posted on March 22, 2002 06:52:38 PM new
Hello all,
Long story. Please bear with me.
When one of my things is posted three times and doesn't sell, I mark it down to 99 cents. I do this because my regulars get tired of looking at the same old stuff all the time. It's good to care for and feed your regulars. Some bottomfeeder always comes along and snaps up the 99 cent morsel.
So, about a month ago, this one-feedback bidder emerges as winner on three of my 99 cent auctions. I send him the standard EOAs, standard terms as already stated in the auctions.
Immediately he fires back an objection to EVERY SINGLE term of service. In separate emails, natch.
In response to these complaints, I restated our policies once each, even though all was there in the EOAs he hadn't bothered to read, and pointed out they were laid out for all to see in the auction text.
Usually at this point, the typical newbie becomes sheepish and apologizes: "Oh, I guess that was in the part I didn't read" or something like that.
This time, though, it just fueled the fire. He began to set up a no-win scenario, where he asked a question I had already answered, or asked a question to which there was obviously no answer. If I didn't respond in 10 minutes, it was followed up by repeat urgent emails accompanied by personal insults.
In short, it quickly became clear that he was yanking my chain. I responded to each subsequent email (so he couldn't accuse me of ignoring him) with "Thank you for your email." I have to tell you it hurt to do that in response to the vicious and reprehensible things he said. I wanted to slam him and slam him hard. But I didn't.
To my surprise, a payment from him actually arrived, though not on time. I shipped within 24 hours. The torrent began again 10 minutes (I kid you not) after the package left my hands...where's my feedback?...why won't you answer my email?...where's my feedback?
My final note to him: "Thank you for the reminder about feedback. I'm perfectly well aware that you will choose to leave similar feedback for me. Frankly, after 32 emails from you concerning less than $6 in merchandise, you've abused the privilege. I hope you enjoy your feedback."
He's no longer a one-feedback bidder.
Was there any point at which this customer could have been wooed? I've turned around
hostile customers before with patience and good service; once they see the merchandise they do a 180 degree about-face. But since this guy came out of the gate frothing, I'm at a loss. I'm not sure even violating my own TOS would have made him happy.
posted on March 22, 2002 07:13:36 PM new
What was the customer wanting that was against your terms? Unless it's something totally outrageous or absolutely impossible, sometimes it pays to be flexible.
Sounds like a nervous new user who just wanted to get a better feel for who he was dealing with, and was concerned that he may or may not receive what he paid for. Sure, he should have asked questions before bidding, but perhaps he didn't know. Some people just don't (or won't) read.
It's hard to say whether or not the transaction could have been saved without knowing all the details, but I don't think I would've negged the guy since he did pay. I probably wouldn't have left any feedback at all if I was this frustrated about a transaction (but again, that's without knowing all the details).
Can we get a little more information about what the buyer wanted?
(grammar)
[ edited by thedewey on Mar 22, 2002 07:14 PM ]
posted on March 22, 2002 08:44:18 PM new
It sounds like if you hadn't left FB, he would have kept sending numerous e-mails indefinitely. Apparently he felt like picking a bone with someone and chose you; lucky-lucky you.
posted on March 22, 2002 08:56:44 PM new
Is the ID your using here the same on eBay? So the buyer emailed you many times you could have just hit the delete button after you sent the WBN to him.
posted on March 22, 2002 09:19:00 PM new
thedewey: It wasn't one specific thing; it was every single item in my TOS he objected to. A real laundry list. All of which, needless to say, were spelled out in the auction. He didn't like my shipping method. He didn't like the fixed price for s/h. He didn't like that I wouldn't replace the shipment if it got lost in the mail unless he bought insurance. On and on and on.
He wanted me to change everything to suit him. He clearly wanted to "drive" this transaction.
Libra63: No, fluffythewondercat is not the eBay userid.
alwaysbroke: You could be right. It turns out he owns his own business, and apparently it is doing well enough that he can spend lots of time on the Internet emailing people.
posted on March 22, 2002 09:26:03 PM new
by any chance was one of his complaints that you wouldn't combine shipping to save fees? since you sent 3 eoa's I am thinking your fixed shipping means no combining? did you mail the items separately or in one package?
posted on March 22, 2002 09:28:20 PM new
I don't know what else you could have done with this customer! He sounds very hyper.
With people under 15 or so feedbacks, my EOA message acknowledges in a P.S. that I can see he is rather new to ebay buying and selling, that I want this to be a good experience both for him and for me, that he can e-mail me with any questions he may have so that we are both satisfied with the transaction. . . . Often new buyers are happy to see that put on the table, so to speak, so they can e-mail any questions they may have.
HOWEVER, who knows - maybe that sort of statement would have set him off even more! Into each life some rain must fall. . . .
I think you handled things extremely politely! More politely than many of us would have been after a few e-mails!
posted on March 22, 2002 09:29:11 PM new
Libra63: "So the buyer emailed you many times you could have just hit the delete button after you sent the WBN to him."
Do you really think that's good customer relations? (A sincere question.) In my experience, nothing ticks off a bidder faster than leaving their email unanswered. People don't make allowances for eBay sellers actually having lives; more and more I encounter people who think we should be available to them 24/7. I don't agree with that attitude, of course, but boy have I seen it mushroom out of control. A buyer who writes at noon that they haven't received the item and goes unanswered is convinced by four o'clock that you the seller are conducting a massive scam to defraud innocent bidders. I've got five years on eBay and four digit feedback and that means NOTHING to such people.
posted on March 22, 2002 09:38:42 PM new
rarriffle: One package, at his request. Normally we ship items separately. It's a lot easier for us to track transactions that way and avoid disputes. This is all spelled out in the auction.
We will ship items together on request, though, and that's what he wanted. He had a hissy fit when I asked if he would include a small note with his payment indicating the stuff should go into one package. Perhaps I was asking too much.
posted on March 22, 2002 09:52:54 PM new
Roadsmith: I think your 15 and under EOA is a great idea. I'm going to figure out some way to incorporate your idea in my regular EOA.
posted on March 22, 2002 11:29:42 PM new
You did everything you could, sounds like a boss I used to have. They need to be in control and right all the time, like a teenager LOL! I don't ever want a buyer like that! My blood pressure was rising reading your post! It would have been hard to keep my cool. Good luck, may you never experiance that rudeness again!
posted on March 23, 2002 01:10:18 AM new
Now wait. If you mailed his package, then sent him an email stating that you mailed the package and it will take approximately 3 - 4 days 1st class or 2 - 3 priority Mail then you don't have to answer any of his emails between that and when it should arrive. You can also state that the days that I have given you are approximate and sometimes the USPS is a little slow so be patient and your package will arrive.
I have never encountered a buyer so impatient but I know I wouldn't delete the message, I would read it and not answer it. But I wouldn't sit and write back and forth. It sounds like you might have a very young buyer who maybe shouldn't be bidding at all. With all the emails he is writing you he is getting you upset, that is one reason not to answer his emails.
As Richard Carlson says, Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff.
Great book to read and you probably can buy it on eBay.
posted on March 23, 2002 08:42:05 AM new
"Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff."
Thanks for the kind thought. I'm not sweating it; I haven't even looked to see if he has negged me in return.
One option to save this customer that hadn't occurred to me until now would have been to pull his contact info and call him. Sometimes people who are hyper-aggressive in email roll over and purr when confronted with an actual human voice.
posted on March 23, 2002 10:20:06 AM new
Why in the world would you want to save someone so troublesome? If he were my customer I would complete the transaction as quickly as possible and ban him from bidding on my auctions in the future.
posted on March 23, 2002 11:43:30 AM new
Less than $6 in sales. 32 emails from the buyer.
I certainly hope you blocked further bids from His Majesty the Buyer.
I have found that the amount of time a given buyer demands is in inverse proportion to the auction's final price.
[ edited by litlux on Mar 23, 2002 11:44 AM ]
posted on March 23, 2002 12:18:03 PM new
fluffythewondercat:
Here is the P.S. I add to people with low feedbacks (15 - 20 or fewer):
P.S. I see that you're rather new to eBay buying and selling. Please e-mail me with any questions you may have. I value new customers, welcome questions, and want to make your experience a good one. [email protected]
It's at the end of my EOA message for a reason: When I'm sending lots of them out, and have copied the entire message once, then when I'm pasting the entire message of course appears, including the P.S., and for experienced buyers I can easily delete the P.S.
I've also begun adding a line to Really Low Feedback People at the very beginning of my EOA message: PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE WITHIN THREE DAYS. I think there are many, especially newbies, who don't look beyond the first paragraph, in which I spell out what they owe including shipping, etc.
I have discovered a few things since last we convened on this topic.
First, my one-feedback customer is NOT an eBay newbie; he's simply using a new eBay id.
Second, he and an old customer/nightmare of mine from a couple of years ago (who still sends me whacked-out email periodically to remind me she's still there and she still hates me) have teamed up to hatch a little plot. Not a big surprise; Ms. Whacked-Out cruises my feedback file and contacts everyone who leaves a neg, even the ones who did it by mistake. That's how I found out about her antics.
Seems the plan now is to claim that the package never arrived. Both One-Feedback and Whacked-Out are bombarding me with email apprising me of the non-delivery, all of which email goes directly into a file marked "crap". (I love mail filters!)
So, I guess the answer to the musical question "Could this customer have been saved?" is NO. This was an eBay gamester from the very start. Some people just get their jollies causing trouble.
posted on April 1, 2002 10:35:00 AM new
One possible way to avoid further escalations when a situation is already detiorating is to start putting "[email protected]" in the CC line of replies to the buyer. It will bounce (since there's no such address) but the buyer doesn't know that. Worked for me.
posted on April 3, 2002 08:27:47 AM new
In my winner notice i have a general letter that i copy and paste, and it states how i except payment's to how I leave feedback even give my address if they need it, I've had pretty good luck with this winner's notice but their is still a few that ask what my address is or when they receive a bidders alert why and I just send the original one that I sent them and they seem to clear up their question's as it is all their and all they have to do is read it.it touches all the important points payment,insurance,feedback, payment due , address and it does save time in the long run .
posted on April 3, 2002 08:35:33 AM new
Me, too! When a buyer e-mails several days after auction's end and hasn't seen my EOA message yet, I just go into my sent file and find it and re-send it with a note at top ("Here is the message I sent on ____ date". That usually quiets everything down!
Some bottomfeeder always comes along and snaps up the 99 cent morsel.
. That usually quiets everything down!