feedback hostage, needs some advice...

[steveout22]

So, I get this message from a customer today, here it is.

 

I just received the Maxx comics I purchased from you & I am disappointed in the quality of the bag they are in, & also that you bagged & boarded them together. I've always received multiple comic books bagged & boarded individually. I would greatly appreciate if I could receive from you 2 bags & an additional board so that I can bag & board them separately.

 

I do appreciate the quick shipping & the quality of the packaging.

 

Thanks,

 

 

Now, I would never put books in one bag. It wouldn't happen. But who knows, maybe somehow I made a mistake, so I check the auction picture, which can be seen here:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230237978485

 

Since I always send the actual items in the pictures, you can see that each book has its own bag and board, and they are slightly oversized, which means they are Silver-Age size from BCW, which is what I use when I want to put books into fresh bags and boards. So this guy got two fresh Silver-Age size boards with resealable bags from BCW, and now he's trying to extort two more from me, which will cost me 3.50$ to send via media mail, whereas the auction price was 4$. I know this is all trivial, but its pressing some relevant issues for ebay sellers. What should I do?

[RavenX-13]

Refund the jerk .30 cents so he can get himself 2 plastics and boards at his local LCS or just tell him to send the whole thing back for a refund minus the shipping costs. Seriously, complaining about 2 plastics and 1 board is petty on the buyers part. This is what sellers are going to have to deal with eBay's new feedback system.

[EastCoastExchange-migratio]

Personally over something that cost a grand total of four dollars, I'd tell the guy to go screw himself.

 

CC

[nochips]

Ebay is filled with crazy buyers. Your auction info does not promise new bags and boards for a purchase? Assuming he would get them is wrong. Tell him to send the items back, apologise for nothing.

[Sqeggs]

Very strange. Makes me wonder whether he has mixed your auction up with another one. I would politely direct him back to the auction pictures to indicate that the books were separately bagged and boarded. I would also offer to refund his money if he wants to send the books back. In the end, if he negs you, he negs you. Not much you can do about it, unfortunately.

[steveout22]

Yep, thanks everybody for the advice. I don't want to refund 30 cents because that would saying that I did something I didn't do, send two books in one poor quality bag and board. I'll offer him a refund less shipping costs, and direct him to the pictures. Try to phrase it professionally, sigh.

[thehumantorch]

Most strange indeed. Checked his feedback left for others, 3 neutrals and 1 or 2 negs so he is a bit of a complainer. Your feedback is pretty nice, couple of recent neutrals one for someone ordering the wrong book and the other because you wouldn't ship to another country as clearly stated in your action.

 

I would be tempted to email him and offer him free bags and boards with him paying $4 for shipping. You could Paypal him a small amount like Raven suggested or tell him to shove it if you don't mind a neg or neutral.

 

This guy is an anal jerk, sorry you came across him.

[sterlingcomics]

Feedback hostage? Only if you want him to be. If you don't state that the book receives its own bag/board then does he really have an expectation for such?

 

Refer him to the site where he can get mass quantities of this stuff...but personally I wouldn't offer a refund.

[Calamerica]

Yep, thanks everybody for the advice. I don't want to refund 30 cents because that would saying that I did something I didn't do, send two books in one poor quality bag and board. I'll offer him a refund less shipping costs, and direct him to the pictures. Try to phrase it professionally, sigh.

 

To answer your legitimate Thread,

 

YES

 

take the few bucks and send him the items.

 

make sure you use Delivery Confirmation

 

YES this Buyer is arguably unreasonable over drek comics

 

BUT

 

if you sacrifice the few bucks

 

you can avoid the situation without any admission of wrongdoing on your part

 

The weight should not be over 13 ounces - thus First Class Parcel shipping w/ Del. C is about $2.25

 

THEN block him from bidding your auctions forever

 

I never had Buyer problems until late 2007

 

See my Thread about that dilemma I had with unreasonable buyers

 

The CGCers chimed in and I got great, sound, logical replies

 

The system works - make the system work FOR you and not AGAINST you

 

CAL who can be what he needs to be given any situation

[blutobc]

It's hard to imagine that he is serious and that this isn't a joke.

But, you never know. If serious, then he's an obvious insufficiently_thoughtful_person.

 

If you really want to work it out, I like the "he pays for shipping and you'll gladly ship two bags and boards". How pathetic can you be to scam two bags and boards.

 

Or course you can simply refund $4 and block him.

If he negs you, you still get to respond to his comment. I'd think a well-worded response of the neg would hurt him too...if he has enough brains to realize that is another matter.

 

[BrianR]

Direct him to this thread as well with your response.

 

[steveout22]

If someone else was asking for advice about this I'd say pay him off and move on. But its different when your on the other end of it. From a business point of view, the best thing would be to protect your feedback. Eat some spoon and move on. But that's not what I did here, and probly I'll be sorry for it. Here was my reply:

 

Hello,

 

I do take all service oriented questions, complaints and problems very seriously, as I run my business according to high standards of professionalism. I did a thorough check on the item in question, and found that it was sent out with two fresh Silver age size bags and boards from BCW. The auction picture will verify this. The auction shows the actual picture of the items, and it is clear that they each have their own bag and board, and the boards are also slightly oversized, which indicates they are Silver age. I find the extra space Silver age size affords protects the books better. The picture also shows the bags to be unwrinkled. Beyond this, it is our company policy to always send books out with their own individual bag and board. If we did not do this, we would get many complaints. But you are the only one who made this complaint. Therefore, I can only offer you a refund for the whole auction, which will be given as soon as the books are returned to me.

 

 

 

 

[thehumantorch]

Good luck, seems pretty calmly and reasonable worded.

[Sqeggs]

If someone else was asking for advice about this I'd say pay him off and move on. But its different when your on the other end of it. From a business point of view, the best thing would be to protect your feedback. Eat some spoon and move on. But that's not what I did here, and probly I'll be sorry for it. Here was my reply:

 

Hello,

 

I do take all service oriented questions, complaints and problems very seriously, as I run my business according to high standards of professionalism. I did a thorough check on the item in question, and found that it was sent out with two fresh Silver age size bags and boards from BCW. The auction picture will verify this. The auction shows the actual picture of the items, and it is clear that they each have their own bag and board, and the boards are also slightly oversized, which indicates they are Silver age. I find the extra space Silver age size affords protects the books better. The picture also shows the bags to be unwrinkled. Beyond this, it is our company policy to always send books out with their own individual bag and board. If we did not do this, we would get many complaints. But you are the only one who made this complaint. Therefore, I can only offer you a refund for the whole auction, which will be given as soon as the books are returned to me.

 

 

 

 

You don't need this advice, but I'll give it any way. If he should neg you, post a calm, moderate reply. Too many eBay sellers go ballistic in their responses to negs, thereby doing themselves way more harm than good.

[sckao]

 

Do people actually believe that they are paying for the bag and board in addition to the comic?

 

Especially considering that a lot of people will rebag and reboard the comic anyway.

 

This guy is nuts.

 

That being the case, I'd send him the stuff in an envelope which shouldn't be too bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thehumantorch]

If someone else was asking for advice about this I'd say pay him off and move on. But its different when your on the other end of it. From a business point of view, the best thing would be to protect your feedback. Eat some spoon and move on. But that's not what I did here, and probly I'll be sorry for it. Here was my reply:

 

Hello,

 

I do take all service oriented questions, complaints and problems very seriously, as I run my business according to high standards of professionalism. I did a thorough check on the item in question, and found that it was sent out with two fresh Silver age size bags and boards from BCW. The auction picture will verify this. The auction shows the actual picture of the items, and it is clear that they each have their own bag and board, and the boards are also slightly oversized, which indicates they are Silver age. I find the extra space Silver age size affords protects the books better. The picture also shows the bags to be unwrinkled. Beyond this, it is our company policy to always send books out with their own individual bag and board. If we did not do this, we would get many complaints. But you are the only one who made this complaint. Therefore, I can only offer you a refund for the whole auction, which will be given as soon as the books are returned to me.

 

 

 

 

You don't need this advice, but I'll give it any way. If he should neg you, post a calm, moderate reply. Too many eBay sellers go ballistic in their responses to negs, thereby doing themselves way more harm than good.

 

Too true. When reading feedback I pay particular attention to how a seller responds to the occasional unavoidable negitive or neutral feedback. If he responds fairly I know he will do the same when I have a problem. If he flips out I avoid like zee plague.

[ArAich]

I would add him to my blocked list and not respond to any further communication from him...It just ain't worth any more of your time...

[the blob]

hmm, I actually say something in my auction description about when books will be individually bagged, etc. (in most cases they will be unless they're in a big lot or something)...but criminey, i don't say whether the bags and boards will be brand new...yikes. and when i toss in freebies I usually don't board them up...with my luck someone will neg me because my freebies didn't have brand new boards with them.

 

 

[silverseeker]

If someone else was asking for advice about this I'd say pay him off and move on. But its different when your on the other end of it. From a business point of view, the best thing would be to protect your feedback. Eat some spoon and move on. But that's not what I did here, and probly I'll be sorry for it. Here was my reply:

 

Hello,

 

I do take all service oriented questions, complaints and problems very seriously, as I run my business according to high standards of professionalism. I did a thorough check on the item in question, and found that it was sent out with two fresh Silver age size bags and boards from BCW. The auction picture will verify this. The auction shows the actual picture of the items, and it is clear that they each have their own bag and board, and the boards are also slightly oversized, which indicates they are Silver age. I find the extra space Silver age size affords protects the books better. The picture also shows the bags to be unwrinkled. Beyond this, it is our company policy to always send books out with their own individual bag and board. If we did not do this, we would get many complaints. But you are the only one who made this complaint. Therefore, I can only offer you a refund for the whole auction, which will be given as soon as the books are returned to me.

 

 

 

Sounds very well-worded to me...good luck with this buyer!

[sterlingcomics]

Great, now he is going to return the books to you, unboarded...hope these were readers... :doh:

 

I personally would not mention "no one else is complaining" defense..that only serves to peeve the other person off in my opinion. Everything else is spot on.