[noshoepolish]

You can use any box (meaning a plain kind of box) for Priority or Express Mail. You do not have to use what the PO has. You should stuff all bags for shipping, put the bag in a plastic bag and then place in a box that fits the bag. Never, ever send a leather bag in a flat box unless that is the shape of the bag!

Once you put the bag in the box, you can use air bags or peanuts (YUCKY) to fill up the spaces, if you wish.

[gacats]

I would offer the full refund and ask the buyer to return the bag. End this mess now.
Then relist it but be careful with your description- some buyers are looking for any excuse to complain.
I think presentation is everything. Had the handbag been stuffed and nicely packaged, you may have been able to avoid this mess. A nicely packaged item would have said that you care for your items and the buyer may not have been looking for flaws the minute she recieved the box. Have you ever walked into a messy home and noticed that you form an opinion about the homeowner based on the messy home?
Sorry this happened to you. Slow down and build your eBay reputation carefully.
Hope this gets resolved!

[bags4us]

Sorry this thing happening to you. And I know that JC Ramono is not just big its HUGE. Also very hard to get box that fits. I should know that as I had similar thing happened to me with my patent Ramono! My dumb buyer said it was fake as soon as she saw one on eBay much much cheaper! and I assure you that was the real fake as seller of the cheap bag was suspended later selling fakes! Anyways I offered full refund providing she returned my bag and Paypal actually sided with me(that was about year ago and remember PP will not do that today) and she returned it finally. I really hope she bought her fake and are happy with it!
However your buyers' email seems to me not from scammer but of opportunist who is looking for some sort of discount! You should tell her full refund upon bag returned in its original condition. Sort of buyers who look for discount after receiving the items are very hard to please and its never enough discount for them. If buyer says "I want full refund" is better in most cases I think.
Unfortunately you'll have to lose your side of shipping fee and hope the best you will get positive feedback.
If you go into dispute you will lose as current climate of PP and eBay shows that all disputes going to favour the buyer. So full refund is the easiest way to deal for you in my opinion. Also your buyer seems not that bad as there are really bad ones out there.

[coco girl]

It sounds like she is looking for money back. I always think, if you don't like it just say you want to send it back. but when the buyers wants to work it out, sounds like they are fishing for money back.

I would take it back and refund. No partial refunds. I don't like the idea of that. Store don't do that. You either return it or you don't.

[Snowqueen!]

I am shocked at the responses to this post that are entirely in the seller's favor and can see both sides of the issue.

Honestly, I would expect an $800 bag to be stuffed with tissue, placed in its dustcover and carefully packed in a large enough box to give it some breathing room.

I received a tote bag once that had been placed in its sleeper and put in a priority box that just barely held it and I was furious! It was crumpled just enought to make it look shopworn. Not all bags take their original shape after being shipped in tight quarters.

You do not have to use the boxes provided by the postal service. Walmart, Office Depot and Staples are all great resources for packing boxes. You can find a box that fits the item being shipped and for high end bags it might be worth letting a shipping service pack them, it they are hard to fit.

I wish you good luck with your buyer as I think you were trying to do the right thing. However, I do not think she had unreasonable expectations.

[VuittonsLover]

Awww.. I hope it all gets rectified.. keep us in the loop to what happens.

[trg05]

I think I am more upset with her tone of the letter. I feel she lashed out at me when a more rounded constructive criticism would have gone a lot further. I know now not to put a Ramona in a priority box even though in my opinion the bag fit fine -- it's just that I did not stuff the inside of the bag with tissue. I sent her hand lotion and a thank you note for buying from me, that fit in the box too. After reading all of your comments I now understand presentation is everything.

As for the receipt I never said original or copy -- I just said comes w/receipt -- and now I know to change that to "copy" of the receipt. I must say kinda creeped me out the way she assumed (and her tone), when she said I was not the original owner because the receipt was a copy. What does that even mean?? I feel I should keep the original so I can have proof of what I've sold and I feel the main reason the buyer needs the receipt is for verification that the bag is authentic. The buyer can call the store with the item number and such to make sure it matches with their inventory and to make sure that it is authentic. If the buyer wants to take the bag back, can't they use that receipt? It has all of the nessessarry information on it, minus my personal information.

Also, before I shipped, I emailed this buyer and told her how and why I was shipping the way I was -- she knew what box beforehand and said nothing. She sells as well.

As it stands now, I've offered her a full refund if she returns the bag. I have not heard back from her as yet.

I want to thank everyone who answered. You've helped me a great deal:)

Thank you soooooooooo much!!!

[Snowqueen!]

(((Hugs))) to you, OP. I know you are having a tough time with this. I really meant what I said in my first post to you when I said I know you were trying to do the right thing.

However, I reread her note to you and do not think she particularly "lashed out" at you. Perhaps it would have been kinder if she had asked if you were the original owner of the bag and if she could have the original receipt, but I think you may also be getting a little bit defensive.

I have sold a ton on eBay in the last ten years and I know from my experience that you are going to have to deal with an occassional conflict. If you are going to do this and not have it drive you crazy, you are going to need to learn to look at the transactions from the Buyer's perspective.

I was good of you to offer her a refund. Just get the bag back. Hit any scuffs with a touch of conditioner. Stuff it with tissue, find a better box and relist it.

Hang in there...

[VuittonsLover]

Originally Posted by trg05

I think I am more upset with her tone of the letter. I feel she lashed out at me when a more rounded constructive criticism would have gone a lot further. I know now not to put a Ramona in a priority box even though in my opinion the bag fit fine -- it's just that I did not stuff the inside of the bag with tissue. I sent her hand lotion and a thank you note for buying from me, that fit in the box too. After reading all of your comments I now understand presentation is everything.

As for the receipt I never said original or copy -- I just said comes w/receipt -- and now I know to change that to "copy" of the receipt. I must say kinda creeped me out the way she assumed (and her tone), when she said I was not the original owner because the receipt was a copy. What does that even mean?? I feel I should keep the original so I can have proof of what I've sold and I feel the main reason the buyer needs the receipt is for verification that the bag is authentic. The buyer can call the store with the item number and such to make sure it matches with their inventory and to make sure that it is authentic. If the buyer wants to take the bag back, can't they use that receipt? It has all of the nessessarry information on it, minus my personal information.

Also, before I shipped, I emailed this buyer and told her how and why I was shipping the way I was -- she knew what box beforehand and said nothing. She sells as well.

As it stands now, I've offered her a full refund if she returns the bag. I have not heard back from her as yet.

I want to thank everyone who answered. You've helped me a great deal:)

Thank you soooooooooo much!!!

You have to remember with the new feedback ratings and buyers having full reign of everything.. they tend to be rude now too.

It opened the floodgates for rudeness since as a seller there is nothing you can do about it.

Just keep your head up... and don't let stuff like this get you down.

[le_junkie]

I've received bags in the past in an ill-fitting box. Even if I'm really excited about the bag, I feel a little deflated if the item isn't well packaged. Don't really need to be pretty or anything but when my item is handled with care, I feel like the seller cares, ya know. Anyway, maybe since she feels the box was too small, she also noticed other 'negatives' that outweighed your free overnight shipping, etc.

I do think that the best resolution is to just offer to refund in full once you receive your bag back. We, as sellers, learn to be better when it comes to handling transactions when we make 'mistakes' (and I use the term loosely) that cost us money. I know sellers are getting a raw deal on eBay so just give this problem a quick fix and move on.

Good luck!

[RealMcCoy]

trgo5, it sounds to me that you are considering a growing, active presence on eBay or you wouldn't care about positive feedback. So, if I may, I would like to give you some advice from a seller that is new enough to feel your panic, but experienced enough that I may be able to give you some useful advice. I am approaching 100 feedbacks with 100% rating. Also, I was a jewelry designer and wholesaler for about 10 years and shipped thousands of pairs of earrings. So, I have had alot of experience with buyers and packages.

You got a raw deal on your first transaction. As I see it, you are a novice seller and made some mistakes. And, unfortunately it happened with a buyer who is very particular. She may not necessarily be a scam artist. She may just be, as she said, a “handbag junkie”. I would go on that premise, because if she is a scam artist, you’ve lost anyway. Here is what I would recommend.

1. If you haven’t done so already, check her history on toolhaus.org. Especially note her negative and neutral feedbacks. Check what she has said about other sellers. This will give you an idea of her personality.
2. Take emotion out of the equation. Emotion will keep you reactive instead of proactive. Don’t proceed with the determination to figure out who is right and who is wrong.
3. Also, do not rush to process any refunds. If she has the refund AND the bag, you are left holding nothing. As a new buyer you were probably held to using PayPal. Did you? If so, go to their seller protection area and check how they handle things in this case.
4. If you have not done so already, write her an apology for shipping the bag without packing. Tell her you are new. This was the first time you’ve packaged anything and you’ve learned for the next time you ship. An apology soothes emotion – which is what we are trying to step beyond. BUT, be sure not to make ANY PROMISES in this contact.
5. Ask her to take photos of the bag, especially of the areas where she has concerns and of the FedEx box if she still has it. Tell her that you won’t process a call ticket for shipping until you know the condition before it is shipped again and that you will need these to query FedEx. You will want these photos because she may be exaggerating out of emotion. You won’t be able to properly assess what your next course of action is until you see what you’re truly dealing with. Also, this helps in event she is scamming.
6. A scam artist can pull a bait-n-switch. They order a handbag that is authentic but what they return to you isn’t. Requesting photos puts the ball in her court. If she is scamming, you have some photos to keep as backup evidence.
7. After you have assessed the damage to the handbag, you may have a clearer picture what is the best course of action. Your choices are: a) no change in money – the bag looks wonderful and, therefore, best to file IUD (item under dispute); b) a discount (if the bag is in flawed condition and you could not sell it again without taking a hit; c) a full refund (bag is beyond use, needs to be returned and scrapped).
8. If you decide on a refund, do not let her keep the bag, or you may see it back on eBay under her seller ID. Do not issue a refund until the bag is in your hand. It is too easy to “loose” the bag in return shipping. That is the chance SHE will have to take, if she feels she’s been wronged. If she is a scammer, be prepared. You may receive a bag other than the one you sent. If your bag was in mint condition, and the return bag is also, I would still have it inspected for authenticity.

Regarding the receipt, this is a tricky area. If you said “original receipt” in your listing, you may have to decide if positive feedback is worth giving it up. Did you buy this bag from a source that you have a business relationship with or can visit in person? If so, may be you can volunteer having them call her or email to verify the transaction. I do hope you marked through transaction numbers and dates as well as personal data before sending her the copy.

Next point is the fear of negative feedback. It is my understanding that the only way you get to retaliate to her negative feedback is if you file the listing as IUD (item under dispute). Then eBay gets involved with contacts. It does let you defend yourself on record. However, since this is your first transaction, it may be difficult to get another buyer to trust you. A neg is not so bad if you have other happy customers to balance against it. You may find it best to close this ID, wait 30 days and open a new one. I think this will be a lot easier to do if you have an IUD with your defense on record under the old ID. As you will find, with toolhause.org, the buyer can check back much farther than 30-60-90 days, and can check past Ids. Did you do this transaction under your buyer ID? Or, open a new seller ID? That too will be something to have to be considered. If you have hundreds of purchases on record with a 100% feedback, then your neg will only drop you to 98 or 99%. Also, without over 10 seller transactions, your DSR won’t show anyway.

I know this is long, but bear with me. In the future, never ever ship a beautiful bag in a plain old FedEx box. For many eBayers you are delivering their dream bag. They most likely could never have afforded the original price you paid. That $800 could be a month or two of their salary. They may have spent months or years scouring the site, searching daily, watching patiently through 5-7 days of auction, being there at the close hoping they can get that bag at a price they can afford. I would estimate few eBay handbag fans can shop at the retail source and just choose to go through the auction hassle to get a “better price”. I would bet the biggest share is shopping for the only “price they can afford”. Let them live the dream and reward them for their perseverance. Have that bag arrive in a huge box, stuffed to go on a showroom shelf, wrapped in beautiful tissue, and packed gently surrounded by airbags. Treat the bag like a queen.

That box placed in their hand at the front door is the first TANGIBLE impression they have of their purchase, and of you the seller. Here is where extra shipping dollars are better spent than overnight shipping. You can buy 4000-sheet tissue paper packs at nashvillewraps.com. You can buy closeout colors at 16.00 a box. I buy a white box and a signature color. I wrap the bag in white tissue. Never put the bag in contact with the color tissue. You would not want heat-sweat to transfer the dye to the bag. Put it in the dustcover. Wrap that in white tissue. Then lay it in a nest of air-filled shipping bags and your signature-color tissue.

And, in the future, when it is a costly bag, have someone take photos of you while you are packing the product so you have proof of the care you take when shipping. They go a long way if and when you do get the “item not as described” scam. Plus, you might consider purchasing Tyvek shipping tags you write your ID on. With one of these affixed to the bag, the buyer cannot rip it off. They are for sale on eBay. They would need to cut it off to transfer it to another. It helps cut down on bait-n-switch transactions. Also, if you are brave enough, put one tiny mark somewhere inside the bag, so you can identify whether you’ve received the original when dealing with return shipping. I haven’t been able to bring myself to take a black sharpie to a beautiful handbag and make a dot inside a pocket. Others do. Hope this helps. I apologize for the length.

[hwjfj2006]

However, your buyer is quite reasonable and reliable one. Just negotiate with her a bit and tell her your situation. She may not leave NEG to you. Don't worry, do a better job next time.

[burberryaholic]

I am a buyer and seller on eBay. When I sell, I make sure everything is VERY well packaged. Sometimes this makes me expect more when I am a buyer. I got a $500 David Yurman ring in a flat envelope last week. No padding. Nothing. BUT, because the seller was so kind and accomidating (she helped track the bag when it got lost in customs)--I left her positive feedback. I would like to think that with a kind and positive attitude, you can overcome any buyer complaint.

[Pandora11]

She sounds like a bag-mania so she will be definitely care how the bag was packed. She'd rather have her bag well packed with ground shipping than having it stuffed in a smaller box to ship overnight. You can't blame her for that with $800 she paid for.
For other matters, if you did exactly what you described in your list, she shouldn't have any issues. I'd give her a benefit of doubt for the slight marks and would offer her a partial refund. It can happen. You never know how the package was handled. I myself got a few beat up packages from online orders. With well packed box, an item is less likely to be ruined. When I ordered my designer bags from online boutiques, I always got them shipped in a super size box with all stuffed paper, dustbag and bubble protective bags with cardboard over them. I think people always expect more with a pricey piece. Next time to protect yourself you can add extra fee for shipping and handling to cover the cost.

[tanmon]

Originally Posted by RealMcCoy

trgo5, it sounds to me that you are considering a growing, active presence on eBay or you wouldn't care about positive feedback. So, if I may, I would like to give you some advice from a seller that is new enough to feel your panic, but experienced enough that I may be able to give you some useful advice. I am approaching 100 feedbacks with 100% rating. Also, I was a jewelry designer and wholesaler for about 10 years and shipped thousands of pairs of earrings. So, I have had alot of experience with buyers and packages.

You got a raw deal on your first transaction. As I see it, you are a novice seller and made some mistakes. And, unfortunately it happened with a buyer who is very particular. She may not necessarily be a scam artist. She may just be, as she said, a “handbag junkie”. I would go on that premise, because if she is a scam artist, you’ve lost anyway. Here is what I would recommend.

1. If you haven’t done so already, check her history on toolhaus.org. Especially note her negative and neutral feedbacks. Check what she has said about other sellers. This will give you an idea of her personality.
2. Take emotion out of the equation. Emotion will keep you reactive instead of proactive. Don’t proceed with the determination to figure out who is right and who is wrong.
3. Also, do not rush to process any refunds. If she has the refund AND the bag, you are left holding nothing. As a new buyer you were probably held to using PayPal. Did you? If so, go to their seller protection area and check how they handle things in this case.
4. If you have not done so already, write her an apology for shipping the bag without packing. Tell her you are new. This was the first time you’ve packaged anything and you’ve learned for the next time you ship. An apology soothes emotion – which is what we are trying to step beyond. BUT, be sure not to make ANY PROMISES in this contact.
5. Ask her to take photos of the bag, especially of the areas where she has concerns and of the FedEx box if she still has it. Tell her that you won’t process a call ticket for shipping until you know the condition before it is shipped again and that you will need these to query FedEx. You will want these photos because she may be exaggerating out of emotion. You won’t be able to properly assess what your next course of action is until you see what you’re truly dealing with. Also, this helps in event she is scamming.
6. A scam artist can pull a bait-n-switch. They order a handbag that is authentic but what they return to you isn’t. Requesting photos puts the ball in her court. If she is scamming, you have some photos to keep as backup evidence.
7. After you have assessed the damage to the handbag, you may have a clearer picture what is the best course of action. Your choices are: a) no change in money – the bag looks wonderful and, therefore, best to file IUD (item under dispute); b) a discount (if the bag is in flawed condition and you could not sell it again without taking a hit; c) a full refund (bag is beyond use, needs to be returned and scrapped).
8. If you decide on a refund, do not let her keep the bag, or you may see it back on eBay under her seller ID. Do not issue a refund until the bag is in your hand. It is too easy to “loose” the bag in return shipping. That is the chance SHE will have to take, if she feels she’s been wronged. If she is a scammer, be prepared. You may receive a bag other than the one you sent. If your bag was in mint condition, and the return bag is also, I would still have it inspected for authenticity.

Regarding the receipt, this is a tricky area. If you said “original receipt” in your listing, you may have to decide if positive feedback is worth giving it up. Did you buy this bag from a source that you have a business relationship with or can visit in person? If so, may be you can volunteer having them call her or email to verify the transaction. I do hope you marked through transaction numbers and dates as well as personal data before sending her the copy.

Next point is the fear of negative feedback. It is my understanding that the only way you get to retaliate to her negative feedback is if you file the listing as IUD (item under dispute). Then eBay gets involved with contacts. It does let you defend yourself on record. However, since this is your first transaction, it may be difficult to get another buyer to trust you. A neg is not so bad if you have other happy customers to balance against it. You may find it best to close this ID, wait 30 days and open a new one. I think this will be a lot easier to do if you have an IUD with your defense on record under the old ID. As you will find, with toolhause.org, the buyer can check back much farther than 30-60-90 days, and can check past Ids. Did you do this transaction under your buyer ID? Or, open a new seller ID? That too will be something to have to be considered. If you have hundreds of purchases on record with a 100% feedback, then your neg will only drop you to 98 or 99%. Also, without over 10 seller transactions, your DSR won’t show anyway.

I know this is long, but bear with me. In the future, never ever ship a beautiful bag in a plain old FedEx box. For many eBayers you are delivering their dream bag. They most likely could never have afforded the original price you paid. That $800 could be a month or two of their salary. They may have spent months or years scouring the site, searching daily, watching patiently through 5-7 days of auction, being there at the close hoping they can get that bag at a price they can afford. I would estimate few eBay handbag fans can shop at the retail source and just choose to go through the auction hassle to get a “better price”. I would bet the biggest share is shopping for the only “price they can afford”. Let them live the dream and reward them for their perseverance. Have that bag arrive in a huge box, stuffed to go on a showroom shelf, wrapped in beautiful tissue, and packed gently surrounded by airbags. Treat the bag like a queen.

That box placed in their hand at the front door is the first TANGIBLE impression they have of their purchase, and of you the seller. Here is where extra shipping dollars are better spent than overnight shipping. You can buy 4000-sheet tissue paper packs at nashvillewraps.com. You can buy closeout colors at 16.00 a box. I buy a white box and a signature color. I wrap the bag in white tissue. Never put the bag in contact with the color tissue. You would not want heat-sweat to transfer the dye to the bag. Put it in the dustcover. Wrap that in white tissue. Then lay it in a nest of air-filled shipping bags and your signature-color tissue.

And, in the future, when it is a costly bag, have someone take photos of you while you are packing the product so you have proof of the care you take when shipping. They go a long way if and when you do get the “item not as described” scam. Plus, you might consider purchasing Tyvek shipping tags you write your ID on. With one of these affixed to the bag, the buyer cannot rip it off. They are for sale on eBay. They would need to cut it off to transfer it to another. It helps cut down on bait-n-switch transactions. Also, if you are brave enough, put one tiny mark somewhere inside the bag, so you can identify whether you’ve received the original when dealing with return shipping. I haven’t been able to bring myself to take a black sharpie to a beautiful handbag and make a dot inside a pocket. Others do. Hope this helps. I apologize for the length.

^ well said, mccoy. i wish all sellers were as thorough, thoughtful and responsible as you. great advice!