Need Help Re: Ebay

[cra-z-4-dizney]

What now??? I just started selling on ebay, and mailed something on October 15th. The buyer was actually only 30 minutes away. She emailed me to let me know that she never recieved the item. I told her lets wait a couple days because of Columbus day. Well, I just got a message from e-bay with a dispute about her not getting the item. I sent it via priority mail. How do I know the buyer didn't really get it and is trying to get their money back plus keep my item. The total auction price was $54.50. I unfortunately did not get delivery confirmation(whcih I will do on my own expense from now on) But I went to the post office and they said there was nothing they could do about it since there was no insurace or Delivery confirmation. What should I do now, I do not want to have a negative already????


ETA:The buyer only has a feedback of 4(one of which was from me.)

 

[nile455]

What now??? I just started selling on ebay, and mailed something on October 15th. The buyer was actually only 30 minutes away. She emailed me to let me know that she never recieved the item. I told her lets wait a couple days because of Columbus day. Well, I just got a message from e-bay with a dispute about her not getting the item. I sent it via priority mail. How do I know the buyer didn't really get it and is trying to get their money back plus keep my item. The total auction price was $54.50. I unfortunately did not get delivery confirmation(whcih I will do on my own expense from now on) But I went to the post office and they said there was nothing they could do about it since there was no insurace or Delivery confirmation. What should I do now, I do not want to have a negative already????


ETA:The buyer only has a feedback of 4(one of which was from me.)

I don't think I have an answer, but try posting on the Ebay community boards. There is so much traffic there, and you will get a bunch of responses very quickly after you post about it.

 

[crazee4mickey]

What now??? I just started selling on ebay, and mailed something on October 15th. The buyer was actually only 30 minutes away. She emailed me to let me know that she never recieved the item. I told her lets wait a couple days because of Columbus day. Well, I just got a message from e-bay with a dispute about her not getting the item. I sent it via priority mail. How do I know the buyer didn't really get it and is trying to get their money back plus keep my item. The total auction price was $54.50. I unfortunately did not get delivery confirmation(whcih I will do on my own expense from now on) But I went to the post office and they said there was nothing they could do about it since there was no insurace or Delivery confirmation. What should I do now, I do not want to have a negative already????


ETA:The buyer only has a feedback of 4(one of which was from me.)

Sounds suspicious...why after less than 2 weeks are they complaining already about not receiving the item...I have waited up to a month! I would try Square Trade(help settle online disputes... http://www.squaretrade.com/cnt/jsp/index.jsp) and see what might be resolved through them.
I really think its odd that they are already "kicking up such a fuss" and counting today its only been 12 days!!??!
I have always found it very difficult dealing with eBay because trying to settle any disputes is so generalized and slow.
The buyer is being terribly unreasonable IMHO.......

 

[epcotfan]

The buyer is being terribly unreasonable IMHO.......

I agree. Some buyers will unfortunately take advantage of new sellers if they know that delivery confirmation wasn't used. I would scan her a copy of your mail receipt (if you have it) to prove you mailed on the day you said you did. If she messes up your Ebay account I would start over again with a new account and ID.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Unfortunately, without delivery confirmation, you're up a creek. Always always always get delivery confirmation when shipping ebay items!

 

[N.Bailey]

You can try square trade, but I don't think they'll be able to help you. I agree with ChrisnSteph, you'll probably have to refund this money. Well, that depends really. If the buyer paid via Paypal, Paypal with put a hold on your account if they've filed a complaint thru there. If it was paid in another form, I don't see how they can make you pay the money back. Unfortunately, you'll still have 1 strike against you at eBay. 3 strikes and you're out. You really don't have to be at fault. IMO, some buyers probably notice that you didn't buy delivery confirmation, then you're at their mercy.

If you were paid via Paypal, I highly suggest you have all monies transferred out of that account. I don't think they can go in and just take money out of your checking account, but that's one thing I'd ask on the eBay boards. I think though, if your Paypal account is empty, they won't be able to get the money to refund this buyer. You won't be able to use that account though until you refund the money, so you might have to get a new account? If you try to transfer any money, that amount will be held to give your buyer a refund.

This is why sellers are adamant about ONLY shipping to confirmed Paypal addresses. With delivery confirmation and only shipping to confirmed/verified (for what it's called?) addresses, they protect themselves 100%.

I'm not sure if they still do it or not; it's been quite awhile since I've sold anything on eBay, but the last time I did, you could print your shipping label directly from UPS's website and by doing so, you were given free delivery confirmation. You could ask about that on the eBay boards too if you're interested.

Good Luck!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

With that low of a feedback, it sounds like the buyer could be new to eBay and inexperienced and impatient. Do they have any negatives? And have they won anything else fairly expensive?

I agree with what others said -- always get Delivery Confirmation. If you print your shipping labels through Paypal, it's free, and I've printed labels through Paypal even if the buyer paid with a check or money order.

As a seller, I NEVER leave feedback first. I used to leave feedback after receiving payment, but I read too many arguments on the eBay boards against that. Feedback should be left once the seller has received the item. They have your positive feedback, which is more important than any item, especially to someone with a low feedback. They could leave you a negative and you have no way to counter it.

I hate to say it, but you may have to refund, especially if your feedback score is low, just to avoid a negative.

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]

I just checked and she already left me negative feedback. I do no think this is fair, as it has only been 12 days since I sent the item.

 

[Tina]

Just a tip: Use Insurance (even if at your own cost) for anything over $25 (or whatever value you determine to be good for you). Even Delivery Confirmation doesn't always work. I did quite a bit of selling about a year ago and every package I shipped had delivery confirmation because I was printing out the postage/mailing labels from the USPS website. I found that about 10% of my packages never showed up in the tracking site. Experienced buyers know this is a problem as well. I had one guy get really nasty with me - in his FIRST email to me - about not receiving his item. Sure enough, it never showed up on the USPS site as being mailed, even though I KNOW it was. I ended up having to refund him the money but I suspect he actually had the item.

Just my two cents worth.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm really surprised that eBay got involved so early in the game.. When did the actual auction end (not the date you mailed the item)?

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]

The auction ended on October 10th. She mailed me a M/O which I recieved on October 14th, then I mailed her package out on October 15th via priority mail. There wasn't any delivery confirmation or insurance purchased.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I just checked and she already left me negative feedback. I do no think this is fair, as it has only been 12 days since I sent the item.

She initiated the dispute yesterday and leaves you negative feedback today??? OY!! It almost sounds like the buyer did that expecting you to automatically refund, and when you didn't they hit you with a neg.

Go to ebay.com, click on community, then find seller central, and ask the folks there if they have any ideas or suggestions. They'll probably get onto you about not using DC and for leaving feedback first, but there are sellers there that have experienced more problems than I have and can help from that vantage point.

I would not want to refund unless they retract the negative feedback. Unfortunately, this could be considered feedback extortion and is against eBay policy.

I would definitely leave a carefully worded and factual response to their feedback .. something like "shipped 10/15 dispute opened 10/27 negged on 10/28 very impatient". Leave a response on the feedback you left for them as well. Other sellers need to be warned about this buyer

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]

Leave a response on the feedback you left for them as well. Other sellers need to be warned about this buyer

How do I do that???

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

On eBay, go to your member profile that shows your feedback. Best way to do this is to click on your feedback score. At the bottom it a link that reads Reply to Feedback Received. Click on that and you can find the link to leave a reply to the feedback.

Give me a little time and I'll see if I can find how to follow up on the feedback you left for the buyer.

 

[N.Bailey]

Well, it's good that she sent you a money order and it wasn't a Paypal transaction. IMO, you should email your buyer that there is nothing more you can do for her or simply ignore her from here on in. She didn't allow you to respond or eBay to respond before 1. filing the claim in the 1st place and 2. from leaving you negative feedback.

You've already got 1 negative feedback, and the complaint filed with eBay is already 1 strike against you. You simply can't prove that you mailed the item, so eBay can't side with you. I think your buyer could very well have the item, but you can't prove that either.

Now you need to do one of 2 things. Either just accept your mistake (no delivery confirmation) and move on, or set yourself up with a new eBay account and move on. I think if you're new to eBay and have low feedback, I'd start another account. If however, you've got a good bit built up, I'd simply let the 1 negative stand and forget about it. I would not refund the money if I was you. You're forced to take the damages, IMO, that's enough!

This is all MOO though and exactly what I would do if I were in your shoes.

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]

I only had a feedback of "5" when she left the negative. The thing is she only lives about 30 minutes away from me. I am not going to refund her money, because she should have tried to work something out with me first before leaving the feedback. And the fact that it hasn't even been two weeks(with a holiday within the first) means she should have waited a little while longer. This makes me so mad because I sold 19 things now, and started getting feedback and she has to go and do this...now if I start over, I am back to "0" feedback and you have to have a feedback of "10" before you can do Buy-It-Now.

I did learn my lesson though, always buy delivery confirmation. You know the more I think about it maybe someone stole it. The area that she lives is not all that great (I know because my dad lives 3 minutes away from her.) Oh Well, I guess there is nothing I can do about it now.