eBay chat gave me wrong information getting me a negative

[ajw2203]

I sold a book for four dollars the person demanded it be shipped in a box and I ship usually in bubble mailers. I contacted them and they said I’m sorry I don’t have any boxes I only have bubble mailers and then the weight of a box would increase the shipping cost for me if you want I’ll get a box but shipping is going to be more.  they responded that it’s my problem the item should be shipped in a box,

I took that to be a Cut and dry case a buyer demand something outside of what is offered, so I contacted eBay and said what should I do. They agreed with me and said this is a case of buyer  demanding  something that’s not in the listing. they said you could ship it if you want however you normally ship or you could cancel it but we have your back because you were following the rules,

I canceled it. A few weeks later I got the negative. I contacted eBay they said remember you told me I had seller protection. they said yes you have seller protection but the buyer could leave you negative anyway and we are not removing it., 

[lakefor94]

It's too bad you cancelled the order. That might make the negative stick. How were you contacting eBay? Using request a callback? If so, try social media to get with a rep in the USA.

Present your case to eBay For Business via Facebook messaging or @AskeBay on Twitter via direct messaging.  Just try one of the two.

Just stick to the facts and what the buyer said in messages and see if they will remove the neg for demanding what was not offered.

[ajw2203]

It was the ebay rep who told me to cancel

[lakefor94 · Accepted solution]

That does not matter that it was an eBay Rep. When you are using the overseas phone reps,  there is no telling what they will say. Unfortunately some of the time, they provide the wrong information.

Roll with what I said to do using ebay social media.

Use short, easy to read spaced paragraphs. No drama about what the phone reps told you. Stick to the facts concerning what the buyer was demanding in eBay messages. The social media reps may double check the messages from the buyer.   They did that when I had a neg removed recently. 

[inhawaii]

Just curious, what did you put for the REASON for the cancel?

[luckythewinner]

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@ajw2203 wrote:

I took that to be a Cut and dry case a buyer demand something outside of what is offered, so I contacted eBay and said what should I do. They agreed with me and said this is a case of buyer  demanding  something that’s not in the listing. they said you could ship it if you want however you normally ship or you could cancel it but we have your back because you were following the rules,

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I do not think there is no policy against a buyer demanding something that is not in the listing unless the buyer specifically and overtly threatens to retaliate with negative feedback.

As for eBay customer support giving bad advice, that seems to be par for the course on this board. Their customer support does not get high marks around here.

As an aside, I would have used media mail and found a box; the weight of the box was unlikely to increate the cost of shipping.

[luckythewinner]

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@ajw2203 wrote:

It was the ebay rep who told me to cancel

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In your first post you told us the eBay rep said that you could EITHER ship it or cancel.  It did not sound like they TOLD you to cancel. What reason did you give for the cancellation?

I haven't canceled in a while, but as I recall none of the reasons eBay offers for cancellation would  fit the situation and if not then that should have concerned you. 

[1tuna]

life is all about the choices we make and you chose poorly

ebay prefers it when you use the print a shipping label button

instead of shipping it you chose to cancel it with the wrong button

the cancel button is not an easy button. the book should have been shipped

@ajw2203 

[fern*wood]

Since you are certainly not an inexperienced seller, it's difficult to offer much other than my opinion.  I don't feel it was an unreasonable request, especially based on your response to another negative that an item must have been damaged in shipping.  It sure isn't something that I would asked ebay about and I don't mess around with cancellations without a clear request for one.   The phone in reps just aren't the place to go (or trust) over doing something like that.

I still don't know what reason you chose to cancel, but I'm sure you know the differences and ramifications.   Maybe the facebook people can help, but I personally would have found a box or wrapped in cardboard and shipped rather than make this stand about being in the right.

[m60driver]

I would have just ignored the request and shipped the book in a bubble mailer which is how I ship most of my books.  Once the book arrives just fine then usually these retentive souls tend to go away.  But if I have sold a more expensive book I might put it into a box or cover it in cardboard and put it into a poly mailer.  I recently sold an expensive book and shipped it in a Regional A box.  But I would not cancel a sale because of such a buyer demand, a type of demand that I have ignored countless times over the years.

[powell-memorabilia]

Classic example of getting it right vs. being right.  

Sure, you can make a stand and ship on your bubble mailer, argue with the buyer, or cancel the sale.  OR, you can throw that book in a bubble mailer, then ship it in whatever spare box you have around.

It wouldn’t have cost you any more with media Mail, and you’d not be wasting your time with CS.

[lakefor94]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@ajw2203 wrote:

I took that to be a Cut and dry case a buyer demand something outside of what is offered, so I contacted eBay and said what should I do. They agreed with me and said this is a case of buyer  demanding  something that’s not in the listing. they said you could ship it if you want however you normally ship or you could cancel it but we have your back because you were following the rules,

---

I do not think there is no policy against a buyer demanding something that is not in the listing unless the buyer specifically and overtly threatens to retaliate with negative feedback.

As for eBay customer support giving bad advice, that seems to be par for the course on this board. Their customer support does not get high marks around here.

As an aside, I would have used media mail and found a box; the weight of the box was unlikely to increate the cost of shipping.

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Here is the policy I have used in the past to get a neg removed for demanding something that is not in the listing. 

What should I do if I think a buyer is making an unreasonable demand?

You're not required to agree to any extras or changes from the terms of your listing. If a buyer is making demands that are not a part of your original listing, you will be protected from negative feedback and defects when you either deliver the item purchased by the buyer according to the original terms of your listing, or cancel the transaction. 

@ajw2203 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@ajw2203 wrote:

It was the ebay rep who told me to cancel

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If what you're saying is true @ajw2203 , you might have canceled had the buyer insisted on a box when you don't use them. 

But in reading the feedback, the buyer WANTED the book anyway and told you to ship it your way. It was AFTER telling you that that you canceled anyway and that's why you got the neg. 

[ajw2203]

I could say I'm the Queen of England but that's not what happened

[ajw2203]

Accepted as best advice then I tied it and it worked, thank you.