I'm through selling on ebay... (rant-long)

[Jand3rson]

I have reached the end of my rope with buyers on ebay.

I placed my 3/4 size practice bass up for auction, it sold, the buyer paid, everything was going fine. Until shipping got screwed up.

I sent the bass FedEx Ground, and thge guy lives in CA. So they told me it would be there in 2-3 days. I tell the buyer this. 3 days pass, no bass. So I get an email from the guy, asking why he hasn't gotten it yet, telling me that his daughter is expecting it. I tell him I will go down to the post office (mistake, I was at the post office 4 times that day, and just typed post office not thinking about it). Before I can go down to FedEx to ask about the shipping, guess what rolls up in front of my house. FedEx. What does the driver hand me? The bass. I am told that the address is wrong, and the parcel could not be delivered.

I send an email to the buyer telling him that FedEx JUST dropped the bass back at my house, telling me that the address is no good, and that it could not be delivered. I ask him for his address. He sends it to me, but not just the address.

I get an email back from the buyer, telling me he wants "the truth". That if I am having trouble shipping it, to just tell him, no biggie. He goes on to tell me all the "mistakes" in my "story",how his neighbor works for FedEx, and that in 6 years of business on ebay, has never had a shipment get screwed up. BULLSHIT.

I send an email back to him, stating that the last 2 things I had sent to me via FedEx were lost, and that the woman working the front desk at FedEx was a complete and total moron, and that maybe she screwed something up. I get the tracking number and try it, and surprise, surprise, it doesn't work. No history of the pacakge at all. This HAS to be something that they screwed up on their end.

I've so far gotten 2 more emails from the guy, telling me that my "story" is not truthful, that he is going to notify ebay, and blah blah blah...

I've had it with selling things on ebay. I'll continue to buy things, but not as often, and once the few items I have listed right now sell, I'm done.

[KenC]

I wouldn't write off eBay just because of one ass-hole user.

FedEx has usually worked out great for me... except this last time when Greg Levangie sent me an 'is' spoiler 3 weeks ago and I still haven't received it...

[LikeCDoos]

ebay is cool in ways but sucks in others. Greg also sent me a euro plate filler awhile back that got lost in the mail.

[MR 325]

Use UPS

[Digitalwave]

I am getting sick of selling stuff too. I listed an airbag knee bolster and my terms were NO CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS, NO SHIPPING OUT OF THE US, AND PAYMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS.

So the winning bidder is in Taiwan, doesn't speak English, and has sent me a credit card payment 5 times over the last TWELVE days. Wow. And get this, the item was $76 and he was willing to pay $71 shipping.

I sold it as a second chance offer to somebody else...

[nitro325is]

I am getting sick of selling stuff too. I listed an airbag knee bolster and my terms were NO CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS, NO SHIPPING OUT OF THE US, AND PAYMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS.

So the winning bidder is in Taiwan, doesn't speak English, and has sent me a credit card payment 5 times over the last TWELVE days. Wow. And get this, the item was $76 and he was willing to pay $71 shipping.

I sold it as a second chance offer to somebody else...

I absolutely hate it when foreign buyers bid even though clearly stated not to.Its just such a big pain with tracking and forms unless its going to canada.I always get people from Taiwan, Japan, lots from south america, and even got someone from mongolia.

[318daily]

Josh - tell that wannabe rockstar of a bass player to chill out. Delivery people know addresses better than anybody. Have homeboy email you his mailing address, then copy and paste that to make your shipping label. That's about all you can do. I'd also insure it in the event glam-rock man tries to get "untruthful" with you.

and now onto my fun ebay story:

I sold my downhill mountain bike and explicitly said "Will only ship to the USA".

However some dude in Poland does the buy it now, then I have to contact his buddy in Chicago who suggests shipping via COD (my first time ever with COD, and with my precious bike nonetheless). Took like a month to get my money but it all worked out.

Ebay can be cool though, like right now i'm selling a bunch of my old shoes (of which is a set of Michael Jordans over 10 years old.) Currently at $21.50. LOL !

Edit: Jordans sold for $31.


hahaha..they're thrashed and my smelly feet have been all over them.

[Beej '86 325es]

Your situation indeed sucks. Like MR 325 said, try UPS. Send a picture of the box & shipping label to show the guy you're trying to get it to him.

[UDM Motorsport]

i've always used fedex, yes i've had problems with them but still they are the cheapest.
UPS is good but a little on the pricier side.
If you shipped via fedex ground, get the tracking number and give your customer that. if he wants to dispute it with ebay, give ebay the tracking number and they can decide...which will of course favor you.
There are tons of scammers out there...recently i was scammed, guy sending out fraudulent checks...so just beware...

[M3 Ryan]

E-mail the guy the tracking # that the first package had, it will show how the bass shipped out and prove your side of the story. Reship it to him, don't refund his money. People on e-bay are a pain in the ass sometimes.

[Jand3rson]

Trust me, I'm not going to refund his money. The tracking number I have doesn't work. When I input it, it just comes up as saying "the tracking number you entered does not exist, blah, blah, blah.

Ken, this isn't the first ebay asshole I have had to deal with. In one of my last batches of auctions, a woman submitted payment 5 days late, after no responses to at least 10 emails. Since I didn't think I was going to get paid, I relisted the item and left her bad feedback. THAT DAY, she sends payment and leaves me bad feedback that said she paid and I never sent the item.

There is at least one of these in every one of my batches of items. I'm done with it.

And BTW, I think it's time to find a new shipping service, Greg. Looks like my items weren't the only ones to get lost in shipping.

[cramer]

Josh- since the tracking numbers don't work, take a pic of the package with the fed ex lable and send it to him to prove your "story". Then tell him you're happy to resend it with a correct address and an apology ;)

[E30ownerwithanopinion]

dude look at from his side, he paid for something you said you shipped it one way and then said it was returned another way (fed ex)


what would you do in his shoes?


What you need to do is give him your number and talk to him on the phone and explain it, I am sure he will understand and you can skip the grief.

[Jand3rson]

dude look at from his side, he paid for something you said you shipped it one way and then said it was returned another way (fed ex)


what would you do in his shoes?


What you need to do is give him your number and talk to him on the phone and explain it, I am sure he will understand and you can skip the grief.

Don't think I don't understand his frustration, I really do. I have had the same thing happen to me. Shipping gets screwed up, stuff arrives WAY late, it's a pain in the ass, I know. But the way he is handling it on HIS end is not the way he should be. Being frustrated is one thing. Calling me a liar and assuming that I am giving him the runaround is totally uncalled for. I've sent him several emails aplogizing and trying to explain what is going on in 10 different ways, and he's just not having it. The last thing I'm going to do is give this guy my cell number and have him harassing me on the phone.

[brodee]

Just scan (or take a pic) of the receipt that FedEx gave you when you originally shipped it. That will show the date it was shipped and the tracking number (working or not). IT will prove that you shipped it when you said you did and then he doesn't have anything more to say.

I've had people tell me stories like that and when I ask them for a copy of the original receipt I always get "uhhh... I lost it" So without it I assume they are not telling me the truth.

And don't give up on ebay just over this, think of all the good transactions you've had, including all the crap I've bought from you on there ;)