What's the protocol for this situation?

[saintpaulgolf]

 So I sold an item back in February or so, and when the item was sold I couldn't find it. Looked everywhere and thought the person I live with donated it or something, so I told the buyer the situation and that there was nothing I could do about it, but if I found the item in the near future I would still be willing to get it to them. 

Well they hit me with a negative feedback, told me to p-ss off and that was about it. There was very little communication from them that I recall. Well I found the item (a coat) and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to procede at this point. I shot them an email immediately after I found it telling them I would keep my word and finish the transaction if they wanted, but their response was along the lines of "well it's not cold anymore - how much do you want for it?" as if to imply they want it...at a lower cost (it was already cheap, comparable to what it was new in the stores). 

So surely this has happened in the two decades eBay has been here. What's the protocol at this point? Just let by-gones be by-gones? 

[714gorilla]

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@saintpaulgolfwrote:

 So I sold an item back in February or so, and when the item was sold I couldn't find it. Looked everywhere and thought the person I live with donated it or something, so I told the buyer the situation and that there was nothing I could do about it, but if I found the item in the near future I would still be willing to get it to them. 

Well they hit me with a negative feedback, told me to p-ss off and that was about it. There was very little communication from them that I recall. Well I found the item (a coat) and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to procede at this point. I shot them an email immediately after I found it telling them I would keep my word and finish the transaction if they wanted, but their response was along the lines of "well it's not cold anymore - how much do you want for it?" as if to imply they want it...at a lower cost (it was already cheap, comparable to what it was new in the stores). 

So surely this has happened in the two decades eBay has been here. What's the protocol at this point? Just let by-gones be by-gones? 

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I had that happen to me once, I was selling different sizes of the same item and mistakenly sold a size I no longer had. I emailed the buyer right away, refunded her money, and told her how sorry I was; and also that I was going to keep my eye out and if I found another one I'd send it to her at no charge.  It took a while but I did find another in her size and sent it at no charge.  Of course Ebay takes off points because it didn't get shipped, but she didn't leave any feedback,  I just wish she would have thanked me when I finally sent it, but oh well.  Since your buyer was mad right away and said words they're lucky you even offered it to them when you found it!

[lex-talon]

I agree with the others, just let it go. A similar situation happened to me last year. I sold some 8x10 autographed photos of a well known fitness model. Just couldn't find them anywhere and told the buyer.

Told him if I ever find them, I'd let him know asap. He was very understanding, thought he was chew me out big time and leave a negative. Fortunate for me, he never did. To this day, still cannot find the photos.

The negative you received will age off in year, that's very unfortunate and you did not deserve it.

[saintpaulgolf]

Well they have emailed me back saying they will give me $35 if I cover the difference in shipping (so maybe $5 less than the original transaction) but they also say in the email "I think we can take care of that negative"

So should I make them retract the negative...and then follow through with the transaction? I'd probably settle for a $5.00 loss if the negative was removed. 

[castlemagicmemories]

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@saintpaulgolfwrote:

What is it with this element of people on here with their brutal atitudes, kicking people when they're just asking simply questions? Whatever happened to "don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all..."? 

I do not understand this. 

There is a nastiness from some of the posters here so repulsive I really do wonder where it stems from... 

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With all due respect, I don't know whom you are referring to as I was simply flipping your response to show you that your buyer may be thinking the exact same thing that you expressed, they may have thought they you did them dirty, just as you think they did that to you.  I felt that it was sort of brutal, no offense, to say the buyer did you dirty.  They expressed how they felt, and the situation would not have existed had you been able to send them what they bought.  While it would have been nice if you got an understanding buyer, buyer really do hate when they buy something and the seller claims they do not have it.  Their time has been wasted for nothing and they are back at square one, and they expect the seller to have the item they have listed for sale available to them when they buy.

But if you are offended by that post, of course, my profuse apologies to you as that was never my intention.  I was just trying to get you to see that what you said about them, may be what they are saying about you.

Wishing you all the best.

[emerald1830]

OP..who knows if maybe this was meant to be? Maybe this buyer who would have been more trouble in the end? 

Just wait awhile to list it again...

Sorry this happened to you...but maybe this was the best thing since the buyer seems a tad of his rocker...

[saintpaulgolf]

Okay, I can see where you're coming from. I think as a buyer I have had that happen to me, and I was very much displeased by it. But honestly I am not the type of person who is going to leave a damaging feedback, much less to a person  who has a track record of stellar feedback and works hard to do the right thing.  

Last time I came to this forum people just ripped into me because I had "negatives" in my past that I wasn't up front about, but they wouldn't let me explain the reasons behind every one of the four negatives I had (basically all of them were unjustified in one way or another) over a career on here spanning almost two decades now. 

[emerald1830]

And as a buyer only...that negative wouldn't affect me at all...

Your first negative will hurt just like your first scratch on your new car...

[*eponymous*]

...but only if they would retract their negative feedback. 

That's feedback extortion - not allowed.

 But I am not going to take less for it. 

Why?  It was your mistake, and the buyer doesn't need the widget til next winter so he is doing you a favor by agreeing to take it off your hands.  Show your goodwill by offering a reduction - you may have done that later in the thread...if so, it's all good.

The neg doesn't count against you, but the defect for the out of stock cancellation does.

Many of us buyers know the routine by heart - find an item, bid or BID, only to get the dreaded "Good news...the seller has cancelled your transaction".  It makes us see red and we know it's 99% a sure thing that the seller didn't get enough for the listing (or entered the wrong amount for a BIN).  Happens so often, you get jaded as a buyer (and absolutely as a poster reading this stuff day after day for decades) to the point that, when a seller actually loses an item, you tend to not believe it.

In any  event, disappointed buyers leave the site for good.  Make sure you have an item before you list.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@saintpaulgolfwrote:

Okay, I can see where you're coming from. I think as a buyer I have had that happen to me, and I was very much displeased by it. But honestly I am not the type of person who is going to leave a damaging feedback, much less to a person  who has a track record of stellar feedback and works hard to do the right thing.  

Last time I came to this forum people just ripped into me because I had "negatives" in my past that I wasn't up front about, but they wouldn't let me explain the reasons behind every one of the four negatives I had (basically all of them were unjustified in one way or another) over a career on here spanning almost two decades now. 

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Thank you for understanding.  While  you may be reluctant to drop a neg on anyone, and that is a good thing, not everyone follows that procedure.  Sadly you got a buyer who doesn't.  I know that neg hurts and I understand~~you don't want it there.  

Sorry for your previous bad Board experiences, but one tends to loose credibility in that situation.  Invariably, those things are found,  as you experienced, and the credibility is shattered as others may see that as not being straight with them~so they don't want to hear your explanations, which fall on deaf ears at that point.  

Congratulations on your record.  

[dhbookds]

The feedback seems to state the situation as you state it:

Seller canceled order saying He couldn’t find the item.

It does gripe buyers who have spent time and effort into finding what they want not to get it.......

[luckythewinner]

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@saintpaulgolfwrote:

Well I see your point. This person did me dirty the way they didn't really communicate before plowing me with the first negative I had had in quite some time.  They wanted to get their pound of flesh without seeing it was an honest mistake on my end. 

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I have been on the receiving end of at least a dozen items over the years that the seller had "lost through an "honest mistake" that later showed up listed on eBay by the same seller at a much higher price.

And in at least one case, the item that was "lost" was purchased by a fellow collector who contacted the seller after the sale and offered a premium if the seller could find another one. As you can imagine, the seller lost mine but managed to find one for the other collector a couple days later  🙂

So while it may not have been intentional, let's not forget that you failed to perform as a seller. So in the buyer eyes, you "did them dirty" first by promising an item that you could not deliver. 

[luckythewinner]

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@saintpaulgolfwrote:

What is it with this element of people on here with their brutal atitudes, kicking people when they're just asking simply questions? Whatever happened to "don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all..."?  

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Because sometimes the truth is brutal and not nice. 

[saintpaulgolf]

Honestly, it's akin to a person who just got robbed and rushing to the nearest good samaritan or police officer asking for help, and then the good samaritan or police asking them about all the crimes they may (or may have not) committed in their past. 

I mean, there is no call for it. That's an extreme example, but it's just an example. 

[lintbrush*]

Your original post about this was that you had listed it about 10 times with no interest.

You finally got a buyer.

You couldn't find the item.  

Well now you found it and the original buyer is still interested, but the season is just about over.  I would not make the sale contingent upon his removing the negative.  (They've already expressed a desire to do so on their own becauses you showed integrity by contacting them when you found it.)  I would make the sale with the price reduction because I screwed up.  

If they removed the negative, great.  If they didn't, I'd be unhappy but I'd know that I did what was right in my book.

If I were the buyer and you wanted me to retract the negative first before you'd let me buy it, I'd be really turned off and wouldn't do it on principle.   This isn't a **bleep** for tat situation.  You're the professional (seller) - behave like one.

[luckythewinner]

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@lintbrush*wrote:

If I were the buyer and you wanted me to retract the negative first before you'd let me buy it, I'd be really turned off and wouldn't do it on principle.

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Not to mention that feedback extortion is against eBay policy.

Most sellers who post here on the subject are outraged when buyers attempt it.