Buyer contacted me with an angry message regarding late delivery

[pacnox]

So I've been selling on eBay for a few years now and this account is just my new account for my store so I know how a lot of things regarding shipping. So eBay has a guaranteed delivery date promise they advertise on my listing that obviously I cannot set. A buyer (who is a long time eBay seller herself) purchased this item on the 8th of July. My listings all have a 1 day handling policy and the buyer made the purchase in the afternoon, I typically only take mail to the post office in the mornings. So the item was shipped and scanned on the 9th. However, eBay apparently made a delivery promise (from Los Angeles to Chicago) that a delivery would be made on the 12th. The buyer sends me an angry message in all caps last night (14th) stating that her purchase did not arrive by the promised date and she made a return case claiming that she did not receive the item. However, tracking showed that it was still at a sorting facility in her City so I added the tracking number to the claim and left it at that. Later that night she claims that the delay is my fault (as if I can control how fast USPS makes deliveries) and states that she does not need the item anymore as she already purchased one at a local store. Her most recent message was very aggressive and threatening as she stated that eBay will side with her as she reported me (I don't know where?) and she threatened my PayPal account and thinks I am trying to scam her or something.

Now my issue isn't the $4 item that she purchased or the return case, it's that she is threatening me for something that is totally out of my control and I am worried as to what the outcome of all this can be. Throughout the whole conversation with the buyer, I was polite and kind as I always am.

Thanks!

[dtexley3]

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@pacnox wrote:

So I've been selling on eBay for a few years now and this account is just my new account for my store so I know how a lot of things regarding shipping. So eBay has a guaranteed delivery date promise they advertise on my listing that obviously I cannot set. A buyer (who is a long time eBay seller herself) purchased this item on the 8th of July. My listings all have a 1 day handling policy and the buyer made the purchase in the afternoon, I typically only take mail to the post office in the mornings. So the item was shipped and scanned on the 9th. However, eBay apparently made a delivery promise (from Los Angeles to Chicago) that a delivery would be made on the 12th. The buyer sends me an angry message in all caps last night (14th) stating that her purchase did not arrive by the promised date and she made a return case claiming that she did not receive the item. However, tracking showed that it was still at a sorting facility in her City so I added the tracking number to the claim and left it at that. Later that night she claims that the delay is my fault (as if I can control how fast USPS makes deliveries) and states that she does not need the item anymore as she already purchased one at a local store. Her most recent message was very aggressive and threatening as she stated that eBay will side with her as she reported me (I don't know where?) and she threatened my PayPal account and thinks I am trying to scam her or something.

Now my issue isn't the $4 item that she purchased or the return case, it's that she is threatening me for something that is totally out of my control and I am worried as to what the outcome of all this can be. Throughout the whole conversation with the buyer, I was polite and kind as I always am.

Thanks!

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Refund her and report her as an abusive buyer (demanding something not in the ad, ie guaranteed shipping).  Up to you whether you require her to return the item for the refund.  With her attitude I would, but that's just me.

[pacnox]

The return case isn't the issue. The only options were to add a tracking number or refund her. I didn't choose to refund her since I could add the tracking number without issues. Where can I report the buyer?

[dtexley3]

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@pacnox wrote:

The return case isn't the issue. The only options were to add a tracking number or refund her. I didn't choose to refund her since I could add the tracking number without issues. Where can I report the buyer?

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The buyer opened an Item Not Received claim, not a return claim, so you would only have those options.  The buyer can still open an Item Not As Described claim because they think it arrived "late".  At that point you can require the buyer to return the item for refund or refund them without return, unfortunately eBay will not back you on this so you have to accept the return and refund if they file an INAD case.  On the INAD case there will be an option to report the buyer.

If the buyer opens an INAD on paypal, just state "return for refund", the buyer will have to pay the return shipping.

brian@ebay This is a lot of grief because eBay continues to give unrealistic delivery times that dont' correctly reflect a buyers maximum handling time.  Just sayin'.

[charity_scents]

Message buyer explaining that it is ebay who puts the delivery guarantee on items, not you. You shipped it according to your handling time. Once it gets into the hands of the carrier that it is out of your control.

On the purchase history there used to be a item under More Actions that one could click if item was late and ebay would send a coupon voucher. 

The threatening language....report buyer and add to BBL. 

[myangelandmyprincess]

Don’t worry about the threats.   Really don’t.  Along with that  eBay should remove any negative that refers to the late delivery if she does that 

id send a polite email 

buyer, 

I’m sorry this item did not arrive by the guaranteed delivery time eBay gave.  I unfortunately don’t control this guarantee showing up on my listing nor can I actually guarantee an actual arrival time.  The guarantee eBay offers for you in this case is that it will arrive by then or you can return the item for it being late without even having to pay the return costs.  A label will be provided by eBay if you choose to return it.  They also offer an option to get a $5 voucher if you wish to actually keep the item instead of returning.  Once the item finally arrives these options should become available to you.  You’ll just need to click that the item didn’t arrive by the guaranteed date.  

[ed8108]

What is disturbing is that you are being confronted by a long time time ebay seller, who I would expect should  know how things work and aappropriately behave themselves .

[automotivepartsrecyclrs]

Same happened to us. Buyer claims WE promised a certain delivery date. Gives us the what for on how to run our business. We are using the handling time option only in GD delivery.

Item was shipped well with our handling time but since there was a hurricane in the gulf USPS held it from last thursday/friday until today.

Buyer threatened to escalate the INR case so I replied go ahead.

These dates of delivery ebay is posting are way off to the point USPS are laughing at it.

[trehar_4]

I don't know how eBay can post such unrealistic delivery dates on your listing.  The other day when relisting one of my items I noted that eBay posted a 3 day delivery on an item that I have listed with economy shipping and a two day handling time.  Economy shipping is usually up to ten business days.  I did not specify a particular shipping carrier in the listing.  My reason is that if a buyer is in my zone  I can use Priority Mail cheaper than Fedex or UPS.  Whereas a zone 8 buyer it's cheaper to use Fedex ground for a large heavy package.  I went into the listing today from a different account and changed the shipping zip code to one in Region 8.  The delivery date showing  stated it would arrive by Wednesday July 17th until July 30th.  This is horribly misleading because it is already after business hours here, and there is no way an economy package could possibly arrive 3000+ miles away in one day.  Although it is a range it misleads the buyer into believing that it could possibly arrive in one day.  That's no different than telling me that I can get a economy parcel from Nova Scotia to California  in 6 days.

[myboardid]

I strongly suspect the buyer sees you as a new seller and is just trying to intimidate you into giving them a refund so they get the item for free. 

I would not do anything more than you have already done, and I would not communicate any further with them unless they open a return case once the item is delivered.  You have provided tracking, that is sufficient for now.

If you feel you must do something, go to the Post Office website, enter the tracking number, and it will take you to a page where you can sign up for emails about the status if the item.  Sign yourself up and also your buyer, so they get the same emails.  You will then know exactly when the item arrives and they will also be kept informed. 

Don't worry about their threats, there is nothing they can do to get your accounts, either eBay or Paypal, shut down.  They can leave feedback, and with a new account, if they neg you, you might consider abandoning that account and starting another one again.  But cross that bridge later. 

[lja440]

I agree with the others. And ed8108, there are a-holes in every group. Ebay sellers are not free from them. At least this one gave you the ammunition to have any negative feedback removed. 

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@trehar_4 wrote:

I don't know how eBay can post such unrealistic delivery dates on your listing.  The other day when relisting one of my items I noted that eBay posted a 3 day delivery on an item that I have listed with economy shipping and a two day handling time.  Economy shipping is usually up to ten business days.  I did not specify a particular shipping carrier in the listing.  My reason is that if a buyer is in my zone  I can use Priority Mail cheaper than Fedex or UPS.  Whereas a zone 8 buyer it's cheaper to use Fedex ground for a large heavy package.  I went into the listing today from a different account and changed the shipping zip code to one in Region 8.  The delivery date showing  stated it would arrive by Wednesday July 17th until July 30th.  This is horribly misleading because it is already after business hours here, and there is no way an economy package could possibly arrive 3000+ miles away in one day.  Although it is a range it misleads the buyer into believing that it could possibly arrive in one day.  That's no different than telling me that I can get a economy parcel from Nova Scotia to California  in 6 days.

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When looking at your own listing it will give a delivery date based on your zip code so a date based on delivery right in your same area.