Ebay problem......
I made a successful winning bid on an item listed on ebay and tried to arrange collection in person with the buyer instead of incurring postal costs. Three emails and three phone calls later the seller has still not responded.
The listing didn't include a collection in person option only postage. Around an hour before the auction ended I asked if I could collect the item in person to avoid postage costs as the seller is local to me. The item had a starting price of £9.99 and postage is £7.99. I won the item for the starting price of £9.99.
The seller didn't respond but I made the bid anyway as they have several other larger items they are allowing 'collection in person' on so I felt safe that they had no objections to strangers turning up on their doorstep.
I suspect that the seller is avoiding contact because they are disappointed that the item in question hasn't made the amount they had hoped for and they are trying to recoup their losses by forcing me to pay postage costs. Of course, it is possible that the seller isn't around to answer my emails or phone calls - it's a landline number I have for the seller by the way.
I would politely request that you read the post properly and I especially don't need any advice on not making a bid before seeing if collection in person is possible as I already know that. I also know that I am obliged to complete the sale or risk a no payment strike so that advice would also be redundant.
I'll stand the postage cost if I have to and pay for the item if they suddenly decide to come out of hiding and commence non payment resolution against me. Naturally, they will receive negative feedback if this proves to be the sharp practice I suspect it to be.
I was just wondering if anyone had any similar experience or could offer suggestions I hadn't already thought of to resolve this matter in my favour.
The listing didn't include a collection in person option only postage. Around an hour before the auction ended I asked if I could collect the item in person to avoid postage costs as the seller is local to me. The item had a starting price of £9.99 and postage is £7.99. I won the item for the starting price of £9.99.
The seller didn't respond but I made the bid anyway as they have several other larger items they are allowing 'collection in person' on so I felt safe that they had no objections to strangers turning up on their doorstep.
I suspect that the seller is avoiding contact because they are disappointed that the item in question hasn't made the amount they had hoped for and they are trying to recoup their losses by forcing me to pay postage costs. Of course, it is possible that the seller isn't around to answer my emails or phone calls - it's a landline number I have for the seller by the way.
I would politely request that you read the post properly and I especially don't need any advice on not making a bid before seeing if collection in person is possible as I already know that. I also know that I am obliged to complete the sale or risk a no payment strike so that advice would also be redundant.
I'll stand the postage cost if I have to and pay for the item if they suddenly decide to come out of hiding and commence non payment resolution against me. Naturally, they will receive negative feedback if this proves to be the sharp practice I suspect it to be.
I was just wondering if anyone had any similar experience or could offer suggestions I hadn't already thought of to resolve this matter in my favour.
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if no collection is listed then simply complete the checkout process and pay the require postage charge.
the next step of the auction lays with you, ie to pay for the item as listed.
if, for some reason, the item does not arrive then you can raise a ticket with ebay regarding non-delivery of said item.
the seller is under no obligation to answer any questions regarding alternate delivery.
if the seller doesn't want to answer the phone or answer emails then there is not much you can do about that.
The seller may not want people turning up to their house, thus they don't provide a collect option. Basically, the seller is doing nothing wrong and you should abide by the terms upon which you bought the item.
There is no need for a negative review; that would be stupid thing to do.
Pay up and look big
And in specific reference to this:
How much do you think the item you have won would actually cost to send?
Unless it would be substantially cheaper than £7.99 there really isn't any recouping to be had. And even if there is a discrepancy in the actual cost to send (plus packaging), eBay fees to the seller now include a fee for charging postage (the final value fee being calculated based on the item price plus postage, if charged).
With that in mind, is there any wriggle room, at all? If so, how much do you think?
What you could do, is apologise for the inconvenience and ask to cancel the purchase, instead of trying to blame the seller.
If a person fails to communicate with a seller, that is poor performance and poor selling practice in my book. By the way, detailed seller ratings allow for communication to be rated - and ignoring a buyer is considered poor.
I always make every endeavour to communicate properly with a buyer whenever possible and would expect to be marked down if I fell short in that regard. Obviously, other people here have lower standards than me it would seem.
Less judgemental and more observant responses welcome.
No, I read your post and disagree with you.
Firstly, the seller may not be around for a day or so and secondly, you are trying to change what is already clearly explained, and you agreed with by purchasing ie postage and not collection.
SO give them a positive rating but knock off one star for comms? perhaps they are away? have a home crisis? arent very good with emails?? whatever the reason to give a neg is just not on.
Apparently, they couldn't understand why they failed to notice my emails or hear the phone calls as they work from home? Not sure what to make of it really, maybe I caught them a bit by surprise having obtained their contact number from ebay. Anyway, problem solved thankfully as this item is a real bargain for a tenner!
Pay up and leave eBay forever as you obviously don't know how to use it.
If you knew anything about ebay you would know that sellers can't leave negs for buyers.
I dont use ebay that much but if I do sell something, I never offer collection. I dont want people turning up to my house. They might be late / not turn up / forget etc etc.
Shame he didn't say what his eBay ID is as I'd have blocked him sharpish.
No way would I want to do any business with someone like that.
In ten years of selling on there I've never ONCE had anyone wanting to collect something I've advertised as having a P&P cost attached to it.
Additionally, if the OP is averse to P&P charges, he could always opt to search on stuff that's P&P free of Click & Collect
You are wrong. Communication is only available to be rated IF communication has taken place. You created a situation which required communication, the seller didn't. If you had stuck to the sale terms, this situation would not have arisen.
You may well disagree, and think that the seller should respond to you in a manner which is beneficial to you, but the bottom line is you have created the situation, it isn't going how you would like, so you threaten bad feedback.
ETA: I see you got your way, with apologies from the seller. So no need for negative feedback, eh?
But you contacted them an HOUR before the auction ended. Maybe they were busy having a life....? But then you made an assumption it would be ok to do what you wanted to do and bid anyway.
I would be absolutely livid if an E-Bay buyer called me at home! And over something costing a tenner...!!
Buyers not being able to receive negative feedback has given them way too much power.
If only your seller had been pivvy to this thread, I doubt very much you would have got not only a bargain but an apology as well.
On reflection, I have a suspicion the bile and bitterness exhibited by most contributors here stems from some of you having had very bad experiences with buyers on ebay. Having read through some of your comments, I would suggest you need to be a little less rigid and a tad more flexible in your selling practices.
I honestly think you would see an increase in your sales and an improvement in your feedback. Consequently, you will begin to feel less need to be so irrational and not a little judgemental.
It's crazy isn't it, I ask for advice and end up having to impart it - that's DS for you I suppose.
I wouldnt be apologising to you if I was the seller!! All your fault. Seller just doesnt want to be negatively rated by another buyer who doesnt understand how ebay works!