minutes.

Outside of that window they can send a message and request.

Buyers can NEVER actually cancel a sale. That would be massively abused.

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You are correct - I did mis-state that.  In my defense, I don't believe I have ever not cancelled a buyer order if they haven't even made payment yet.  Even if payment was made, if I haven't pulled, packed, or labeled the package, it's an easy cancel and absolutely minimum time investment.  Frustrating to lose the sale, frustrating to have to lose a payment received, but ultimately I just don't have the time to engage these folks over their requests.

Address the issue, drop the emotions.  The time you save can be better invested elsewhere.

-Bob.

[broto_64]

Some buyers will not entertain a confrontation with a seller over a cancellation request they have sent.

Should a seller wish to give the buyer a hard time over a cancellation request these buyers will remain quiet at this stage. And should the seller not cancel, these buyers will most likely return the item once received, at the seller's expense.

Moral of this story:

We want to stop battling our customers, we want to be fair and friendly and courteous and helpful towards them. We can not afford to do without buyers, a lot of sellers here struggle with a sales shortage, the only tool we have to combat this is providing great customer service.

That said, if a buyer asks to cancel it is best to comply, if possible with a smile.

[mam98031]

@royalprincessdesigns 

Why you were so insistent that they open the formal cancellation request that is available to buyer within the first hour after purchase?  Why was that so important to you?  It would not change anything.  But I am curious as to why you would insist on this to the point that you did with this buyer.

I think you may just have a misunderstanding of the process and how it impacts a seller.  You would have been absolutely fine to cancel the order as requested by the buyer from a regular Ebay email from the buyer.

You just really frustrated your buyer insisting they do something they really didn't need to do.  I think it was likely your actions that pushed them to threaten you they way they did.