How to handle insistent buyer

Sep 11, 2009
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I have an item for sale and I do not want to sell it to buyers with very little or no feedback. Most buyers that have inquired, I have explained this to them and they have understood however one buyer is sending me several emails even after I politely explained that I don't feel comfortable selling to buyers who have little to no feedback. I am not sure what else to do because I am not going to change my mind especially since I am not impressed with how the buyer is handling my response. The sad thing is if they had been less hostile I would have thought twice about my decision (after all who doesn't want to sell their item!) but since they were kind of unpleasant, I don't even want to deal with this buyer. I even blocked them from buying from me ever again. I feel like this person has really burned this bridge.

What should I do - reply yet again? or just ignore the messages
 
hmmm funny. I just dealt with a seller who was unwilling to deal with me just because I am a newbie. I sent a polite message asking how I could bid since I am new and was told they would not deal with me since I have zero feedback and am new. Why? I may be an NPB? scammer? well, unfortunately ppl that have been on ebay for a long time can turn around and do this at any time. I thought it was extremely unfair so I politely asked for them to reconsider. no response. so I gave up and when I checked the sellers feedback, someone had mentioned that this seller was very rude to deal with. They should reconsider their policy because a long bid history does not mean a person wont back out of a bid and vice versa. Since this was my first experience on ebay it really left a bad taste in my mouth. and I will not be dealing with that person any longer, even after I build my history.
 
I do understand wanting to have low feedback buyers on expensive items contact you before bidding, but I'm not sure there's a way to foolproof yourself from scammers, + everyone has to start somewhere.
 
hmmm funny. I just dealt with a seller who was unwilling to deal with me just because I am a newbie. I sent a polite message asking how I could bid since I am new and was told they would not deal with me since I have zero feedback and am new. Why? I may be an NPB? scammer? well, unfortunately ppl that have been on ebay for a long time can turn around and do this at any time. I thought it was extremely unfair so I politely asked for them to reconsider. no response. so I gave up and when I checked the sellers feedback, someone had mentioned that this seller was very rude to deal with. They should reconsider their policy because a long bid history does not mean a person wont back out of a bid and vice versa. Since this was my first experience on ebay it really left a bad taste in my mouth. and I will not be dealing with that person any longer, even after I build my history.

shoppinglvr, I am sorry that you felt bad about the seller and that they were so rude. Being rude is never ok.

I was not rude to the buyer who I am dealing with. I have been very polite and upfront about my reason for not wanting to sell to buyers will little to no feedback. I have had other buyers who have little to no feedback and explained to them that I don't feel comfortable selling to them at this time and they have been very understanding and respectful. Not this one however. I wish I could block their messages
 
I don't mind if it is a lower ticket item that the buyer has low feedback but this one is more expensive and frankly it is their way of dealing with the situation that makes me have a bad feeling and not comfortable with pursuing a transaction with them. I know that having more feedback doesn't guarantee anything but I do think esp from this buyer's response, that they aren't that familiar with buying on the site I am using and if there is any issues during the process, it will be a headache dealing with them.

Bottom line, I don't feel comfortable at all selling to this person -- my gut reaction says no. But they are not taking no for an answer.



I do understand wanting to have low feedback buyers on expensive items contact you before bidding, but I'm not sure there's a way to foolproof yourself from scammers, + everyone has to start somewhere.
 
Trying to be the devil's advocate, maybe that person really wants your item, is a serious bidder and would pay immediately if you let them bid.
As IrisCole said, everyone has to start somewhere.
 
Add to your blocked bidder list. Done. No further email necessary.

Just because someone wants to bid doesn't mean you have to change your policy. It's totally fine to exclude zero or low fb bidders if that's your preference.
 
Being rude is unacceptable. But I know that when I was not allowed to bid, I was frustrated coz I could very well afford to pay for that item. That is why I thought I would start small, as in under $500 as a way to build a relationship with this seller for further bigger ticket items.
I think that not allowing someone to bid simply because they have no history is wrong. If they contact you and express their intent to buy why not? You are afraid of problems down the road should something go wrong, well that can happen with anyone. But if your gut is saying no, go with it. But I don't agree with the other reasons.
 
I realize everyone has to start somewhere, but starting now vs. starting a decade ago, or even 5 years ago is completely different. Back in the "old days" sellers could leave negative feedback and eBay wasn't as full of the scammers as it is today. I say go with your gut and if you don't want to sell to someone then block them. You have laid out the conditions of your sale and if someone wants to get hostile about those conditions, then ignore them. You are under no obligation to sell to anyone you don't feel comfortable with.
 
If the item was $500, I would be more open to not going with my policy but since this item is in the thousand dollar range I am rather strict about my feedback policy. Also since the site allows this capability, buyers need to be aware and they may not like it but the seller is not doing anything wrong.

I think what this situation comes down to is -- always being understanding and polite on the part of both buyer and seller. As seller or buyer, you may win them over or even next time they may be more open to you since they had a good experience with you. It is never good to burn bridges.



Being rude is unacceptable. But I know that when I was not allowed to bid, I was frustrated coz I could very well afford to pay for that item. That is why I thought I would start small, as in under $500 as a way to build a relationship with this seller for further bigger ticket items.
I think that not allowing someone to bid simply because they have no history is wrong. If they contact you and express their intent to buy why not? You are afraid of problems down the road should something go wrong, well that can happen with anyone. But if your gut is saying no, go with it. But I don't agree with the other reasons.
 
Being rude is unacceptable. But I know that when I was not allowed to bid, I was frustrated coz I could very well afford to pay for that item. That is why I thought I would start small, as in under $500 as a way to build a relationship with this seller for further bigger ticket items.
I think that not allowing someone to bid simply because they have no history is wrong. If they contact you and express their intent to buy why not? You are afraid of problems down the road should something go wrong, well that can happen with anyone. But if your gut is saying no, go with it. But I don't agree with the other reasons.

no, it's not wrong.
people that sell on ebay are selling their person property, like a gargage sale. they aren't a store. they have a right to be selective as to who they sell to, to minimize problems or loss of money/loss of item. yeah, you never know if someone with tons of feedback could go rouge and screw you, but for the most part, when someone has a lot of positive feedback, you can rest easier.

i don't like selling to zero feedback buyers either. ebay has been around so long, i find it slightly odd for someone to have never bought anything on there, and then all of a sudden want to buy a $500+ item right off the bat.