Demanding Buyer

E

Eva14

O.G.
May 15, 2012
174
1
#1
I'm currently auctioning off a designer purse on eBay. I work full-time and eBay is just a sideline. I don't have very much experience as a seller. I've currently got 100% positive feedback, and I'd like to keep it that way.


I think I'm potentially dealing with a PITA buyer.


Buyer has been messaging me. I'm trying to be accommodating, but maybe I'm naïve.


Buyer keeps asking for item NOW, and I'm just running an auction. For just $40 'extra', buyer could have had the item by now.


I agreed to lower my starting bid price AND put in free shipping on my auction. (I was trying to accommodate the buyer).


Now buyer wants me to end my auction early and ship out immediately, rather than wait a few days. (I've already put more time and energy into this than I care to say).


Buyer has been messaging me for a couple of weeks. First wanting $25 off AND free shipping, then wanting me to ship it IMMEDIATELY. I'm getting exhausted.


Buyer suddenly says she has a party this weekend and would like to have the purse for it. (I should mention I am offering RETURNS, which maybe is naïve?)


This buyer is too demanding, IMO. I am worried about the 'RETURNS' issue. I'm also worried that if and when she finally wins the auction that she'll post either negative or neutral feedback to me. (I did have some technical problems with eBay's system).


I'd appreciate any opinions, thanks. Are there too many 'red flags' here? Should I raise my auction price and just forget about this buyer? Or block her? I'm really not sure what to do. Thanks!
 
#5
Thanks. Now I've got an even bigger problem: This buyer just placed a bid on my purse before I had a chance to block her.


She's sent me two emails just today telling me that she needs the purse NOW. She keeps asking me to cancel my auction early and ship out NOW so that she can have the purse by this weekend for her party. Keeps telling me that she cannot wait a few days for the auction to end. Way too demanding and unreasonable.


Is there anything I can do NOW, or is it too late? What a headache this is! Thanks.
 
#7
Eva14 said:
Thanks. Now I've got an even bigger problem: This buyer just placed a bid on my purse before I had a chance to block her.


She's sent me two emails just today telling me that she needs the purse NOW. She keeps asking me to cancel my auction early and ship out NOW so that she can have the purse by this weekend for her party. Keeps telling me that she cannot wait a few days for the auction to end. Way too demanding and unreasonable.


Is there anything I can do NOW, or is it too late? What a headache this is! Thanks.
Click to expand...

Doing a quick search, I found this:

http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-cancel-a-bid-/10000000013095845/g.html

Since she sounds to be problematic already, I think I'd cancel her bid and quickly add her to your BBL.
 
#8
Agreed! Buyer stories like this don't tend to end well. If I were in your shoes, I would follow the advice given here to cancel the bid and immediately add to BBL.
 
#9
Nikki, thanks so much for posting that link! I was able to cancel the bid and block the buyer. I hope she doesn't use someone else's ID or something.


I checked some of the comments she's left for others and felt sick. She's accused some people of selling fakes---just some nasty stuff. She was also involved in an eBay case, etc.


She is way more trouble than any money is worth. This sort of thing makes me not want to sell designer goods on eBay!


Any advice on how to handle the string of nasty emails that I'm bound to receive from her? Thanks to you all.
 
#10
wow such crazy story. I am also don't know what to do in situation like this. I always want to give return option on my items, but I am afraid some people just will use expensive bag for couple of weeks for parties and after will ask they money back(
 
#11
Eva14 said:
Any advice on how to handle the string of nasty emails that I'm bound to receive from her? Thanks to you all.
Click to expand...

Eva, there's an option under Buyer Requirements to block those on your BBL from contacting you:

"Don't allow blocked buyers to contact me. (Buyer won't see the "Contact Seller" button on your Q&A page.) Note: Buyers can still contact you about existing transactions, unless you add them to your blocked list."
 
#12
Eva14 said:
Nikki, thanks so much for posting that link! I was able to cancel the bid and block the buyer. I hope she doesn't use someone else's ID or something.


I checked some of the comments she's left for others and felt sick. She's accused some people of selling fakes---just some nasty stuff. She was also involved in an eBay case, etc.


She is way more trouble than any money is worth. This sort of thing makes me not want to sell designer goods on eBay!


Any advice on how to handle the string of nasty emails that I'm bound to receive from her? Thanks to you all.
Click to expand...

If she sends any horrible messages, don't respond - just report them to eBay.
 
#13
Eva14 said:
Nikki, thanks so much for posting that link! I was able to cancel the bid and block the buyer. I hope she doesn't use someone else's ID or something.


I checked some of the comments she's left for others and felt sick. She's accused some people of selling fakes---just some nasty stuff. She was also involved in an eBay case, etc.


She is way more trouble than any money is worth. This sort of thing makes me not want to sell designer goods on eBay!


Any advice on how to handle the string of nasty emails that I'm bound to receive from her? Thanks to you all.
Click to expand...
If after canceling her bid, you get further bids from newbie buyers (or even non-newbie), check the location where the buyer lives. If it's the same state as the PITA, cancel that bidder's bid and BBL too.

This might be overkill but IMO, it's better to block now than deal with a potential problem later.

Please post (or PM) her ID. I don't need this buyer.
 
#14
Is there a lesson to be learned here? Such as: If you are running an eBay auction and someone messages you with a lower offer than your starting bid, don't even reply?


I lowered the price and put in free shipping, per the buyer's request, and that still wasn't good enough for her. I was doing her a favor, or so I thought. But once I'd done that, she wanted me to end the auction early and send the purse ASAP. I felt like whatever I would have done wouldn't have been good enough for this buyer.


I almost felt harassed by all of those emails, demanding one thing after another. Telling me she couldn't wait 5 days---well, then why not just pay 'full price', which was only $40 more?


I suppose the lesson is: Beware of buyers who ask for 'special' treatment. I thought we were just bargaining, which seemed reasonable. But it turned out to be one demand after another with her. I'm glad I was able to cancel her bid!


Maybe beware of messages with lower offers when you do NOT have a 'Best Offer' option on your auction?


I never know about returns, either. It sounds like this buyer may have been the type to use a purse for 2 weeks for parties and then return it for a refund. I had checked her feedback, but not thoroughly enough. When I saw that she's accused people of selling fakes and had eBay cases (ruled against her) I felt really sick. Some buyers really know how to 'use the eBay system' to at least TRY to get away with all sorts of nefarious things.


It's tough for those of us who don't have much selling experience. But I'm sure it's tough on eBay for veteran sellers, too. You just never know whom you're doing business with, which is pretty scary. Auctioning things on eBay should NOT be this stressful. Well, it looks like I dodged a bullet. Thanks for the excellent advice from everyone here!
 
#15
Should I send any sort of message to the buyer attempting to explain why I cancelled her bid? I wouldn't know what to say. I'm trying to be both polite and businesslike, but I know she's going to be really ticked off at me. (I've seen that she can be very nasty in some of the comments she's left for others).


So just ignore her completely? Don't send any message to explain? Thanks for any advice.
 
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