Are fruitcakes running rampant on eBay lately? Selling, buying, listing, feedback, etc...

[Captain_chaos]

4 minutes ago, Gary81 said:

Morning all. Bit of advice required - particularly from my UK brothers.. I have sold a set on eBay, for the first time to somebody with zero feedback. I know we all have to start somewhere and I was there once etc, but the username is generic and I am a little wary. Maybe because I have read so many stories here. I have emailed the buyer to at least confirm the address and he has replied. It is in the UK. Are there any other tips or safeguarding which could help in the event that the buyer mugs me off? Grateful as always.

Don't worry about it, I've never had a problem from 0 feedback buyers.

[Guest TabbyBoy]

52 minutes ago, Captain_chaos said:

Don't worry about it, I've never had a problem from 0 feedback buyers.

They've been among my best buyers. What gets up my snout is when they ask, "Is the box in perfect condition and still sealed?" when it's clearly stated in the description. I either ignore or respond asking for a £100 grading fee! If they moan, they're blocked!

A lot of zero feedback buyers do have auto-generated names as the names people want have already been taken, just like free email addresses.

I wish I had more zero feedback buyers, bring it on! Oh... they often leave feedback too whereas miserable box-lickers don't.

Edited February 2, 2019 by TabbyBoy

[Gary81]

Thank you muchly both, I shall proceed in the usual manner ??

[MoHu]

3 hours ago, Gary81 said:

Morning all. Bit of advice required - particularly from my UK brothers.. I have sold a set on eBay, for the first time to somebody with zero feedback. I know we all have to start somewhere and I was there once etc, but the username is generic and I am a little wary. Maybe because I have read so many stories here. I have emailed the buyer to at least confirm the address and he has replied. It is in the UK. Are there any other tips or safeguarding which could help in the event that the buyer mugs me off? Grateful as always.

Should be fine.  Had quite a few 0 feedback accounts recently both UK & GSP (foreign) accounts with random alphanumeric usernames.  They also tend to give feedback faster as they want to build up their feedback score.

Its the 50 year old dormant ebay account that wants to buy that expensive lego set that u need to worry about

[tasiatunes]

TabbyBoy.I ask if the box is in good condition seal not broken even when it said new in box.Many times if have received sets described as this and the seals are broken or opened.

[Guest TabbyBoy]

1 hour ago, tasiatunes said:

TabbyBoy.I ask if the box is in good condition seal not broken even when it said new in box.Many times if have received sets described as this and the seals are broken or opened.

My listings state, "Box is in new and sealed ex--factory condition straight out of a LEGO shipping carton". Nothing explains perfection as well as that. I never say, "mint" as that would assume it's been officially graded.

[tasiatunes]

Good point I list the same way,but will keep out mint.There are so many new sellers who do not understand this.I had to return a set yesterday as the seals were broke opened listed as new never opened.

[$20 on joe vs dan]

On 2/2/2019 at 5:03 AM, TabbyBoy said:

They've been among my best buyers. What gets up my snout is when they ask, "Is the box in perfect condition and still sealed?" when it's clearly stated in the description. I either ignore or respond asking for a £100 grading fee! If they moan, they're blocked!

A lot of zero feedback buyers do have auto-generated names as the names people want have already been taken, just like free email addresses.

I wish I had more zero feedback buyers, bring it on! Oh... they often leave feedback too whereas miserable box-lickers don't.

If the box is advertised as "sealed" or New; then the condition of the box matters (9 out of 10 the buyer is a "fellow" reseller anyway). If the seller failed to provide pictures of the box (all 6 sides); then the seller invites "redundant [dumb] questions". Simply put...I've seen enough boiler plate text on discriptions (that were inaccurate) to be suspicious enough to get confirmation.  No one wants to do deal w/ return hassles.

i agree that avoiding absolute words like "perfect, mint, pristine, etc" should be the norm and not the exception on ebay and all communications.

[roxio]

11 hours ago, $20 on joe vs dan said:

If the box is advertised as "sealed" or New; then the condition of the box matters (9 out of 10 the buyer is a "fellow" reseller anyway). If the seller failed to provide pictures of the box (all 6 sides); then the seller invites "redundant [dumb] questions". Simply put...I've seen enough boiler plate text on discriptions (that were inaccurate) to be suspicious enough to get confirmation.  No one wants to do deal w/ return hassles.

i agree that avoiding absolute words like "perfect, mint, pristine, etc" should be the norm and not the exception on ebay and all communications.

95% of my sales are Nov and Dec and there is no way 9/10 of them are resellers.

[Guest TabbyBoy]

26 minutes ago, roxio said:

95% of my sales are Nov and Dec and there is no way 9/10 of them are resellers.

I'm now getting pretty good at weeding them out via the Best Offer process. I'm now thinking of stating that I don't sell to resellers on eBay. Box-lickers were really on my case back in Oct/Nov and that's business that I simply don't want. No wonder more and more sellers are listing sets WITHOUT the box.

[roxio]

41 minutes ago, TabbyBoy said:

I'm now getting pretty good at weeding them out via the Best Offer process. I'm now thinking of stating that I don't sell to resellers on eBay. Box-lickers were really on my case back in Oct/Nov and that's business that I simply don't want. No wonder more and more sellers are listing sets WITHOUT the box.

What good would stating no reseller sales be? 

[Guest TabbyBoy]

3 hours ago, roxio said:

What good would stating no reseller sales be? 

That's why I said "thinking" as I'm just putting the idea out there. Even though it's the "monkeys" in warehouses and vans that drop-kick our sets to their final destination, it must be very frustration for retailers to process returns. I bet a lot think, "it's only a box FFS, what's the problem?" even though most honour returns without a problem. I've got other ideas which I'll try out on my next listings.

[mizeur]

Putting "no resellers" isn't going to do you any good because they're already fraudulently claiming it's a gift if they say anything at all. If someone buys anyway, you're obliged to fulfill the order or cancel it and risk negative feedback.

Other than blocking known dropshippers, the most likely way to warn off "gifts"  (and some actual gift buyers) is to say all orders will include a packing slip showing the purchase price and seller info.

What I wonder is whether requiring the original packing slip with a return would get us anywhere. Probably not, I assume.

Anyway, eBay closed out the return in my favor because it was outside the guarantee wondow. So worst case is PayPal shenanigans sometime in the next 4 months.

Also did some digging and my problem buyer has quite the tangled web of LLCs, websites, and 3rd party sales accounts with negative feedback. 1 of their LLCs seems to have been sued by a manufacturer for trademark/copyright infringement.

Edited February 4, 2019 by mizeur

[KShine]

I have a International buyer who contacted me last week, saying that an item was not as described. After examining the photos they had sent, it was clear that the item shown (tracking, etc) was from another seller. My package was still in transit (which they ended up acknowledging).

Today, I heard from them again - they now say "unfortunately I got mail from customs, that package may not be introduced in Europe and will therefore be sent back to you. Therefore I would like to ask you to transfer my money back as soon as possible."

They attached the following photos (which I can't translate) - can someone explain what the email msg/letters state?

 

 

 

[gregpj]

29 minutes ago, KShine said:

I have a International buyer who contacted me last week, saying that an item was not as described. After examining the photos they had sent, it was clear that the item shown (tracking, etc) was from another seller. My package was still in transit (which they ended up acknowledging).

Today, I heard from them again - they now say "unfortunately I got mail from customs, that package may not be introduced in Europe and will therefore be sent back to you. Therefore I would like to ask you to transfer my money back as soon as possible."

They attached the following photos (which I can't translate) - can someone explain what the email msg/letters state?

Regardless of what the pictures say, I wouldn't issue a refund until you get the parcel back. I don't see a tracking number anywhere on those letters so how do you know it was about your parcel? How do they know it was about your parcel? I don't see how you can trust their word unless it visually shows it was from you .. there is a third page in that photo of the letter, what is being hidden?

 

[Phil B]

43 minutes ago, KShine said:

 

 

 

 

This basically tells you that the item could not be imported into the European Free Market because it was not destined for the EU market. The receiver has two options: To have it sent back to the sender, or to have it destroyed. Both options are free of charge, and they recommend the return shipment option.

What worries me is that the first line says that they have tested the package's product safety compliance for import into the EU, and that is why it failed. What sort of test did they do?

If this is indeed about your package, I'd like to know:

1. What did you send (did it perhaps have electronics, batteries or a power plug)?

2. Under which customs code declaration did you send it?

Edited February 6, 2019 by Phil B

[KShine]

17 minutes ago, gregpj said:

Regardless of what the pictures say, I wouldn't issue a refund until you get the parcel back. I don't see a tracking number anywhere on those letters so how do you know it was about your parcel? How do they know it was about your parcel? I don't see how you can trust their word unless it visually shows it was from you .. there is a third page in that photo of the letter, what is being hidden?

Yes, I blocked out the tracking info (which doesn't match my tracking, but I have received items returned from overseas with different/new #'s - so that isn't a certainty) - I won't be sending a refund until it is returned. I suspect strongly that the buyer is either intentionally, or unintentionally mistating the situation (not my package, or not the real reason).

[KShine]

20 minutes ago, Phil B said:

This basically tells you that the item could not be imported into the European Free Market because it was not destined for the EU market. The receiver has two options: To have it sent back to the sender, or to have it destroyed. Both options are free of charge, and they recommend the return shipment option.

What worries me is that the first line says that they have tested the package's product safety compliance for import into the EU, and that is why it failed. What sort of test did they do?

If this is indeed about your package, I'd like to know:

1. What did you send (did it perhaps have electronics, batteries or a power plug)?

2. Under which customs code declaration did you send it?

Thanks - I have sent these to europe before (new Dimensions sets) without any issues, so I doubt that is a problem. 

[Phil B]

5 minutes ago, KShine said:

Yes, I blocked out the tracking info (which doesn't match my tracking, but I have received items returned from overseas with different/new #'s - so that isn't a certainty) - I won't be sending a refund until it is returned. I suspect strongly that the buyer is either intentionally, or unintentionally mistating the situation (not my package, or not the real reason).

This bold part is key. I would use this in a polite way to challenge him. Just say something like "I noticed that your letter refers to a tracking number that does not correspond to the tracking number of the package I sent you. I assume this is for another order you might have placed, and not for your order with me". Make it their problem.

Now, if this is an EBay GSP transaction, point them politely to EBay. You did your job by sending it to EBay, any further problems are Ebay's to deal with.

[KShine]

2 minutes ago, Phil B said:

This bold part is key. I would use this in a polite way to challenge him. Just say something like "I noticed that your letter refers to a tracking number that does not correspond to the tracking number of the package I sent you. I assume this is for another order you might have placed, and not for your order with me". Make it their problem.

Now, if this is an EBay GSP transaction, point them politely to EBay. You did your job by sending it to EBay, any further problems are Ebay's to deal with.

Yes, my big concern was not being able to read/translate the photos that they sent.

If they did include info that showed that it was legit, I certainly wouldn't want to question it being true (even if I believe that). I figured it best to try to understand those msgs, before I respond. I very much believe it is in regard to another package (whether the buyer is being legit about their concerns, or not).

[Val-E]

Did you try checking the tracking number on the German DHL/DP web? It should indicate if it is the same or different. SAH orders tend to have multiple DHL numbers for international and national parts of the shipment.

[KShine]

Yes, when I search the tracking # provided in the letters - I get "Label Created, not yet in system".

[Guest TabbyBoy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

eBay are the biggest fruitcakes of them all

One thing to be aware of with eBay's GSP. It's now the second time for me that a buyer has complained of a damaged box. I had a phone call yesterday morning from Malta saying that a set arrived in a thin unprotected PBI -branded bag where I stated in my listing that it was going to be bubble-wrapped and then securely boxed. Pitney Bowes appear to unpack our carefully wrapped sets on occasion (even though I state size to the mm and weight to the g) and then place them in bin liners for cheaper shipping. This is WAY OUT OF ORDER and the buyer is supporting me to take action against eBay on this occasion as he's had this happen before. Luckily, I take a photo of every box once it's had the Royal Mail tracking label applied so I have evidence. I have already informed Trading Standards and I will fight these extortionate fee-inflating arsehoIes of eBay to the bitter end and expose eBay for the crooks they are.

I will not be offering a refund and the buyer (thankfully, he's building the set) has accepted that... however, this illegal cost-saving practice has to stop!

It may result in my primary business account being banned, but they'll have a fight on their hands for the fees that I owe! I've just closed that PayPal account and unlinked my debit card to it and informed my bank to block payments just in case. I've now asked every overseas buyer to let me know how their package was received and this will also be used in court if it comes to that.

In the meantime, I've disabled GSP on my other accounts and will now ship with a CR22 form fully-insured at cost +20% (still cheaper for buyer).

[Guest TabbyBoy]

On 2/7/2019 at 10:38 AM, TabbyBoy said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

eBay are the biggest fruitcakes of them all

One thing to be aware of with eBay's GSP. It's now the second time for me that a buyer has complained of a damaged box. I had a phone call yesterday morning from Malta saying that a set arrived in a thin unprotected PBI -branded bag where I stated in my listing that it was going to be bubble-wrapped and then securely boxed. Pitney Bowes appear to unpack our carefully wrapped sets on occasion (even though I state size to the mm and weight to the g) and then place them in bin liners for cheaper shipping. This is WAY OUT OF ORDER and the buyer is supporting me to take action against eBay on this occasion as he's had this happen before. Luckily, I take a photo of every box once it's had the Royal Mail tracking label applied so I have evidence. I have already informed Trading Standards and I will fight these extortionate fee-inflating arsehoIes of eBay to the bitter end and expose eBay for the crooks they are.

I will not be offering a refund and the buyer (thankfully, he's building the set) has accepted that... however, this illegal cost-saving practice has to stop!

It may result in my primary business account being banned, but they'll have a fight on their hands for the fees that I owe! I've just closed that PayPal account and unlinked my debit card to it and informed my bank to block payments just in case. I've now asked every overseas buyer to let me know how their package was received and this will also be used in court if it comes to that.

In the meantime, I've disabled GSP on my other accounts and will now ship with a CR22 form fully-insured at cost +20% (still cheaper for buyer).

eBay have just got back to me with a huge apology and offered a discount of £500 off my £1,433.77 fee invoice for last month. Their explanation was that PBI have outgoing customs officials that now have to check some boxes at random and the "poorly trained" ones sometimes don't repack in the original box. Apparently this is due to stricter policies post Brexit (it would be, wouldn't it?), but they said they'll distribute a bulletin to staff to ensure careful repacking. I'm not sure if I believe this, but the £500 offer was a surprise which I accepted and will take no further action, but I'm done with GSP at this time. However, it's the first time that I've ever been offered anything on my business account.

I may be forced to close this account anyway as I've just had my very first negative feedback in over 25,000 sales! I sold a 41175 Fire Dragon and, like a total idiot, I sent the buyer a 41178 Dragon Sanctuary instead! Not only did I send a £150 set instead of a £30 set, but the buyer was absolutely livid so I gave him a refund too. This, of course, wasn't enough so the arsehoIe opened a case with eBay and it was ruled in his favour immediately under SNAD conditions and the negative feedback remains.

How a buyer can sleep at night with a full refund, a free set worth 5x more and dish out negative feedback with no mercy is beyond me. I'll get him back one day with one of my private accounts and he will pay... big time! He's currently got an iPhone X for sale, it's sooooo tempting to buy, find the tinest thing wrong (a lot have uneven yellow screen tint) and then SNAD it! Of course, I'll call him from a withheld phone number a few weeks later to ask him, "How's the free LEGO set that you extorted from that other buyer?"

Let this be a lesson to you all.... if you make the tiniest of mistakes with an awkward buyer, jump through hoops, 3-bags-full, Sir..... be prepared to pay... BIG !!!

Edited February 9, 2019 by TabbyBoy

[Val-E]

That 41178 will get listed pretty soon. Maybe one for a local pickup (with the lads).

Edited February 9, 2019 by Val-E