You HAVE to try this!! EBAY your way to DISNEY!!

[jcemom]

Originally posted by Madi100
It is interesting that you guys all feel the way you do. You all have very strong feelings about the fact that positive feedback should be left. I look at feedback as a way of knowing how the person is to deal with on a whole. If John Doe pays as soon as the auction is done, but then complains about high shipping (that was listed in the auction), upset because it took 7 days to get to you (when it took him five to pay), etc. etc. Don't you want to know this? In the case of sending the wrong book, yeah, the seller was at fault. However, the buyer was fine with her working it out when she got back. Then she didn't give her the chance. I would want to know that if I was selling to a person that they weren't easy to work with. This buyer obviously isn't. No room for error, no room to make things right. I think there is more to the transaction than just paying on time. Otherwise, if we all left feedback on the basis of payment, then we'd all leave it as soon as we received payment instead of waiting until the person had received it.

Seems to be the minority opinion, but I agree.

 

[Madi100]

I bought something on ebay that says it is from Walt Disney World. It arrived and has a label that say the Disney Store. Can you buys stuff at WDW that is labeled Disney Store?

 

[robinb]

I never intended to leave a negative FB as the buyer does not deserve it. IMO, she does not deserve a positive either and you have convinced me not to leave a neutral. If she had been patient and allowed me to fix my mistake (like she said she would), I would have left her a glowing positive. She missed out on that when she left the negative. Yeah, I dropped the ball but so did she when she said I could fix the problem and then she neg'd me before I had the chance.

The only reason I think she is "stupid" is because she left herself open to receiving a negative from me. I think it's because she's a newbie (only 4 FB's). I still think she's a witch and a jerk, even if she is a newbie.

She still paid me and she deserves the correct book. But I have to be honest here. My motivation for making her happy has gone down quite a bit. I am actually more motived to get the correct book to the other person who probably doesn't even know they have the wrong one!

BTW, DMRick ... you always withhold FB until you receive FB from the buyer to help protect yourself from this very situation. Are you saying that you have left positive FB after receiving non-positive FB?

 

[darlene9947]

Hi, I've been lurking on these boards for quite a while and finally decided to list some books and vcr tapes on ebay! Well, they have all ended today and one of the winning bidders is from Canada. I'm in USA. She is going to pay by PayPal and I'm confused about something. Will the amount that she pays to me be in US dollars? I'm not sure how this works.
I have another request also. I know I've read somewhere in this thread about shipping methods, but I can't find the info right now and this thread is soooo long (LOL) Could someone please tell me the cheapest way to send 5 paperback books to someone in Canada?

thanks,
Darlene

 

[DMRick]

BTW, DMRick ... you always withhold FB until you receive FB from the buyer to help protect yourself from this very situation. Are you saying that you have left positive FB after receiving non-positive FB?

I use vrane..they post after I get a positive..and I like it that way. It's how I do business. In some instances, when people tell me the got the item (that was recently when vrane was down..or when someone has very low feedback and can't wait, and have written to tell me all went well) I have gone ahead and left feedback without waiting for vrane. As far as "protecting myself from this very situation" I admit, that if someone has a problem, they often do agree with more grace, to correct a problem, (and sometimes, the problem isn't even my fault..I have a pending neg from someone who is mad that they gave me the wrong addy..and the PO returned it to me, and I won't ship, until he sends more postage), if feedback hasn't been exchanged yet. However, that still doesn't mean they won't neg, just because I fix the problem. In your case, you hadn't left feedback yet, so it had no impact on her feedback she left for you.

However, the answer is yes, if I had made a mistake and they left a neg, if they had followed the TOs, I would leave a postive. I would be kicking myself to have made the mistake...but it would be my fault. But this isn't about how or when I leave feedback..it's about how angry you are at this person for leaving you a neg..even though you goofed..not her. Whatever you respond to on your feedback page..if it's bitter, you will certainly make people go looking to see what the other person did to deserve it. And in actuality..all she did wrong, was to leave you a neg for a mistake you made. Would have been nice if she hadn't, since you were going to fix it..but she was within her rights.


I'm sorry, you sound very very bitter, for something that wasn't even the other persons fault. Calling someone stupid, a witch, and a jerk, who did everything they were suppose to do, but got the wrong item, isn't very nice. I'm sure she wasn't thinking that you would give her anything other than a positive, so she prob, as a newbie didn't realize she was leaving herself open to a retaliatory neutral.

 

[DMRick]

Will the amount that she pays to me be in US dollars? I'm not sure how this works.

Yes, you'll be paid in US dollars.

I use airletter post for all my Canandian shippings. Even if you use a bubble envy to ship..be sure to fill out the customs form..then the number of the form you filled out, is on your receipt and you have proof of shipping.

Welcome to the eBay thread

Doris

 

[DMRick]

You all have very strong feelings about the fact that positive feedback should be left. I look at feedback as a way of knowing how the person is to deal with on a whole.

And my comment would prob be, under the neg..I'm working out the problem..or I've fixed the mix-up. Even the positive may say..
Positive: I goofed and am correcting the problem..thanks for understanding.

Because she may still understand it..but be disappointed that Christmas has now come and gone and not only does she not have her item..she has to go to the post office and spend the time to mail it to the other person..and hope her's comes. She certainly doesn't deserve to be called a jerk, witch or stupid. On our eBay board, at Yahoo..she would be invited to come and tell her side. Who know..maybe that was the only gift she had for someone...I mean we can imagine all sorts of reasons she left that neg, but without her here, we won't know.

So while it would be nice, if all our clients understood when we goofed (and I've goofed!), they don't deserve less than a positive, if they have lived up to their side of the bargain..imo. And I haven't seen anywhere where she hasn't. We also know now, that she is a newbie..and maybe after reading what eBay says about leaving a neg..she thought this was a valid reason. All she wrote was:

(auction ended on Dec 10..feedback left on Jan 3rd..I have no idea when she paid)

Complaint : ordered one book received a different title

Maybe after she gets the correct book, she'll add to it..that it's fixed, or maybe she thought after waiting a week to hear again from Robin, she wasn't going to get the correct book. Who knows, without her here to tell us, why, a week or so after Robin emailed to tell her she'd fix it, she left a neg. Maybe she just thought she'd given her enough time (even though she knew Robin was on vacation..believe me as a person who has also goofed, I feel bad the person didn't have more patience).

So that said..I'm curious...what would you have given her..how about anyone else?

 

[jcemom]

As an admitted "conflict avoider" I would not leave her feedback at all. Not saying that's the right thing to do, but that's what I would do. I think feedback should reflect the entire transaction, and though she received the wrong item, she had contact from the seller and agreed to the promised corrections, after having been informed of the time frame involved. While I admit she was free to leave a neg, as a seller I would not feel that it was a transaction warranting a positive or a negative -- there was a mistake made, but she agreed to the resolution, I don't think that warrants a neg. If I left anything it would be a neutral, but I would most likely just fix the problem, respond to the neg, and leave no feedback.

 

[Madi100]

So that said..I'm curious...what would you have given her..how about anyone else?

Amazing enough, I've only made one mistake. I listed the wrong size. I contacted the winning bidder and he still wanted it. He left me a wonderful positive. The negatives I have received the person got negative in return. Not because of retaliation, but because I was not wrong in the situation (aren't I cocky ) In this situation, I honestly don't think I'd leave feedback. They don't deserve a positive, and they really didn't do anything wrong besides say that they'd let it be worked out, and then left negative. I think that people look at feedback differently. Some look at it as a way of communicating and don't realize how seriously some people take it. Bottom line, the buyer didn't leave any feedback that was false.

Now in Robin's defense. She is upset about the situation, and although she might end up in time-out in my house for calling people names, this thread has become a place for problems with ebay. I think that she was venting. Just as long as she doesn't share those same feelings with the buyer.

 

[disneychrista]

I believe feedback should be about the entire transaction, not just whether they paid or not. If I had contacted the buyer and they agreed to allow me to try to fix the problem then left me a neg, I would not willing to try to work out the problem.

I would hold off responding to the neg and leaving feedback for the buyer until all issues are resolved. When it comes to time to respond to the neg I would simply put "resolved issues with buyer" or "tired to resolve issues with buyer" I would refrain from putting "why neg?" or "neg not desserved". As for leaving feedback, I would wait to see how this is resolved. However, I would most likely not leave any feedback.

 

[C.Ann]

This is a "learning" thread - where hopefully we can all learn from one another..

We can learn from others experiences.

We can learn from the people who have been doing eBay much longer than we have and therefore may have more insight into how a situation will pan out..

We can also learn from calm, unangry people - when we're feeling not so calm and very angry..

A situation was posted and responses were given in an attempt to hopefully prevent the poster from reacting in a manner that would only compound the situation she found herself in..

We were trying to help her - not chastise her - by telling her how we would react to the same situation..

It's her reputation as a seller that's on the line - not ours - so we easily could have sat back and said, "Okay..whatever.." Instead we chose to point out why her gut reaction might not be the right way to go.. I would consider that helpful - not harmful..

Ultimately the choice is hers - now she just has more "options" to choose from..

 

[darlene9947]

Thanks for the quick reply DMRick. I have another question if it's not to much trouble. 7 of the items I had listed did not sell. Do I still have to pay the insertion fee? I'm confused about the fees as you can tell.

 

[ekmdisney]

Yes, you still have to pay the insertion fees.

But, if you relist the unsold item again and it sells, you will get that second insertion fee refunded, back to your account.

If not then you are out another insertion fee.

 

[Mommy Poppins]

yes, you still pay the insertion fee. However, you can relist the items within 30 days and if they sell, the second insertion fee will be refunded to you.

 

[jennymouse]

Here's my 2 cents. I did the exact same thing once. I switched two buyers purchases. I had just started selling and only had a feedback of about 25 at the time and I knew I couldn't afford ANY negatives at the time...well, anytime, but it's worse when you just start. I didn't realize what I had done until one one the buyers emailed me...she was nice about it though. I immediately sent an email to the other buyer. For both of them I told them I wanted to refund thier purchase price, shipping and send enough for them to mail each others purchases to the rightful owner. After 3 days, I didn't hear from the other buyer, so I got her contact info and called her. She was in the middle of moving and had put the unopened box in a storage building. I told her what I did and appologized all over myself, etc., and told her what I wanted to do. She agreed. It took a while for her to get to the storage building to do it, but each got what they had initially ordered, for free. They both left me glowing positive feedback. Did I overkill on refunding all thier money? Maybe, but it was worth it to me just to avoid a neg so early in my Feedback.

Before I got the feedback, I watched everyday, waiting to see if one of them, or both, would neg me. I had already decided to take the high road if the neg came and admit my mistake in a reply. I had already left both of them positives and even if I hadn't, I would've left the positive anyway. IMO that's all the buyer is supposed to do, it's up to the seller to make them happy. I know we can't make them all happy but I'll be trying.

I think if she does it right, the positive would make her feel worse than the retailtory negative would.

 

[DMRick]

Madi wrote:

The negatives I have received the person got negative in return. Not because of retaliation, but because I was not wrong in the situation (aren't I cocky )

Hmm..did I write that LOL? I could of, and would of if I had thought of it!

I think that she was venting. Just as long as she doesn't share those same feelings with the buyer.

But she was looking for advice on how to respond..so some might have been shared

besides say that they'd let it be worked out, and then left negative.

Maybe I misunderstood..I thought from the original note, that she said ok to getting the item when Robin came home in January, that she would give it as a b'day gift instead of Christmas. I didn't get that she was happy about it..just that it was OK...but maybe she said more to Robin, and Robin assumed as long as the problem would be fixed, it would be OK. I prob would have too. Again, dealing with a newbie, she may not have realized, that agreeing to most of us would have meant to not leave a neg for the mistake..she waited until Jan 3rd, and then she neg'd. I also assume that as of today, Jan 7, she still doesn't have her correct book? She might not have realized this would take time.


And believe me, nothing hurts as much as that first neg. The second was much easier to take..although I still would have preferred to have done something to have earned them, if I was going to be stuck with the two of them.

C.Ann wrote:

I would consider that helpful - not harmful..

Did I miss something? Did someone think advice given here was harmful? Because that's all I'm giving is advice..not meaning to be mean or harmful.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by DMRick
C.Ann wrote:

Did I miss something? Did someone think advice given here was harmful? Because that's all I'm giving is advice..not meaning to be mean or harmful.

-----------------------------------------------------

No - what I meant was I think there were some who responded that felt we (the collcetive "we") were being "mean" by pointing out that the error was hers and it wasn't fair to neg someone who otherwise carried out her end of the deal in a proper and timely manner..

Something tells me that if you ever choose to be "mean", we will definitely recognize it !!! LOL

 

[DMRick]

Something tells me that if you ever choose to be "mean", we will definitely recognize it !!! LOL

no, I don't think you would. Way back in the begining of this thread, I had a "slight" problem with a poster from these boards, who won some of my auctions..and as mad as I was at the aftermath of what I ended up with (non payment, negs, bad emails)..no one on this board ever knew (well, I think you might have), how mad I was at the (now no longer posting..at least not under her old name) person who almost single handedly made me quit eBaying : )
Luckily, eBay stepped in and she ended up naru'd, (and because of what she said in the negs, they were removed). So, no, I think I'd just stay away rather than be mean, as I did at that time. I had a lot to say then, and I didn't post it.

I only mean to help on this board..if I come across as otherwise, just PM me privately, and I'll rewrite anything that sounds harmful. Sometimes, though (not in this instance but maybe in others), it's a newbie asking for or giving help, and it may not be a good way to eBay IMO (like, sending to Canada a gift if it's merchandise, or shipping something in an envelope that needs to be in a box), and then it may sound mean when I urge you not to do it, or suggest it may not be lawful...but that would just be life : )

 

[pjlla]

Originally posted by C.Ann
Anyone else have that reocurring nightmare that you've sent all the wrong items to the wrong people?

I have it every single time I ship something out - and sooner or later, I'm sure it's actually going to happen!

On the other hand, I had this one guy that kept sending me money orders left and right that were made out to other people.. Seems he was quite a regular buyer on eBay and in his haste to keep up with paying for all of his auctions he kept sticking the wrong MO's in the wrong envelopes..

I could have gotten angry and given him a neg for not getting his act together but quite frankly, I thought it was a hoot and had a ball teasing him about it.. "Good news! Money order arrived safely.. Bad news - made out to the wrong person again..." We probably went back and forth like this for at least a month - if not longer - but my good humor paid off as he has become a repeat customer..

It's frustrating when someone doesn't give you the opportunity to correct your mistakes, but it's a chance we take every single time we sell or buy anything on eBay so I guess we just have to roll with the punches and hope for the best.. I, myself, would not leave her a neg.. I don't think she deserves it...

Actually, my very first week of ebaying my grandmother died. In the confusion of trying to get my stuff shipped out, I accidentally sent a book to a man in Texas instead of to a woman in Connecticut!!! I realized it about three days later. It took almost two weeks for the man to receive the book as it was mailed media mail. He very kindly forwarded to the correct person for me and insisted that I not send him the additional postage. The woman in CT was INCREDIBLY understanding and patient about the delay in receiving her book. Goes to show that there are kind people in the world!!!!!!! (Unlike the two ebayers I bought items from in the first week of December........ one never sent the item, and one sent me a bootleg copy of a DVD, damaged at that!!! So far no refund from either!).......................P

 

[robinb]

(1) CAnn, I never said I would neg her. Never.

(2) I don't think that folks were mean. Some of the comments were ... interesting .

(3) The only advise that I asked for is how to word my comment to her negative. Not FB to her. Just the response to her negative which shows up on my FB. Of course, this being the DIS, I got a lot more advise than I bargained for on things I didn't asked for . Vents usually end up that way! I've been around long enough to know and expect it .

(4) I did indeed do some name calling. I called the buyer a witch for neging me. I was (and still am) angry. I also said she was stupid, but the word "foolish" fits better. It's foolish to neg someone before they leave FB because many sellers will leave a negative in return. FWIW, DMRick used the word "jerk" first .

(5) disneychrista, thanks for the advise I was looking for . My new thought is "Shipping mistake. Working w/buyer to correct it to her satisfaction." . Of course, this makes it look like a negative is what gets me to do something. {sigh}

(6) jennymouse, I was feeling really bad about my mix up. My first response to this mistake was to respond to her email and let her know that I would follow up on it when I got home and had all the information in front of me. I was considering refunding both buyers, but I didn't want to say anything about that until I contacted both buyers and figured out what was going on.

(7) Here is the text of her email to me: Thank you for e-mailing me back. No, I have not gotten # 23 book. I would appreciate you exchanging with me the one I received #21 for the one I purchased #23. This can wait until you get back to town. I will just hold on to the book for her birthday instead of Christmas. Thank you..............Buyer Name

(8) I have still not heard from either buyer. I think I'll give 'em a week. If I don't hear anything I'll send a refund to buyer #1 along with a postage paid envelope for the wrong book.