I've had it

indiaink

Authenticator
O.G.
May 3, 2007
17,339
11,312
I've bought and sold many handbags on eBay. I've been disappointed a few times, been hammered with two negative feedbacks by crazy people (2 negative out of 506 positive) and I've long felt that eBay's system of leaving/giving feedback has become unreal and not reliable. SO - I have generally went with my gut and the photos provided of an item before I bid. Yes, good feedback plays into my decisions, too. But it's just not a reliable way to judge something for sale. And communication? I can no longer depend on a seller to communicate. It's not reality to expect communication. I hold myself to the highest regard for leaving feedback - if somebody pays me within 24 hours, I always leave a 'fast payment, thank you' feedback. I don't wait for my buyers to leave it first. Why should I? I'm giving feedback on my portion of the transaction, and that's payment. ***I am still waiting for five recent purchasers to leave me feedback*** and it's been several weeks. I've not ever gotten feedback from probably 20 people in the last six years. Wha? eBay's feedback system is less than reliable. I know, I know, I'm repeating myself.

Having written that calmly and without rancor, I will now proceed to my rant directed to anybody who sells a handbag who doesn't have a clue (and you know who I'm writing about - all of you have had to deal with this at one time or the other, I'm sure!):

I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly you left positive feedback for me; a rarity today. However, your Coach description only covered the bare bones, lady. Yes, the "excellent condition" applied, but only to the freaking photos you provided of the outside. ONLY to the outside. The photos you provided were great - I didn't notice how carefully you arranged the bag to look "in excellent condition". Your feedback was OK, but - yeah, you did send a few breakable items out with bad packaging, and those items broke. You didn't play nice with THOSE customers. But this was a Coach handbag. It can't break. I made sure it was from a smoke-free home. It was - but it wasn't from a slovenly crappy can't-keep-your-makeup-on-your-face-and-out-of-your-handbag home. But you're right, I didn't think to ask that. So the Coach bag I received reeked of makeup, had been coated within an inch of its life with some kind of crappy conditioner (and what appears to be black shoe wax-based polish!), and I've just spent the last three hours cleaning it. I don't think I'll ever get the smell out, but maybe it will fade in time. What in the heck did you use to prepare it for sale? Silicone acid wash or something? And is there a REASON you took two weeks to ship this, when I see you've shipped your other items out (you've received positive feedback for items bought/sold since my purchase)? This Coach handbag deserved so much more than you provided for it, and ... and ... if you're going to sell handbags on eBay, learn what in the heck you're doing before you try to make a handbag look new again. Jerk. I have hopefully brought this Coach back to life, but it's going to be a close call. And no, I don't want to send it back to you, you animal. It doesn't deserve you.:cursing:

The feedback I actually left for this person: You didn't mention filthy interior. Reeks of old makeup. Very slow shipping.
 
Wow... The letter is very rude. I can understand the anger but I would've just sent a letter stating that the interior of the bag was not as stated in the auction and you would like to see if there's something that can be done to fix the damages. Maybe like a partial refund or whatever.
 
Wow... The letter is very rude. I can understand the anger but I would've just sent a letter stating that the interior of the bag was not as stated in the auction and you would like to see if there's something that can be done to fix the damages. Maybe like a partial refund or whatever.

I didn't send what I wrote here to anybody in particular. It was a general rant focusing on this poor Coach's condition and sellers in general who sell filthy handbags. I feel comfortable here in getting some of the bad feeling out; I am sorry to have you think I am rude. The condition of the bag had to have been known by the seller; the condition of the bag was very rude. But I appreciate your thoughts. If that's the consensus, then I know to keep my rants to private e-mail to friends, and please forgive me ...:nogood:
 
I don't think Indiaink sent that letter out, that's just her rant, and it is a very good rant. It's what we always want to say, but never actually get to :sad: But I do agree with asking for a partial refund.
 
India - the part about shoe polish - hence my buying id and posting id.

This past week I got a bag in which it looked like the buckle had been slammed in a door. No mention of that in the listing. Got a fake briefcase too (got my $$$ back & all that).

Just a crappy week on ebay for me.
 
Thanks, Titania, and Noshoepolish (I love your ID - I'll look for you on eBay). It was just a rant, a way to get it out, and yes, I do understand 'crappy weeks on eBay'. And then it passes and you find another good seller, of which there are many.

And this has caused me to think about my reaction - I had this very style of Coach in years past and sold it and then realized it was my favorite of all time. So I found the style on eBay and 'bought it back'. I'm sure there was (is) sadness there that we can't ever go back - and that this Coach was not MY Coach. And that I'd never sell something in such condition. But - I have tried to make it MY Coach, and it will never go away again. And I left appropriate feedback - hopefully it will make her (or him!) think twice before she/he lists a less-than-clean item again.

I cannot think that everybody is like me. So - as I read in another thread - 'this person cannot rent space in my head'. And - 'let it go'.

Thanks for letting me rant.
 
Boy do I relate to your rant. I very recently received a bag that was full of my number one pet peeve - Pen marks! Undisclosed pen marks at that. :cursing: The pics looked great, the shots of the interior were pretty good but in retrospect it's obvious to me now that they were quite artful in not showing the damage.

Who does this?? I mean, really - as if the buyer isn't going to notice them? I disclose everything I can possibly think of in my own listings because I myself don't like surprises and, more importantly, it's the right thing to do.

I suppose I'm just going to either not bid on anything with less than adequate pics of bag interiors or request additional pics and ask if any pen marks.

Hope you can bring that Coach around. Sounds like you're already well on the way to restoring it.
 
I empathize with your pain. Been there and I wished I could have written in feedback what you ranted about. Sorry that happened. I hope you have a better experience next time.!
 
Along the shoe polish lines. I ask "has this bag been dyed or shoe polished?" or something along that line. I love it when they say no and then you get the item and see a deep gouge in the front of it covered up with that "M" polish or one of the other dyes.
 
Great rant! I can see your point of view - you simply wanted something that you once had and cherished... and received a mistreated Coach. What you really should do is make sure that you report it to eBay, they now keep a file on items not as described, if a seller gets too many complaints over an indefinate period then their selling privelages are withdrawn or restricted. It's a shame that honesty isn't as prevalent on eBay as we would like it to be
 
Indiaink, I actually loved your rant: it was not rude, it was artful. I even laughed in some points. The real rudeness was to treat a bag in the way it was treated. Your hypothetic mail is not only angry but also very ironic. And the seller would deserve every word of it!!
 
I think this is exactly the place where we know what it is like to feel furious whilst trying to retain some semblance of professionalism in communicating during transactions, so I think your rant is absolutely in the right place! And I was nodding in various place . . .with wry recognition and revived feelings of fury!