ebay buyers

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just bob
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ebay buyers

Post by just bob »

A lot of space on web sites like this is devoted to the subject of Ebay sellers. Those ruthless, greedy, cut throat, bastards that intend to dislodge every single dollar that they can from innocent buyers by hook or crook, but how about those Ebay buyers, why is it that they are never mentioned? I was just going through my Ebay seller’s dashboard just now and thought I would show the other side of the coin and try and relate what an Ebay seller must deal with. This is a blend of fact and humor.
All of the items I sell on Ebay are sold with an unconditional, 14 day, no hassle return policy. I have about 2500 positive feedbacks and am considered a power seller.
Out of over 500 transactions this year I have 2 low marks on items being as described. One of those came from a buyer that bought 2 old Schrade knives that were listed as complete, but in poor condition, with heavy blade wear, poor snap to the blades, and plainly stating that the knives might have more value for parts. The pair of knives brought less than $20 including the shipping involved. Upon receiving them the buyer informed me that he was very unhappy with the purchase because the knives had scratches on the bottom of the backsprings not mentioned in the description. I try to live right, that is how I was raised and what I believe. I will always take the high ground in a dispute like this. I told the buyer he could return them for any reason and I would even pay the return shipping. He responded he would like to keep them he just didn’t approve of my listing practices and I should include more pictures and give better descriptions in the future because condition was important to Ebay buyers. I will make a note in the future when I list part knives I will spend half a day taking and editing photos and then write paragraphs about each knife in the listing; that way when they sell for $5 each the buyer will know for sure what he’s getting – or maybe not.
Then there was the case of the hubby buying a knife without the consent of the Mrs. It was a new, in the box Case 3 blade stockman knife. It brought $40 - $45 or in that general area. Apparently the man bought the knife while the wife was away and when she returned she wanted to know where it came from and how much he had paid for it. I suppose at that point there was an immediate mental calculation made and also a determination made of how that money might be applied to her next shopping spree. As if to intimidate me she told me that while he had bought the knife but she was going to be handling the return and wanted to know the procedure. She had looked at it with a magnifying glass and found there were small cracks in the bone handles that could not be seen with the naked eye. I told her that this was a very common problem with new Case knives and once she returned it I could send it back to the factory and get a replacement free of charge. Again I took the high ground and told her she could return the knife for any reason and as the item was not as described if she clicked around she could print a return postage label and I would have to pay for the return shipping as well. This seemed to make her very, very happy. She returned the knife and left me glowing feedback. The transaction cost me $1.81 for the return postage, but that was a bargain and both parties lived to shop another day. However, I suspect the hubby remains in the dog house.







Upon getting the knife back I immediately relisted it in Ebay and it sold for about the same amount the second time around. Apparently the buyer is as happy with it as an ice cube in an igloo because he left good feedback and I haven’t heard anything from him.
Finally my most recent experience was with a buyer I’ll call Mr. Knifeman. I’m thinking Mr. Knifeman is an elderly southern gentleman new to Ebay and computers, but with extensive experience in cutlery. I listed one of those Case Centennial, stag, lock back knives. Not an extremely rare or desirable item. The factory etch is still on the blade and the little knife has never been used or sharpened. I listed it as used because the bolsters had light scratches and had dulled. The knife brought $50 or right in that ballpark and Mr. Knifeman was its new owner – well for at least for a few days anyway. However upon receiving the knife Mr. Knifeman contacted me immediately. He had inspected the knife and found there was a piece of metal missing on the back of the blade. That’s right folks – I’m not kidding that is what the man said – a piece of metal is missing on the back of the blade. In order to add further support to his contention he had taken at least a dozen pictures of the knife showing me the missing metal and also accused me of staging photos and not showing the area with the missing piece of metal in my original auction listing. Even with the pictures I have no idea at all what the man is talking about. Silly me – I thought knife blades were made from a single piece of metal and didn’t know they could have missing parts. The pictures showed me nothing except the same knife I had just sold him. In spite of the fact that I had over 2500 positive feedbacks up to this point; now I was staging the photos in my auctions to conceal the missing pieces of metal from bidders and his pictures showed the real knife as it was. Am I evil or what? I hope the kids in my Sunday School Class don’t learn of my nefarious Ebay activity. My image will be forever tarnished.
Clearly Mr. Knifeman was preparing to go to war with me to get a refund. Again I will always take the high ground in these types of disputes and told Mr. Knifeman he could return the knife for any reason including buyer’s remorse – he didn’t need to take any more pictures or waste anymore of his time. I also plainly told him that if he clicked around some he could find a link and print a return postage label (like the unhappy homemaker did) and I would have to pay the return postage because the item was not as described.
It was maybe the next day when Mr. Knifeman got back with me. He had contacted Pay Pal – that’s right Pay Pal - and someone told him they didn’t know the procedure for printing a return postage label. Then he did the next best thing he knew to do. He consulted with his son and unfortunately for me the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree because his son is Mr. Knifeman Jr. and in charge of technical issues in the household and he also knows more about computers than Bill Gates and more about Ebay than Pierre Omidyar, its founder. Jr. informs pops that there was no possible way to print a return shipping label. This was clearly a delaying tactic by the Obama supporting, Yankee seller trying to make him miss the deadline for returning the knife and pops takes this as gospel. The dynamic duo were far too savvy to fall for this ruse.
Bright and early the next morning he packages the knife as if it were an egg preparing to survive a nuclear holocaust and promptly takes it to the UPS Store – yep, the place with the big brown trucks that cost a lot of money. Once there he purchases priority shipping with tracking. I suspect this cost him $10 or more.
A few days later sure enough the knife makes it back to Indiana. I open it at once and you know what? I still don’t see the missing piece of metal……. Maybe it’s just me? However within minutes of receiving the knife back I am on the computer. I want to get Mr. Knifeman a refund right out and I want him to be happy. I go to Ebay, find the transaction, and click the little tab that says issue a refund. I do not calculate what I owe Mr. Knifeman. I click the tab and assume the calculation is done automatically and just like on Duck Dynasty everybody is happy, happy, happy.
Well everybody that is except Mr. Knifeman he is still not a happy camper. Now, not only am I a miscreant, ebay selling, photo fixing, spawn of Satan trying to cheat him out of his hard earned money. I am also a bold face liar. I told him I would pay the return postage and he wants to know why the amount he paid UPS wasn’t included in his refund. At this point I’d like to scream but fear Mr. Knifeman might retain Ken Nunn or another Jerry Springer show sponsoring attorney and seek punitive damages from me, so I’d like to get this resolved. I start to write and explain to him that if he had printed the return postage label $1.81 would have been added to his refund for the return postage, but then I remember that Jr. had told pops it wasn’t possible to print a return postage label so I know my effort would be futile. I think the next best thing to do is to suggest that he open a claim against me with Ebay for the return shipping. Let him submit the information he has, let Ebay read the correspondence that has taken place between us and let them decide who owes who what. I will abide by their decision. I honestly think he tried to do that and Ebay told him to take a hike because he had already been issued a 100% refund and the matter was over with, but perhaps Jr. advised pops that filing a claim would require proper of spelling of words with more than 5 letters and that scared them both away from the process. In any event I also thought the matter was over with and it was except for the subject of feedback. Despite by best efforts to appease Mr. Knifeman and resolve things to his satisfaction; this is a direct quote from the feedback he left for me including the spelling as it is – “Had to esclate to ebay to get a refund.” Mr. Knifeman is a man with a lot of knowledge in a lot of areas but no single area is more superior than his ability to esclate. In fact he can esclate with the best of them. I’ll bet if you met and spoke with Mr. Knifeman yet today he could tell you the story of the no-good scalawag that tried to rip him off on Ebay. What is a person to do?
Life goes on and I’ll spend the summer gathering items to list on ebay in the fall. It is a good activity for me and I my experiences are mostly positive. I have taken the knife to the local knife club meetings and shown it to collectors in the area. No one has been able to see anything wrong with the knife or explain where the missing piece of metal should go. If I send items back to Case for repair I may include it and ask them to inspect it for me. If they send me a note back with it I’ll forward it to Mr. Knifeman so he can retain it for future references and impending litigation.
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” (Paulo Coelho)

Men make plans and God laughs

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.
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Shearer
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by Shearer »

just bob.
If you have a small shop you would have the same problem with the same people. :x
I managed a hire ( rental ) company a few years back.One person would hire a piece of equipment and it was the best they used the next would hire it and it was a piece of crap. :roll:
It's that some people thing they know everything but know nothing.
All you can do is keep trying and hope they stay away.
Grant
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knifetime
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by knifetime »

Wow,that's about all I can say. What a nut,missing a piece of metal off the blade.
-"...and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby If the iron be blunt,and he do not whet the edge,then must he put to more strength....Ecclesiastes 10 10 ;So the good book says
sharpen your knife !!!
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philco
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by philco »

I think it should be mandatory that everyone spend at least two years of their lives working with the public. It would totally change the way business is conducted because then everyone would realize that the world is chocked full of unadulterated idiots that have no clue what it would take to make them happy!
Phil
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btrwtr
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by btrwtr »

When I sell on eBay I offer an unconditional 14 return policy. I had one knife returned and although I don't ask for a reason for return the buyer told me he was returning the knife because he was unable to sell it to his prospective buyer for a profit. I would rather he hadn't told me.

Very recently a buyer complained that the steel in a new knife he purchased was inferior. He had tried and tried to sharpen it but could not get a good edge. His emails were very hostile in nature. When I asked him how he expected me to refund for a new knife he had admittedly sharpened and altered he began to explain the trouble he was having getting his mood medications regulated. Go figure.

Yes the world is full of crazies and the customer is always right.

Wayne
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

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orvet
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by orvet »

I thought raising four daughters was a lot of drama! :shock:

Selling on ebay is one drama I will gladly live without! ::nod::

You are a better man than I am Bob! :mrgreen:
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olderdogs1
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by olderdogs1 »

As an seller on eBay I have had some of the same things happen to me. I just try to stroke them and hope for the best. To me the worst ones are the ones that after you have cheerfully granted a full refund try to censor your relisting to comply with their idea of what you should say in your listing. I had someone send a knife back once because it had too much snap.
I will be fair and say I have had a few returned where I just missed something in the description that I should have caught. I try to describe hem right but sometimes do miss something. I am always glad to do a refund or even adjust the price if this happens. By and large I have very few problems.

Tom
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by dweb1897 »

A note to just bob,
I worked as an Electrician for well over 30 years, 12 of that in the Navy. You have no idea how many electrical problems I have encountered because someone tried to fix it with a hammer first. ::facepalm::
I guess I came from a different school...If it don't fit natural, force it!
I have a hard time trusting someone who doesn't like dogs...but if my dog doesn't like someone, I'll trust that.
Acorn, a better friend than I deserved, gone but never forgotten...run fast and free 11-5-2018 I'll see you soon
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big monk
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by big monk »

Here's an e-bay story,that happened to me**

I had picked up a "Leatherman Tool" in a box of knives, bought at an auction, maybe had $5 in the tool* ( I had never owned one of the tools ) --- the tool seemed to be "as new" but needed cleaning -- cleaned it up good, listed on the e-bay, as "looks to be like new ?? " --- it sold for about $18 with free shipping --- buyer received, and immediately let me know it was ""NOT NEW!!!!!!", and I had misrepresented the tool -- said he had bought it for his father and was very dissapointed !!!!! --- I issued a full refund,apologized,and told him to just keep the tool ( not to bother returning it ) and again apologized for his trouble ------ somewhere down the road, ( maybe 4/5 months later ??) this buyer contacted me and said he had given it to his dad anyway, dad had bragged about how much use he was getting out of the tool --- he now, wanted to send me "full" payment for the Leatherman,if my pay-pal address was still the same*** ( he even added $3 XXtra to cover fees !!!!!) ---- as Phil said ___ everyone should have to spend some time,dealing with ""Mr.Public"" --- you just never know,what goes on in some folks mind ( quote from someone "" the mind is a terrible thing to waste "" ) ::shrug::
I'm not young enough,____to know everything !!!!!!!!!!!!

MONK****
gino
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by gino »

FLEABAY ::BARF:: I quit selling on fleabay several years ago not only because of a growing percentage of morons using the site but the steadily increasing fees were becoming to much, not to mention the task of trying to rectify any issues with the non English speaking staff ::BARF::
-( life is too short to carry a cheap knife )-
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Cutty
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by Cutty »

gino wrote:FLEABAY ::BARF:: I quit selling on fleabay several years ago not only because of a growing percentage of morons using the site but the steadily increasing fees were becoming to much, not to mention the task of trying to rectify any issues with the non English speaking staff ::BARF::
My story as well^^^^^^

I do still buy from the bay though ::smirk::
I dig half stops!!



"GOTTA DO WHATCHA GOTTA DO, SO THAT YOU GET TO DO, WHATCHA WANNA DO"
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by SteelMyHeart85420 »

Where are you all selling knives, then? Here? I will likely sell some of mine soon, and hated ebays 10% fees...
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bestgear
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by bestgear »

I agree with Phil, working directly with the public and learning how to resolve conflicts and negotiate is a life-skill that won't let you down. I used to be more of a seller on eBay when I had my fishing lure manufacturing business but the fees and the customer service got to be out of control for the small margins that I was making. Now I only buy from eBay and my son is helping my wife and I thin-the-herd by selling whatever we aren't taking into retirement; he seems to have much more resiliency as an eBay seller.

One small observation that I've made as a 16-year eBayer is that less is more - by using less words and more pictures the buyer can decide for themselves what they are seeing and whether or not to "take a chance". My son sticks to that policy and it seems to serve him well.

On the plus side, I know wouldn't have the knife collection I have without eBay so I'm thankful for the work of Pierre Omidyar and his vision.
Tom
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roofsc
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by roofsc »

just bob,

a classic case of "ESO"… equipment superior to operator. I have a friend that is an IT guy for a company. I stopped by to see him one day his shop. It had many computers that were tagged " PIC-NIC". When i asked as to the meaning i was told "Problem in chair-not in computer". In my daily adventures in dealing with the public with roof problems I have learned that the supply of crazies is endless.

Just today i had a customer refused to pay me for a roof repair, missing shingles and changing plumbing vent flashings $130.00 because i did not fix her bathroom fan???? I tried to explain several times that i was a ROOFING CONTRACTOR and i had quoted roofing repair. When I declined to give her a letter for real estate agents and closing attorneys for the sale of her house later in the day things turned ugly. I didn't get paid and i assume her house didn't close. I drove off into the sunset… Not pay for a service and demand letters and documentation????
" there is a collection in my accumulation ? "
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by junebug »

I REALIZE THIS IS AN OLD THREAD, BUT SHE'S BEEN RESURRECTED...... :mrgreen:


AMEN BROTHER.... ::pray:: ::tu:: ... HOW BOUT THEM "BUYERS" .... ::dang::

YA ALLLLLLLLLWAYS HEAR ABOUT THE SATANIC SELLER. :lol: .......
BUT HOW BOT THEM SCAMMERS, SCUM BAGS, AN UNEDUCATED IGNORANT SONS A "B ::censored:: 'S", THAT A SELLER HAS TO DEAL WITH WEEKLY ............... ::shrug::
"Because tellin' people , i like having a SPYDIEHOLE sounds sooo much better than a THUMBHOLE"
- Junebug 2016
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just bob
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by just bob »

My true story from last year is that I sold one of those Case 45 pattern camp knives from the 1980's for $18 - I think. It was rougher than a cob and I listed it that way with obvious wear and scratches. The guy that bought it emailed right away and said he was not happy and that he had found better knives laying along side the road. I told him to return the knife and he would be given a 100% refund including shipping both ways. He responded that he wanted to keep the knife but expected me to refund $10 to him because in his opinion the knife was only worth $8 and if I didn't do that he would leave me the feedback I richly deserved. I responded that I did not issue partial refunds and that his threat to use bad feedback for a lower purchase price was a violation of Ebay policy and that I was forwarding all of his emails concerning this purchase to Ebay for their investigation. It worked, never heard anymore from the guy and never got bad feedback. A few weeks later I was looking through the listings and this same seller had the knife relisted. Funny, he didn't describe it as something you might find laying on the side of the road, but rather a well made, quality knife that had seen better days. I think he ended up getting $25 or so for it. If I would have sent him the $10 he would have made out like a bandit and maybe that was his intention all along? So much trouble for so few dollars. 5% of the people cause 95% of the world's problem. I told my kids as they were growing up to try very hard not to become a part of the 5%.
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” (Paulo Coelho)

Men make plans and God laughs

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by junebug »

here is one i listed elsewhere but this GOOB BUYER story belongs here....lolol


I GET SOME REAL LOO-LOO'S.....LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
EMAIL EXCHANGE BETWEEN ME(SELLER) AND A EBAY BUYER.

HIM
Hi, I am looking at this picture (HE SENDS ME A PIC AND LINK OF MY OWN ITEM ON EBAY)

AND THIS LINK THAT DONT WORK FROM THE INTERNET:
http:/www.kcbd.com/story/10369871/how-to-perf ... verter-box

The remote looks different. Are you sure it will work on this converter? I need to perform a channel scan, and cannot do so without a remote.

ME
HELLO...
ALL I STATE IS IT IS "DIGITAL STREAM" BRAND... I DO NOT SAY WHAT IT WILL AND WONT WORK, I HAVE NO MODEL NUMBER LISTED, JUST BRAND...
ALSO YOUR LINK DOES NOT WORK....??????? DIFFERENT THAN WHAT? WHAT CONVERTER????
SORRY YOU LOST ME???????????? I AM SELLING A REMOTE ONLY I DO NOT KNOW WHAT MODELS IT WORKS FOR
THANKS!

HIM
Just checked my link, it works ... My concern is that the picture has a different shape remote.
All I want to ensure is that the remote will be compatible with my converter box. If I get the part number or model number off it (assuming it has one), will it work? I have this thing and I cannot do a "channel scan" without a remote.
Also, can you accept credit cards directly? I cannot do paypal. I can send you a money order as an alternative.
Thanks

ME
WELL I CHECKED IT TOO..AND IT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME...SOOOOOOOOOO YA WANNA THUMB WRASSLE OVER WHO IS RIGHT????
LOLOLOLOLOL

PICTURE OF WHAT IS DIFFERENT???? LOLOLOLOLOL

I CANT GO BY WHAT I DONT KNOW ABOUT..... MY PICTURE IS OF WHAT I HAVE. (NOTHIN MORE NOTHIN LESS)

HOW WOULD I KNOW IF IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR BOX??? THAT MAKES ZERO SENSE!!!!
AND LOLOLOLO, HOW WOULD I KNOW IT WILL WORK YOUR MODEL, WHEN YOU DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE OR WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO BUY????????? AGAIN MAKES ZERO SENSE TO ASK ME.......LAFFFFFFFFFIN SO HARD I FARTED

YOU ALREADY SAID YOU LOOKED SOMETHING UP ONLINE, AND MY ITEM IS DIFFERENT, SO AGAIN AND AGAIN,.....WHY ASK ME???
THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!!!!
CHANNEL SCAN ERRR NOT....... HOW WOULD I KNOW????
IF YOU NEED CHANNEL SCAN...LMAO SO HARD I CAN HARDLY TYPE THIS.....AND YOU KNOW MY REMOTE DOES NOT SHOW IT HAS ONE.....WHY WOULD YA WANT IT?????

NO...PAYPAL ONLY!!!
NO IOU, NO BUBBLE GUM WRAPPERS, NO CHECK, NO MONEY ORDER FROM THE PIGGLY WIGGLY.........
PAYPAL, AS STATED IN POST.....

COPY AND PASTING THIS TO "EBAY EMAILS THAT MAKE YA SAY WTH"

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA THANKS FOR THIS, I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING AT YOU , I NEEDED THAT............OH, AND SORRY BUT I GOTTA BLOCK YOU
AS I DONT HAVE TIME TO BABY SIT BUYER AND SELL ON EBAY AT THE SAME TIME.....HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA MAN "YOU" KILL ME!!!!



I GET IDIOTS LIKE THIS WEEKLY ::nod::
"Because tellin' people , i like having a SPYDIEHOLE sounds sooo much better than a THUMBHOLE"
- Junebug 2016
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carrmillus
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Re: ebay buyers

Post by carrmillus »

..........priceless!!!!........ ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu:: ..................
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