when you should follow your gut...

Tabbykitty · Post by **Tabbykitty** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:51 pm

well, all my auctions this last round went smoothly, except for 1-

a 1 feedback person who has changed their id 3 times in the last year bid and won one of my cels. I was willing to give them a chance-sent them the invoice (it was international and I state in my auctions that I only ship via ems). Well, now it is 6 days since the auction ended, and I hadn't heard-I figured this would be another deadbeat. However, I finally got a message tonight, asking me to correct the invoice with airmail shipping and then they would pay.

I am not sure how more clearly I can state it that I only ship internationally via ems-I know a lot of people will do it differently, but the problems I have had shipping without it have made me very determined to stick with this one method. I emailed them to that effect-either pay the invoice as sent, or choose not to.

I am interested in how other people out there would handle this-ebay seems to be becoming more rife with problems, and people who either don't read the auction descriptions, or just ignore them completely. And don't get me started on the xmas auction I won on ebay where the seller neglected to mention he was going on vacation for two weeks *grumble*

Nene · Post by **Nene** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:02 pm

If you clearly stated on the auction you'd only send by EMS, then I wouldn't budge on that. They agreed to the terms when they bid. I'd send them a polite email stating that as per your auction terms, you will only send the cel by EMS. If they refuse and/or don't pay after a certain amount of time (I'd perhaps give them another week personally) then file a NPB alert.

Hope it works out ok for you. ^_^

Sugarflower · Post by **Sugarflower** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:37 pm

I would do exactly as Nene says. If you stated in your auction that shipping was EMS then this bidder needs to abide by your terms. Don't back down or be lenient on bidders like this. I have way to many times in the past and always got burned. I know I'm a meanie but deadbeat bidders made me what I am nowadays, lol.

graymouser · Post by **graymouser** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:21 am

I don't have much to add except that I agree with what everyone has already stated. If the buyer wanted a shipping arrangement other than what you listed in the auction, it was their responsibility to ask you beforehand. They have no business trying to change the terms of the auction after the fact.

monkeyboy · Post by **monkeyboy** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 9:48 am

I also agree with the above posts. You wrote what terms you will conduct the auction by. If they had an issue with the shipping they should have emailed you BEFORE the auction ended and asked if it could be shipped via air-mail.
The ball was in their court, so to speak.

Sorry this has happened.

DBZ Cel Maniac · Post by **DBZ Cel Maniac** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 1:24 pm

************

Tabbykitty · Post by **Tabbykitty** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:19 pm

Thanks everyone for your advice! I'm glad to know I wasn't being a hard-ass or a nasty seller by sticking to my guns.

I got a message via ebay today from the buyer, after I filed for the non-paying bidder form of course-claiming I never responded to them when they asked me to change the invoice, and basically claiming I am trying to rip people off by overcharging for shipping when it should only be $10.

So I chose to close the dispute-by picking the nice option of not wanting to deal with the buyer anymore-and then I blocked their id (although how much good that will do I don't know, but it's a start).

Caroline · Post by **Caroline** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:40 pm

ahhh yeah, you definitely did the right thing Tabby. i hope it doesn't happen again. (/_\)

aernath · Post by **aernath** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:20 pm

Ouch! I'm sorry that happened to you!

Sounds like you handled it well.

I am one happy customer! I love my new Chi and Hideki douga!

THANKS!!!

Tabbykitty · Post by **Tabbykitty** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 7:56 am

Glad to hear it Aernath

They look great in your gallery-the photoshop putting them together turned out really well

DevoVamp · Post by **DevoVamp** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:21 pm

It's amazing how snitty people can get when it comes to shipping! I've sold used books on ebay for some time now, but Canada Post now has a rule that anything over 1kg in weight MUST go as an expediated surface mail.

So, I always have in my auctions very clearly that shipping charges are set by Canada Post and not by me, and are dependent upon weight and destination. So, because it's heavy, a hard cover book can cost $15 or more to ship! I've had people refuse to go through with the auctions because of it.

One woman who bought a book complained to ebay saying that she shouldn't have to pay $15 shipping for a book that only sold for $0.99!!

I explained many, many times to her that I had no control over the shipping charge, and that Canada Post won't let the thing be shipped by an cheaper method, I even kept pointing out that that information was clearly stated in the auction. So, after she's been a pain in the *** for a month, she finally pays me, I ship the book and ask to be emailed by C. Post when it's delivered. Well, she finally says that the envleope got there, but the book had come out!!

Frankly, I bought the envelope from Staples, so I figured the glue should be good (it was new) but I usually put a bit of packing tape on the flap just to be sure. Since she was such a pain, I didn't bother. I think she lied to see if I'd refund the shipping charge, which I didn't. Even if I had believed her, I'd only have refunded the price of the book.

Frankly, it's put me off selling on ebay for a while, but I think I'm going to relist stuff, and charge a flat shipping fee of $20 for anywhere in the US.

kira · Post by **kira** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:33 pm

i think i almost had this happen. not the shipping part that you had to go through tabby. just where i ship in general.

i put in the auction that i only ship in the us. only becuase i'm leery of when it might leave the us(what happens to the package) and because i've never really done it before. well i was lucky that a us resident won the auction when it closed. i was just curious though and looked back at the bid history since there were 3 bids. first two bids were the same person but from outside of the us. just had to shake my head at that. obviously they didnt read where the auction ships to.

i get the feeling something bad would have happened if that person had won.

true, not along the same lines as tabby's but i know that would have been a mess.