Ebay etiquette
Discussion
I put a sample Siemens new phone I got given on eBay, must have been pissed because it's worth £70 put on for 99p start with free post and a noon Monday finish !!!!! What was I thinking.
Guy won it for £10.50 delivered and should have been
Breaking my door down to get it but not a sausage and I'm saying nothing hoping it goes 32 days and I can resell it - sometimes logic just doesn't apply.
Guy won it for £10.50 delivered and should have been
Breaking my door down to get it but not a sausage and I'm saying nothing hoping it goes 32 days and I can resell it - sometimes logic just doesn't apply.
The Moose said:
Don't lose sight of the fact that the buyer is your customer. Even in a C2C transaction, as a seller, you're not the customer.
People take a few days to pay. It's not rude, breaking the rules or anything like that. Just have a little patience.
it's not really the same thing though. The winning bidder is usually getting a bargain in some way and the seller is selling the item for way below market price. Possibly selling at a huge loss after paying ebay and paypal fees. The buyer/seller relationship changes when there is zero profit in the transaction imo.People take a few days to pay. It's not rude, breaking the rules or anything like that. Just have a little patience.
My expectation of customer service varies depending on the nature and cost of the product.
The higher the profit margin, the higher the expectation of service. I wouldn't expect identical levels of service when buying a newspaper or a tank of petrol compared to buying a brand new car, an expensive suit or a watch. It's just not the same thing.
If you're buying something for thousands of pounds or from a business on ebay, then maybe i can see your point.
renorti said:
Non payers are a pain, like mentioned here quite a few ebayers buy something and have no intention of paying, open an unpaid file after 4 days at least you get your selling fees back.The type that gets me is people that buy your item take 5 days to pay then message YOU to say post the item as quickly as possible!To which I always reply "you would have received the item sooner if your payment had cleared sooner".
One stage beyond that is buyers who want you to post it before they pay for the item. "I get paid on monday innit, but i need it kinda asap""No"
H22observer said:
it's not really the same thing though. The winning bidder is usually getting a bargain in some way and the seller is selling the item for way below market price. Possibly selling at a huge loss after paying ebay and paypal fees. The buyer/seller relationship changes when there is zero profit in the transaction imo.
Of course it doesn't. The fact the seller hasn't made a packet on the sale, or even maybe making a loss is not the buyer's concern. You as the seller chose to sell it via Ebay, with all the inherent risks that entails such as it not making the amount you hoped. That in no way diminishes your responsibility to your buyer and why should it?Centurion07 said:
Of course it doesn't. The fact the seller hasn't made a packet on the sale, or even maybe making a loss is not the buyer's concern. You as the seller chose to sell it via Ebay, with all the inherent risks that entails such as it not making the amount you hoped. That in no way diminishes your responsibility to your buyer and why should it?
What level of service do you expect from newsagent that sells you a pint of milk and a newspaper? Do you EXPECT gold-star service and a 10-minute chat about car engines for the 18p profit being made on the sale? No. Of course you don't.Realistic expectations, my friend. Do not waste people's time by delaying payment and fannying about. Ebay is very simple if people use it correctly- bid on the item you want, pay for it quickly, receive the item. Not difficult.
Edited by H22observer on Friday 18th April 13:39
Edited by H22observer on Friday 18th April 13:42
DSLiverpool said:
I put a sample Siemens new phone I got given on eBay, must have been pissed because it's worth £70 put on for 99p start with free post and a noon Monday finish !!!!! What was I thinking.
Guy won it for £10.50 delivered and should have been
Breaking my door down to get it but not a sausage and I'm saying nothing hoping it goes 32 days and I can resell it - sometimes logic just doesn't apply.
The buyer might be dead or injured in hospital. Either way, hope you get to keep your £10.50 Guy won it for £10.50 delivered and should have been
Breaking my door down to get it but not a sausage and I'm saying nothing hoping it goes 32 days and I can resell it - sometimes logic just doesn't apply.
Well - just to conclude the tale - she did pay, eventually, on Tuesday night after I'd gone to bed. I saw the message on Wednesday morning (auction finished Saturday, remember), so true to my advert conditions, made sure I posted it within 2 days...unfortunately Easter gets in the way of a quick delivery now...
littleredrooster said:
Well - just to conclude the tale - she did pay, eventually, on Tuesday night after I'd gone to bed. I saw the message on Wednesday morning (auction finished Saturday, remember), so true to my advert conditions, made sure I posted it within 2 days...unfortunately Easter gets in the way of a quick delivery now...
Buyers are allowed 7 days to pay under Ebay rules. I'm not saying it's right waiting all that time to pay, just that they are within their rights to wait that long, and by selling on Ebay you agree to that.H22observer said:
Centurion07 said:
Of course it doesn't. The fact the seller hasn't made a packet on the sale, or even maybe making a loss is not the buyer's concern. You as the seller chose to sell it via Ebay, with all the inherent risks that entails such as it not making the amount you hoped. That in no way diminishes your responsibility to your buyer and why should it?
What level of service do you expect from newsagent that sells you a pint of milk and a newspaper? Do you EXPECT gold-star service and a 10-minute chat about car engines for the 18p profit being made on the sale? No. Of course you don't.Realistic expectations, my friend. Do not waste people's time by delaying payment and fannying about. Ebay is very simple if people use it correctly- bid on the item you want, pay for it quickly, receive the item. Not difficult.
For all the OP knows, his buyer didn't realise a cheque hadn't cleared into their account and they're just waiting for that to clear before paying. A simple email to ask when to expect payment would suffice rather than jumping off the deep end and opening an Unpaid Item dispute two seconds after auction end! The point is you're over-reacting.
Centurion07 said:
If I walked into a newsagents, picked up a paper and some milk, put them on the counter and realised I needed to pop back to the car to get some money, I wouldn't expect the newsagent to start whinging about timewasters & immediately put the stuff back on the shelf, which is the equivalent of what you're doing.
But there is no 'shelf' when it come to private ebay sellers and the 'customer' has just walked out of the shop without saying when they intend to come back with the money. Am I expected to put his newspaper and pint of milk to one side whilst he spends up to 4 days rummaging around in his car?If i was that newsagent and it was the last pint of milk and newspaper in the shop, i'd gladly sell it to the next person in the queue who had the good manners & common sense to check they had enough money on them before joining the queue.
I have no time whatsoever for rude, self-important people who behave in such a selfish and impulsive manner. As far as i'm concerned, people like this are very much in the minority, so they can just f*** off and take their business to somebody who will put up with that kind of nonsense.
H22observer said:
Am I expected to put his newspaper and pint of milk to one side whilst he spends up to 4 days rummaging around in his car?
Not at all, but when the option (via email for Ebay) exists to politely enquire when they intend to pay then surely that is the better option than going nuclear straight away?Centurion07 said:
Not at all, but when the option (via email for Ebay) exists to politely enquire when they intend to pay then surely that is the better option than going nuclear straight away?
Who said anything about going nuclear straight away?My method is :
Wait up to 48 hours for payment then send polite e-mail requesting immediate payment. If ignored for an additional 48 hours, then bin the transaction, open an 'Unpaid item case' and relist the item. 4 days is plenty of time.
Had a buyer buy the item, which I packed that evening in readiness to post once payment was made. The next day payment received so I went straight to the PO and away it went. 7 days later she's raised a dispute without even messaging, stating goods not received. I sent a note stating the date and time sent, to which she replies "did you send it to my correct address xyz"
Turns out the Paypal address wasn't the same as the ebay address which I'd sent it to (will double check in future!) So the item had gone to her Mother's address! Claimed it was my fault as well. Daft Mare
Turns out the Paypal address wasn't the same as the ebay address which I'd sent it to (will double check in future!) So the item had gone to her Mother's address! Claimed it was my fault as well. Daft Mare
Jimboka said:
Etiquette has nothing to do with it. just follow the rules. if they don't pay within 2 days then just report it to Ebay.
Good post!Mercury00 said:
Buyers are allowed 7 days to pay under Ebay rules. I'm not saying it's right waiting all that time to pay, just that they are within their rights to wait that long, and by selling on Ebay you agree to that.
H22observer said:
Who said anything about going nuclear straight away?
My method is :
Wait up to 48 hours for payment then send polite e-mail requesting immediate payment. If ignored for an additional 48 hours, then bin the transaction, open an 'Unpaid item case' and relist the item. 4 days is plenty of time.
You can't pick and choose eBay terms that you want to follow.My method is :
Wait up to 48 hours for payment then send polite e-mail requesting immediate payment. If ignored for an additional 48 hours, then bin the transaction, open an 'Unpaid item case' and relist the item. 4 days is plenty of time.
Vaud said:
You can't pick and choose eBay terms that you want to follow.
I think you'll find that i can do whatever i like. I have 100% positive feedback and i will continue to operate a zero-tolerance policy towards a minority of people who take several days to acknowledge a transaction or respond to a message.My local supermarket allows customers 3 hours free parking to go shopping, but that doesn't mean that they'd like everybody to sit in their car for 2 hours then start shopping. Actually, i think they'd get a bit annoyed that customers were abusing the privilege.
From the EBay site:-
Timing is important
There limited timeframes when you can open and close the case, and be credited for certain fees.
If you don't receive payment, you can open an unpaid item case in the Resolution Centre as early as 2 days or up until 32 days after the listing ended.
Timing is important
There limited timeframes when you can open and close the case, and be credited for certain fees.
If you don't receive payment, you can open an unpaid item case in the Resolution Centre as early as 2 days or up until 32 days after the listing ended.
littleredrooster said:
Well - just to conclude the tale - she did pay, eventually, on Tuesday night after I'd gone to bed. I saw the message on Wednesday morning (auction finished Saturday, remember), so true to my advert conditions, made sure I posted it within 2 days...unfortunately Easter gets in the way of a quick delivery now...
'Eventually'? Are you sure you don't have unreasonable expectations on payment speed? I think eBay is full of time wasters and so we're all in danger of tarring everyone witht the same brush. Anyway, glad to hear all went ok.
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