Thoughts on this ebay reply...

[SixTwoSix]

Basically I sold an item on ebay, it's got damaged during delivery. I've asked the guy to return it, said i'll issue a full refund and return postage upon getting the item back. I also asked for his name, address and phone number for when I file for compensation with Royal Mail.

His stance is that I didn't wrap the item well enough, i'm not entitled to compensation, I can get all his details from paypal and i'm not getting a phone number off him.

I replied again and said i've sent out hundreds of similar items wrapped exactly the same way, this is the first time i've had reports of damage and he's been unlucky. Also encouraged him to open a dispute so it's recorded by ebay and they can see i've done everthing I can. Last message I sent I said I really need his phone number for the compensation claim as Royal Mail require this. I said if he wasn't to provide it I would contact ebay and tell them he's being uncooperative.

Just got this reply...

"Heres my contact number 07********* and don't ring me I have intention of conversing with you specifically. It is for the purpose you requested only, And 'if I don't provide you with the number it'll be you contacting ebay telling them I'm being unco-operative' don't threaten me you cheeky little *******(illegitimate child ) you're lucky I don't ask my bank to issue me a chargeback

I'm fuming right now, i've been really patient, as professional as I can be with the replies and now he's said this, do I report him to ebay, what sort of stance would they take on this?

My gut feeling is that he's realised he overpaid on the comic, contacted me saying it was damaged, get a refund and get the comic for free. Of course I could be wrong on this but it's just the feeling I get.

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Full message history...I buy and sell american comics online.

"Hi I've received the comic but I'm not too happy. If I pay 3 times the cover price for a recent book I expect it to arrive well packed. It has new spine creases as it was bent in transit. All you had to do was put it inbetween 2 bits of thick cardboard (not flimsy backing boards) I was cursing before I even opened it because of the poor packing job, you really think 'do not bend' is sufficient??? Your username suggests you'd know how to ship comics. I'm considering filing an item not as described claim."

My first reply...

"Hi there, first of all accept my apologies for the damage. Please let me clarify something. I have sent out over 600 comics in the last 10 months packaged exactly the same way. This the first time ever that someone has let me know the comic arrived damaged. Please just take a few minutes and look at previous feedback on this account and you will see no comments about poorly wrapped parcels, every one of those comics was sent in the same way I sent yours, this is sadly just a case of bad luck.

If you would please return the comic by second class delivery I will issue you a full refund and also refund the return postage. I will be making a claim from Royal Mail for damage so could you please provide me with your name, address and a phone number as I believe they will possibly want to contact you.

In regards to paying over the cover price, this comic cost me £3.25 new so you have only paid 75p more than the cover price, the auction was started at less than cover price at £2.49, it was your decision to bid higher than this.

If you wish to file a dispute, please go ahead, you are fully within your rights, however please understand I will be following eBay policy to the letter, I have offered you a refund of the comic, P&P and return postage, once the comic is back with me, your payment will be refunded with the extra on top.

Thanks, Pete"

His 2 replies...

"I'm probably going to have to file claim as there is no guarantee you will refund me unless its recorded. Why on earth would you want to complain against royal mail for damage? It's your fault because you didn't put the book inbetween thick cardboard, why blame someone else for your incompetence entirely. My email address is *******@gmail.com not that its relevant and my address is in your PP history. You're not having anymore personal info from me. "

"Okay its 'nearly' 3x taking into account conversion rates and p+p costs as you are nitpicking. Why quote me your feedback record as if you are exempt from incompetence in a transaction at the same time insinuating I am lying, how rude. I couldn't care less If others let your weak packaging fly past them, this is about me. So now I'm going to be out of pocket on the p+p just to return it. I get books often, from US sellers with thousands more positives than you have if you want to quote numbers. "

My reply...admittedly quite abrupt.

"I was not nitpicking, I was just stating facts. The only reason I stated about my feedback is that I have had no problems in the past, I never insinuated you were lying, I said you were unlucky that this happened.

I need your telephone number to file the claim with Royal Mail as it's part of the compensation procedure from what I have read on their website.

As soon as I have your number, I will issue you a partial refund today and will refund the rest of your payment upon return of the comic.

I will not get drawn into a childish argument with you, as previously stated, I shall be following eBay policies to the letter, this means that if you have an issue and require a refund, you are required to return the comic. Can you please provide me with your name, address and phone number so I can make my compensation claim with Royal Mail. If you don't provide this, I shall be the one who contacts eBay and informs them you are being uncooperative.

I would encourage you to file a dispute, that way this goes on record with eBay, I will allow them access to my messages and the messages I have received from you. Once the dispute is open, I can follow set procedures and ensure I satisfy all requirements as a seller.

Cheers, Pete"

Final reply as detailed above

"Heres my contact number 07********* and don't ring me I have intention of conversing with you specifically. It is for the purpose you requested only, And 'if I don't provide you with the number it'll be you contacting ebay telling them I'm being unco-operative' don't threaten me you cheeky little *******(illegitimate child) you're lucky I don't ask my bank to issue me a chargeback"

 

[SixTwoSix]

eBay is simply not worth the hassle - especially for sellers. I gave up with it ages ago.

I've done about £8.5k turnover on buying/selling american comics since last November for about 10 hours per week, profit is only around £500 at the moment but climbing, so for me it's worth it.

I just checked as I log everything, i've sent out over 800 comics packaged exactly the same way as the one he received and this is the first complaint. I think one damaged comic out of 800 is pretty good, can't get him to see it that way though.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Have just replied with this:

"My return address is:

"ADDRESS"

A full refund shall be issued upon return of the comic."

Not going to get sucked into this further, i've contact ebay but don't expect anything tbh.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Didn't realise you were a business, my comments were from experience as an individual selling bits and bats. I can appreciate how it's a decent source of obtaining customers, etc. for niche items. But whenever I've put a few items on in the past, I can guarantee I'll get at least 1 unreasonable buyer.

If you've sent 800 in the same packaging and this is the first complaint, it's down to Royal Mail's mis-handling or he's a bull****ter.

I wouldn't technically say i'm a business, I do it in my spare time, I have a full time job, this is just for a little extra cash, I do actually read most of the comics I buy and sell, so very similar to private buyers who buy, read then sell, I just do it on a larger scale. So by definition you could say I was a business, but i'm not, if that makes sense

 

[SixTwoSix]

Ebay Buyers are dicks.
Ebay Sellers are dicks.

Stupid post is stupid

EDIT: Oh crap...I just fed a troll didn't I

 

[SixTwoSix]

Nope, you very much sound like a business and think you would struggle to argue otherwise!

800 in less than a year would be hard to argue as personal, I do hope you're making the appropriate tax returns

On a side note apparently HMRC are implementing software to search through online selling methods (e.g. ebay) to identify people who are running a trade and not declaring it with them. No idea how effective the software is mind you!

At £500 profit i'm fairly sure any tax i'd have to pay would be pretty low

It's building though, I did it for fun from last october and it's just grown. People will sell collections of 50-250 comics at an average of 25p-40p per comic, I buy, split and sell seperately from 99p each, it takes ages to list but if I can get to a good enough point, maybe be self employed at it within a few years.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Nah its jsut everytime there is an ebay thread by a seller or buyer saying they are having a problem, its always the other sides fault.

Yeah, I get your point but have you actually read all the messages sent back and forth, fairly sure i've done everything to the letter.

 

[SixTwoSix]

You're returning the postage as well?


Hats off to you, most sellers do not return the cost of postage when sending an item back.

I'd expect it if I bought something and had to return it without any fault of my own so only decent I do the same thing

 

[SixTwoSix]

I thought you could earn up to £3.5k a year tax free

My full time job pays £21k so i'm not sure how it works.

Can I actually register myself as a business while in full time employment?

I'm honestly not sure of the law in this area, although my work T&C say I can't run a business outside of work.

 

[SixTwoSix]

what so you wait till you recieve feedback first?

thats a good idea , might try that although i might not type it on the page.

I never leave feedback until it's been received by the buyer. Also as a seller you are unable to leave negative comments which is simply retarded, for example my situation I feel the buyer needs at least a neutral for poor conduct.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Just had an email from Paypal,

New Significantly Not as Described Dispute: Case no.

**** **** has opened a dispute for the payment made on 8 Aug 2011 indicating that the item they received did not match the original description.

**** **** has requested a 5.19 GBP refund


Disputed Amount:-5.19 GBP- The disputed amount has been temporarily
deducted from your account until the dispute is resolved.

 

[SixTwoSix]

I have escalated the claim in Paypal, will provide them with copies of his messages and proof that i'm willing to give a refund once I get the comic back.

Nice surprise from Paypal, they gave me an option to issue a refund once the item is returned, basically means that he only gets his refund when I confirm the item has been received, nice to see the ball in my court for a change, normally the buyers get shafted.

 

[SixTwoSix]

"you guys think that just because a guy reads comics he can't start some ****?"

Brodie was right after all.

Ebay user + Comic book fan.

Lets face it, he was never going to be the most rational of people.

My two favorite replies of the day

 

[SixTwoSix]

wow you have a lot of time on your hards all this trouble for £4 and then to bother to claim from RM.. thats about half a days work for £4..

still the guy sounds like a peeenarse.....

Honestly, i'm probably not going to claim, just his whole attitude makes me want to be as awkward as possible for him. If he had been friendly I would have issued the refund immediately and just trusted him to return the comic.

 

[SixTwoSix]

that is incorrect,

he earns 21k,

he is currently taxed on 13525,

he should now be taxed on 13525 + what ever extra he earns

So if I were going to be 100% legal about this, what would be the next step?

However as I mentioned, my work contract states i'm not allowed to run a business outside of work, so this is where it's a little complicated.

 

[SixTwoSix]

OP has been perfectly professional and polite. The user has been a knob. Sounds like he has the social ability of a honey badger, tbh.

For a standard comic, a "DO NOT BEND" card-backed envelope with extra card slip at the front is perfectly suitable.

Sounds like you know a little about comics Pestilence.

I send all my comics the same way, double comic boarded front and back in a comic bag, wrapped with brown paper, parcel taped, clearly addressed with PLEASE DO NOT BEND in big letters, first time i've ever had a complaint.

On the flipside i've received a few comics in the way that you stated that did arrive damaged as sometimes the other sellers don't "secure" the comic so it rattles around in the card backed envelope.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Quick update on the situation.

He said he returned the comic and supplied a RM Recorded Delivery tracking number to Paypal. I receive the package, open it and it's empty, nothing there at all. Was well sealed and no way it could have fallen out.

I call Paypal who tell me I have to go to the Police station and get a crime reference number at which point they will then issue him the refund which is currently on hold. I'm just astounded that he can do this.

He lives quite close to my parents, I am so tempted to knock on his door and offer him the refund in cash just to see the reaction I get.

Looking at his feedback and having contacted a few other sellers, he does this habitually, I have told ebay and paypal who say they will deal with it but can't inform me of the action they will take.

 

[SixTwoSix]

"this comic cost me £3.25 new so you have only paid 75p"

All this over a few quid...!

For me it's the principal of it, a few quid or a few hundred quid, I can't abide thieves.

For him...well...he's just a prize idiot.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Just had an update from Paypal, they have requested more information from the Buyer.

I really can't be bothered to go to the Police Station for a crime reference number, i'm just going to string this out as long as possible and make him wait for his refund.

Just dreading the inevitable negative comment at the end of this, I have 7 eBay accounts with about 900 combined feedback and haven't even come close to any negative comments until this idiot.

 

[SixTwoSix]

If your reputation means that much to you, why risk it for the sake of a few quid.

What have I done wrong though, I offered a full and complete refund, he's the one now taking the mick. Again, it's the principal here, all he had to do was return the item.

Looking at his feedback he's left for others, he does this all the time and always leaves them negatives even when they've given him refunds, he's just an idiot.

As soon as he opened the dispute and I saw his feedback history, I knew i'd eventually end up with a negative comment,