How did you handle renege by eBay vendor?

[Butch7999]

We're certain this has happened to several members here, but it's a novel experience for us,
so we're wondering how you handled it when an eBay vendor reneged on an auction you'd won.

In a nutshell, won an auction with an automated snipe Monday afternoon. It went fairly cheap,
although we did have to outbid another potential buyer. Physically large item with reasonably large S&H.
Paid as soon as we got home Monday evening, adding, as we always do, a friendly note asking the vendor
to take care in packaging.

Monday night the vendor messages us via eBay to say how shocked and insulted he was
that anyone would have the nerve to tell a "retired postal inspector" how to package for shipping,
and that he was going to lose money on the deal because eBay forced him to include a too-low shipping price.

We replied via eBay telling him there was nothing to be shocked or insulted about, and that
we'd happily reimburse him actual shipping costs after the item arrived.

Tuesday morning he writes demanding more money (off eBay) for shipping, then again asking if
we'd received his demand (we hadn't, we were out and not at our e-mail). We deliberated that night
whether or not to pony up.

We were about to respond Wednesday morning when we found he'd already written again to declare
that the "48-hour deadline" had passed (huh?), and since we'd not acceded to his demand, he was
cancelling the sale.

Obviously the whole thing is just this joker not getting whatever price he'd wanted for his item,
but just maybe he should've started the bidding higher. And just maybe a vendor with 1500 feedback
should know how to adjust the shipping price. It doesn't appear we've been hit with a non-paying bidder strike,
but we'd love to sock it to this clown somehow. Any ideas?

[Leon]

A punch to the gut seems warranted. Karma is his worst enemy. I would let it go at this stage in my life (if I were you). Twenty or thirty years ago I would have been more enraged. But now, things just piss me off and I tend to let them go more easily.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

You can share his off ebay emails looking for more money with Ebay. They won't take kindly to that. Ebay basically doesn't care what anyone does, unless it costs THEM fees.

[icollectDCsports]

If it would be difficult to find and/or obtain another like item and you really want to keep the transaction alive, I'd reach out to eBay to let them know you still want and expect the seller to send the item, sharing the communications from him to you. Maybe eBay will threaten the guy with suspension or revocation if he doesn't follow through.

[Butch7999]

Thanks for the early responses so far. And apologies for our ambiguity -- he wrote via eBay messaging
to demand we send him more money privately off eBay, not writing us privately off eBay.
Seems self-incriminating.

Leon, that's probably wise advice, but we've adhered to that most of our lives and it just seems like
it gives some people license to walk all over us. Now that we've been card-carrying AARP members
for many years and it feels like time's growing short, we're less inclined to take things lying down...

iCollect, yeah, a scarce item for sure, but not terribly rare, let alone unique -- we'll eventually see another
and in much better condition, just not for the very nice price at which we won that auction. The guy's
attitude ticked us off as much as not receiving what we'd promptly paid for (he did refund us).

[Leon]

I admit to not always practicing what I preach. ....but in theory it's great.

Originally Posted by Butch7999

Thanks for the early responses so far. And apologies for our ambiguity -- he wrote via eBay messaging
to demand we send him more money privately off eBay, not writing us privately off eBay.
Seems self-incriminating.

Leon, that's probably wise advice, but we've adhered to that most of our lives and it just seems like
it gives some people license to walk all over us. Now that we've been card-carrying AARP members
for many years and it feels like time's growing short, we're less inclined to take things lying down...

iCollect, yeah, a scarce item for sure, but not terribly rare, let alone unique -- we'll eventually see another
and in much better condition, just not for the very nice price at which we won that auction. The guy's
attitude ticked us off as much as not receiving what we'd promptly paid for (he did refund us).

[roarfrom34]

I hope leave appropriate feedback as well

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

You can share his off ebay emails looking for more money with Ebay. They won't take kindly to that. Ebay basically doesn't care what anyone does, unless it costs THEM fees.

AND this is so true of FEE bay. They are the lowest of the low Philipine companies that ever existed. They are scum. PERIOD. I would shoot the guy an e mail telling him to F off and that he is a loser PERIOD, but he is retired from the postal service, so that speaks for itself.

[JLange]

I had a very similar experience last year.

A few years ago I started sending a note to each eBay seller I bought from, kindly asking each to harden and weatherproof the packaging so it survives all the way to my house - this after receiving numerous crumbled or wet items over the years. Initially these comments were well received and I do feel it made a difference. In the time period I was doing this I had no further damage to speak of.

Then I finally encountered someone who was incredulous and deeply offended to receive such a request. He immediately cancelled my order and basically said to go ahead and report him to eBay but he wouldn’t send the items. Of course I really wanted these items and pleaded my case but he wouldn’t budge. That was it. I never got them and regrettably haven’t even seen them for sale again on eBay since.

I thought about it and decided that the risk of not receiving what I purchased outweighed the risk that the item would arrive damaged. The reality is that most items I buy at this point are difficult to find or offered infrequently so I don’t want to take that chance again.

I stopped sending my little shipping instruction note. So far everything has arrived undamaged and I’d like to think this is due to eBay sellers higher standards for shipping these days but just don’t know.

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by Butch7999

the vendor messages us via eBay to say how shocked and insulted he was that anyone would have the nerve to tell a "retired postal inspector" how to package for shipping

How did he expect you to know he was a retired postal inspector?

[Butch7999]

Gary, what, you didn't know either?!

[Runscott]

When I get a super-great deal, I pay fast and keep my mouth shut other than to say 'thank you'.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by Runscott

When I get a super-great deal, I pay fast and keep my mouth shut other than to say 'thank you'.

There are such things as miracles after all.

[RedsFan1941]

lol

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

There are such things as miracles after all.

Ben, not to take away from your moment of wit, but I learned this behavior during the famous BL 460 event of 2002. At least one current board member learned the hard way.