posted on September 23, 2001 07:04:44 PM new
I'm having trouble with this buyer and I'm not sure what to do. He emailed me and asked where his "widget" was about a week ago. I told him that I didn't receive the payment for this widget. He emailed me back right away and said he sent a cashiers check. I asked him how long ago it was, and if he could go back to where he purchased it and have them cancel it and issue another one. (I don't know if it costs him money to do that - I would assume so). He just emailed me again demanding his item. It's only $20.00 - but I hate to eat that cost. I told him that I believe he mailed it, but he has to believe that I didn't receive it and he should check at where he purchased it to see where we go from here. Any other suggestions? I just know this is going to snowball into something ugly.
posted on September 23, 2001 07:19:16 PM new
I haven't had to do this and I insure everything. However, I'm sure there are some sellers who, when a widget gets lost in the mail, send another one, eat the loss, and try to make the buyer happy. Here the situation is reversed. He sent a check. It got lost. He should A) send another one B) stop payment
on the first one...send another onr. C) Yell and scream....send another one. D) Deadbeat
(though you could be nice and not neg.
If sellers are expected to ship without receiving payment.....Oh I forgot, they have a program for that.....
You didn't do anything wrong. You may have to take a neg, but I would not ship.
There are times to take a loss...but not for this.
posted on September 23, 2001 07:29:10 PM new
Sounds like a scam to me. If you don't receive payment, file a NPB. He may have just enough to get NARU'd before he can give you an underserved negative.
posted on September 23, 2001 07:29:38 PM new
Send this buyer a note in a professional and matter of fact manner that you did not receive his payment. Advise him while you trust the fact he did indeed send the check and have no doubts that he did, you did not receive it and as such you you will not ship the item without being paid.
Suggest to him to contact the bank he purchased the cashiers check from. Have him tell the bank the person who the check was made out to has advised him as of this date it did not arrive. Have him ask the bank what he should do. The onus is on him. Not you.
This has happened to me only once since I started selling online back in July 1998. I did not get a neg nor did I ever get paid for the item or hear from the so-called buyer again.
posted on September 24, 2001 01:47:10 AM new
It COULD be a scam.
A few years ago I sold an item to this guy. About a week later I get an e-mail from someone asking me if I was paid, or if this guy was hassling me claiming he sent payment but it was never received.
So I e-mailed the buyer asking politely the status of the payment. He said he has proof it was cashed where was his item.
Now remember this was less than 7 days later. I asked him to send me a scan of the back of the check, what was my bank (the stamp would be on the back), my account # would be writtten on the back. Anything to prove he got it (<7 days from US to Canada AND he got it back- RIGHT).
He just said "I have proof." and that was the end. (Well not really, he started harrassing me and a lot of other sellers, continually until I got fed up and did some research and discovered he was shilling his own auctions- he lost three accounts that day. But I digress.)
I would ask for proof anf he could never provide any.
The upshot is Until he can provide proof the MO,check, whatever was cashed. You don't send him diddly.
After the experience with Larry in Fresno, that's my policy.
posted on September 24, 2001 04:38:31 AM new
I have a nice negative in my feedback (which hasn't hurt me that I can tell) where a buyer claims to have sent not one but two payments for an item. I never received either payments, filed the NPB, left negative feedback for them and they retaliated. BIG DEAL! Their negative said that they sent payment and I never sent the item. I responded with a factual "I never received any payment so I didn't send the item" and never heard from her again. Do not give in to this pressure.
posted on September 24, 2001 05:24:54 AM new
ihula,
You might try something like this:
Dear Buyer,
After receiving your email, I rechecked all my records of received payments. Unfortunately it confirmed that your payment has not been received.
I have no doubt that you sent a cashier's check, however it has not been delivered to me. Due to the unfortunate events of the past several weeks, mail service has been slower and the possibility exists your payment may have been lost by USPS in the confusion. I urge you to discuss refund options with the place from which you purchased your cashier's check.
I understand you are anxious to receive your widget but I am sure you understand that until payment is received I am unable to ship it. If you would like to use an online method for payment, I take (insert whatever online payment options you take or if you don't take any..then skip this section). If you would like to send another cashier's check, I will gladly hold your item for another 7 days.
I am sorry for your inconvenience and hope you are able to resolve the matter with the issuer of the check.
Regards
Seller
Stay professional, refuse to get sucked in to the emotion but stay firm in not sending the item until payment arrives. Good Luck.
