The old saying goes “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”, but I’m about to feast on my buyers hands!
I can’t explain why, but I’ve had some extremely Annoying Buyers recently. I’m talking about buyers who make me want to climb through my computer screen and give them a good old sucker punch. It got me thinking about the various types of Annoying Buyers out there and so in today’s blog post, I’ve outlined the top 3 types of Annoying Buyers.
The first type of Annoying Buyer is the one who gives you negative feedback before even contacting you to give you a chance to redeem yourself.
I encountered this Annoying Buyer last week when I reviewed my seller feedback and found a negative feedback score next to my name! The buyer claimed that a (brand new) clothing item I sent them was ripped. I went through my usual damage control process and asked them to send a photo of the damage.
All I got back was excuses, despite my offer to give a full refund if the item was in fact, damaged.
In the end, I put it down to the Annoying Buyer deciding they didn’t like the item I sent, and accusing me of selling them a damaged item as an excuse to get a refund.
Another type of Annoying Buyer is the one who asks “Can I pay less in shipping?” This one irks me because it represents a real misunderstanding of how cut-throat online marketplaces can be. I would love to be able to offer free shipping and still make a profit; Think of the number of sales I would make! Buddy, if I could charge less for shipping, I would!
The “buyer’s remorse” buyer. These buyers are usually a little heavy handed on the old “Buy It Now” button and then regret their purchase soon after. This annoying buyer will typically send you an email a few days after they have bought an item from you and claim that:
The bummer outcome here is that you will need to re-list your item again which is a real time-waster if it happens often.
If you sell on eBay, you can open a dispute with the eBay Resolution Center and get your fees refunded to you. You can also block the buyer (requires login) to ensure they don’t try to buy from you again.
We all have a story about an Annoying Buyer, so leave a comment below and tell me about the ones you have encountered.
Comments (74)
Phill on 23:04 28 Jun
I had a buyer in another country file a "item not received dispute" on the day I had indicated the item may arrive. Then minutes later elevated it to a claim in ebay-so paypal froze the funds in my account putting it negative. The customer never responded to my emails, never knew if the item arrived a few days later. Because I wasn't using tracked postage to save on postage I had no proof the item arrived. So the customer so a free item as paypal gave him back his money and I got screwed even though I numerously pointed out to ebay/paypal he was not communicating. Lesson is some customers will screw you-always use a tracking numberRod Sartwell on 23:08 28 Jun
Threats of negative feedback even after you have provided a return/refund policy in your listing and follow-up email contacts. Buyers who are not involved in on-line selling have no appreciation for the costs involved with shipping but still seem to pick this as a negative.paul on 23:21 28 Jun
here is the buyer no one wants to encounter on ebay, the scammer, they are not really buyers as what they do is buy items for about $100 and then claim it is not what you advertised and refuse to provide any evidence of their claim, and they don't want a refund either, they want 'compensation' for what they 'claim' you have done, usually $1000 i found out in court. I realised what they were up to soon after it started, the demand email was too polished and legalistic. I asked ebay for help, they refused, between me and the buyer they said, the buyer left bad feedback because I wouldn't pay up, I again asked ebay for help, NO CHANCE, the response was almost rude. I swore out a complaint through my local police, that got a reaction from ebay as their name was on the complaint to, they suspended my accounts, both of them and paypal did the same 2 days later. I won the court case, the buyer was convicted of theft and blackmail (not the modern legal terms) and put on a good behaviour bond and the magistrate said ebay should be held accountable as well, for what they refused to do, not for anything criminal as their actions suggested they 'sided' with the criminal. The final post script to this saga is this, the criminal still has his ebay and paypal accounts, I do not and it doesn't worry me, I was never that involved, but 1 month after the court case was finished my brother who was a power seller with 99.9 feedback had his accounts suspended as well, and no one would ever explain why, This all happened in 2009 and Peter died in may 2010 and to date paypal/ebay have refused to even answer letters from his estate about his accounts (is there any money there still). I have his PC now and it still has all his information in it, logins and all, I will never use them, but I must keep them because every time I write something like this I get threats from them but they won't sue because they cannot win, not in Australia.Saina on 23:57 28 Jun
I have been selling on ebay for 3Months now. In my second sales, i had a buyer won a bid for a dress i was selling, however, she refused to pay for the dress. Outrageous!Ben Watson on 5:39 29 Jun
Only been selling on eBay for a little while, so far I've encountered 1. The non-payer - alice already mentioned this and I got the same excuse once, "my 5 year old son placed a bid". He didn't even somehow press buy now, he pressed place bid, then entered a bid, then confirmed it......yeh ok lady, I don't know how eBay works so I believe you...pfft. 2. The bargain hunter - "Hi I see your B.I.N price is $x.xx, I was going to buy from another seller for $x but they ran out, if you can match their price I will buy from you".....um...NO! $x.xx is my price, if they ran out good for me. In fact, if my competition has run out of stock perhaps I should raise my price, thanks for that informative email lol 3. Buyer places order and pays via PayPal. eBay give me a postal address, PayPal gives me a postal address, they match so I send to that address and mark item as posted. 5 days later I recieve an e-mail; "my item hasn't arrived. Did you send it this address?.....(completely different address)" AAAAAAARRGGGHHHH!!!!Loretto on 14:47 29 Jun
I am having trouble listing on eBay only because I have had more issues in the past 2 months than I have ever had in the past 1.5 years. Two different people bid on an item, won the item, did not pay. Another person paid for the an item and then the complained that the shipping was too slow. Well if you want an item shipped fast then pay for it. My problem is when things like this happen to sellers what recourse do we have. So what if eBay puts unpaid item on their profile or wherever they put it, did not help me. I am also not the one that puts the expected time of delivery, that is eBay controlled. So if they have a problem with shipping they should contact eBay. I have never had issues with shipping until now. Selling on eBay can be fun, at least it was, now not so much.nat on 3:18 30 Jun
i had someone complain about a free gift once.Alice Delore on 1:39 2 Jul
@PhillYes, that is a lesson very well learned - always use tracking for international and local sales. It saves you from having to spend time emailing buyers and tracking down orders, not to mention, it saves money offering refunds to buyers who may or may not be telling the truth!
Alice Delore on 1:42 2 Jul
@Paul,Wow, that's quite a story! Thanks for sharing. It's not often that eBay related disputes end up in court, but it sounds like a nightmare. How miserable of eBay to turn a blind eye and not offer any advice.
Is your account still disabled?
Alice Delore on 1:44 2 Jul
@benwatto."In fact, if my competition has run out of stock perhaps I should raise my price, thanks for that informative email lol"
Haha, I like your thinking ;)
Alice Delore on 1:46 2 Jul
@Nat, that's unbelievable! Someone complaining about a free gift? That about sums up some eBay buyers, though, right?Good grief. I hope you are continuing to offer free gifts; despite that customers strange resistance to it, free gifts are a proven way to help get good feedback and to encourage repeat purchases.
John on 10:10 2 Jul
Things you need to know before selling on an auction site. If the item gets lost in the post it's your fault, if they return it and it gets lost in the post it's your fault. If they send payment and it gets lost it's your fault. If they order the wrong size, colour etc, it's your fault. If they send a postal order in an unmarked envelope with no information and the cost amount rounded up, if you can't tell who it's from and what they want, guess what. IT'S YOUR FAULT. Finally I always ask in feedback for buyers to contact me if they have any problems. I had one guy sent me a ranting email suggesting I was accusing him of complaining and making him look bad. It may not look like it but after 10 years I have factored all the emotional and financial costs into my mind and prices and whilst still giving a personal service I treat all the scams and unwarranted complaints in a professional but detached and unemotional manner. Do this and you will feel much happier. Regards and Lots of Sales to you all. JohnSam on 23:51 26 Jul
I run an eBay shop selling handmade wedding stationery, I gave up my job to do this full time. Every day I have around 20 messages on eBay asking questions that are all clearly answered in the listing - "Do they come with envelopes", "What size are they?", "How much are they?". I even had one customer ask me if she could have her own details on her wedding invitations or if she has to have the details in the picture - what, she actually thought I would sell her wedding invitations with someone else's name and address on?!?! These questions take up valuable time every day to answer and can really be soul destroying! Then I get the customers who order their stationery, but don't give me their wedding details. I e-mail them several times asking for their details, and when they finally get back to me they complain that their order is taking so long! We mustn't forget the customers either that order their invitations 3 weeks before their wedding, so I bump them up the queue and then they have a go at me because Royal mail have taken longer than 1 day to deliver them! Oh and also the ones that send me an e-mail at 1am, and then another one at 5am asking why I haven't answered them yet! I forgot that us eBay sellers are machines that don't need sleep. And finally, the most annoying customer is the one that leaves you positive feedback and then 1 star in all categories for the details seller ratings, putting your Top Rated Seller status at risk because they don't know how to leave feedback properly. That's what makes me really glad that I stay up until 2am most nights working on orders for my customers at less than minimum wage...Lee M on 7:53 8 Oct
We have traded on Ebay UK for years but have recently pulled nearly all of our stock from the site. Our Amazon sales far outweigh any trade we have on eBay (about 12x better) and I just got to a point where I was sick of dealing with the idiots eBay produces. Amazon shoppers know what they want and buy it. Simple. In a typical week, we would have over 50+ questions about lowering prices, exact colour etc on eBay. On Amazon, we are lucky to get one product question PER WEEK! So now, we just use eBay so sell on customer returns and the odd end-of-line item. Life is much better. I will leave you with this gem from a few months ago: Item title: Cath Kidston Single Duvet Cover Customer question: is this a double or a king size?Hazette on 2:21 11 Oct
Thanks for sharing guys!Rick on 11:50 4 Nov
A few weeks ago I had the worst ebay buyer EVER!!!... I sold an item to a woman in Italy for around £10, then 3 weeks after the sale I get a message saying she has not received the item yet and asking how much longer it will take, I respond telling her that she should have received it by now and I will phone Royal Mail in 3 days to find out exactly where the package is ( I sometimes say this as a bluff in case they are trying to scam me as I did not actually use tracking, and this gives her 3 days to come clean to say she has the package ) and I told her if Royal Mail can't tell me where the package is then it is probably lost and I will have to refund her, and said to her 'but in the mean time if you get the package then let me know'. So 3 days later with no reply to my 'bluff message' I refunded her full payment and told her I refunded her because Royal Mail 'don't know where the package is'.. 2 days after refunding her I get a message from her saying 'it's okay now I have the package, thank you' ( she doesn't mention anything about me refunding her ) and I even get positive feedback from her... so I send her a friendly message saying 'So are you going to return the payment back to me through paypal that I refunded to you since you have the item now??'... I am still waiting for a reply many weeks later and the other day I sent her another ( sarcastic ) message saying 'Thank you very much!!!!!'... I can even leave her negative feedback for being a blatant scammer!Jenny on 15:15 7 Nov
My buyer left immediate negative no comms. at all Said it was a total ripp off!!Postage was well overcharged.Item was 99p+1.00 p&p. After contact with customer services who said they would remove it she made contact giving reason as it was cheaper at Poundland bearing in mind it was 99p I could not equate this. Poundland said they did not have this item on their system!!! 7 years selling 100% feedback ruined and she would not revise. I offered full refund and she could keep it. No answer it is still on site I left negative there as it was so stupid and having it removed would still not give me back my 100%. They walk amongst us!!!! Buyer is registered childminder scary stuff.non miss on 21:19 29 Dec
Sellers, do quality control, this will go along ways. You won't have issues if you take serious time to make sure you go over and above your duty as a seller.Adrian on 13:40 20 Mar
Anoying buyers who are harassing and used the item .I have a big annoying buyer problem I sold a prada T-shirt he said it was a fake even thou the item was not ship to my bad luck I always ship instantly when they pay and did not view the message until after i shipped he said he would keep the T-shirt he send me a total of 55 eBay messages stating he wants the T-shirt but didn't it , got to a point when , i told him I he was not happy with the item to return for refund and open on an eBay case he denied . 16 days later he posted a picture on his eBay profile wearing the T-shirt and stating he wants a refund and that item was never used really ?????? Yet again he keep on harrasing me with eBay message non stop I reply to him once again to open up a case he refused and stated he will keep the item, now to my bad luck I sold another item apparently to the same buyer but with another eBay account same shipping address different name, and he at it againg do not want to open and ebay case or return the item but want to harass me with eBay messages I personally do not understand what people get of harrasing eBay members ..Little a on 13:43 20 Mar
Anoying buyers who are harassing and used the item .I have a big annoying buyer problem I sold a prada T-shirt he said it was a fake even thou the item was not ship to my bad luck I always ship instantly when they pay and did not view the message until after i shipped he said he would keep the T-shirt he send me a total of 55 eBay messages stating he wants the T-shirt but didn't it , got to a point when , i told him I he was not happy with the item to return for refund and open on an eBay case he denied . 16 days later he posted a picture on his eBay profile wearing the T-shirt and stating he wants a refund and that item was never used really ?????? Yet again he keep on harrasing me with eBay message non stop I reply to him once again to open up a case he refused and stated he will keep the item, now to my bad luck I sold another item apparently to the same buyer but with another eBay account same shipping address different name, and he at it againg do not want to open and ebay case or return the item but want to harass me with eBay messages I personally do not understand what people get of harrasing eBay members ..LMF on 1:45 16 Apr
I had an annoying buyer recently that ruined my 100% positive feedback. She bought 5 items from me, and paid for it up front before receiving my revised postage for multiple items. I then had to change my invoice from $10 postage to $8 because she 'didn't have enough on her debit card'. This was when I knew she'd be a problem. She made her mistake my issue but to keep the peace I complied. After I sent the revised invoice I went to pack her items up and found, to my horror, that I could not find one of the items she had bought. I contacted the buyer straight away and offered her either a refund or replacement. She seemed ok and was more than happy to accept a replacement. I spent two hours of my time (finishing 9.30pm) sending her photos and descriptions so she could make a choice. THEN after all that she starts asking me about the items she had already purchased, which I then said to her she should already know because I posted all that information in my listing? So I send the items to her and get a response that she is VERY UNHAPPY with one of the items I sent her, a $5 costume jewellery item second hand - I think people forget we're everyday people and not selling Gucci. Apparently it was ugly and damaged (though the picture shows otherwise). She had also raised a dispute with paypal before I had even responded. She claims she did that to make it easier to refund her - later I discovered it's so you can't leave negative feedback against her as a problematic buyer. Sneaky and very cunning. I kindly asked her to send the item back so I could process the refund and offered to pay her postage back - I got an essay as big as war and peace about her pain and suffering and how I was dodging responsibility by not refunding her IMMEDIATELY and to top it off she claims a $6 refund instead of $5 so she made money on it. Best one yet - will not pay extra postage for combined items but will claim extra postage back when she doesn't like what she's got, complete scammer. I refunded the money after being harrassed and she still left negative feedback across ALL my items about the one item she didn't like, plus made negative comments about me greatly inconveniencing her by having to replace the item I misplaced, yet said nothing at the time, really vindictive behaviour. I contacted eBay and said this was clearly an abuse of feedback, and they did nothing about it. I said they were endorsing her scamming behaviour as I have seen other posts from this particular buyer on facebook about jewellery she had bought from other sites (I sent them a copy), and made a point of saying she requests refunds and wants to keep the items as well. Good way of getting things for free. EBay assured me that they had taken 'appropriate' action on her account, but have no idea what that would be. She makes a career out of hassling people and getting items for free, its disgusting behaviour which eBay policies have helped to create by protecting buyers and letting them take full advantage.Bnd on 7:25 12 Jun
Annoying Buyer #? The needy buyer, aspergers syndrome?, a buyer who see the world in black or white, yes or no. He/she will be impatient, become frustrated easy, ask same question in 4 different ways, no mater how you answer, may think you have answered the question, it will come back again and again, as it isnt and can never be a simple yes or a no answer. 3 messages a day? 8 a day? there is no limit, all that for $7 profit.Bnd on 5:03 26 Jun
Annoying Buyer ##? The wholesaler.... at one time ide view wholesale inquiries as opportunity, now many years in I cringe every time im asked the question. Their a wormy lot, range from amateur to prison yard bullies/criminals. Often there much like dealing with a sociopath, hidden agendas and trickery behind those wide smiles....prying, destructive, disrespectful, liars, tricksters... they will even use an ebay purchase to pressure the seller into negotiation.Merilee on 1:31 3 Aug
A buyer contacted me about an item. It seems that under my listing the international global program was selected by mistake, which never happened before. The buyer had not actually purchased the item, but sent a message lecturing me on the global program Here was the message: "I am very interested in this lot of DVDs.... but I see that you have opted into eBay's dubious 'Global Shipping Program.' From an international perspective, that program adds NO benefits for the recipient while delaying the shipment for the seller (since the package has to go through a third party first). It also adds an additional fee (in this case, over $14!) which likely goes right into eBay's bank account. eBay tells buyers that "since you pay the import charges when you purchase the item, you won't need to pay these charges again when the item is delivered to you." However, in the VAST majority of cases, import charges are NOT LEVIED upon delivery. So I would be paying that fee for no reason. Perhaps you have opted into the program without being duly informed of all of its consequences. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Thank you for your time and consideration! Good luck with your auction." I said to myself: "huh?" When I checked my new listing, I saw the program checked by mistake. I know I never actually ticked it, but sometimes when the pages click, something ends up like that. Who knows? Well, although a mistake, and after reading a lengthy lecture from a "professional" buyer (this one is NOT a seller) on telling me how to sell, I messaged nicely back with this: Hi Thank you for contacting me. "I don't know how, but the international shipping was NOT supposed to be checked. I don't ship internationally since it causes a lot of hassle. If you hadn't contacted me, I would not have realized and the DVDs may have been purchased from another country by mistake. I've corrected the matter. I see you were interested and I'm sorry for the inconvenience. But I also thank you for the information and making me aware of the situation. Thank you once again!." Simple and to the point right? Nice and considerate, I answered the buyer, thanking him/her for making me aware of my mistake. So, guess what? I get this reply: "Thanks for your reply. To be honest, that was certainly not the response I was expecting to receive from you! Please bear in mind that, had you NOT also somehow opted into eBay's absurd Global Shipping Program, I would have used the 'Buy It Now' option on your auction by now, and you might well have been obligated to accept my winning bid for that lot of items. I certainly did not expect to be prevented FROM bidding when I brought this listing error to your attention.... proactively, I might add. I truly regret that your previous international shipping experiences were a "hassle" to you, but I assure you that 99.9% of the time, such transactions conclude successfully for both parties involved. I've participated in literally thousands of eBay auctions over the past 15+ years, and I have only had two or three USA-to-Canada shipment problems (and one of those was caused by the SELLER, who mailed my package to the wrong address!). However, I respect your policy as stated, so I will not bid on your revised auction despite my stated willingness to do so. Sorry we couldn't do business. Good luck with your auction anyway! Meanwjhile, if you change your mind about your international shipping policy, please feel free to let me know, especially if this lot of items fails to sell over the next few weeks." Well, nice person! Somehow the buyer believed I was being sarcastic, since he/she rather mocked me with the "NOT" that was in my answer (take note in his/her reply how the "NOT" was capitalized like mine was.) Also, it made no sense to say that if I DIDN'T have the international checked, he/she could have pressed the buy it now button. Um, no sir, ma'am, when it says United States, that's where it would be shipped to. If international is NOT (lol) checked, then the item would have not gone through. I might only be "obligated" when IN was checked. (I hate those that state the obvious). Did this person even know what he/she was talking about? Obviously he/she thought they did. Well, when you read the messages carefully, you can see how patronizing the buyer is. He/she was patronizing in the 1st message. The second, when I read it again, sounded so ridiculous, melodramatic, and pointless that I had to shake my head how some people think they're superior, and for such a nothing matter. You're tempted to answer, but being that there are nutcases in the world, who knows what the buyer may do? Ignoring is the best solution. I did not bother to answer back. But this buyer obviously thinks others are stupid by the condescending tone to the messages, and although not down-right nasty, the buyer did saying about changing my mind "if this "fails" to sell. Please. What we have here is a know-it-all buyer having a snit about not being able to purchase the item. In the 2nd message, he/she acts as though it were personal. I have every right to sell to where I want, and it's not a buyer's business to tell me what shipping method I should use, only if they ASK if they may have another shipping method, not TELL you.. And mistakes happen. I even apologized for inconvenience he/she may have felt, when I didn't have to respond at all. Many sellers don't. I checked the buyer's feedback, and he/she has given some negatives to sellers. One was about the item bought never arriving after 3 months went by. Well, how is that the seller's fault? An item has to go through customs, and may have a better chance of getting lost in another country than the US. Although it can go missing her, the odds are less likely. Also, international does not have tracking I think the Global program does, but I have no way of getting the package to them as I don't have a car. Unlike this perfect buyer, who says he/she has ONLY lost a few packages, i CAN'T afford the loss. Some people can buy or sell without all the worry in the world, but some forget that there are sellers auctioning things off to SURVIVE. We can't use the money on what we sell as play money. Sometimes we have bills to pay. I would be more than happy to sell internationally, BUT can't afford it! So I say excuse me if you didn't like the use of my word "hassle" sir, ma'am, but it's a "hassle" dealing with patronizing, sarcastic, obnoxious buyers! Even this person's "positive" feedback was obnoxious, as though he/she was granting a great favor! It was really quite funny. Especially with someone not very intelligent but actually believes him/herself to be. I don't know if i envy that sort of blindness or not.(oops, I said "not' again, lol) The poor dear read way too much into my simple message. I guess when you're on a pedestal of your own imagination for so long, one begins to believe everyone else it being sarcastic, even though obviously I wasn't. But it takes a certain maturity to realize your faults, but this buyer is NOT one of them. Hey, there I go again, with the "NOT"! So I vented long pretty much. Just had to get this off my chest. Add condescending buyers to your list of annoying. Buyers like this will not endear themselves to Ebay sellers. And us imperfect sellers do make mistakes! Jerk (or Jerkette).Marge on 19:59 8 Aug
I have been a buyer on eBay for about 10 years, and recently started selling some of my own stuff. I got the most obnoxious question the other day. I was selling my sister's Ipod, and I got a message from some guy. He stated that he had no intention of bidding on my item, and then started asking me questions about how to get a Paypal account and how to sell things on eBay. Do I look the customer service center? On another occasion, within an hour of me posting a 7-day auction, I get a bid on my item, immediately followed by message from the bidder asking if I could close my auction now for the starting price. Other than that, I constantly get questions about what is included/not included in my listings that are clearly stated in the description. These annoying buyers are the reason I cringe a little bit every time I'm notified that I have a new message in my inbox.Stase on 14:05 1 Nov
I had two cases whiich I want to share. Buyer from Sri Lanka "bought" a dress. He never paid for the item. After a few days i opened an unpaid item case and Ebay returned the fees, after closing the case . I reprted this buyer to Ebay. A few weeks later the same buyer opened a case against me, that he didn't get the item asking for refund. It took me one hour with Ebay representetive to explore this case. They closed the case in my favor. I have questions: how the fake buyer can open a case on unpaid item? I thought they just hope that someone will ship the item without them paying, but I have no idea, why Ebay lets them open a case and ask for refund. Does anyone have this kind of problem?Grace Gosse on 5:20 6 Nov
A year ago I had a woman contact me about some Visions Pyrex Cookware. She was rude so I blocked her; I figured she would be just trouble and didn't want any transactions with her. She had her daughter open a new ebay account so that she could buy the Visions and then purposely leave me a negative feedback for blocking her. She actually told me this herself. She wanted to get back at me for blocking her. Now that's just psycho! Last week a woman left me a negative feedback because I listed a dutch oven as Le Creset and it was actually Cuisinart. Within 3 days I realized it was a listing error (before shipping it), so I immediately refunded her her money within 3 days and she sent me an email disgusted that I wasted her time. Yesterday a buyer contacted me stating she never received her glass coffeemaker and what was I going to do about it. I tracked it with the tracking number. It turns out that she was gone for a week and UPS left her a note to pick up. She then admitted she got the note, but claimed somehow there was a third party involved and I must have shipped it somewhere else. I, again, contacted UPS and they said they left a note on her door and sent her a postcard at her home address. It turned out that she told them she was going to pick it up (but didn't) and was trying to pull one on me. It has been a stressful year selling on ebay. I don't know how some people can sleep at night!jjw on 12:56 15 Dec
"Posted by non miss on 21:19 29 Dec Sellers, do quality control, this will go along ways. You won't have issues if you take serious time to make sure you go over and above your duty as a seller. "Nothing on the entire spectrum of the internet is more false than this statement.
joanne on 12:47 18 Feb
I have just recently encountered an annoying buyer myself. I recently sold a car seat on ebay... it was my first time selling on ebay and I explained it to the buyer so she knows all the steps I am making are all new to me. The whole time we were in contact about the item, how I was having trouble with PayPal not printing out the right label so it took about a week for my item to ship. The whole time I explained to her the situation and she was responding right away with very sincere responses and she was so kind and understanding. I even answered all her questions honestly and even on the description of my item I stated that the car seat cover had a snag and some water stains. She understood since the cover can be easily replaced and I was even selling the item cheaper and she was surprised about that fact. Well... The other day I noticed that she left a negative feedback next to my name stating... I shipped late, usps stated they received the package in bad condition and the box broke open and the item was filthy!I was so upset because none of those allegations were true.
I shipped late and she was aware, USPS received in good condition (it was shipped in a brand new box and I saw the mailman walk away with a perfect condition box) the item was not filthy I made sure to clean it and I even had it washed.
As a new seller, I am disappointed with the lady's feedback. I am a very honest person and I don't like it when people make me look bad.
I have tried to contact her regarding her being unhappy with the item and offering for a full refund but no reply. I just don't appreciate the fact that she can leave a negative feedback which is not true and not contact me directly. I don't know what her motive is but it sure sounds negative to me. I hope not to deal with people like her in the future.
Brenda on 1:30 4 Aug
I had an overseas buyer purchase a well know designer top. All silk, sheer, very nice and pretty. 5 weeks after purchase I get a neutral feedback from her saying " I am giving you a neutral feedback, this top says it is med. and it is not. It should be a small, I am very unhappy with the fit !!!. " so she is too chubby for the top. I am not the one who labeled the top Med..mr fancy designer did. AND why wait 5 weeks to complain ???? I say buyers remorse.Ashley on 4:19 19 Sep
I also had buyers that regardless of description or even when the item is USED and labeled as SOLD AS IS, they still try to rip you off and want you to refund more than half of what they actually paid. Give me a break ! I accepted the offer for more than half the value it was labeled and I am apparently the seller that is lying about the item's SOLD AS IS description. GET A LIFE ! stop trying to make sellers bad!!Tgirl on 20:14 29 Apr
OH how true how true!!!! I have had buyers say that received the wrong item and demand a refund and when the item is returned it is obvious that they swapped out the item for another of their own. I also am very tired of people bidding and then saying "Oh my son purchased this without my permission so please cancel the sale." Yes I will cancel the sale but you can bet that I am going to file an unpaid item report! Come on people!!!! STOP BIDDING IF YOU HAVE NO INTENTION OF BUYING!!!!! Arrrrgggghhhhjohn on 10:43 7 Jul
This buyer purchased a set of used wheels from me that were in excellent undamaged condition. He left the positive feedback "very quick shipping, very satisfied with item great seller!" He then messages me with " I think the back rim has a hairline crack, im not sure so im having an expert look at it" "oh its cracked for sure and he says don't ride on it because its dangerous and it can kill me"! I said ok send me a picture of the crack and so the pictures he sends don't show a crack but they show that he has taken the 10 speed gear off and who knows what else, the picture does not show a crack. So we dilly dally and he acuses me of selling broken stuff and I say look at my pictures in my listing, it doesn't show any damage or cracks. Mind you that this is after 14 days return policy that he messaged me with his complaint. After I sent him out a 3rd tire that all this damage seemed to happen and he told me he put the 10 speed gear on his other rims. But now he filed a complaint with pay pal and they have minused my account for 200 pending. He received the item, left "very satisfied" + feedback then wrenches on the wheels and says they are damaged and he wants a half refund or a full refund. He never sends me a picture showing the crack and expects a refund after he uses the wheels, takes parts from them that he wanted, disrespects the other parts he doesn't, then threatens to open a case against me if I don't do as he wishes. He is not new to ebay, he has several hundred transactions buying and selling, he sells bike parts he rides bikes, but he cant tell if it has a crack in the rim and has to give it to his buddy expert to tell him if it is cracked or not? I looked at his comments and saw that he had left feedback saying that he noticed a crack in something he had bought from a different seller in the past, but left positive feedback at the same time stating that it was a good camera but I found a small hairline crack in the housing around the lens. Sounds like this guy looks hard with a microscope to find cracks so he can pull his money back through them, and if he cant find a crack he will make one! This guy also has received negative feedback for selling reprint counterfeit baseball cards. I thought that if it is passed the 14 day stated return policy, you cannot return an item, I thought that if the buyer leaves + feedback they can not go back and then open a case against the seller. WTF?Renee on 23:57 9 Aug
In the process of selling a blender. It's broken - small rubber coupling needs to be replaced. I fully disclosed this and photographed the broken part. It sold for $10 and the buyer didn't pay right away. No big deal, but would've been nice for you to be a grown-up and tell me you need a few days instead of me having to ask. Then four emails asking me essentially how to fix it, how to remove the part, how to put the new part on... I can't do it for you. You're a big boy/girl. And now a fifth email (not even a question) telling me they watched a YouTube video. Okay. That's fantastic. I'm betting I don't get paid for this one. What happened to the eBay where you take responsibility for your purchases? I think this is my final listing ever.Ann on 16:24 9 Oct
sent some lovely items and the buyers cannot be even bothered to tell me item has arrived safely, let alone getting any feedback. does this happen to other sellers?? OR IS IT JUST ME.... I know the stuff I sell is good , as I take care to describe, and have a good camera which shows exactle what the items look like.Anony on 3:27 30 Jan
Buyer lowerballed price for cosmetic.. then gave negative feedback because box wasnt good but item brand new. What do the cheapo expect. I WILL DRAMATICALLY RAISE MY prices now I dont give a gel.david on 12:43 15 Feb
Buyer opened case for item not received while it was in transit. Ebay closes case in my favor. Buyer then initiates a return request for "item not as described" with the comment "item was late". After 3 days I accepted the return request but buyer has still not shipped item even though the return deadline has passed. Item sold for $212.Jumbo J on 22:26 20 Jun
My annoying buyer story might not qualify because he didn't buy. I had something up for buy it now with best offer. No one took so it's been off the market for over a month now. This guy had been harassing me with insulting offers on the item (Justin Golschneider on 11:23 21 Jun
Hi Jumbo! I would block that guy: https://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/manage_bidders_ov.htmldeb on 0:14 3 Nov
a new buyer on ebay won a fur coat sold 'as is' for crafts. buyer had no feedback'-would not pay-automatic 'warning sent to buyer' buyer finally sent money, then received the item and filed a claim after she tore it apart. I have to wait three days to call ebay. you better believe I will be on the phone early in the morning within 72 hours. this dumb- cluck is blocked !!Erica on 22:43 11 Feb
Hi,I agree with what you're saying. I'm not a seller, tried and failed in that department. Anyway I agree with numbers 1 and 2, and most of number 3. I can guess it's fustrating to deal with a buyer who suddenly can't afford to pay for the item, but that does happen sometimes. I have never bidded on anything pr brought anything without making 100% sure that the money was in my account, but these days money isn't always paid in when people expect it to be paid in.
I still totally agree on most of what you are saying though.
Mister Shaw from parts unknown on 23:40 24 Jul
A criminal won an auction for a laptop computer from me by using his dead grandmother's eBay account and the address of a nursing home as the address.I had to prove the owner of the account was actually dead in order to circumvent his attempt to force a not as described refund.
His account was suspended, but one week later he had it un-suspended by having his girlfriend call eBay and tell them she was the dead grandmother. Their customer support system in the Philippines is not full of winners.
Kirsten on 19:54 24 Sep
Hello I need help with an annoying buyer on eBay at the moment I don’t know what to do, just sold her I giant 6foot teddy bearWhich I ended the listing early for her to buy at a lower price because she told me her daughters cat died, so I send it 2nd class at first class was £23 and even seconds class was £12 when I only charged her £7 for delivery.
Now she says she wants a refund as it’s not like the picture, that I took of the bear. I said I’ll happilly give her a full refund when she sends the bear back. But she wants me to pay for the delivery back even though it was listed as no refunds. What do I do ?
Rhea Bontol on 5:58 19 Oct
Well ethically speaking, it should be the seller to shoulder for the return shipping fee when buyer's reason for returning the item is "item not as described". But was there a reason in the first place why you listed the shipping fee short of £5?Anyway in order to save you from negative feedback, you can start comparing courier fees from her area and consider this as a loss. This is just 1 (bad) sale for you. You'll recover from future sales eventually :)
No matter how annoying buyers can be sometimes, treat every case as "customers are always right".
John on 23:27 21 Nov
Haven't used eBay since 2003. I impulsively purchased a Switch last year. I treated it well (I’m an adult and all)After collecting dust on my nightstand for months and becoming slowly obsessed with Fortnite I decided to buy a PS4 - deciding to sell the switch to pay for it.
I opened an eBay account and sold the unit within an hour. The buyer was very lucky she got a Switch a never used dock, ordinal packaging and out of gratitude gave her a travel case with a bunch of games. I even transferred the warranty to my name.
Sent the package off and thought ”thats it”
Then the emails started to come. ”dock won't work - must be broken” lady had problems connecting the dock. Her tone, the attitude was a mixture of technical ignorance of the widespread Switch issues (namely the dock TV incompatibility) and just plain rudeness.
Thankfully I had years of technical support experience. Calmly sent her a number of troubleshooting steps, worked with Nintendo with her and all the while getting boarding hateful and accusations that I told her a bad unit.
The problem is most likely her damn TV, I want to cancel my eBay account after using it once and I just know she's going to give negative feedback.
My theory - she didn't do her research and/or buyers remorse. Next time I'll just use gamestop like everyone else.
Rhea Bontol on 6:30 23 Nov
That's true when selling items that needs technical support such as electronics, and software. You have to expect to hear from (non-technical) buyers when setting up the device. Can be frustrating at times, yet the best way to handle their case is to forward them to the manufacturer's help line once you've exhausted all your resources.Becky on 14:57 14 Jun
I had a buyer who bought a jumper and claimed it hadn't arrived so wanted a refund and then i entered the tracking number in and then it said when it was delivered then i heard nothing back from her, lol.Rhea Bontol on 4:29 13 Dec
Typical for buyers to follow up with their orders. How did the feedback go?Jay on 20:08 11 Jul
The one in 5000 crazy scary buyers , if you haven't had one just wait. Threats for refund buyer, threaten you, business, slander, legal threats, physical threats, ignore policies, a year past return policy no matter, ..wage.all out war won't go away..joys of selling online.John smith on 16:34 17 Jul
When you sell an item accept the offer and then the buyer doesn’t message you back at all literally right after I accepted the offer. So I wait around a couple hours and still no reply or payment. So I cancel and the next day you get!? You cancelled my item with out giving me 24hrs to pay! I understand if it takes you a day or even two to pay but you could at least message me back after winning! Then he ask if I can relish it so he can buy it again so I agree to it but of course after you do so all of a sudden no answer again! But once I take down the auction again surprise surprise here he comes with a message again! What is wrong with ppl thinking your going to wait a year so they can maybe pay and then it makes me wonder are they gong to keep item send back nothing take my money and give bad feedback? Not worth it. A decent ebayer should at least message back after you accepted offer and sent message and it says immediate payment must be made but they think it’s okay to make me wait forever! What would they do if they were selling it uk? These buyers have to much protection on eBay but us sellers get screwed? Screw eBay for real and shady buyers!Dan on 15:30 26 Jul
A buyer who pesters to lower the price non-stop. Asks the best price and then submits a bid 2x lower. Then you look at their own shop and find they're selling the same item for more.Rhea Bontol on 4:37 13 Dec
I think eBay has a policy with regards to this case so it's easier for you to report them and have their eBay listings taken down.Kim on 19:26 8 Aug
My favorite ignoramus is the one who asks me to provide detailed measurements - waist, length, rise, inseam, etc. on a pair of $3.99 pajama pants. If you need to know the inseam on a pair of pj pants, you should NOT be buying used clothing on Ebay. Take your tape measure and go buy it new cause I do not have time for your neurosis, weirdo.My second fave is the one who sends me a $5 offer on an item that's priced at $30. Umm....no? I no longer use Best Offer anymore on any listings because of this. It just encourages nitpicky cheapsters to come crawling out of the woodwork and I'd rather get no sale than have someone like that buy my items and cause me more hassle than it's worth.
Cursed Ebayer on 19:41 17 Nov
I had a (not quite) buyer once who tried to place a best offer of £5 on a bag with a £10 starting bid. When I turned the offer down they then proceeded to send me strings of verbal abuse accusing me of not understanding how best offer works and that I should accept her offer as there had been no bids (after the item had been up only a day)Rhea Bontol on 4:43 13 Dec
Curious how you got around without losing your patience. Do share! :)Lisa on 21:10 26 Sep
Sold item on ebay. Buyer delayed payment. I sent out item with a stamp on due to powercut and no internet or phone line for days to do online postage and no post office access due to covid. RM said deficit in postage so I refunded more than deficit in price which she was happy with. Then I got a series of derogatory emails which I blocked and now got a horrendous negative review.View more comments...