When do you decide to block someone from bidding/Buying from you?

[weatherloach]

Hi

I am starting to sell more stuff. I wonder when to block someone?

I was thinking about doing a strike 2.

Like buyer returns something that was as advertised by me. Then 1 month later same buyer requests a partial refund as they found a microscopic ding on something.

Assuming that this buyer didn't buy anything from me in between, I would block. Now if that buyer bought 10 things in between that would be different. Also if I missed a defect on my end that would not count as a strike (But I inspect everything very well and am conservative in my grading).

I have started a file on my PC and have a strike on one buyer in it.

Just wondering what you all do

Thxs a lot

Pat

[cadbury0007]

The answer is simple enough, you block the people who make you angry or rip you off, although for some it's just being too annoying.  If I could go back in time the only real thing I would do differently is to keep a log book (or file) of the ID's that I blocked and the reasons why I did it.  Some things change over time and what used to make me mad 10 years ago, might not get me to boiling point nowadays.  I'm sure others might have more interesting reasons for blocking.

[lex-talon]

I would block repeat offenders. One's that file false, Inad cases and supposedly missing items from an order, etc.

Your idea of two strikes is a good one. Some sellers are more forgiving. I'm not one of those.

[coolections]

You can block all you want but most buyers, once they have to return an item, would be happy to not purchase from you again. No different then when you go to a restaurant and the food was terrible, would you go back ?

[toysaver]

My fingers are trigger happy when it comes to blocking.  I block people that ask for free shipping or some other discount or that want to buy only one item in a lot when it clearly says being sold as a lot.  I especially block certain buyers that ask questions because it gives me the opportunity to check the feedback they have LEFT for sellers.  I smell trouble with multiple negatives, neutrals or comments about the customer service, as in they had issues.   

It's defensive selling.

[coolections]

That's why a try not to ask questions. Too many finger happy sellers who should not be selling.

[mtgraves7984]

I have the 'coverall' blocks implemented (# of UI cases, etc.) for any buyers, and my reasons to block individual buyers can range from ridiculous questions asked... to buyers' ridiculous posts on these boards.

Call me trigger happy.

[candd205]

I would block after any return that the seller says was not as described. That means to me they lied, so that's enough for me to not want to do business again.

[coolections]

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@mtgraves7984 wrote:

I have the 'coverall' blocks implemented (# of UI cases, etc.) for any buyers, and my reasons to block individual buyers can range from ridiculous questions asked... to buyers' ridiculous posts on these boards.

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I only have a handful of blocked people on my list in many years. Questions do not bother me at all as that is expected in sales and answering questions is good customer service. Like you, the rest are from ridiculous  posts on these boards.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

You know cadbury0007 that is such a good idea with the log book! I wish I would have done that too because some of my BuBbLe gums I can't remember why, who or what for!

[buyselljack2016]

There will not be a second return for a false not as described.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

[southern*sweet*tea]

I've only had two returns in 17 years (one wasn't even really a return, it was a broken item that I just refunded for)  and I've never really had difficult buyers. I did block one lady who left a neutral over something that was clear in the title and the description, and I blocked one guy who left a neg, who upon further investigation had left every single seller he'd ever dealt with the same neg. (I think he was trying to get refunds or partials from sellers who would beg for feedback revisions. Didn't work with me, I wore it proudly for a year.) 

Other than the above mentioned buyers, the only members I've blocked are those who show their tails here in the forum. I've been reading here for a long time, and that list is kind of long lol.  Can't hurt to be proactive!

[buyselljack2016]

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@mtgraves7984 wrote:

I have the 'coverall' blocks implemented (# of UI cases, etc.) for any buyers, and my reasons to block individual buyers can range from ridiculous questions asked... to buyers' ridiculous posts on these boards.

Call me trigger happy.

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Some of my list is from questions.

When they ask for info that is clearly in the listing then there is a deeper problem.

They are either not reading/looking, or for some reason can not see the info.

I don't "need" to sell anything.  I do "need" for things sold............  to stay sold.

[bimm_corp]

Some of my "eligibility" rules for getting on my BBL:

1)  Making a ridiculous lowball offer.

2) Asking a question about something that is clearly stated in the item description.

3)  Requesting a return for any reason.

4)  Is an obvious member of the "Cheerleading Squad".

5)  Anyone making an off-Ebay offer.

There may also be a few times I've blocked for other reasons.

[monroe67]

In over 10 years of selling (on another ID) I have blocked maybe five people.  Most were slow payers who apparently live in countries to which I do not ship (but they used forwarding services based here in the USA).   Within the last couple weeks I blocked one other buyer who left me my first neutral.  I sent two messages to that buyer trying to gather info about what happened, if I had made a mistake, and another message via eBay's "Resolve a Problem" system.  I got no response from that buyer, and I do not want him/her to darken my virtual selling door ever again.