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Fellow eBay Sellers,
I recently experienced what can best be described as my first sour experience on eBay. I had purchased four articles of clothing for my wife for our anniversary. Even though the individual from whom the items were purchased had a high feedback score with a positive feedback rating of 99.3%, her unwillingness to work with the buyer to resolve a dispute has prompted me to write this guide and to share my views as to why it is so very important to treat your buyers with respect.
The four articles of clothing were listed individually. They were paid for with a credit card through my PayPal account. The seller had combined all four purchases into one shipment. A few days later, the items arrived in a Priority Mail Flat Rate box. After opening up the box and trying on the clothes, two of them, which were dresses, would not fit my wife. One was much smaller than the size stated on it’s tag, the other one which was listed as mid-calf was simply too short on my wife.
The seller has a return policy that states that returns must be made within three days. I immediately sent the seller an email. The reply that I received stated that unfortunately, her return policy is only valid if the item was not as listed. Nowhere however in her return policy nor anywhere else in the auction listings does it specifically make that statement. Her return policy was very vague at best. The seller simply refused to honor her return policy.
After several more email correspondences in which she tried to hide behind non existent eBay policies (since when does eBay have a policy of sellers not honoring their return policy?), it was quite apparent that she really didn’t care if she took care of a new customer or not. All she was concerned about was the sell, not the customer. So much for future repeat business.
This is one of her email replies that I received on Wednesday October 24, 2007
“unfornately, i only except refunds if I did not list them properly. That is the rule of ebay. I can not take back items that I listed the proper sizes and such for and I specify please feel free to ask questions before bidding. I myself have purchased several things on ebay that did not fit and I just have to put them back on and try to sell them. I am sorry, but I listed the items properly!!”
One of the items in question was listed as a size 26/28 and indeed, that is what it states on the label. However, it was nowhere near the size stated. I don’t know if it had been mislabeled by the manufacturer or had been shrunk by washing before we received it or what. All I know is that it was simply not the size stated, it was much, much smaller.
According to her email above, what question should we have considered asking. Perhaps something like “IS IT REALLY A SIZE 26/28 OR PERHAPS SOMETHING SMALLER?” Who would have asked such a ludicrous question? Without being able to try it on first, one can only assume that it was the size stated. This is the major drawback when buying clothes on eBay and is exactly why a return policy should always not only be offered, but followed through with as well.
I had thought about filing a dispute with PayPal or perhaps filing a charge back with my credit card. Unfortunately, I simply didn’t have the time to pursue either of these options.
As stated earlier, all four items were shipped in one Priority Mail Flat Rate package. Each of the four auctions had stated that shipping would have been $8.90 each, a total of $35.60 (4 x $8.90) if shipped separately. The seller charged us $22.60 for shipping. Yes, that is a savings of $13.00 for shipping for which I am thankful however, she paid only $8.90 for the Priority Mail flat rate box so, she had already made $13.70 ($22.60 - $8.90) profit on the transactions from the shipping alone.
If she had accepted the returns and refunded the purchase price ($24.76) for the two items in question, she would have only been out $3.00 to $4.00 in eBay listing fees, final value fees, and PayPal fees. Subtract this small amount from what she made from the shipping ($13.70) and she would have still made money from the sale. But to claim that she would have lost money on the sale if she had refunded the purchase price is just not an accurate statement.
What the seller doesn’’t seem to realize is that she has only hurt herself by refusing to honor her return policy and here’s why.
Firstly, even though the transaction was otherwise a good one, she will not be getting positive feedback for any of the four items that were purchased and risked getting negative feedback instead . The only reason I didn’t leave negative feedback for her was for fear of receiving retaliatory negative feedback in response.
Secondly, even though she has our money, she will never have any of our future business. My wife is definitely in dire need of new clothes and it is quite conceivable that over the next year, several hundred dollars or more will be spent on clothes. Some of which I’m sure will be spent on eBay. However, none of it will be going to her, but rather the other sellers from whom we purchased clothes around the same time. Sellers that knew how to treat their customers. All of which have since been added to our favorite sellers list.
Thirdly, because of her defiance in honoring her return policy, it has prompted me to write this guide on seller ethics. Now, anyone who is curious enough can find out more about her and her disrespect for her customers. Word of mouth advertising has always been important to any business. Unfortunately, word of mouth advertising can also be detrimental to a business as well.
There was absolutely no reason for her not to refund the purchase price other than the fact that she made a conscious choice to not take care of the customer.
Treat your customers with the respect they deserve. If not, they will simply go somewhere else. That is something you don’t want. There is nothing more valuable to a business than a satisfied customer. Nothing more harmful than a dissatisfied customer. Remember, if you don’t take the time to treat your customers with respect, they will quickly become someone else’s customers instead.
If anyone wants to know who this seller is or which auctions this guide refers to, please email me through eBay and I will be happy to not only provide you with the seller’s user ID, but also screen shots of the auctions in question which clearly show her vague return policy.
Thank you for your time.
whenitsgoneitsgone
I recently experienced what can best be described as my first sour experience on eBay. I had purchased four articles of clothing for my wife for our anniversary. Even though the individual from whom the items were purchased had a high feedback score with a positive feedback rating of 99.3%, her unwillingness to work with the buyer to resolve a dispute has prompted me to write this guide and to share my views as to why it is so very important to treat your buyers with respect.
The four articles of clothing were listed individually. They were paid for with a credit card through my PayPal account. The seller had combined all four purchases into one shipment. A few days later, the items arrived in a Priority Mail Flat Rate box. After opening up the box and trying on the clothes, two of them, which were dresses, would not fit my wife. One was much smaller than the size stated on it’s tag, the other one which was listed as mid-calf was simply too short on my wife.
The seller has a return policy that states that returns must be made within three days. I immediately sent the seller an email. The reply that I received stated that unfortunately, her return policy is only valid if the item was not as listed. Nowhere however in her return policy nor anywhere else in the auction listings does it specifically make that statement. Her return policy was very vague at best. The seller simply refused to honor her return policy.
After several more email correspondences in which she tried to hide behind non existent eBay policies (since when does eBay have a policy of sellers not honoring their return policy?), it was quite apparent that she really didn’t care if she took care of a new customer or not. All she was concerned about was the sell, not the customer. So much for future repeat business.
This is one of her email replies that I received on Wednesday October 24, 2007
“unfornately, i only except refunds if I did not list them properly. That is the rule of ebay. I can not take back items that I listed the proper sizes and such for and I specify please feel free to ask questions before bidding. I myself have purchased several things on ebay that did not fit and I just have to put them back on and try to sell them. I am sorry, but I listed the items properly!!”
One of the items in question was listed as a size 26/28 and indeed, that is what it states on the label. However, it was nowhere near the size stated. I don’t know if it had been mislabeled by the manufacturer or had been shrunk by washing before we received it or what. All I know is that it was simply not the size stated, it was much, much smaller.
According to her email above, what question should we have considered asking. Perhaps something like “IS IT REALLY A SIZE 26/28 OR PERHAPS SOMETHING SMALLER?” Who would have asked such a ludicrous question? Without being able to try it on first, one can only assume that it was the size stated. This is the major drawback when buying clothes on eBay and is exactly why a return policy should always not only be offered, but followed through with as well.
I had thought about filing a dispute with PayPal or perhaps filing a charge back with my credit card. Unfortunately, I simply didn’t have the time to pursue either of these options.
As stated earlier, all four items were shipped in one Priority Mail Flat Rate package. Each of the four auctions had stated that shipping would have been $8.90 each, a total of $35.60 (4 x $8.90) if shipped separately. The seller charged us $22.60 for shipping. Yes, that is a savings of $13.00 for shipping for which I am thankful however, she paid only $8.90 for the Priority Mail flat rate box so, she had already made $13.70 ($22.60 - $8.90) profit on the transactions from the shipping alone.
If she had accepted the returns and refunded the purchase price ($24.76) for the two items in question, she would have only been out $3.00 to $4.00 in eBay listing fees, final value fees, and PayPal fees. Subtract this small amount from what she made from the shipping ($13.70) and she would have still made money from the sale. But to claim that she would have lost money on the sale if she had refunded the purchase price is just not an accurate statement.
What the seller doesn’’t seem to realize is that she has only hurt herself by refusing to honor her return policy and here’s why.
Firstly, even though the transaction was otherwise a good one, she will not be getting positive feedback for any of the four items that were purchased and risked getting negative feedback instead . The only reason I didn’t leave negative feedback for her was for fear of receiving retaliatory negative feedback in response.
Secondly, even though she has our money, she will never have any of our future business. My wife is definitely in dire need of new clothes and it is quite conceivable that over the next year, several hundred dollars or more will be spent on clothes. Some of which I’m sure will be spent on eBay. However, none of it will be going to her, but rather the other sellers from whom we purchased clothes around the same time. Sellers that knew how to treat their customers. All of which have since been added to our favorite sellers list.
Thirdly, because of her defiance in honoring her return policy, it has prompted me to write this guide on seller ethics. Now, anyone who is curious enough can find out more about her and her disrespect for her customers. Word of mouth advertising has always been important to any business. Unfortunately, word of mouth advertising can also be detrimental to a business as well.
There was absolutely no reason for her not to refund the purchase price other than the fact that she made a conscious choice to not take care of the customer.
What sellers need to realize is that eBay is a business. And in any business, the customer IS the bottom line. Customers are the ONLY reason any business even exists. Unfortunately, the greater majority of businesses today seem to forget that simple fact and seem to think that the customer is there only to serve them. They have it backwards.
Remember the two most important rules in any successful business.- Rule # 1: THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT
- Rule # 2: EVEN WHEN THE CUSTOMER IS WRONG, REFER TO RULE # 1
Treat your customers with the respect they deserve. If not, they will simply go somewhere else. That is something you don’t want. There is nothing more valuable to a business than a satisfied customer. Nothing more harmful than a dissatisfied customer. Remember, if you don’t take the time to treat your customers with respect, they will quickly become someone else’s customers instead.
If anyone wants to know who this seller is or which auctions this guide refers to, please email me through eBay and I will be happy to not only provide you with the seller’s user ID, but also screen shots of the auctions in question which clearly show her vague return policy.
Thank you for your time.
whenitsgoneitsgone
Guide created: 12/30/07 (updated 01/07/08)
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