Can You Guess What I Did Wrong with This Transaction?

All I can say about this post is.. What the French Toast?  I’m posting this, because an eBay Concierge CS person told me that I was in the wrong.  Read through this, and at the end, I’ll tell you what eBay said I did wrong.  Why am I doing this?  So that you won’t do what I did.

Here’s the story without the pics: 

The buyer purchased one listing for 2 curtain valances.  These valances were a sample, and the only one’s like it we had in inventory for the company I eBay for.  They are located in the “eBay Warehouse” instead of the big warehouse.  The significance of that is that it makes this a unique transaction for the picker and packer, so they remember this kind of thing.

  • Buyer messages says they only received one item and they want a partial refund.

**I am on my way to eBay Open and can not log into the VPN at the company.  So I am answering questions blind.**

  • I respond apologize and tell them I need to ask the warehouse if they left it out.
  • She wants a partial refund
  • I once again let her know that I need to get back with her on Mon/Tues with the information but I will give her a partial refund OR I will give her a label to send it back.
  • She proceeds to tell me she’s not sending it back and just wants a partial refund

Warehouse employee confirms that they shipped both AND I log into our shipping to see that the packages weighs more that 3lbs. Confirming that both were sent.

  • I message the buyer ask them to open a return request. (they do) and I provide the label.
  • The buyer calls me names, and refuses to send the item back wants partial refund.
  • I call eBay. eBay tells me I am doing the right thing.
  • More name calling and wanting a partial refund.
  • I call eBay again and they re-assure me that she has opened a return request and that they are going to insist she send it back NOT give a partial refund.
  • Saturday afternoon. They give her a partial refund and debit my account.

Any guesses why or what I did wrong?

Here’s how many times the buyer messaged me.

YES, that is 23 times

 

 

 

She told me she saw them on our site.  Since these were samples, I knew we did not have any on our site. So I asked for proof.

**this is where I knew she received both of them, so I told her she would need to send them back.

 

 

 

 

So if you read through this mess.  You saw that she threatened feedback and star extortion, she called me names, and refused to send the item back.  So here’s the outcome:

 

eBay gave the buyer a partial refund and did not wait for the return case to time out.  Why?  They said “You agreed to give the buyer a refund but didn’t issue it.”

When I told the buyer I would give a partial refund OR I would give them a label, that means to eBay I agreed to give them the partial refund NO MATTER what.    What I want to know is when the CS person at eBay reviewed the messages between the buyer and myself, did they think it was ok for the buyer to use feedback extortion and curse and call me names?

What do you think?

A Tale of Two Purses; Do Pictures, Price & Shipping Matter

I’ve talked about my love for Cole Haan totes on here before.  As  reward for a 1000 new feedback I will buy myself a new tote.

I found 2 purses on eBay that I wanted.  One of them was listed as metallic, and the other as black, but had a picture of a tan purse.  I did not think that I would win either of them, because this style of  used Cole Haan usually NEVER sells for under 75-100.00.

chpurse1

I won them both; one for $55.00 and the other for $18.00.  I paid for both, believing that I was receiving a metallic copper colored tote and a tan tote (both in the same style).  Which I love.

wpid-20150915_102132.jpgI received the “metallic” purse yesterday and the “tan” purse today.  Unfortunately they are the same color and style.  Which got me thinking – Why did one sell for $18 and the other for $55?

chpurse3Here’s the listing for the $55.00 metallic purse.

The seller of this purse has a couple of sentences for the description, and 5 photographs.  The measurements are close, but not quite accurate.  Her photos are clear and show the color of the purse on a white and black background for contrast.  She states this purse is from the late 90’s, (its not) and that’s ok. Shipping was $11.95. Seller has 24 feedback @ 100%.  Item ended September 8th at 8:00pm

chpurse2Here’s the listing for the $18.00 purse.

This has 6 photographs of a purse that looks like a light tan but the item specifics says black. Measurements are off, and there is only ONE sentence about the purse in the description.  The photographs are taken on what looks like an aqua background and  white background.  The seller calls this purse vintage, but it’s not.  Shipping was $12.20.  The seller has 271 feedback and is at 100%.  The item ended on September 9th at 8:24am.

Here are a couple of things I wonder:

  1. Do you think the $1.25 shipping cost difference between the 2 purses made  a difference in people bidding?
  2. Was the lack of description a factor?
  3. Do you think the poor photos of the $18.00 purse, combined with the inaccurate item specifics made it so no one bid on that one?
  4. Do you think ending time was a factor?

You might be wondering what I am going to do with my twin purses… Some would return one.  I hate returns. I think it puts fear in the heart of  seller.. because it does me…  I am going to re-sell mine on eBay.

The eBay Spring Seller Update & Open eBay Cases

My biggest problem with the 2014 eBay Spring Seller Updates is the new policy where they are including cases opened by buyers as a "defect."  You see I sell lots of different things on eBay but mostly I sell intimates.. you know bras? 🙂  This is a high return category. I believe because 80% of women do not know their real bra size.  I contacted eBay about this, and they confirmed what I read, that cases opened will be counted as a mark against me.  EVEN if I satisfy the buyer by refunding their money, answering their question etc.  Any case opened = a defect and a mark on my account.  I currently am a Top Rated Seller with 4.9 or 5 in all my DSR categories.  When I spoke to eBay on the phone they confirmed that in August because of the case that are AUTOMATICALLY opened when a buyer asks a question, I would be below standard instead of Top Rated as I am now.

Probably around 14 months ago I noticed a serious increase in the number of cases that were being opened on eBay without a single email from the buyer first.  (I also wrote about this issue HERE)  I contacted eBay about it, and the first customer service dude said it was a glitch, a couple of days later I called back, and that customer service person told me it was automatic.  I've talked to lots of eBayers in the last few days (since the Spring Seller release) and most the people I spoke to, wanted to see how easy it is for a buyer to open a case INSTEAD of emailing the seller.

Example #1 "I want to return my item"

 

returnitem1

  You have 3 choices: Contact Seller, Return this item, Resolve a problem.  I selected "Return this item"

returnitem2

I selected: "I want to return this item"

returnitem3

I agreed that I wanted to "return the item"

returnitem4

It took me to "open a case"

Example #2  "Contact the Seller"

opencase1

I selected "Contact Seller"

opencase2Funny thing it didn't take me to ask a seller a question.  It took me to this page. I selected:" I want to return the item"

 

opencase3

I selected "continue"

opencase4

It took me to "open a case"

EXAMPLE #3  Resolve a Problem

snad1

I've selected "resolve a problem" (instead of contact seller or return this item)

snad2

The I selected "I received an item that wasn't as described."

snad3

I selected "report that you received an item that wasn't as described."

snad4

The next option OPEN A CASE

 

Here are 3 examples of cases being opened automatically, instead of the buyer asking the seller a question FIRST.  If any open case counts against the seller we are doomed if eBay does not change something in the way cases are opened, or the way they score a case.