Would you correct buyers when they make invalid arguments? or would you let it slide?

[smileytown18]

A buyer purchased an item and complaining 2 weeks later that she thought it was a 3 piece lot, despite it not saying anything about being a lot. She then claimed she overpaid ($6) and could have gotten 2 piece lot for less then I sold my single (2 for $5 she said). 

So I did a quick search, and of course the exact item lot of 2 was at cheapest 9 dollars, and even if you take a different similiar item, there was no lot for near the price she quoted (Did I mention she did best offer and got better rate?)

So I'm just wondering if other sellers would point this out to woman, or just leave it alone.

btw, I offered she should do return for full amount, but she says she in  Austrelia (I shipped USA, she had someone bring it to her) and she just wants to tell me BEFORE she leaves fedback....

[newnewnewmann]

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@smileytown18wrote:

A buyer purchased an item and complaining 2 weeks later that she thought it was a 3 piece lot, despite it not saying anything about being a lot. She then claimed she overpaid ($6) and could have gotten 2 piece lot for less then I sold my single (2 for $5 she said). 

So I did a quick search, and of course the exact item lot of 2 was at cheapest 9 dollars, and even if you take a different similiar item, there was no lot for near the price she quoted (Did I mention she did best offer and got better rate?)

So I'm just wondering if other sellers would point this out to woman, or just leave it alone.

btw, I offered she should do return for full amount, but she says she in  Austrelia (I shipped USA, she had someone bring it to her) and she just wants to tell me BEFORE she leaves fedback....

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As others have said, you pictured 3 items, and you did list them in the "lot" category. Pictures are a description. Why picture 3  if you are selling one? That's the question.  Honest mistake? There is nothing in the title that says only one. It shows you are selling one lot. That has everything to do with it. It seems deceptive.

If I had done that by mistake, I would apologize for the misleading listing and refund the buyer and tell her to keep it. You created the misunderstanding. Even the description is somewhat ambiguous considering it's listed as a "lot".

 Only picture what you are selling and don't list single items in  lot categories. If you get negative feedback, consider it tuition.

(Target sells the exact same for under $3 each)

good luck.

[lookng2015]

But Target and Wally World don't operate in Australia (where the OP's buyer is) which is why people from outside the USA buy on eBay.

[kim_y_buran]

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@smileytown18wrote:
To repeat, the question I asked is if other sellers would point out that the argument she gave of being able to get it cheaper is faulty, as such listings don't exist...

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No, I would either ignore it or report for search and browse manipulation.

[mr_lincoln]

@smileytown18  I would ignore the insults (and not even address them) ... I suspect they are to try and scare you in to a partial refund ... the fear being Neg FB hanging over your head.  I would simply message them back that the tool eBay provides to process a return is their Resolution Center ( link at the bottom of the page).

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, to answer your question, i never get into back and forth with a buyer. Absolutely would not correct or admonish thebuyer. If there are problems, i promptly address the situation with something along these lines:

     Dear Buyer, i regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return for a full refund. Sincerely, Seller.

and that is it. I repeat it if necessary. I don’t feel a need to justify or defend my actions or correct my buyers. Even if the buyer is clearly in the wrong, it gains me nothing to argue with them or correct their notions. My goal is more sales. I don’t feel i need to have the last word or to be “right” when they are wrong.

[couldabeenworse]

I gave her partial refund and ended the listing. I was just asking about the correcting non valid price comparison part. 

 I suspect that conversation would go pretty much like you being corrected here.  The buyer was really "just asking about" the  fact that she thought she was getting 3 items, not just one.  The price comparison is just an aside, expalining that she wouldn't have purchased had she understood the listing correctly.

[jpcustomsonline]

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@smileytown18wrote:
To repeat, the question I asked is if other sellers would point out that the argument she gave of being able to get it cheaper is faulty, as such listings don't exist...

And I did offer a free return. She can't do it because she is out of country and shipped to USA address.

I did not solicit opinions on my listings. I've sold quite a few of these already. 1 previously in that listing, and 3 before I relisted.

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If you plan on responding to her, how you've responded to us, then I would very much recommend you NOT correct her. You have a dozen SELLERS telling you that your listing was done inproperly and that she was in the right, whether or not her price comparisons are accurate as far as you're concerned.  Take the hit and learn your lesson. Don't list multiple items in a picture, for one item. It will only get you buyers that think they are getting all 3 items. Some will buy it, and get upset, and some will buy it and realize the mistake they made, and some will understand that it's still a good price, and buy it anyways.

[bigdeals.etc]

OP,

You've heard plenty from other sellers here regarding photos. I'm not going to comment on specifically your listing as I didn't even look at it. But I think there can be some exceptions to having photos show more quantity than the item being sold itself. Again, I'm not saying your listing falls in this category or not. For example, I have a listing here http://www.ebay.com/itm/360486066828 that offers 3 different colors. The gallery photo is all 3 colors, but the listing is for one of them only. I don't believe I'm misleading the buyer at all making them think they will get all 3. I'm simply showing the different variations available. And I have never had a buyer of these items ever insist I owe them 3 of them.

On to your actual question in this post, I agree with @pixzee that you must corral the conversation back to the relevant info only. So should you generally correct a buyer with an invalid claim? ONLY if it's relevant to the outcome. I don't believe your buyer's claim is relevant info. Now if you offer something like "buy 1 get 1 50% OFF" and a buyer says something like "Hey your listing says buy 1 get 1 free and I bought it, why was I charged for the 2nd item?" I would definitely correct the buyer here. But I'm sure you know you need to do so gently as you don't know how upset the buyer may be. Whenever I'm in doubt of how to correct the buyer (or if I even should to begin with) I would call ebay CS and tell them the problem and ask for a suggestion on how to respond to the buyer... either that or I would ask the other sellers in this board.

[lintbrush*]

I found the 2 for $5 listing right away.

All I did was search Wet Wild Mascara... Best Match.... it was #8 in search results.  (add Bundle to the search to see the listing - seller wasn't too specific in title)

On my iPhone your listing is tough to read because of the selected font (not default) and centering. I have to scroll around to read it.   Also, I have to click on Read More to even get the full description and find that tiny line that says it's for 1.  This is what it says on the main listing page on my phone...

Item Description

Color: C143 Very Black, Wet n Wild 

Waterproof Mascara, 80% longer lashes.

mega length. U.S. only.  Item from a smoke &

pet free enviroment [sic]

Read More

That's it.  I can undertand the buyer's confusion.

I know you didn't come for this, but I'm just tyring to help... Centered lines are super tough to read.  Our eyes have to continually search for the start of the next line.  It causes mistakes in reading (skipping lines) and eye fatigue. 

[jpcustomsonline]

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@bigdeals.etcwrote:

OP,

You've heard plenty from other sellers here regarding photos. I'm not going to comment on specifically your listing as I didn't even look at it. But I think there can be some exceptions to having photos show more quantity than the item being sold itself. Again, I'm not saying your listing falls in this category or not. For example, I have a listing here http://www.ebay.com/itm/360486066828 that offers 3 different colors. The gallery photo is all 3 colors, but the listing is for one of them only. I don't believe I'm misleading the buyer at all making them think they will get all 3. I'm simply showing the different variations available. And I have never had a buyer of these items ever insist I owe them 3 of them.

On to your actual question in this post, I agree with @pixzee that you must corral the conversation back to the relevant info only. So should you generally correct a buyer with an invalid claim? ONLY if it's relevant to the outcome. I don't believe your buyer's claim is relevant info. Now if you offer something like "buy 1 get 1 50% OFF" and a buyer says something like "Hey your listing says buy 1 get 1 free and I bought it, why was I charged for the 2nd item?" I would definitely correct the buyer here. But I'm sure you know you need to do so gently as you don't know how upset the buyer may be. Whenever I'm in doubt of how to correct the buyer (or if I even should to begin with) I would call ebay CS and tell them the problem and ask for a suggestion on how to respond to the buyer... either that or I would ask the other sellers in this board.

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your listing makes sense, because you offer variations. Not misleading in the slightest. Would take a blind person ( literally) to be mislead by it.  When there is no variations, that's when we get into the mess we see today.

[moondogblues]

Wet & Wild, while not free in the store, is also very inexpensive. Good quality though, one of my favorite brands. Not sure I'd brag about giving one away...but to each their own.

I do agree though, the second I see a listing with things spread all over a table or bed, with PICK ONE I'm out a there. If you had it listed under 'lots', then it should have been a lot. You may also list as a multiple, selling them one at a time.

[rolenboy01]

Explain to me why you would need to show more than 1 item in a picture if you are only selling 1 item?

[ed8108]

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@luckythewinnerwrote:

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@smileytown18wrote:
I did not solicit opinions on my listings.

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This is a public board, and the audience reading the responses is a lot larger than just you.

The unsolicited advice that you were given (that you are inviting problems by picturing items that are not part of the listing) is widely considered to be a best practice and is perfectly valid and prudent. 

Even if you prefer to get defensive rather than take this advice, there may be other sellers reading who are interested in improving their listings.

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Thanks for educating the OP

[glgenterprise]

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@rolenboy01wrote:

Explain to me why you would need to show more than 1 item in a picture if you are only selling 1 item?

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Here's my thought - you've obviously never run up against a buyer who pitched a fit when they didn't get *the exact* item in the picture.  Down to the scratch or lack there of on the packaging.  I usually do a picture of a single item even if I have multiples to sell and do a mulit-quantity listing. But if I'm particularly worried about the condition of the item I will sometime take a picture of all the ones available. 

I have a unhappy buyer this week as he does not feel the condition of the item he received off a multi-quantity listing is as good as the pictured item. 

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[city*satins]

Don't show a picture of your entire inventory of a product when you're selling it by the piece.   Buyer's don't need to see that at one golden moment in time you had 3 of this.

Show a picture of ONE 

**seriously, I don't know why so many sellers don't get this and then are puzzled when the buyer thinks that if the picture show 3 items, then 1 unit = 3 items***