bizzycrocheting
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posted on March 29, 2005 11:05:39 AM new
I just received this today. Need some help formulating a response, please.
"Do you think that $40.00 was a fair price for this item? I guess by not showing the name of the book people do not know they can get the book for under $4.00. I have purchased patterns in the past from you and I allways thought they were fair. Now that I received this book and was able to see that it is still in print, and can be purchased much cheaper I must say I am very dissapointed."
Thanks.
Diane
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ebayvet
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posted on March 29, 2005 11:25:06 AM new
You've done nothing wrong here, sounds like sour grapes. I don't feel guilty about things being bid high, because a lot of times things have gone for a bargain rate. Anyway, my response would include that since this is an auction, you (the seller) did not set the $40 price, the buyer (the person who is complaining) did! - I would tell them they set the $40 price, not you!
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on March 29, 2005 11:43:08 AM new
What amount did you start the auction?
Unless it was high, I would not worry about it.
Ebayvet is right - sometimes we almost give our stuff away - but of course, you can't tell her that!!
On the other hand if she/he is a repeat customer you may want to consider a token discount - state only that you were also surprised that the bidding got that high but you really had no control over it. However as a repeat customer blah, blah, blah. Maybe offer free shipping on her next purchase.
[ edited by ladyjewels2000 on Mar 29, 2005 03:42 PM ]
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on March 29, 2005 11:46:25 AM new
Lady -- I started the auction at $2.99!
Thanks, ebayvet. I think she's just angry with herself for not checking it out or asking any questions before or even during bidding.
Diane
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classicrock000
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posted on March 29, 2005 12:00:02 PM new
"Now that I received this book and was able to see that it is still in print, and can be purchased much cheaper I must say I am very dissapointed.""
my reply would be..
SUCKS TO BE YOU!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My sex life isnt dead yet....but the buzzards are circling
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amber
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posted on March 29, 2005 12:06:04 PM new
Diane: I often don't put the name of my craft books in my auctions, mostly because other sellers copy my descriptions and pictures. Also, we are all trying to sell our own items, not giving buyers the opportunity to find the same item cheaper on someone elses auction.
No one forces anyone to bid on their auctions. A book being in print doesn't mean that it is easy to aquire. The main thing is that the description is accurate. I always say if the pages are taken out of a magazine, or book. I think you can point out to this buyer that you did not set the price at $40, she did that by bidding that price, and obviously, someone else thought it was worth close to that.
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estatesalestuff
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posted on March 29, 2005 12:11:45 PM new
lol, classic ... YEP!
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cherishedclutter
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posted on March 29, 2005 12:28:55 PM new
I agree that the buyer is probably angry with herself for not checking. But, fair or not, she also now has a negative feeling about you, Diane. I think how you answer her depends on whether or not you want her continued business.
If you don't feel her business is significant - respond any way you like.
If you want to keep her as a customer - say something like. I'm sorry your disappointed, but given that it was an auction format I do believe it was a fair price. And mention that you would have glady told her the name of the book had she asked (assuming that's true.) And then offer her some sort of discount against future purchases. With your flair for words, I'm sure you could come up with something firm enough to show you are not going to give her a break on the price - but yet conciliatory enough to make her want to buy from you again.
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neglus
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posted on March 29, 2005 12:31:09 PM new
I guess if you value her as a client you should take some time with your response.
I know as a postcard seller I do not always know the rarity of the individual items I sell. That is the collector's responsibility IMHO. At the same time, I don't use the "rare" etc in my titles or description in an attempt to mislead. I start bidding at what I think is a fair price for the item and let the market decide.
For all you know that book could have been out of print or in a limited supply - hard to get etc. I know you have written here that you have gotten HUNDREDS of dollars for some of your material so I am sure the $40 didn't faze you much at all.
You might share the reason you don't put the title in your auctions (other sellers stealing your hard work etc) and reiterate that YOU started the auction at $2.99 and made no false claims about the rarity of the item because you don't have the time to research EVERY item you list. SHE was the one who set the final price, not you. The time for her to do her research is BEFORE she bid and not after she received the item!
I don't know anything about your crochet book auction biz but I would think that sellers would include a scan or picture of the books showing the titles or do buyers always buy without knowing what they are buying?
**********************************
Just making sure the "SMILIE" thread doesn't die (we all could use SMILIES every now and again!
http://www.vendio.com/mesg/read.html?num=2&thread=187440&id=187440
http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards
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niel35
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posted on March 29, 2005 12:45:41 PM new
How about the next highest bidder, if it was close, let her have it
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ArtNouveau
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posted on March 29, 2005 02:00:31 PM new
“I often don't put the name of my craft books in my auctions, mostly because other sellers copy my descriptions and pictures. Also, we are all trying to sell our own items, not giving buyers the opportunity to find the same item cheaper on someone elses auction.”
Brilliant. This is a great business strategy, Amber. Keep the customer stupid and uninformed hoping to catch a live one now and again. Then come here to complain about how dumb your customers are. If you don’t want people to steal your descriptions or find the same item cheaper, then either don’t run the auction or find a competitive advantage. Competition is a fact of life – especially on ebay.
It’s hard to feel bad for a buyer who didn’t do their research or ask questions before they bid. On the other hand, you developed a relationship with this person, and as your customer they trusted you. niel35 had a great idea. Why don’t you offer the book to the underbidder? Considering ebay’s bid increments, it should only cost you a small amount. The risk you run is that there was something unintentionally misleading in the auction, causing everyone to bid high.
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on March 29, 2005 02:54:37 PM new
ArtNouveau -- You either need a new pair of glasses or to grow a new brain! First of all, it wasn't Amber who posted for advice, it was ME. Secondly, who are you, the Patron Saint of Ebay? Get off your high horse! I use the same strategy as Amber and this is the first time in 1 1/2 years that I have received this type of e-mail from a customer.
Maybe you sell one-of-a-kind objects d'art. But for those of us where the competition is steep, we have to set ourselves apart from the competition. How do we do that? We provide alot of pictures and take alot of time and expense with our auctions. Now why would I put the name of the pattern book in the auction for a bidder to do a search to purchase the same item from a seller that provides only one picture?
I didn't ask YOU or anyone else for their opinions of my auctions. I asked for a suitable and tactful response to a bidder's e-mail that came along ONCE in 1 1/2 years.
By the way, there is absolutely NOTHING misleading in my auctions. I am honest in the items that I sell. My feedback speaks for itself.
Thanks to everyone for their help. I'm working on a response now.
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stonecold613
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posted on March 29, 2005 03:35:06 PM new
I'm with Art on this one. If you must deceive your customers that much by not actually telling them what book they are buying, shame on them for bidding and shame on you for not being up front.
"Do you think that $40.00 was a fair price for this item? I guess by not showing the name of the book people do not know they can get the book for under $4.00.
Yes the bidder was stupid enough to bid on your item, but on the flip side, we all have likely lost a potential customer because of your deceptive practices as this person is clearly going to think twice before buying on ebay again.
.
.
.
Alive in 2005
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amber
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posted on March 29, 2005 03:43:29 PM new
ArtNouveau:I put up to 20 pictures on my auctions, write a full description, all of which take many hours a day. If another seller copies my pictures I am charged 10 cents each by Vendio. Do you really think it is good business practice to give the title of my books so that sellers can check out my pictures and descriptions, and then go to an auction for the same book with a 2 line description and a fuzzy picture of the cover of the book only? Why should I do all the work and pay my fees for another seller? Do you really suggest that that is good business practice? If someone asks the title of the book, I always give it, I am not churlish enough to withhold it. It seems as if you are suggesting that a store owner should give a good presentation of their product, and then announce that it is cheaper down the road! I feel that you should be rewarded for the amount of work you put into your auctions. It is hard enough to make a profit now, without giving your profits away to other sellers who are too lazy to do a good job.
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Libra63
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posted on March 29, 2005 03:57:56 PM new
Do you really think that is an ethical practice? I know times are tough but when you sell still in print items and make more than a 500% profit is that fair? I think if you want to keep your buyer you have to offer something. JMHO
Every catagory in eBay is a hard sell, it is just not just the catagory you sell in. Ask the jewelry sellers.
i.e. How would you feel if you bought a bedspread for $39.00 from Walmart. Then going to Kmart they had the same bedspread for $10.00 What would you do? Of course take the walmart one back and purchase the kmart one. Your buyer can't do that.
_________________
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on March 29, 2005 03:59:13 PM new
Oh please, Stone, do you even sell anything on Ebay?
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tOMWiii
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posted on March 29, 2005 04:07:39 PM new
Bizzy:
You did nuttin wrong...
That's the FUN of auctions!
As Ralphie always says:
"Sometimes ya get the ELEVATOR, and sometimes ya get the SHAFT"
Email her polite instructions on how to use a silica suppository, then BLOCK the BLOCK-HEAD and MOVE ON(.org)...
How do ya spell "pandering sanctimonious hypocrisy?"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7309887/
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on March 29, 2005 04:07:54 PM new
And here comes Libra with her "holier than thou" response.
For those of you that forget, there is something called:
ASK THE SELLER A QUESTION
DUH!
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amber
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posted on March 29, 2005 04:20:51 PM new
I have to admit that most of the craft book I sell are oop, some are very old. I often picture every pattern in the book and write a very full description also. My buyers know EXACTLY what they are buying. I reckon I have sold around 9,000 craft books on 5 diffent auction sites, and I have NEVER, and I mean NEVER had someone say they felt they paid too much, or were duped in any way. A couple of times a page or chart has been missing in a big magazine, and I have refunded the payment, but that is a different thing.
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Libra63
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posted on March 29, 2005 04:22:35 PM new
Come on Miss bizzycrocheting you asked for an opinion, I gave one and I didn't deserve that answer. Why would your buyer ask a question as she probably thought you were a sincere seller. How would she know that book was still in print and if she did know that she wouldn't have bid correct. Evidently if the book got that high others didn't know it was still in print either.
Why do you come in here and ask questions ask for help then get mad at the posters that don't agree. If you don't want to hear what others say then don't ask a question. As you know everyone doesn't agree.
BTW I have never when posting in the EO had a holier than thou" attitude.
Remember you are not in the RT.
_________________
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Gtootie
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posted on March 29, 2005 04:40:05 PM new
Bizzy
I don't think you have done anything wrong either. You had an item for sale and she bid on it. If she paid that much for a pattern she must have wanted it.
I wouldn't give her a discount or refund either.
As far that bedspread from Wal Mart, you should have checked the prices at KMart before you bought the thing. Wal Mart didn't hold a gun to your head to make you buy it.
http://www.americaswetland.com/custompage.cfm?pageid=2&cid=8
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mamachia
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posted on March 29, 2005 04:41:40 PM new
Diane,
I think that it is fabulous that you had a bidding war on one of your items. I miss those days when I had some serious bidding wars with my auctions. It is just sad that your buyer has buyers remorse. I get so sick of those types. If she engaged in a bidding war, then she should be held accountable but for good will, you may want to offer her some type of discount or something in the future to appease her. Nothing worse than a crappy neg from a buyer like this.
Good Luck on your auctions. I love crocheting.
Rosanne
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on March 29, 2005 04:56:27 PM new
But Wal-Mart will give you full refund so you can't really compare the two.
I still don't think you did anything wrong.
You started it at a fair price and had no control over the end results.
You could offer at a second chance to the next bidder if you want, but you have probably lost her as a repeat customer anyway so what the heck. If it were my auction with a return customer - I would still offer her a small refund (say 10%)or free shipping next time. JMHO
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on March 29, 2005 04:59:34 PM new
You know, Libra, I'm really beginning to think that what they say on the RT is true about you. Did you even read my original post? I didn't ask for an OPINION! DUH! I asked for help in formulating a response. Do you even sell anything on ebay?
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Washingtonebayer
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posted on March 29, 2005 05:32:51 PM new
Here would be my response:
I am sorry for your disappointment with the book, however it was sold through an auction format and people bid what they are willing to pay for an item.
eBay offers "Ask the seller" a question and I am always happy to answer if time permits. I am curious as to what your response to your email would be if you were in my shoes?
As I do appreciate your business, but I do not feel anything was wrong with this auction and everything was above board. I hope you continue to be a customer of myself and at least eBay.
Or something like that.
Ron
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tOMWiii
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posted on March 29, 2005 05:45:05 PM new
Ron:
Way too wordy!
Ralphie & I recommend the short, YET warm & fuzzy: 
How do ya spell "pandering sanctimonious hypocrisy?"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7309887/
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crossroadstrader
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posted on March 29, 2005 06:28:00 PM new
Dear XXXXX, Fair? Have you seen what a grilled cheese sandwich goes for?
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tradersjones
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posted on March 29, 2005 06:34:57 PM new
My reply would be:
Personally, I thought $2.99 was a fair price for the book and that's what I offered it for. It was the bidders who determined it's final value. I'm sorry you're having second thoughts about your purchase. Although I feel I had no control over the outcome of the auction, I do value your business and want you as a return customer. How about a 10% discount on this purchase and free shipping on your next one?
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HelgaGPataki
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posted on March 29, 2005 07:40:46 PM new
Hi Diane
I dont' have an answer for you on this one but I hope you can appease the woman. She set the price, not you.
I'm also curious as to why your bidders don't read your auction listings in complete. I just saw your neutral about magazine pages and it says right at the bottom of your listings that some of your patterns are from magazines.
Good luck!
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rozrr
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posted on March 30, 2005 08:38:21 PM new
I don't understand how someone could sell a book and not list the title???
20 photos seems like an awful lot. My neighbor buys kimonos on eBay, and when I was still on a regular dial-up, I couldn't download some of those ads to see what she had just bought - I was still hanging fire after 15 minutes.
I realize this is specialized stuff - books of patterns.
But what's the big secret about the title?
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