Two orders.

[buy_my_randomness]

So I had an item sell but not paid. The buyer messaged me because they live in Canada and was wanting to see if I ship there. I usually only do US shipping but I make an exception for items if someone messages me. So I told them sure I will have to cancel the order in order to revise the shipping and relist it. Not doing many sales like this I thought that was the best and easiest solution. They agreed and I cancelled, revised, and relisted. I immediately message them to let them know the item was relisted. About 10mins go by and the item sells again and this time it’s paid. Thinking it’s the same buyer again, I purchase the label and have it packed. Well, it wasn’t the same buyer. Now the first buyer has been messaging me nonstop about how I need to cancel that order so they can purchase it because they were first. I even messaged the buyer who paid because the 1st buyer really is adamant about getting his order. Like idk what exactly I’m suppose to do. The 2nd buyer paid immediately and the label has been purchase. Had this happen to anyone and how did you go about it?

[lamber9347]

@buy_my_randomness I actually did have this exact same scenario happen to me as the seller. Literally the same situation. I felt it wasn't correct to cancel the second purchase as that buyer was unaware of the first buyer's desire to purchase the same item. It was just a timing thing really. So I went through with the second transaction, that buyer was happy, left me FB, and later came back to purchase again. 

I explained all this to the first buyer and asked how they would feel if the same thing happened to them and I canceled their order. Online shopping is different from a B&M store. In person I would have simply set the item aside for the first buyer, but online it's really fast and somewhat anonymous until after the transaction is done. First buyer eventually gave in and we ended things friendly.

Later on I found another of the same item and wrote them but they had found it by then. Although they were grateful for my remembering and following up with them. Sometimes you have to do what you feel is right in your heart. Best of luck to you....

[slpentico]

Tell the first guy to take a hike, he was too slow and missed out. Should have been able to order in the first place if he was in an area you don’t ship too.

[jayjaspersgarage]

The first potential buyer should know the risk once the item was relisted for all to see and purchase.  I would never cancel a paid for item given your description.  That would only result in a negative mark against your reputation.

Leave it alone and perhaps try to source another one to relist?

[jda07121]

I rarely do this but when I do I change the description to the buyers ID and move the title to the description. Then I tell the buyer how to find it.

[kosmosattik]

"Take a hike"?   It costs nothing to try to defuse the person's anger rather than escalate it.

I'd take an apologetic tone while explaining that reneging on a sale for which payment has been received would be a violation of eBay policy.  This situation is a peculiar and unfortunate circumstance for which there is no answer that would satisfy everyone so eBay policy must be your guide.

It's best to tread lightly.  Having a messaging agreement on a sale does cast a shadow on the situation.

[dbfolks166mt]

I have never got into this exact situation but I post an item across multiple forums at the same time. While I would never cancel a sale on an item that has a bid on it in eBay, or sold,  I have had several situations where I have ended items on eBay when the item sold on another forum. There have been several instances where there were multiple watchers on the item in eBay, even of fixed price items, that contacted me and asked what happened to the listing they were going to bid or buy the item. I kindly explained that the item sold on another forum and I ended it because there were no bids or it had not sold. Most of the time I get a thank you for letting them now response and regret on their part for not bidding or purchasing the item. 

[gjs_16]

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@buy_my_randomness wrote:

So I had an item sell but not paid. The buyer messaged me because they live in Canada and was wanting to see if I ship there. I usually only do US shipping but I make an exception for items if someone messages me. So I told them sure I will have to cancel the order in order to revise the shipping and relist it. Not doing many sales like this I thought that was the best and easiest solution. They agreed and I cancelled, revised, and relisted. I immediately message them to let them know the item was relisted. About 10mins go by and the item sells again and this time it’s paid. Thinking it’s the same buyer again, I purchase the label and have it packed. Well, it wasn’t the same buyer. Now the first buyer has been messaging me nonstop about how I need to cancel that order so they can purchase it because they were first. I even messaged the buyer who paid because the 1st buyer really is adamant about getting his order. Like idk what exactly I’m suppose to do. The 2nd buyer paid immediately and the label has been purchase. Had this happen to anyone and how did you go about it?

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Yup, that is why I don't make "exceptions."

[pikabo-icu]

Since you have received good advice to NOT cancel the second sale, that buyer shouldn't be punished, they didn't know it was reserved, I will just add:

LUCKY you! You have an item that seems to be popular. If I were you, I would try to get me some more of those.. /just sayin'

[dhbookds]

Won't help this time, but when I relist for a particular buyer..........I up the price to outrageous and put b/o on it, then email the buyer to offer me what ever we agreed on.........

[jayjaspersgarage]

That's creative and follows the rules.

[sin-n-dex]

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@buy_my_randomness wrote:

So I had an item sell but not paid. The buyer messaged me because they live in Canada and was wanting to see if I ship there. I usually only do US shipping but I make an exception for items if someone messages me. So I told them sure I will have to cancel the order in order to revise the shipping and relist it. Not doing many sales like this I thought that was the best and easiest solution. They agreed and I cancelled, revised, and relisted. I immediately message them to let them know the item was relisted. About 10mins go by and the item sells again and this time it’s paid. Thinking it’s the same buyer again, I purchase the label and have it packed. Well, it wasn’t the same buyer. Now the first buyer has been messaging me nonstop about how I need to cancel that order so they can purchase it because they were first. I even messaged the buyer who paid because the 1st buyer really is adamant about getting his order. Like idk what exactly I’m suppose to do. The 2nd buyer paid immediately and the label has been purchase. Had this happen to anyone and how did you go about it?

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Block and ignore the buyer who is messaging you. They missed the boat and someone else snapped it up. They are not first, if they were first they would have gotten it. If you cancel on the second buyer they will leave negative feedback and you will get a defect. Your first buyer asked you to cancel to revise the listing (I would have just sent an invoice with revised shipping, but since you did it this way let's work with that).

The reason I say to block the buyer... I had someone who wanted to buy something and while dilly dallying around to find $10 to buy the stamps someone else snapped them up and she became completely unglued. (I didn't even read her last message, and I had blocked her by that time). The block is to keep them from doing something vindictive like buying something else to leave bad feedback about the sale they missed out on.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@kosmosattik wrote:

"Take a hike"?   It costs nothing to try to defuse the person's anger rather than escalate it.

I'd take an apologetic tone while explaining that reneging on a sale for which payment has been received would be a violation of eBay policy.  This situation is a peculiar and unfortunate circumstance for which there is no answer that would satisfy everyone so eBay policy must be your guide.

It's best to tread lightly.  Having a messaging agreement on a sale does cast a shadow on the situation.

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I wouldn't tell that first buyer to take a hike, I would answer that it's sold and paid for and I'm not cancelling. If they are messaging incessantly as described the OP I would block the buyer. The one time this happened to me (and I didn't cancel and relist, I was just talking to her because she wanted to buy it), she went away for two weeks because she didn't have $10 to pay for the stamps (and didn't ask me to accept her purchase and hold them until she had money, although I'm not sure I would wait 2 weeks).

She became completely unglued like an entirely unstable individual by ranting at me about how I should have sold her the stamps and she recovered from covid, and she's old, blah blah blah. I didn't even really read it, just skimmed it. But I had blocked after the first unstable message I got.

If the OP's buyer is messaging nonstop, this is not a balanced person. Unless the item is excessively rare and can never be found again, the grown up solution is just to search for it somewhere else. There will always be another item someone wants to buy...

C.

[buy_my_randomness]

Thank you everyone for your responses. The buyer threatened me again so I had to contacted ebay this morning and I'm in the clear. I also blocked the buyer because I don't want another incident to happen like this. I have learn my lesson and know from now on how to handle situations like this. Some people are just wild. Yall be safe and take care!