Ebay debacles - this amused me!

[Chereya]

Ok, I just had to share. I contacted a seller on Ebay about buying all her current items up for auction. She has 22 feeback score, all as a buyer. Here's what I wrote to her 2 days ago:

"Hi, Would I be able to get a discount for buying all 4 of your current auctions? Please let me know as well as the shipping cost for everything in one package. Thanks"

I didn't hear anything back for 2 days but her items are on my watch list and one of them ends tomorrow. I like to know ahead of time what a total cost will be with shipping etc before I bid. Today, I noticed that she had removed the shipping costs on 3 of her listings but had increased the cost of all 4 of the items (none of them have bids on them). Her $10 auction went up to $20, $4 went up to $14, one $1 went up to $4 and the other $1 went up to $6.

Now, if this was YOU as a buyer, what would you think? I had a "what the heck" moment. So I decided to submit a question again and I tried to keep it very straightforward. Just two simple facts and then a message of good luck because if this is the way she's going to operate on Ebay, she's gonna need it!

"I had submitted a question to you about your items a few days ago and did not hear any response back from you. Now, I notice that you have raised the prices on your auctions. Good luck with your Ebay selling..."

A few minutes later, I got this long drawn out response and it made me laugh!

"Why are you upset with me? It has been less than 48 hours since you posted your question.

I am extremely new to selling on Ebay, so I don't understand why you would be upset. I was under no obligation to sell to you at any price. I am confused....

I have an online store at Etsy, these prices are reflective of about 20-40% off of the prices found on there; for handmade items, like mine. I also removed my shipping costs.

I find it strange that you think it is fair to spend 5 or more hours crafting a set items and then be obligated to sell it online for 3.99, it is a lot of work and product .. gone.. for four dollars.

I did not respond to you, because I was not willing to sell my items at a discount.. when they were already at 99c (starting auction price) and then offer you a discount on those items.. I was a little offended. How much more did you want them discounted?

I raised the items prices to reflect a strong discount (and free shipping) off of my prices in my shop. I will not go lower than that esp with the time left on the auction. If they don't sell, they will def sell at the open air market this weekend..

As for trying my kind of items out on Ebay, I've now tested that market.. and I can chalk this up to a lesson learned.. "

Is it just me? This lady doesn't see anything weird about her business practices? I don't plan to respond back but I had to share with my DIS friends.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I think I'm with the seller on this one, unless I read your post wrong.

She is under no obligation to lower her prices. You didn't bid on any of her auctions. And I think it is against eBay rules (or at least against the mindset) to ask for people to lower their prices.

But, she was wrong in not answering you at all. She should have at least answered your question that she didn't want to give you a discount.

 

[Chereya]

I think I'm with the seller on this one, unless I read your post wrong.

She is under no obligation to lower her prices. You didn't bid on any of her auctions. And I think it is against eBay rules (or at least against the mindset) to ask for people to lower their prices.

But, she was wrong in not answering you at all. She should have at least answered your question that she didn't want to give you a discount.

I'm not mad or anything. I didn't -expect- a discount but I sure can ASK for one, right? Her auction listings mention contacting her about combined shipping, so yes, I was expecting to not pay the total costs associated with item + shipping costs per item as listed. Maybe I just misunderstood but as an Ebay seller myself, isn't it common to discount the combined shipping cost? I thought it was a no-no to pad profits from the shipping charges?

I dunno, it's like she was offended that I asked about a discount and wanted to spite me by raising the auction listing price or something. To me, that's like advertising a sale item at a certain price in a store and then when you go into the store, find out that they raised the price on you.

I think it's funny that she says she never intended to answer my question because she was offended AND was offended that I waited only 48 hours for an answer I was never going to get! For the record, I wrote my second question 52 hours after submitting the first.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Ok, I just had to share. I contacted a seller on Ebay about buying all her current items up for auction. She has 22 feeback score, all as a buyer. Here's what I wrote to her 2 days ago:

"Hi, Would I be able to get a discount for buying all 4 of your current auctions? Please let me know as well as the shipping cost for everything in one package. Thanks"

Oh, I thought you had asked for a discount on the items, not on combined shipping. You said you asked for a discount, not a discount on shipping.

Yes, it is standard to ask for a shipping discount on multiple items bought at the same time.

Still, she should have answered no matter what.

 

[diznygirl]

I think she was unnecessarily upset. In business you have to put your feelings aside, and ebay is a business.

She could have responded nicely that she is already offering them at a discount, and suggest a price for all four items, as well as shipping.

I'd be wary of ever dealing with someone who is going to be personally offended at a simple question.

 

[Chereya]

Oh, I thought you had asked for a discount on the items, not on combined shipping. You said you asked for a discount, not a discount on shipping.

Yes, it is standard to ask for a shipping discount on multiple items bought at the same time.

Still, she should have answered no matter what.

I think she was unnecessarily upset. In business you have to put your feelings aside, and ebay is a business.

She could have responded nicely that she is already offering them at a discount, and suggest a price for all four items, as well as shipping.

I'd be wary of ever dealing with someone who is going to be personally offended at a simple question.

It was a general-ish question about a discount. Sometimes people do give a bulk-purchase type of discount. I would have been happy with any kind of polite response. I mean, there are a ton of ways to respond to this question!
- I'm sorry, the items are already heavily discounted but I can combine the shipping cost...
- Sure, I'd be happy to do give you a discount on the shipping for 4 items...
- Sorry but I'm unable to offer any discount on the items or the shipping...

I have no idea she has a shop or what her shop pricing is. Other sellers I have dealt with are very up front about their regular retail pricing vs their Ebay pricing. If she was going to have hard feelings about her pricing, she shouldn't have put it up so low in the first place. Instead she jacked it up After she got an inquiry she wasn't going to respond to. Honestly, even at the current price, if she stated in the list description, "This sells in my shop for twice as much", I would have felt I was already getting a really good discount.

And yes, there's no way I want to be dealing with her at all now!

 

[Imzadi]

Ok, I just had to share. I contacted a seller on Ebay about buying all her current items up for auction. She has 22 feeback score, all as a buyer. Here's what I wrote to her 2 days ago:

"Hi, Would I be able to get a discount for buying all 4 of your current auctions? Please let me know as well as the shipping cost for everything in one package. Thanks"

I didn't hear anything back for 2 days but her items are on my watch list and one of them ends tomorrow. I like to know ahead of time what a total cost will be with shipping etc before I bid. Today, I noticed that she had removed the shipping costs on 3 of her listings but had increased the cost of all 4 of the items (none of them have bids on them). Her $10 auction went up to $20, $4 went up to $14, one $1 went up to $4 and the other $1 went up to $6.

Now, if this was YOU as a buyer, what would you think? I had a "what the heck" moment. So I decided to submit a question again and I tried to keep it very straightforward. Just two simple facts and then a message of good luck because if this is the way she's going to operate on Ebay, she's gonna need it!

"I had submitted a question to you about your items a few days ago and did not hear any response back from you. Now, I notice that you have raised the prices on your auctions. Good luck with your Ebay selling..."

A few minutes later, I got this long drawn out response and it made me laugh!

"Why are you upset with me? It has been less than 48 hours since you posted your question.

I am extremely new to selling on Ebay, so I don't understand why you would be upset. I was under no obligation to sell to you at any price. I am confused....

I have an online store at Etsy, these prices are reflective of about 20-40% off of the prices found on there; for handmade items, like mine. I also removed my shipping costs.

I find it strange that you think it is fair to spend 5 or more hours crafting a set items and then be obligated to sell it online for 3.99, it is a lot of work and product .. gone.. for four dollars.

I did not respond to you, because I was not willing to sell my items at a discount.. when they were already at 99c (starting auction price) and then offer you a discount on those items.. I was a little offended. How much more did you want them discounted?

I raised the items prices to reflect a strong discount (and free shipping) off of my prices in my shop. I will not go lower than that esp with the time left on the auction. If they don't sell, they will def sell at the open air market this weekend..

As for trying my kind of items out on Ebay, I've now tested that market.. and I can chalk this up to a lesson learned.. "

Is it just me? This lady doesn't see anything weird about her business practices? I don't plan to respond back but I had to share with my DIS friends.

Following the New Rule.


I agree, in part with the Seller, but not how she responded - or how she didn't originally respond. You did ask for a discount on top a shipping discount. I think in the 48 hours since, the Seller realized that someone was definitely interested in her items and may snag it at the last second for the too low selling price she set her auctions at.

She never meant for them to sell for that price. She was hoping for an actual auction with many bidders hoping to raise up the prices to reasonable selling prices. Being new, she doesn't understand about last second bidding. And in any case, if she only got one Bidder, she did not want to sell it her pieces for $4 or $10. She may even have been thinking about pulling her auctions, but she already paid the auction fees. So, she raised her prices instead to what would be an acceptable price for her.

I think you took personally something that had nothing to do with you. Other than that you made her realise someone was interested and she'd lose money if only one Bidder bid. It had nothing to do with raising the price so she could later give you a "discount." She said she was never intending to answer you. So, no discount would ever have been offered. If you did bid on and won all the auctions without a prior agreement, she is not contractually obligated to give you a discount afterwards.

 

[Angelhalo]

I'm with you OP. All you did was politely as the seller a question.

If she didn't want to give you a discount all she had to do was act like an adult and write you back saying no. Done and done. Instead she writes back sounding like a whackjob. People shouldn't take everything so personally. If she thinks she can get more for it another way then good for her, but she should have the common courtesy to professionally reply to you in a timely manner answering your question. You weren't trying to insult her work, just a shopper looking for a deal. Sellers should be able to handle that, especially in this economy, without becoming offended.

 

[my3sonsagn]

Factually the seller was correct; however the tirade she went on (esp the part where she complains the 48 hour response window wasn't up then admitting she never planned on responding at all) was way out of proportion to the question(s) asked.

Just my .02 of course.

 

[merryweather20]

Following the New Rule.

You know what would be a good rule not wasting space on the forum with a HUGE quote.

I agree with the OP she asked a quicke, easy, polite question.

Not answering and then monkeying around with the prices wasn't a good idea.

Its very common to provide a discount for combined shipping, and in fact most sellers are ticked off if you don't ask about the combined cost before bidding. Likewise I saw a seller had several auctions for the same style mens tie. I would have bought 3-4 of the separate auctions but what I really wanted was 15. The seller was more than delighted to put up a bulk auction.

 

[Michelle67]

Sounds like a miscommunication to me.

 

[Chereya]

Following the New Rule.


I agree with the Seller. You did ask for a discount on top a shipping discount. I think in the 48 hours since, the Seller realized that someone was definitely interested in her items and may snag it at the last second for the too low selling price she set her auctions at.

She never meant for them to sell for that price. She was hoping for an actual auction with many bidders hoping to raise up the prices to reasonable selling prices. Being new, she doesn't understand about last second bidding. And in any case, if she only got one Bidder, she did not want to sell it her pieces for $4 or $10. She may even have been thinking about pulling her auctions, but she already paid the auction fees. So, she raised her prices instead to what would be an acceptable price for her.

I think you took personally something that had nothing to do with you. Other than that you made her realise someone was interested and she'd lose money if only one Bidder bid. It had nothing to do with raising the price so she could later give you a "discount." She said she was never intending to answer you. So, no discount would ever have been offered. If you did bid on and won all the auctions without a prior agreement, she is not contractually obligated to give you a discount afterwards.

I've sold my handmade pottery at craft fairs. Some of the fairs are so badly attended, I discount some of my prices to at least, make back the booth fees. But, some pieces I won't budge on or I won't go as low as someone is (insultingly) offering, as I KNOW I will get my original asking price and make it up at the next fair, which may be 3-4 times what someone is offering. That's what's great about non-perishable items and knowing the worth of my pieces, and that they DO sell.

Ouch. So, if you were the seller you'd intentionally have not responded back, too? You say that you do craft fairs AND that sometimes you do discounts so you can make enough money to cover the booth fee. So it wouldn't be completly out of line for someone to ask you about one, right?

Someone might stop by your booth and inquire about a discount for buying 4 items. I can't imagine you'd be so offended that you'd turn your back and ignore the question entirely? Say this shopper wandered off to look at the rest of the fair and came back later on only to find that you raised your prices! Would you expect your potential customer to be very pleased? If a price tag is on an item, I think there's a reasonable expectation that the price isn't going to go up unless it's some kind of in demand collectible or antique that you had multiple inquiries about or you happened to have sold out all of your inventory and only had these 4 pieces left that you knew would sell at a premium.

It's not like I was rude to her, at least I didn't intend to come across that way. If I was going for pushy, I'd have said something more like - I want to buy all 4 of your items but only if I can get a deal. I love how you bolded part of my original question - was that supposed to make me look bad? Also, I really don't think this topic is so controversial that I'd delete and run off in a huff. Like I've said, I found it amusing.

You say that I took this personally and I can see your line of thinking but how else was I supposed to take it if she ignored me and then sent me a long "what for" when I called her out for what I think was odd selling behavior.

 

[Imzadi]

Chereya, I actually amended what I wrote at 8:27, (check above) when I realized I wasn't being clear. I don't know where you were for 10 minutes that you quoted me from 10 minutes ago.

I meant that I agreed with the Seller's right to change her price to what she is more comfortable with to break even on her item or make a profit, once she realised her starting bid was too low. NO, I don't agree that she she should have ignored you. A polite, "Not interrested," without any explanation would have sufficed.

And I bolded what you wrote so that I didn't have to quote it again in addition to already quoting it:

"Hi, Would I be able to get a discount for buying all 4 of your current auctions? Please let me know as well as the shipping cost for everything in one package. Thanks"

Someone else, on this thread already complained about the waste of bandwidth space that is. (S)He should stay off the multiple page threads if wasting bandwidth space annoys him/her.

 

[merryweather20]

Someone else, on this thread already complained about the waste of bandwidth space that is. (S)He should stay off the multiple page threads if wasting bandwidth space annoys him/her.

Nope, multiple pages are good. Quoting the original post for no reason other than , Not so much.

 

[DarthKTrava]

If she didn't want to sell her items so cheaply, then she shouldn't have priced them so low and then later raise the prices dramatically. There was no need for rudeness on her part over what could be construed as a misunderstanding on what kind of discount that was being asked for.

 

[Imzadi]