Experience with a rude buyer on eBay

Hi everyone....just thought I would vent and share my experience with a buyer on ebay!!
I recently sold 12 topsy-turvy tomato planters to a buyer. 2 weeks after they had placed the order I realised they still didn't have it so contacted the supplier they had not sent it for whatever reason....I cotacted the buyer who was still happy to go ahead with the sale.
I had the stock deleivered to me over the weekend, then I posted it to this person Monday. I sent them a message saying that I could offer them beads to fit pandora as a gift if they wanted tem, just to try and make up for a bit of the time they had had to wait. I received no response on that.
The next day, I received an abusie message from this person, saying that I had sold them a chap imitation, nothing like what is in the picture. This is so completely untrue I'm shocked....it is exactly as described and pictured, and everybody else I've sold them too have been so happy with it!
The buyer sent me 4 more abusive msgs in the next 30 mins, I was away from the computer so wasn't tere to answer in the time they wanted, finally they said tey would be making a complaint to ebay and paypal today if I didn't satisfy their wishes. Funny thing is they didn't say what they wanted! I'm assuming they want their money back, which I offered upon the return of the goods. This doesn't seem to be good enough, so I'm actually unsure.
I took a look at this persons fb rating, they just so happe to be a powerseller. Turns out they sell tons of beads to fit pandora, exactly what I offered as a gift!! It seemed a bit coincidental to me that I offered to give them some of what I sell for free and they also sell it, then they complain.
Their fb was 98%, but when took a look at the negatives and neutrals I found that this person behaved the way I was seeing, completely rude and unprofessional!
I'm personally not too worried about my fb rating from this person, but I know I am going to give them the fb from hell. There were actually comments on there from people who had givem them negative fb, the seller ha apparently contacted them off ebay demanding that they change their negative feedback.
I am sooooo annoyed with this person!!

How are you going to leave them feedback from hell when sellers can't leave buyers negative feedback??

oh damn didnt known that!! I could always just buy something from them haha

Actually I just looked, I might not be able to leave a negative feedback, but I can leave a negative comment, thats just as good for me.

So how are you meant to deal with somebody ruining your perfect fb record by being nasty and basically telling lies?? You're just meant to take it obviously??

You are going to run into these people. How much was the purchase? Why not just offer them a full refund? Sometimes you may have to take a loss to make a customer happy and prevent negative feedback. You also have to remember you did take over 2 weeks to send the merchandise.

Hi wholesale....I actually did offer her a full refund straight away! It was for $140, so nothing to bad. She has just left me terrible feedback, telling people that my product is a fake and not to buy from me...which is a blatant lie. When I offered the full refund she said she wasn't sending it back without me paying the postage, which I agreed to just to end it, then she demanded that she should get to keep the product and I have to refund her half the money!! I told her that wasn't going to happen! She then opened a paypal dispute, which I would say was not needed in my opinion. She has just made sure that she will not be getting the postage paid for though, paypal refund what she put in - $140. So bad luck to her I say! I just want to get her and tell her off so much!!

Hi Shane,

How awful... I'd want to do the same to her if she did that to me. But no matter how hard we try we really can't please everybody. Its just frustrating to see how all your hard work and effort to maintain a good reputation on eBay can be ruined by just one negative feedback. :(

You could try this if you believe you've been scammed or a victim of feedback extortion, you can report the user immediately to eBay's security center and they will assist in investigating further as to what really happened or is happening.

Also to avoid getting another negative feedback from her, you could block her from bidding on your items in the future.

Here are a couple of articles that may serve helpful in the dilemma you are in right now, please have a read:

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Hope this help - All the best! :)

You can try to file a complaint with eBay but it seems that eBay no longer really backs up their sellers. They seem to always side with the buyer. They proved this when they did away with the option for sellers to leave negative feedback. It's a shame that eBay now treats the ones that made them a successful company like second class trash. Your situation is a perfect example of how the new policy change on feedback allows buyers to extort sellers by taunting them with a negative!

Just to echo everyone, what a bitch of a customer to come across, but you will most definitely find them unfortunately. My experience is that the really bad ones are the new ones with low feedback.

Usually anyone that has any experience selling will give you a decent chance to make it right without sticking it to you like this clown. I would be assuming, as it seems that you are, that finding out you were competition has not gone down well, and she is out to score some points against you.

If she's already opened a paypal dispute, then you can almost guarantee she will also open a complaint with ebay itself trying to have your items removed for being fakes, as she has accused you of.

The fact that she has tried to get more back that a simple refunding of her money gives you grounds to make a complaint to ebay for extortion. You will need to have the email evidence, and as Wholesale has pointed out, ebay usually don't give a damn about sellers rights these days, but I had some luck with an extortion claim mad against me not too long ago, so it can happen.

Worst case scenario, you get no satisfaction from ebay, but I still think you need to get something on the record here quickly, or all they will be getting is her story, and we know she won't be painting you in a kind light.

I think you're pretty much done all you could, you've just found one that wants to take you down, so stand your ground and fight her.

Good luck with it.

Hi, thought I would give an update....

The buyer in question left me really really REALLY bad feedback, urging others not to buy from me as it was a fake (untrue)...as sellers can't leave negative feedback I left her positive BUT with a negative feedback....I similarly tore her reputation to shreds! Today she messaged me on ebay offering to keep the product if I change the feedback, and she also will change hers!

Sooooooooo over this customer though!!

Excellent news, but for future reference you don't have to leave positive feedback if you don't want to as a seller, you just can't leave negative feedback any more : )

That's great news Shane! :)

After this, when the negative feed backs have been changed may be its time to consider blocking this buyer from ever bidding on any of your current and future listings. Doing this may mean one customer less but for sure it would also mean one less headache to deal with.

Cheers :)

That's great news Shane! :)

After this, when the negative feed backs have been changed may be its time to consider blocking this buyer from ever bidding on any of your current and future listings. Doing this may mean one customer less but for sure it would also mean one less headache to deal with.

Cheers :)

Yes and there are website you can go to that list bad buyers. This will ding here because many will add her to their list and she wont be able to bid on those sellers accounts.

If she persists, you can tell her this.

Could you list some links for some of those websites Planes, I'm sure many would find that quite interesting.

Grace has a helpful links thread running, and those links there would be great to list there I reckon : )

I took a look at this persons fb rating, they just so happen to be a powerseller. Turns out they sell tons of beads to fit pandora, exactly what I offered as a gift!! It seemed a bit coincidental to me that I offered to give them some of what I sell for free and they also sell it, then they complain.

Although you haven't mentioned if the pandora beads you sent as a gift is also one among products listed in your auctions, I get the impression that your bullying buyer is a competitor. From the looks of it she could have seen your beads and planned to put you down. Sad to hear some people can be that unprofessional in the business.

The best way to handle this person is to keep yourself on the right track by keeping your calm and responding to her in the best manner you can, use template emails if needed. :) As Fudjj mentioned, you may file an eBay complaint against her for extortion.