Cyan
03-27-2006, 01:53 AM
So. This is probably the craziest thing I've had to deal with yet.
I operate a table at the local flea market on the weekends, which also allows me to offer local pickups for eBay items. This works out really well in most cases, as I get paid in cash and I waive *all* shipping fees for a local pickup. In fact, my terms for all local pickups are as follows:
I waive all shipping fees when allowing a local pickup, and use eBay's currency conversion values when determining the final Canadian sale price and round up to the nearest dollar.
I round up to the nearest dollar to make things nice and even for everyone so that I'm not finding pennies on an item that ended at $5.37 or whatever. Most sellers charge a "pickup fee", or a portion of the shipping fee, but I don't. I only round up.
So. A lady bids on a (loose, out of the box) Leapster educational handheld system and ends up bidding above the average closing price. In addition, she bids on a few Leapster games I had up for auction and ends up winning.
One of the auctions she won, in particular, is a blue Batman cartridge. Blue cartridges were manufactured for the older Leapster units, but still work on the newer "L-MAX" units (which take both grey and blue cartridges.) Because of this, I always put "L-MAX" in the item title, even if it's a game manufactured for the older system.
I just *knew* there was going to be a problem when she emailed me after the auction ended and demanded that I meet her for local pickup at a specific time and place. She also demanded that I round *down* to $145 (from $147.) Unfortunately, I don't do that and only allow pickup at the flea market. I figure the 15 hours I'm there over the weekend is more than a big enough window for someone to stop by and pick up their item. I explained this to her, and she sent her brother down to pick the item up. He paid in cash and wasn't a problem.
After coming home from the market on Saturday, I had this wonderful email waiting for me. It looks like she's a little choked that she paid too much, and even acknowledges it:
My brother went and picked up the Leapster L-MAX and I just discovered that the Batman cartridge is NOT for the L-MAX. It is designed for the original Leapster. It does work with the L-MAX but is not originally designed for it. So, it should not have been listed as a L-MAX cartridge.
Given that I've just discovered in looking over a list of past completed eBay auctions, that I've paid much more than is average for both the unit and the cartridges, you could have worked out a more mutually satisfactory pricing but declined to do so for items that were not even new.
In my view, you have conducted this transaction with only your convenience and expedience in mind. I saved you the trouble of having to package and ship the items. I saved you the Paypal fees by paying in cash. Still, you asked for more than even what the exchange rate on eBay indicated at the end of the auction last Saturday. The fact that you refused my offer of $145.00 CAD (a discount of only $1.40, much less than the $5.00 Paypal fees I saved you) as a token of mutual concession for a satisfying transaction only confirms this. In conclusion you were able to wring a great deal for yourself...only. Funny thing, my brother actually saved more money negotiating over a couple of flashlights that don't require batteries that cost $18.00 (originally $24.00) then I did with you. I actually paid you MORE than what eBay told me I owed you.
My brother thought I was scammed in a way. He gave me the heads up on the average closing price of my item on eBay and usually what kind of a deal the seller works out with a winner when the customer has won the auctions by such above average high bids. He knows because he has more than ten years of eBay experience. When I heard that it made my blood boil. Now I realize that I should have asked him to find the units on eBay for me. I thought I had done well, but only just realized that I had bid and paid too much.
I will be returning the Batman cartridge for a full refund next Saturday as I have a full day tomorrow and this afternoon. As I paid in cash in total more than even what was indicated by the eBay exchange rate for my winnings on the day of the end of the auctions, although only by sixty cents, I expect a full refund to the very last penny plus the price of admission to flea market. Just consider yourself lucky I'm not charging you for the wasted time, energy, and fuel of having to return the Batman cartridge. If you'd like to save on the cost of the price of admission, provide me with a number I can contact you at and you can meet me or my brother at the entrance when I return the cartridge for a full refund.
At this point, as you may be well aware, I am not a happy customer. In truth, with the items on sale at various discount stores, I've just realized that I didn't save much money at all. Trying to save some money, I only ended up paying more than I should have to someone who really has no idea or interest in customer satisfaction.
Needless to say no positive feedback will be forthcoming for this transaction.
Wow. I've never received an email from such an angry person, ever. She's making unreasonable demands based on a baseless argument. Mostly, it seems she's just upset that she realized she paid too much.
Since when did eBay sellers ever let a bidder pay less than the final auction amount? I'm not the one who clicked the "confirm bid" button for her. Allowing buyers to pay less than the stated amount (unless the item is damaged, not as stated, etc) would completely undermine the entire auction process. Since she's written off the posibility of receiving positive feedback, there's no point in even trying to appease her. There's not a single action I could do which would reform her into a "good customer." So, I go into "no-bullshit" mode and respond with this:
Rosie;
Thank you for your email. Please feel free to leave negative feedback. I will do so in kind. No refund will be forthcoming, as the auction details clearly stated everything you needed to know about the auction. In particular, the picture for the Batman cartridge clearly showed the blue cartridge. The "L-MAX" designation in the auction title was simply to inform people that the cartridge would work in the L-MAX unit. Thank you for your business, and it's unfortunate that things ended up this way. Once again, I must remind you that no refund of any type will be forthcoming.
Sincerely;
Randy E. Sommerfeld.
That just makes Rosie even more upset. She even plays the "race card." I can't believe it:
Are you saying that your advertising was accurate? I think I'll take this up with eBay and see what they have to say. The fact, that you are not even willing to admit your mistake in describing the product says volumes about how you conduct your business. I have yet to leave negative feedback on any transaction, maybe I'll change that. I didn't ask for a refund on everything, only on the Batman cartridge that was NOT described accurately. If you refuse that, then you are not only being irresponsible, you shouldn't be allowed to sell on eBay. Let me know how you decide.
I'm not adverse to taking this up with eBay if I have too. My brother has offered to help me take this up with Vancouver Flea Market as well and complain on my behalf about your very unprofessional behavior should you not change your mind.
Just in case you are thinking of me as a little asian push over, I want to make it very clear that I will in fact push back when I think I'm being walked all over. I'm tenacious and if you won't take responsibility for your mistake then I think I'll need to make it clear that you will be held responsible.
I haven't been so pissed off in a LONG time. Your inconsiderate, off handed, and nonchalant attitude has changed that.
Once again, my final no-bullshit response:
Rosie;
You may contact whomever you wish about this issue. The bottom line is that by bidding on these auctions, you entered into a legally binding contract to pay for goods. The goods were clearly listed and described in the auctions in question. If you feel the need, please file a claim against me in court and we'll see what a judge has to say on the matter. Once again, I'm sorry that you feel the way you do about how the transaction ended up. This will be your final direct communication from me.
Sincerely;
Randy E. Sommerfeld
So there you have it folks. She (surprisingly) didn't respond to my final email and so far hasn't done anything. This is a classic example where it's best to be minimalistic, and stick to facts. Anything else would've probably enraged her further (although, I don't know how, she seems to be a rather angry person in general.)
Her username is 'primose2002', and the auctions in question are 6042993239 (the system itself), 6044309364 (the blue cartridge), 6044309170, 6044308903, and 6044308231. It's going to hurt receiving all those negatives, but what's one to do? Buyers like this make selling on eBay a real drag.
Alas. On to the next sale.
EDIT: After a correction from a fellow eBay seller, it looks like I was mistaken in regards to the retail price of the unit. The retail price is $100.00 Canadian (the bidder paid $63.00) on the unit itself, and $30.00 Canadian on each cartridge (the bidder paid an average of $15.00) This further mystifies why she's so upset.
-RS.
I operate a table at the local flea market on the weekends, which also allows me to offer local pickups for eBay items. This works out really well in most cases, as I get paid in cash and I waive *all* shipping fees for a local pickup. In fact, my terms for all local pickups are as follows:
I waive all shipping fees when allowing a local pickup, and use eBay's currency conversion values when determining the final Canadian sale price and round up to the nearest dollar.
I round up to the nearest dollar to make things nice and even for everyone so that I'm not finding pennies on an item that ended at $5.37 or whatever. Most sellers charge a "pickup fee", or a portion of the shipping fee, but I don't. I only round up.
So. A lady bids on a (loose, out of the box) Leapster educational handheld system and ends up bidding above the average closing price. In addition, she bids on a few Leapster games I had up for auction and ends up winning.
One of the auctions she won, in particular, is a blue Batman cartridge. Blue cartridges were manufactured for the older Leapster units, but still work on the newer "L-MAX" units (which take both grey and blue cartridges.) Because of this, I always put "L-MAX" in the item title, even if it's a game manufactured for the older system.
I just *knew* there was going to be a problem when she emailed me after the auction ended and demanded that I meet her for local pickup at a specific time and place. She also demanded that I round *down* to $145 (from $147.) Unfortunately, I don't do that and only allow pickup at the flea market. I figure the 15 hours I'm there over the weekend is more than a big enough window for someone to stop by and pick up their item. I explained this to her, and she sent her brother down to pick the item up. He paid in cash and wasn't a problem.
After coming home from the market on Saturday, I had this wonderful email waiting for me. It looks like she's a little choked that she paid too much, and even acknowledges it:
My brother went and picked up the Leapster L-MAX and I just discovered that the Batman cartridge is NOT for the L-MAX. It is designed for the original Leapster. It does work with the L-MAX but is not originally designed for it. So, it should not have been listed as a L-MAX cartridge.
Given that I've just discovered in looking over a list of past completed eBay auctions, that I've paid much more than is average for both the unit and the cartridges, you could have worked out a more mutually satisfactory pricing but declined to do so for items that were not even new.
In my view, you have conducted this transaction with only your convenience and expedience in mind. I saved you the trouble of having to package and ship the items. I saved you the Paypal fees by paying in cash. Still, you asked for more than even what the exchange rate on eBay indicated at the end of the auction last Saturday. The fact that you refused my offer of $145.00 CAD (a discount of only $1.40, much less than the $5.00 Paypal fees I saved you) as a token of mutual concession for a satisfying transaction only confirms this. In conclusion you were able to wring a great deal for yourself...only. Funny thing, my brother actually saved more money negotiating over a couple of flashlights that don't require batteries that cost $18.00 (originally $24.00) then I did with you. I actually paid you MORE than what eBay told me I owed you.
My brother thought I was scammed in a way. He gave me the heads up on the average closing price of my item on eBay and usually what kind of a deal the seller works out with a winner when the customer has won the auctions by such above average high bids. He knows because he has more than ten years of eBay experience. When I heard that it made my blood boil. Now I realize that I should have asked him to find the units on eBay for me. I thought I had done well, but only just realized that I had bid and paid too much.
I will be returning the Batman cartridge for a full refund next Saturday as I have a full day tomorrow and this afternoon. As I paid in cash in total more than even what was indicated by the eBay exchange rate for my winnings on the day of the end of the auctions, although only by sixty cents, I expect a full refund to the very last penny plus the price of admission to flea market. Just consider yourself lucky I'm not charging you for the wasted time, energy, and fuel of having to return the Batman cartridge. If you'd like to save on the cost of the price of admission, provide me with a number I can contact you at and you can meet me or my brother at the entrance when I return the cartridge for a full refund.
At this point, as you may be well aware, I am not a happy customer. In truth, with the items on sale at various discount stores, I've just realized that I didn't save much money at all. Trying to save some money, I only ended up paying more than I should have to someone who really has no idea or interest in customer satisfaction.
Needless to say no positive feedback will be forthcoming for this transaction.
Wow. I've never received an email from such an angry person, ever. She's making unreasonable demands based on a baseless argument. Mostly, it seems she's just upset that she realized she paid too much.
Since when did eBay sellers ever let a bidder pay less than the final auction amount? I'm not the one who clicked the "confirm bid" button for her. Allowing buyers to pay less than the stated amount (unless the item is damaged, not as stated, etc) would completely undermine the entire auction process. Since she's written off the posibility of receiving positive feedback, there's no point in even trying to appease her. There's not a single action I could do which would reform her into a "good customer." So, I go into "no-bullshit" mode and respond with this:
Rosie;
Thank you for your email. Please feel free to leave negative feedback. I will do so in kind. No refund will be forthcoming, as the auction details clearly stated everything you needed to know about the auction. In particular, the picture for the Batman cartridge clearly showed the blue cartridge. The "L-MAX" designation in the auction title was simply to inform people that the cartridge would work in the L-MAX unit. Thank you for your business, and it's unfortunate that things ended up this way. Once again, I must remind you that no refund of any type will be forthcoming.
Sincerely;
Randy E. Sommerfeld.
That just makes Rosie even more upset. She even plays the "race card." I can't believe it:
Are you saying that your advertising was accurate? I think I'll take this up with eBay and see what they have to say. The fact, that you are not even willing to admit your mistake in describing the product says volumes about how you conduct your business. I have yet to leave negative feedback on any transaction, maybe I'll change that. I didn't ask for a refund on everything, only on the Batman cartridge that was NOT described accurately. If you refuse that, then you are not only being irresponsible, you shouldn't be allowed to sell on eBay. Let me know how you decide.
I'm not adverse to taking this up with eBay if I have too. My brother has offered to help me take this up with Vancouver Flea Market as well and complain on my behalf about your very unprofessional behavior should you not change your mind.
Just in case you are thinking of me as a little asian push over, I want to make it very clear that I will in fact push back when I think I'm being walked all over. I'm tenacious and if you won't take responsibility for your mistake then I think I'll need to make it clear that you will be held responsible.
I haven't been so pissed off in a LONG time. Your inconsiderate, off handed, and nonchalant attitude has changed that.
Once again, my final no-bullshit response:
Rosie;
You may contact whomever you wish about this issue. The bottom line is that by bidding on these auctions, you entered into a legally binding contract to pay for goods. The goods were clearly listed and described in the auctions in question. If you feel the need, please file a claim against me in court and we'll see what a judge has to say on the matter. Once again, I'm sorry that you feel the way you do about how the transaction ended up. This will be your final direct communication from me.
Sincerely;
Randy E. Sommerfeld
So there you have it folks. She (surprisingly) didn't respond to my final email and so far hasn't done anything. This is a classic example where it's best to be minimalistic, and stick to facts. Anything else would've probably enraged her further (although, I don't know how, she seems to be a rather angry person in general.)
Her username is 'primose2002', and the auctions in question are 6042993239 (the system itself), 6044309364 (the blue cartridge), 6044309170, 6044308903, and 6044308231. It's going to hurt receiving all those negatives, but what's one to do? Buyers like this make selling on eBay a real drag.
Alas. On to the next sale.
EDIT: After a correction from a fellow eBay seller, it looks like I was mistaken in regards to the retail price of the unit. The retail price is $100.00 Canadian (the bidder paid $63.00) on the unit itself, and $30.00 Canadian on each cartridge (the bidder paid an average of $15.00) This further mystifies why she's so upset.
-RS.