What would you do or not done?

[dandfmarinesalvage]

So here’s the details of a transaction today. What would you have done or what should I have done differently in your opinion?

We receive a message yesterday about a listing that contains several questions. All of which were clearly answered in the description. The message was very oddly written and seemed peculiar. Not the typical “hey I just wanted to ask if…….” That we generally get.  I look at the buyer and discover that over 75 percent of the feedback they leave (which is a couple hundred feedbacks) are negative. Deciding that this buyer should just be blocked rather than answer obvious questions was at the top of the list or so I thought.

We run a very busy brick and mortar shop as well and in the midst of this I get sidetracked and don’t block the buyer. Today said buyer buys the item and immediately begins to bombard us with messages and then requests that we ship the item with the flammable fluid left inside. Obviously we aren’t going to do that and made that clear both in the listing and in the message. Buyer doesn’t seem to understand that as he says it’s fine to do because he’s done it in the past and is unhappy that we won’t do it. We decide that rather than argue or escalate we are going to immediately cancel, refund, block the buyer and relist.

All is well for about 10 minutes. Then I start to receive phone calls, text messages, emails and a google review from this buyer who at this point is absolutely unhinged and irate. Calling us all sorts of obscenities, saying we’ve committed fraud, he’s calling the law, he’s going to sue us, we stole his money, etc.

Keep in mind this is all in the course of about an hour or so from beginning until it escalated to this point. So with that being said. If you were in my position. Would you have simply sent the item anyway without fluid inside knowing that the buyer was already unhappy and wanted the fluid in it? Would you have cancelled or cancelled and blocked? How would you have handled it differently? 

I feel like these strange situations are starting to come up more frequently. It used to be maybe once every year or two we just had a completely unsatisfiable buyer regardless of what we tried to do. Now it seems like there’s a least a couple a year out of a few thousand. Anyone else feel like it’s picking up as well? Or have I hit a run of bad luck or had a really long streak of good luck and now I’m paying my dues?

[stainlessenginecovers]

I would have done exactly what you did; cancel/refund/block. 

How they got your 'phone number' or 'email' etc. to 'bombard' you is a bit baffling to me, but doesn't matter. Buyer can 'threaten' all they want. They are a spastic problem child that most businesses (or personal sellers) want to and/or have time to deal with. 

[chapeau-noir]

I can't answer to the increase in frequency of these types of incidents, but I know what I'd do in this case is block the buyer and cancel the transaction as OOS. Yeah, you'll get a ding but most of us can stand one once in a while, and it's a small price to pay to keep yourself sane in this business. 

[dandfmarinesalvage]

The eBay username brings up all sorts of our info when typed into google. In hindsight I may choose to completely change the eBay store name to keep eBay segregated a bit so it can be limited to on platform communications only and we don’t have to worry about being contacted outside the platform. 

[ebooksdiva]

What ever fluid that is in the item probably isn’t allowed to be shipped, I wouldn’t ship it. 
I would have blocked from the start if the buyer sounded like a fruitcake. 

I would have taken the defect for cancelling as out of stock if I forgot to block the buyer in the first place, then block. 

Wonder how your phone number and other contact information was given to the buyer, if it was the buyer calling? Seems rather odd. I’m a seller, my contact info is kept private. 

I would block the calls,  emails and ignore. Obviously since you refunded there’s nothing for the buyer to sue you for and as for the law, they wouldn’t waste their time. 

[chapeau-noir]

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@dandfmarinesalvage wrote:

The eBay username brings up all sorts of our info when typed into google. In hindsight I may choose to completely change the eBay store name to keep eBay segregated a bit so it can be limited to on platform communications only and we don’t have to worry about being contacted outside the platform. 

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That's what I did - I have three stores on three different sites and segregated them by using different store names. 

[dandfmarinesalvage]

Unfortunately years ago I didn’t have enough sense to use a completely unrelated username on eBay from our brick and mortar store. In hindsight it should have been something that wouldn’t be telling and so easily searchable.

[nyr134]

There’s a phone number on your profile picture here - so that certainly could invite a phone call.  Maybe that doesn’t appear on your eBay selling page?

[albertabrightalberta]

@dandfmarinesalvage 

I am so sorry this buyer found you.

I had a similar unhinged buyer about a week ago and this is how I handled it.

1. As soon as unusual demands come, report the buyer. I've found it beneficial to have proactively reported a problem before all he!! breaks loose beause it's on record. 

2. Don't lose your cool just because the buyer has. It's easy to go down to their level but in the event you need ebay on your side, you want to have messages that show your were professional.

3. In my case, the buyer ended up demanding a cancellation but in your case, I would have done the same as you did.

In my case, it was a rather bulky purchase involving an oversized package and a fairly pricey UPS shipment. (I did also offer ground advantage in the listing but it was more expensive so he chose UPS.)

Before I bought the label, he realized that he lived about an hour away from me and INSISTED on local pickup, not offered and something I don't do. 

Even before he lost it, I foresaw trouble so I immediately reported the buyer for demanding something that wasn't offered. I like to get issues on record with ebay proactively so if something goes south, it's already documented. 

For the next 2 hours, I got message after message after message (nearly 100 messages) demanding my address, my phone number, offers to save us both money by canceling and selling off ebay, etc. (The off-ebay fee circumvention suggestion got another "report the buyer" report.)

Finally, after threatening to report me to ebay and to leave negative feedback, he told me to cancel. Although I canceled immediately, the "cancel my order" demand was followed by at least 30 more "cancel my order" and "give me my money back!" messages. 

Had he not requested to cancel, I would have taken the OOS ding and canceled it anyway. 

My suggestion to you is that if you haven't already done it is to go to the order and report the buyer for every violation he did. 

[adamcartwright]

@dandfmarinesalvage 

I would have cancelled for buyer demanding something that was not included in the listing and report the buyer to eBay for that, as well.  Probably also for being an abusive buyer.

[mtgraves7984]

I'd have cancelled, refunded and blocked. Admittedly, I'd have used that the buyer requested something not offered in the listing (liquids/shipment)... but I'd have gone at least  OOS.

Too bad the buyer headcase has your phone number. Might be time to revisit your avatar.

[broto_64]

What was the reason you used to cancel?

If it was "problem with buyer's address / buyer asked" I too would've been completely irate.

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@dandfmarinesalvage wrote:

Unfortunately years ago I didn’t have enough sense to use a completely unrelated username on eBay from our brick and mortar store. In hindsight it should have been something that wouldn’t be telling and so easily searchable.

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It may have still connected you even if you used said completely unrelated username (and then it looks even funnier).  

I too have had what looks like a mild increase in unreasonable buyers...
I attribute it to tough economic times.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

The loonies are all out of control and off their meds.

Maybe they can't afford their meds or maybe they see no need for them given the example of political activists on the news.

[broto_64]

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@adamcartwright wrote:

@dandfmarinesalvage 

I would have cancelled for buyer demanding something that was not included in the listing and report the buyer to eBay for that, as well.  Probably also for being an abusive buyer.

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Unfortunately I believe the only two reasons available today are:
"OOS / Item damaged" *or* "Problem with address / buyer asked"

[christworks]

@dandfmarinesalvage  I think you handled it fine.  

I completely disagree with those who say it should be handled as a OOS cancellation. Absolutely not. This buyer wanted the seller to do something that was not part of the transaction (i.e. shipping flammable fluid inside the item).  I'm going to assume this is a boat motor. Flammable liquids are highly regulated and often prohibited by carriers. What the buyer was asking the seller to do is wholeheartedly unacceptable. I would first report the buyer for asking for something that was not a part of the listing. I would report them again for buyer abuse. I would have cancelled based on their address and stated that the buyer wanted the flammable liquid to be shipped with the product and the carrier would not ship it to their location. That's the honest truth. For good measure, a firm message to the buyer informing them their eBay account has been reported to eBay and if they continue to harass you and your business you will contact the local law enforcement in their community. 

eBay is not going to penalize a seller for pinning the cancellation on the buyer in this situation. When I reported the buyer to eBay, I'd tell them I cancelled the transaction using the the reason there was an issue with the buyer's address, then explain why. Taking the hit for a nutty buyer like this? You've got to be kidding me.