Not my jolly self today, for which I can only apologise, I'm actually in need of your help...
A few weeks back I sold my 1956 Rudge bicycle, in used condition. Everything worked, the gears, brakes etc.
The buyer then emailed me to say it was damaged:
The forks are bent - No they're not, vintage bikes have forks which can appear bent, this is the style of them.
The handlebar stem is bent - No again, no more than you'd expect in a vintage bike.
The gear cable was creased and it wouldn't change gear, so he's thrown away the cable - Well, he can't even work out how to get the front wheel in, so wouldn't be able to ride it to see that the gears work!
The bolts for the front mudguard are missing - No, one set are attached to the mudguard, and the other set attached to the front forks.
He's sent quite a few unkind emails, trying to make out I don't have a clue and asking me for half of his money back for his time and effort!
I obtained advice to email him back reguarding his concerns, from a qualified bicycle mechanic - The seller thinks I'm making this up!
Then, to make my day worse, leaves me negative feedback! Now I have 99%, and I've always been proud of my 100% positive feedback.
I, as a seller, cannot leave negative feedback and I'm pretty sick of him. He doesn't understand vintage bikes, or the fact that I'm not at my computer 24/7 to answer his emails.
eBay are less than helpful for me as a seller by suggesting I should refund him, depite the fact that he's already started throwing parts away!
What do I do my dear readers? I know this isn't the worst thing in the world, but it is upsetting, and I hate people who email me in such a rude manor.
Advice?
Jennie xx
Ive heard a few tales recently of people buying things on ebay, asking for half refund for problems and then the item being sold again on ebay for more than they bought it for, its crap that buyers on ebay now seem to have all the backing and sellers seem to be screwed over regarding the feedback system and the buyers requesting refunds for everything. The buyer cant expect a refund if they have not returned the item and to do this they would have to open a dispute and then send the item back within 3 days i think (dont hold me to that). Looks like your buyer just wanting a better deal and if hasnt offered to return the bike with all its parts then doesnt look vert legit at all. There isnt anything you can do about the feedback unless it is abusive or personal in which you can request ebay to remove it but apart from that you can sent the buyer a feedback amendment request. I know the 100 feedback is a great thing (i luckly still got mine but not for the troubles of a few pain in the bums!) but i, sure other buyers will not taken this one comment against you and i think after a year of no negs then your score goes back to 100% (again dont hold me to that but it was what i heard). Sorry for mamouth comment but stuff like this really annoys me too so I know how you feeling :O) Scarlett x
ReplyDeleteOh hun. People are idiots. If you actually met him - he is probably a 4 ft nothing who would not usually say boo to a goose. The power of hiding behind email is a... well.. powerful thing.
ReplyDeleteDo not refund him. Not at all. So he has left you negative feedback - meh. I know you are proud of your 100% though - so isnt there a thing you can do as a seller to leave feedback under his? I have seen this on ebay when I have checked out seller ratings - and if someone has left negative feedback - then there is usually always a chance for the seller to reply? As a seller you should be able to leave feedback of some kind.
Do not fret about it. eBay is very good at protecting the buyer - so that is why they probably pushed for you to refund him - to keep him happy. But - as you say - he has thrown bits away (??!!??!!??!!) so that, to me, voids any claim from him for a refund - as it is no longer in a saleable condition.
Bah Ebay & negative feedback been there done that. You can ask for the feedback to be removed if you can prove it has been left unfairly, but as the buyer sounds a right dick you may have problems with that. Ebay are so bloody unhelpful towards sellers these days, I hate it, and unscrupulous buyers like yours take advantage of the fact. Your feedback will go back to 100% eventually mine has, and as Landgirl says you can leave a counter comment underneath theirs. It's just so upsetting isn't it.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing battle at the moment with a buyer who says their item never arrived. They have only gone and changed their address on Ebay between me posting it and now, Ebay have been no help whatsoever and are just ignoring the fact the address has changed. I often wonder why I bother!
What??? He threw bits away? Without asking to return it first? That sounds a bit shady to me :/
ReplyDeleteBlergghhh, I hate these rotten apples who spoil the barrel for everyone. I don't sell much on Ebay anymore, in part because I believe that buyers have quite a lot more ability to get their money back from a seller, even if they are making bogus claims (and if they paid through Paypal, they have ways of putting in a case against you...they can even have their credit card company refuse the transaction). Still, Etsy isn't much better sometimes. I had an Etsy buyer who bought a dress that was too small for her, she tried it on, popped some seams and even caused some of the beautiful linen fabric to separate. Then she had the audacity to demand a full refund, claiming I had sent the dress to her in THAT condition. Luckily, I had taken tons of photos of the dress to disprove her claims. I still had to deal with a lot of back and forthing & bullying from her, though. In the end, on this one occasion, I had her mail the item back to me at her cost (using a trackable insured method of shipment) and told her I would consider giving her a refund after I had the item back and determined it was in the same condition I had sent it out as. Then I gave a refund and resold the item in a flash (as only minor mends ended up being needed--she had inflated her claims that the dress was in abyssmal condition, probably because she wore the dress once, didn't want it any more, but knew she couldn't get a refund any other way). I've since made my policies iron-clad: NO REFUNDS, NO EXCHANGES, NO in-shop credit. Items sold AS IS. This helps protect you as a buyer in the future. Don't know if that helps? Good luck with this!
ReplyDeletePS: If he's telling you that he threw parts of the bike away, you could come back and state that it is unreasonable to expect a refund on an item that he has altered after purchase. For example: if a person buys a roast chicken at the store and then decides they don't want the skin on the chicken and take it off and then bring the chicken back for a full or partial refund, I am highly doubtful that the store would give a refund. Why should it be any different here? The guy altered the original item and since he can't give you the parts back, he can't get a refund!
I agree with everything already said. He's shady and there is something fishy going on. If I received something that was not what I expected I would return said item (with all the bits attached) and request a refund not start willy nilly throwing bits away. Stand firm girl and 99% is nothing scoff at...as I buyer I wouldn't hold it against you.
ReplyDeleteYou always got to be careful when dealing with eBay...
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like he just wanted some of his money back. What a dick. I would contact e bay and let them know that you were being reasonable but he has been rude - have you got the e mails still? Also that you could not refund it as he has thrown bits away, therefore the fb is unfair as you couldn't redress it properly. It's worth a shot.
ReplyDeleteI had a really bad exchange with someone on Ebay a few years ago - I don't even want to go into detail about it - except to say that it got really vindictive and personal and I was hugely upset. I know how you feel - to get abuse from perfect strangers is horrible - especially when you've done nothing wrong!
ReplyDeleteHe sounds very dodgy indeed. I agree with LandGirl. Don't refund him. He can't have one if he's thrown bits away! I know neg feedback is a downer, but you can counter it with a reply on the seller response. People will see how good your feedback has been prior to this and know he's a dick!
ReplyDeleteI also know that loosing 100% is a pain in the bum I lost mine when some stupid woman complained that there was an age mark on the vintage fabric I said had age marks on it! No communication or anything. I did a seller reply and sent her a robust email to which she apologised!
I never offer refunds especially for vintage where I have listed flaws that vintage stuff often has.
Good luck and don't forget to block him as a buyer so he can't come back again!
xx
am sure the guy is running around on it laughing to himself some people will try anything and any way most people would have bought it in used condition to do it up would they not?
ReplyDeleteI know just how you feel i sold 2 of my record players on ebay and both times had problems. The scond time it was 3 months after i had sold it and he was sayings very similar to you, i emailed him back once and then because it had gone over the time i ignored him. the first time i ended up giving them £20 back but they still left me negative feed back and it really upset me to. I had listed what was wrong etc. And since then i have not sold anything on there and wont again. You need to stick to your guns and not let him bully you,and dont let it upset you he doesnt even know you as a person if it wasnt you it would be some one else. Big hugs and good luck, dee x
ReplyDeleteebay is a nasty place, don't sell there any more. My last transaction went like this
ReplyDeleteauction finished Thursday
paid Friday night
Canadian POs are not open on the w/e
Monday morning buyer had requested pay pal money back (which they got) as 'it had been 4 days and they still had not received item'.
Some 'buyers' are quite professional about this type of scam.
Oh that's awful. I would keep an eye on the items this ebayer sells to see if he sells the bike for an inflated price.
ReplyDeleteSome ebayers are just out to scam people.
So sorry you had such a horrible experience.