Category Archives: eBay

Dear eBay Queen: Help Me with The New Spring Seller Update Fees!

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Dear eBay Queen:

The new spring seller updates are confusing to me.  I started selling 6 months ago, and I own a bricks and mortar store. All of  my inventory comes from the stock I do not sell, or has not sold in my store.  I currently have around 3500 items in my eBay store inventory.  I’ve been paying 179.00 a month for my eBay store + .05 cents per listing for the 1000 extra listings over the 2500 I receive for free.  This new seller update came out and I’m not sure it is worth it for me to pay that kind of money.  Could you help me figure it out?

SP


Dear SP:

You are currently paying 229.00 for your store fees and your 1000 listings that go above your free 2500.  The new store fees for your tier are: $299.95 per month for the store fee. You receive 10,000 fixed price listings and 1000 auction format listings.   You will be paying 70.00 more than what you pay for currently.  UNLESS you can list 1400 more items per month. (on top of the 3500 you currently list)

If you drop down a store tier to the Premium you will pay $59.95 a month for 1000 fixed price and 500 auction listings.  Since you list 3500, if you take 2500 x .10 per listing = 250.00  You’ll pay $309.95 in store fees.

It seems to me your best bet is to keep the Anchor store and increase the number of items you list. For more information on eBay Store Subscription fees, go here:   http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/sprupd16/features-fees.html

 

Dear eBay Queen:

I sold a vintage Beastie Boy’s T-shirt that I purchased at a concert and NEVER wore.  It hung on the wall in my basement.  I took several pictures of the t-shirt.  These were not stock pics, and the description was spot on. The buyer sent a message 31 days after she received the item and stated that it was not the correct color of purple that is shown in the photo, and has to be a fake.  She sent me the following message in the return request she opened against me:

“I would like a refund and do not want to go to the hassle of returning my item as it was not in my fault. I see that you do very good business and have no negative feedback. I will not leave you negative feedback if you are willing to make this right. Thank you”

How should I respond to the return request?  Do I have to honor what she has asked?  I know that what she said was feedback extortion.  Besides reporting her is there anything else I should do?

Pat

Dear Pat:

The first thing I would do is call eBay. Ask them why she was able to open a return beyond the 30 days and must you honor a request on an item that has an issue because of color?  I know in the past, eBay has usually sided with the seller on items where they thought the color wasn’t right.

In this situation, I would most likely deny the return and close the case.  It has been past 30 days, and your return policy states 30 days.  Her comments are definitely feedback extortion and her language makes me think that she has done this often, and probably has received refunds without returns before.

 

Strange eBay item of the Week: Item #222077244050. Concert t-shirts are highly collectible. Some of them sell for quite a bit of money. It is definitely worth checking in the back of your closet! Vintage Iron Maiden Concert T-Shirt 1982 Texas Size L Made in USA SOLD: $1675.99.

 

To Catch an eBay Thief

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 WAY Back in January I sold a really pretty and versatile high end candle holder/decorative piece. Here’s a few of my photos from the listing showing it can be a candle holder, vase or crudités holder.

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The buyer purchased the item, and we sent it to her via UPS.  She messaged me telling me telling me the item broke.

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“Hi, I just received my order today.  Unfortunately the metal base and 1 of the glass cups are broken.  I would like to get a refund on this order ASAP.  Please see pictures for your reference.  Thank You”

We responded and told her we would contact UPS, and that they would pick up the item from her.  To please have all the packing material, original box and the item ready for them, and that the would call her and arrange a time to pick it up.

Three days went by and she sent me another message:

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Then almost every other day she would send me a message.  Most of those messages had some kind of threat or foul verbiage.  I called UPS, and they verified that she would not allow them to pick up the box.  I passed this information on to the buyer.  I received more threats.  Finally she left negative feedback.  I called eBay and it was removed. I sent her one final message asking her to please get in contact with UPS so that she could give them the broken item, and I could refund her money.   She filed a chargeback with PayPal.  While on hold with PayPal, I realized this chick live in Beverly Hills, and she has a unusual name.  I googled her name, and found her Facebook page.  You’ll never believe what she was selling on her Facebook page…

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She’s selling my item!

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Plus.. she has her own “Design page”  Where she has my item again!

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I sent all of this proof to PayPal.  They told me they would add this to my claim, but it was really her credit card company that would make the final decision.  As you can imagine.  The credit card company sided with their cardholder…

 Look what I got today in an email:

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eBay Buyer Insanity or Wishful Thinking?

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I was contacted Saturday (April 16th) by a buyer who purchased a bra from me on March 7th.  Here’s her message:

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“I haven’t left feedback yet on the 75338 bra because I have worn it one time and to me it is doing the same thing that my old bras do.  I have probably about 10 of these bras, in different colors but all same style.  After I wear them a couple of months they tend to crease in the padding. That is what this one is doing.  I didn’t want to leave negative feedback and I just wanted to let you know.”

Why would someone continue to purchase an item that does not perform they want it too?  Then blame the seller?

Dear eBay Queen: Let Me Show You How to Cancel an eBay Transaction

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Dear eBay Queen:

March 29th  I purchased a Nintendo DS XL for my granddaughter.  I figured out about 10 minutes after I bought it that it was not the newest model. I messaged the seller to let them know that I wanted to cancel the transaction, and I received this message from them:

“Geez lady! I’m not selling this stuff for my health! Shouldn’t you know what you’re purchasing before you purchase it! I don’t really want to cancel the transaction.  Why don’t you purchase it and sell it yourself?  I see you are a seller!  That’s probably what you are going to do anyway since you got this one so cheap!”

I didn’t respond, I just paid for the item, and went and bought my granddaughter the one she wanted on Target.com.  Later in the day the seller sent me this message:

“Way to go! You’ve paid for the item.  I’ll ship it out in the next couple of days.”

I received the Nintendo DS that I purchased from the eBay Seller, and I immediately put it on eBay, and sold it for $20.00 more than I paid!

This last week a buyer purchased a Fiesta sugar, creamer and coffee pot from me on eBay.  They messaged me this before she paid:

“Hi, I have been wanting to complete my set for years.  I just found out my daughter in law purchased a set for me for Mother’s Day.  Would there be any way that I could cancel this transaction?  If not, I completely understand. I had no idea that my daughter in law would do something this wonderful for me.  I guess she does listen to me when I talk!”

I messaged the buyer back telling them no problem, and then I cancelled their transaction.  The buyer sent the following message to me:

“Thank you so much! I was so afraid to write you.  I buy a few things a month on eBay, and I’ve never asked to cancel a transaction. I have heard some nightmare stories from other people about how sellers are not nice to buyers.  You have changed my mind.  Thank you so much for doing this for me.  I really appreciate your kindness, and I will be looking at your other Fiesta Ware items.”

I’m a seller, and I understand it is disappointing to lose a sale, but why are other sellers so rude?

Jill

Dear Jill:

It is disappointing to lose a sale, but it is more disappointing to lose a customer.  I think you did the right thing on both issues.  What kind of feedback did you leave the seller that was rude?  I think I would have said. “Tried to cancel purchase. Seller refused. I sold for more money.”

Thanks for being a good example of what a buyer and seller should be on eBay.

 

Dear eBay Queen:

I sell mostly children’s clothing, and I ship them in either Tyvek or plastic bags.  A buyer sent me a message saying they cut the shirt when the opened the package, and asked I would replace it.  I told her I was sorry, but I could not replace the item.  She responded with this:

“What kind of seller are you? The envelopes you use need a scissor to open the package, so it is your fault that I cut the package! You need to use different envelopes or fold your products better. I think you should give me a full refund, or at least split the costs with me. I will NEVER buy anything from you. I will tell all my friends not to buy anything either!  You can guess what kind of feedback comment you will be giving me.”

What should I do?  Do you think I should actually give this woman back her money?  I called eBay, and I was told that what she said was feedback extortion and if she leaves the feedback they will remove it.  They did not give me any advice about the refund.

CP
Dear CP:

I would not give her back her money.  She admitted she cut the item when she opened the package.  If she had not admitted to it, and just said there was a cut in the item when she received it that would be a different story.  You would be forced to refund her money.

In a situation like this I would block her, and watch for her negative.  Once she leaves it call eBay and they will remove it.

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Strange eBay Item of the Week: Item #281747980393: Comic books are really collectible.  When it’s the right one, it’s worth a lot of money.  Check out this one! Amazing Fantasy #15 CGC 4.0 SS Stan Lee Signed 1st Appearance of Spider-Man!  SOLD: $85000.00.