Ebay help, please! Friend bought a buy it now item!

[DianeV]

I agree..and as mentioned it asks you on a couple screens if you are sure you want to buy it now

 

[imsayin]

If they were paying by paypal, I would also include that amount/percentage of what Paypal would take out of the amount they would pay.
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I don't understand this

If you they paid the seller $5 in ebay fees via paypal, the seller would be charged
45 cents from Paypal.

 

[DMRick]

If you they paid the seller $5 in ebay fees via paypal, the seller would be charged
45 cents from Paypal.

I see what you mean, however, that would be against Paypal's (and most state's laws) rules and if she asked her to cover Paypal's fees, and the buyer reports her, the seller could lose her account. I think the .45 or so would have to be eaten. Sounds like the seller isn't going to get back to her anyway.

 

[ceecee]

I don't know how you can accidentially bid on something. Even if she bid not knowing it was buy it now, she should have been able to honor the bid. I find that just too unbelievable. People who don't have a clue, shouldn't be on Ebay. I have had too much "I don't want it anymore" this year to be sympathetic. Three people decided after bidding (too close to Christmas to relist) that they no longer wnated or could afford the item.

 

[DianeV]

I had someone do a buy it now and then say she was "just looking"!! and then got mad at ME

 

[CheapMom]

If the auction description said starting price $9.95 and your friend was a newbie trying to place a $9.95 bid and accidentally went "all the way" she should tell the seller- sorry- I was trying to place a bid for 9.95 and got confused. If I were her I wouldn't pay the fees to the seller. That seller should have been more careful with his item description. I am an eBay seller and if I make a mistake in my listing I consider it my fault and I always give the benefit to the buyer. The cost incurred by the seller can be considered the cost of a lesson learned: ALWAYS PROOFREAD.
Since feedback is not a big issue to your friend that is my advice.
Flame away- Mary

 

[Gillian]

If the seller had something wrong in the listing that was misleading, that would be one thing. But there was nothing wrong and it's very clear this was a buy it now.

Well, actually there was a mistake in the listing, as others have mentioned. It says, "We...are starting the bidding at $9.95...." although there was no bidding for this auction, just the BIN.

I have already said it was her fault, and I don't want to discuss that further.

I do think it was confusing, even if you do not. And others here, looking at it from the buyer's side, also think it was misleading.

Even if the seller did not do anything wrong, making things more clear for their buyers can only benefit them.

If I go to a retail store where things are well-marked and the staff is helpful, I'm more likely to shop there. And I'll probably spend more money too!

 

[imsayin]

If you put $9.95 in as your bid, I don't think it will change it to a different number, it will probably tell you that you can't bid $9.95.

 

[ceecee]

That''s yrue. If the starting bid is $495.00 (or whatever) you can't put a lower price in by mistake. It won't let you do this. I looked at the auction with the stroller and have seen many with only buy it nows. I don't think this is at all the "seller's fault".

 

[DianeV]

I dont think so either but its always easy to blame the seller...

 

[DMRick]

Even if the description says 9.95, or 20.95, or whatever, the buy it now price would have had the correct price. People just need to take responsibility for their own actions. You admit it was her fault, so IMO there is no point in trying to say the seller was confusing. Hopefully, the seller will join us here, as I was told by another poster that she was invited.
On a buy it now, she would have had at least one and maybe two more windows with the correct price to go through. I don't see where many think it's a confusing ad. Some have mentioned the 9.95 start price..but since that wasn't the price shown where you bid, it's moot. As Diane said, it's always easiest to blame the seller. Misleading from a mistake in the description? Yes, if the buy it now price also said $9.95..and it didn't..going through and bidding even though the higher price would have shown more than once..buyers error.

 

[ceecee]

People just need to take responsibility for their own actions. .

SO TRUE!

 

[dizneefamily5]

I'm not sure what the argument is about here. I have never shopped ebay and never intend to because of this very thing. So, clearly, I don't know a lot about the ebay practices. What I do know is the number one rule of good retail sales - the customer is always right. I know I have made many purchasing mistakes (wrong size, wrong color, etc.) and I have always been able to return. I think sellers want to benefit of making lots of $$ with no true customer service. I will stick with Target, thanks. I think this is one of the reasons we all love Disney - they aim to satisfy their customer. What if they were always blaming their "stupid customers" for their mistakes? Just my opinion........

 

[DMRick]

What I do know is the number one rule of good retail sales - the customer is always right. I know I have made many purchasing mistakes (wrong size, wrong color, etc.) and I have always been able to return. I think sellers want to benefit of making lots of $$ with no true customer service.

It's hard to have the customer always be right..when, since no money changed hands there isn't a customer. If you had gone into Target and tried to buy something, but gave no money, Target would prob be perplexed as to why you came up to the register. Of course with Target, unlike with eBay, if you turn away from the register, it doesn't cost Target anything. With eBay, it does. That's the difference. We do a large volumn on eBay, and when our customer is right, they are. We treat them well and have about a 40% return of past customers. Our feedback speaks for itself. Our only 3 negs (which I'll wear proudly, since we still did nothing wrong) are for a non payer, a person that didn't like the box we sent it in (it said Kmart on it) and a person who thought I was out of line wanting to collect the sales tax I legally have to collect. Out of almost 4000 feedbacks (not even counting the wonderful notes we get back from sales on our website), with that percent, we must be doing something right. When our customer is wrong, they are. In this case, eBay has a way for the seller to get back the ending fees, but not the listing fees. So IMO the buyer made the mistake and should at the very least pay the fees. If not, the seller has the right to leave a neg. In this case it also seems the seller isn't doing that, or trying to collect so her customer sevice may be just as you like it..and she's going to eat the lose.
Don't let something like this stop you from being an eBay bidder. Most sellers (and buyers) are wonderful and bidding and selling goes just as it's supposed to be. It's comparing apples and oranges to compare store front with auction. One main reason people like to eBay, is the cost, and if we have to return things on a whim (I would always make right if the quality of my item were questioned), or pay fees we shouldn't have to pay, the price would go up and the advantage would be gone. On eBay you do have to make sure your size or color is correct, since returns for those reasons prob won't happen..it's just not affordable, to sell a $30 dress for $5 and then pay shipping to have it returned.Most sellers I know are not after poor service just to make money..and I am a buyer as well as a seller.

 

[rapriebe]

I don't understand why anybody has to take the blame - it was a mistake and mistakes do happen. I say "cut the buyer a break" - she just made a mistake!!!! I have been doing some purchasing on eBay and at times it can get confusing. Not all sellers have clear instructions and not all buyers are experienced.

 

[DMRick]

it was a mistake and mistakes do happen. I say "cut the buyer a break" - she just made a mistake!!!! .

And maybe she has. I think you have to be a large seller on eBay to realize how much these "mistakes" cost. I sold over 150 items over the past two weeks. This week alone, I have a person who ordred an item for her boyfriends gift..and they broke up. It was under $6..but now I have to relist it and it's too late to sell it for Christmas. The time I already had in the item for the listing, the closing and chasing for the money...sigh, for a $6.00 item.

Last week I had two "teenagers" buying (according to the seller when she said she couldn't pay..it was her kids fooling around (uh huh..so why did they have her password? And why did they also happen to bid and win on something similar for less?). That cost me over $23 for the combined items they bid on. I'll get back the end of auction fees, but not the listing fees.

Last week I also had three people not pay, with no reason..they were newbies, and I assume they thought they wanted what they bid on...but I have to pay the listing fees, and again, it's too late to sell the items for Christmas. Maybe those were mistakes. One of the items, a person bid up until no one would have wanted it, it was so high. The other one kept bidding, but someone else won, so we gave him another item, we felt so bad that he ended up over bidding. Then this person (the person who bid it up) bid on a different item and we're still waiting to hear from them. This is my paycheck, just like others get a paycheck when they go out to work, and most would be upset, if they were missing a portion of it. I have plans for my money, just like others do for their paychecks, and I work hard for it.

So yes, mistakes happen..but when you do a buy it now..it stops the auction. The bidder gets more than one chance to back out, and correct the mistake. Again, in this case, it appears the seller is letting it go, so maybe time wise it's worth it for her to not persue it, and she'll just take the loss.

I personally am thankful for this thread..way beyond the OP's first message, I hope others see that it costs sellers, when a bid doesn't go through...sometimes a lot. It's not that seller's are trying to do it just to make money off some poor sucker..it's a job, just like other people's jobs. We have our share of forgive and forget, but I'm much more likely to do that, if someone appologizes and offers to pay my expenses for their mistake...and when I made a mistake (send a wrong item, miss something when describing it), I take my responsibility too.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I'm with you, DMRick! I just recently started selling on ebay, and have had 3 non-paying bids in the last month. It's very frustrating! People need to read before they bid on an item. That's a great lesson for us all. That's a lesson that applies to everything, not just ebay. Always read the fine print.

 

[vjc715]

I am another that will have to agree with DMRICK. We are powersellers on ebay....so I'm right with ya DMRICK on your post! I couldn't have said it better!!!!!!

I don't think this is a matter of good customer service. I think it's a matter of the buyer taking responsibility for their mistake. Lord knows if we make a mistake, we as sellers make it right. With that said.....we have 100% positive feedback with over 4000+ transactions. So.....you can see we provide customer service

I really don't think buyers will ever "get it" until they themselves sell on ebay and see all that is involved (time, cost, etc.) It's bad enough with all the ebay, paypal, and non paying bidder fees......errrrr!

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

I really don't think buyers will ever "get it" until they themselves sell on ebay and see all that is involved (time, cost, etc.) It's bad enough with all the ebay, paypal, and non paying bidder fees......errrrr!

I totally agree.

Also, there are buyers on eBay and there are bidders. Unfortunately, many bidders do not take the responsibility to become buyers, as in the case mentioned here.

eBay makes it too easy for anyone to bid recklessly at the seller's (not eBay's) expense. I'm afraid the successful transaction, imo, is becoming more the exception, than the rule, or at least 50/50.

On top of that, eBay never ceases to find more hoops for sellers to jump through in order to be reimbursed fees incurred due to non-paying bidders as they waste valuable time sitting on their merchandise. I realize that's the way it is when you choose to sell on eBay, but the large number of irresponsible bidders has turned many sellers off to selling on eBay full time.

I long for the days of the mid-late 1990s, when it was mostly collectors buying and selling. I look back at those days fondly, as they will never return. Sorry for getting so melodramatic. eBay aint what it used to be.

Tink

 

[CheapMom]

I am another that will have to agree with DMRICK. We are powersellers on ebay....so I'm right with ya DMRICK on your post! I couldn't have said it better!!!!!!
I don't think this is a matter of good customer service. I think it's a matter of the buyer taking responsibility for their mistake. Lord knows if we make a mistake, we as sellers make it right.

This seller DID make a mistake. He stated that the opening bid would be $9.95. There were no bids on the item. This brand new eBayer believed that she could go through the screens and find a place to make that opening bid. She was confused because of the seller's description. IMO the buyer's mistake was no worse than the seller's.