Annoying Buyers (that make you want to scream)

Rod 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.

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!

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.

Alice Delore on 1:39 2 Jul

@Phill

Yes, 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 1:44 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 ;)

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. John

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?

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!

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.

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 ..

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.

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).

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?

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.

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.

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!!!!! Arrrrgggghhhh

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.

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.

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 (

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.

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 bear
Which 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 ?

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.

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!

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.

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.