Advice needed on a buyer who wants to trade her purchase?!

echo_23

O.G.
Oct 2, 2006
5,004
6
Sorry if this seems like a rant, I actually want advice, I'm just mad :cursing:!

I haven't listed in auction format for quite some time after having item after item won by international bidders who didn't want to pay or wanted the item shipped against my shipping policy which is clearly stated in BIG BOLD LETTERS.

Well, my optimism got the best of me and I decided to finally get back on the horse and sell a bag in auction format asking for international bidders to contact me ahead of time for permission to bid after ensuring I can ship to them and what the cost will be. 7 days later, who won? An international buyer! That's okay, I figured. No way they could have missed the big bold shipping policy. Their feedback was low, but they had one other high end purchase go through successfully and they were consistently bidding on high-end items for a low price. It didn't appear that anything was fishy, so I sent an invoice.

In the middle of the night, I receive an email [identifying info x'd out]stating:

hi

my sis bidded this for me as a BD gift. I didnt know till she showed it to me just before she wanted to check out. I dont fancy this style. I prefer your the other xxxxxx bag on auction xxxxxxxx. Is it possible for us to switch to that bag at this price? Also, can u pls declare item value at $250 or less, otherwise the item will be subjected to taxation and gets retained at custom for that. It will then be a hassle and costly for us to claim. Would really appreciate your help. Best rgds


Please understand that the other bag is in a BIN auction for $500 more than she won this bag for and that what she asked me to do with shipping is exactly what I say I won't do with shipping in the auction.

Arrrrggghhhh!!! Here's what I wrote her back:

Hi! I'm sorry about your situation, but you have to understand that this is the third time in a row that auctioning an item in bidding format has resulted in an an international winner that either decided they didn't want the bag or wanted me to ship it against my shipping policy that is clearly stated in the auction in BIG RED BOLD LETTERS(please read it). I am completely frustrated! Bids are a binding contract. She [her sister] should not have bid if there was a chance she would back out of the transaction. It is unfair to both the other bidders and me as the seller who has invested time and money into this auction. Also- I don't mean to sound harsh, but your trade offer is completely unreasonable. Besides the fact that you bid on THIS BAG and not that bag, that bag is listed at a significantly higher price than the price you won this bag for. I cannot just "switch them". The other bag is available for $xxxx and no lower. Please let me know how we can work this situation out. Best Regards, xxxxxxxx


I was really angry when I wrote that, was I too harsh?

I'm just so sick of this happening and not being able to warn others or make deadbeat buyers have consequences for their actions... but I can't do that even if I file a NPB on her. Best case situation, ebay refunds my fees and removes the negative she leaves after I expose her as a NPB in my mandatorily positive feedback. Worst case, she buys the bag and retaliates by leaving me bad feedback, or worse, reversing the payment or damaging the bag. We've all seen on here that this actually happens far too often.

What should I do?
 
I'm sorry you're going through this! and I completely understand your frustration...who in their right mind would ask a seller after winning their auction to switch it for a more expensive bag! :confused1:
My advice would be if she doesn't pay for the bag that she bid on then file the NPB (aslong as she doesn't respond to this she won't be able to leave negative feedback for you)
Such a PITA! :cursing:
 
I'm sorry you're going through this! and I completely understand your frustration...who in their right mind would ask a seller after winning their auction to switch it for a more expensive bag! :confused1:
My advice would be if she doesn't pay for the bag that she bid on then file the NPB (aslong as she doesn't respond to this she won't be able to leave negative feedback for you)
Such a PITA! :cursing:

Thanks Bigbagaddict (Love your sn!!). I'll see if she respond to my email. If not, that should be a pretty good sign that she won't respond to a NPB.
 
My advice is don't do anything with this person! "My sister" did anything is usually a dead giveaway that she is not on the up and up. See best excuses on ebay thread. You can automatically block international bidders in your auction preferences and tell them in the listing they need to email you with their intentions before they can bid. Also your BIN should be set to "payment immediately required." This cuts out a lot of time wasting silliness. However buyers can really not do too much wrong these days on ebay because they can't get negs. It is very frustrating for sellers!
 
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What a time waster. i wouldnt deal with her now anyway. I bet she bid herself so she could win at that price and then ask to trade for the higher priced one.

That might be true! I certainly don't want her buying one of my other bags even for the price I'm asking. She sounds like she'd try to pull something after buying that one too. I really don't feel like battling this one out as I need the money for another purchase but i really wish I could leave neg feedback!
 
My advice is don't do anything with this person! "My sister" did anything is usually a dead giveaway that she is not on the up and up. See best excuses on ebay thread. You can automatically block international bidders in your auction preferences and tell them in the listing they need to email you with their intentions before they can bid. Also your BIN should be set to "payment immediately required." This cuts out a lot of time wasting silliness. However buyers can really not do too much wrong these days on ebay because they can't get negs. It is very frustrating for sellers!

My BIN's always require immediate payment, but I did this as an auction. I will definitely use your advice next time. I didn't know you could block international bidders. I HATE doing that, but I have never experienced a non-paying US bidder.

Do you think ebay will ever go back to their old feedback system/ Couldn't they at least make a policy that NPB's can recieve neg. feedback but can't leave any??!
 
Thanks Bigbagaddict (Love your sn!!). I'll see if she respond to my email. If not, that should be a pretty good sign that she won't respond to a NPB.

You're welcome echo_23! :heart:
I think there's a good chance that she's not going to respond or pay (unless of course she replies again that she wants a switch to the higher value bag!:wacko:)
Geeez seller's just don't need buyers like that :nogood:
Keep us posted echo_23 xxx
 
I feel your pain! It's unbelievable what some bidders, domestic and international, will try to pull~you always think you have every conceivable possibility covered in your auction, and they think up a new one or just ignore what you say...
SO IRRITATING!
 
I can understand frustration with international bidders. I have only bought from buyers in the states and only once from someone in Asia. I do know what you mean. I tried to sell a Chanel last 2 weeks and a buyer from China hit BIN. My price was really reasonable and I thought, thats great. Before I knew it, another non paying bidder was born. I reported her to Ebay and of course nothing was done, I cant even leave her a neg feedback to warn others to watch out for her. I was livid.

I always pay immediately once I BIN. I reply all emails promptly and ask all questions before I bid or hit BIN. I try to do all the right things as a buyer and have also bought things because I already gave my commitment though I dont think I really want that item anymore. If you check my feedback, its 100% Positive. I try to make Ebay a better place and its sad to see that international buyers have a bad name because the majority of them are time wasters.

Hence, a lot of US buyers block their auctions out on international buyers. I am one of those unlucky few who lost their chances to buy some pretty Chanels because of others giving us a bad name :tdown:

I still try to send an email to the seller who states US bidders only (if I really WANT that item bad!!!) and try my luck. I also refer them to my see my feedback to give them assurance. I think I am a super easy Ebayer (and in return i got hit with a 90 days selling limitation! Sorry- off topic) and I am sorry of what you went through. I wouldnt even bother with that 'sister's BD present' bull, she either pays or relist the auction. Dont bend backwards for her.
 
I dont think you were too harsh. Like somebody else has said "My Sister" is a common response. I dont have a sister, but i wouldnt let her bid on something for me even if i did lol! How weird - hopefully she will give up easily x
 
OMG. I am sorry that happened to you.

When a buyer does something so weird and strange to me, I usually do not answer them at all, or else I just respond with "payment is due on (date), Thank you for your purchase" and then file the UPI if they dont pay.

In this case make sure you save all the emails in case they respond to your UPI notice, they may be evidence in case she attempts to extort feedback because you did not meet her "demands".
 
I feel your pain! I personally am very wary of buying or selling internationally. I know there are some really great TPF members that sell on eBay so this is def not directed at you.

I always say no international sales, but this one buyer was so nice I decided to do it for her. I somehow totally screwed up this one and only international sale for a $30 dollar change purse. The the buyer was really nice when I refunded her money, but she gave me a neutral. No problem with her doing that because I would have been disappointed too, but it really messed up my 100% rating.

The good thing is the purse finally came back from the post two months later and I just sent it to her Monday for free - free item / free postage. So my change purse that cost me $19.95 ended up costing me $37.50 in postage alone - ha ha! Last time I try that - I'm sticking with "NO INTERNATIONAL SALES" - LOL.

The upside is I feel better about completing the transaction with her. M