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Hope this is the right place for this…
I have an item up for sale on eBay with a Best Offer option. Now, this is actually the very first one I haven’t put an “automatically decline offers under (x amount)” stipulation on… I didn’t figure it’d be a problem.
They’ve sent several offers now AND made a (still quite low) offer with the stipulation of waiting two weeks, which I can’t really afford to do. I said I’d accept the offer if it is still around in two weeks. They keep asking me to hold.
The messages about their situation/health issues/budget etc. are emotionally taxing, and seem to keep coming. I feel guilty by now, but I have my own problems. Those problems are why I’m selling, not because I want to.
At what point should I draw the line..? I have heard horror stories about completing transactions with difficult customers, and I’m very close to reaching that point of not being comfortable with them.
I had someone message me on ebay about one of my pieces as well asking if I would take a lower offer even though my piece was up for bid and not listed as a buy it now or best offer. I told her to message me here if she wanted to offer less as I might consider it and then just end my auction which no one had bid on. She didn’t seem to know how to use the messaging on here though and kept messaging me on ebay talking about different health problems and trying to buy back some Windstone pieces she had lost in the past. I told her I really needed the money and could not accept a much lower offer and asked if she wanted it for what I was advertising it for on here and then she said no and was looking at some other pieces instead. So I let my auction continue and re-list and then I sold it for what I wanted to so I am kind of glad I did not accept her offer. I am not sure if this might be the same person but I would say if you don’t feel good about the transaction, it might be worth just waiting out your listing and see if someone else buys it in the meantime. These people should know there is no such thing on ebay as holding something until you they can buy it so that is not fair of someone to ask or keep making low offers. I have held pieces in the past where people promised to pay and then never did said so my motto now is that until someone can pay, the piece is still for sale to whoever can buy it first.
Looking for rainbow or pink & teal grab bags!
Here’s my two cents. :3
This is a business transaction. Their personal life situation doesn’t make you obligated to sell to them any more than your personal life situation makes somebody obligated to buy from you. (Which is to say, not at all!)
Keep it professional. Simply set out your terms, say they’re not negotiable, and don’t negotiate. If they won’t respect that, block them and move on. There will be other buyers, and somebody who tries to manipulate you like that is probably a buyer you’re better off without, frankly.
If their offer isn’t what you want, you don’t have to accept. It’s that simple. It’s business, not a counselling session.
Life is beautiful.
I’m a be fan of trusting your instincts. If you’re uncomfortable with someone, don’t do business with them. You may not know 100% why you feel so uncomfortable but the fact that your warning bells are going off is enough to tell you they probably won’t be a smooth, hassle-free transaction.
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DRAGONS: Male CoyoteHere’s my two cents. :3
This is a business transaction. Their personal life situation doesn’t make you obligated to sell to them any more than your personal life situation makes somebody obligated to buy from you. (Which is to say, not at all!)
Keep it professional. Simply set out your terms, say they’re not negotiable, and don’t negotiate. If they won’t respect that, block them and move on. There will be other buyers, and somebody who tries to manipulate you like that is probably a buyer you’re better off without, frankly.
Spot on.
I have dealt with this situation hundreds of times over the years of selling, especially online. Business is business and has nothing to do with their emotional or financial woes.
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My art: featherdust.comHere’s my two cents. :3
This is a business transaction. Their personal life situation doesn’t make you obligated to sell to them any more than your personal life situation makes somebody obligated to buy from you. (Which is to say, not at all!)
Keep it professional. Simply set out your terms, say they’re not negotiable, and don’t negotiate. If they won’t respect that, block them and move on. There will be other buyers, and somebody who tries to manipulate you like that is probably a buyer you’re better off without, frankly.
Spot on.
I have dealt with this situation hundreds of times over the years of selling, especially online. Business is business and has nothing to do with their emotional or financial woes.
Yes, yes, and yes. There is nothing wrong, if you choose to communicate with this person, reminding him/her that this is business transaction and to please keep their personal drama to themselves as it does not in any way what-so-ever impact your rational business decisions. You can say it more nicely too, but I’ve taken the stance that no one would actually use real life upsets to try and get a lower price on some non-life saving ebay item (it’s not like I’m selling kidneys!), so it must be a scam. And it happens so often, again, it is probably a scam. And if it isn’t a lie, all the more reason for them not to share their super personal stuff with total strangers. I feel I should charge them more in principle. Yeah sorry, there is a 15% surcharge for airing your dirty laundry all up at me, mmm kay thanks.
And if they ask you to do something that conflicts with ebay rules, simply cut and paste the ebay policy into your next communication. So sorry your dog, brother, niece, godson, and bestest goldfish in the world ran away/died/went to jail this week, but this is what ebay has to say about that.
And it happens all the times, to lots of people, for lots of different types of items, which really helps ring that “scammer” bell. I’ve gotten these random, lets break the rules just a little bit for poor me, give me break, ship your expensive stuff somewhere totally off the grid, messages for the most random things I’ve sold on ebay: Windstones, clothes, my little ponies, video games.
I am going to help my mom sell some old books and magazines on ebay later this month, and I am sure I’ll hear something all too personal from some stranger who totally needs musty old Nat Geos to help them shuffle onward through this mortal coil as well.
I recently found on eBay something I’ve been looking for for over 25 years (not a Windstone), to replace a destroyed gift. Although very difficult to find, it has some damage and has been relisting for months, in all sorts of international eBays as well as the US (seller is in Georgia state). It’s on auction cheap, but perhaps a bit overpriced given the damage.
Things have been tough lately on a variety of fronts, and even the cheap is out of reach for me at this time. Hopefully I can raise the money soon. This is none of the seller’s business, nor should it be. I haven’t contacted them, and won’t unless/until I can pay for it or at least make a fair offer. It wouldn’t be right otherwise.I think your potential buyer smells bad. If you deal with them, you may at best catch cooties. I think you should avoid, but if you do go through with selling to them, cover your fanny- save all correspondence etc.
I feel like I should add as I did find out it is the same person who had messaged me. On one hand I know a lot of us vent our personal problems on this forum when we go through hard times and I myself have been guilty of telling people my problems on here but in my case it was sharing with friends and people who already knew me and the purpose wasn’t to try and get a lot lower a price on anything. I have told people in the past that if I really wanted something, I would wait and see if I could raise the money and let them know when I could pay for it if they still had it at that time. Sometimes it has worked out that I was able to buy a piece after saving a while and other times I have had to pass on pieces that I simply couldn’t afford. I do feel though that on ebay especially, if a stranger messages and tries to guilt someone into lowering their price by an unreasonable amount that that is not fair. I am reasonable and I like to make deals with people if I am selling something but if someone offers me like half of what I think something is worth than that is not a fair way to do business and I don’t expect anyone to do that for me either. Although I know the sentimental reasons people want to buy things back that they lost (which has happened to me), they probably shouldn’t be trying to buy things if they can’t afford them or should wait until they can instead of burdening sellers with their issues.
Looking for rainbow or pink & teal grab bags!
Here’s my two cents. :3
I am going to help my mom sell some old books and magazines on ebay later this month, and I am sure I’ll hear something all too personal from some stranger who totally needs musty old Nat Geos to help them shuffle onward through this mortal coil as well.
LOL this was too funny. 🙂
I agree with everyone so far too. If you gave them two weeks and it’s been two weeks, open a non paying bidder complaint against them. If they don’t have the money and don’t have a credit card to put it on, they don’t need it that badly…and or…well, too bad so sad. I’ve had to let lots of things go I was in LOOOOVE with the last few months because I’ve been out of a job. That’s no one’s fault but my own-certainly not the fault of the people selling stuff I want but couldn’t afford. Life goes on. *shrug* Don’t let your emotions get in the way of the transaction-easier said than done but it’s the right thing to do.
Kind of related…but I want to share what happened to me recently. I’ll shorten it up. I was sitting on the couch with my BF and mom comes in the back room. Tells me there’s a lady outside asking about buying my car…which is not listed for sale anywhere. She originally wanted to buy my daily driver (a Trans Am) but hail no, it’s not for sale. Then she asked about my dad’s SUV. Not for sale. I do have another car I’ve been wanting to get running and sell-a 2007 Pontiac G6. Good shape, needs a new battery and a cleaning. Minor scratches-a fogged head light. Minor cosmetic stuff. KBB says the car should be worth $4500-$5000. This elderly LOOKING woman gives me this sad story about how she just moved here from Michigan, she needs a car, she’s a single mom (there is a 19year old looking kid with her. She looks too old to have a kid that young) and oh please oh please, could I sell her the car. I say sure, $4500. She says she can’t afford that would I take $3,000. I ponder it over, sure. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. Oh, woe is me, poor me, I’ve got cancer and I’m doing radiation therapy at a well known hospital near by. It’s believable, Houston has some of the best Oncology hospitals in the country. She also is missing most of her hair, so her story seems legit. Long story short, she says she’ll give me $100 down, changes her mind at the last second, acts like she has no money but is driving a shiny new Chevy truck, her brother comes back a week later to look the car over, says the alternator is bad, would I take $2500 for the car. Uh, no! The alternator is fine, it needs a new battery. I ask the kid “So, is that your dad?” “no, that’s my uncle” (yeah right) not 5 minutes later, he says “my mom wants to talk you you” and leads me to a younger looking woman who is believably his mother. When after I think all my money problems are solved, she backs out, decides it’s $2500 or nothing, then wants the deposit back. I told them no, but the demanded it back anyway. Waste of time. Their story was sketchy and all I heard was sad stories about how this poor old lady had cancer and needed me to sell her MY car. If you have $3,000 cash (she told me that’s how much she “had in her life savings”) then why not go to a used car lot and buy a car? I think they must own a used car lot somewhere and are looking for inventory. It was odd she was in my neighborhood anyway when she lives 20 minutes away and my whole neighborhood is a dead end almost. The only reason any one would be in there is if they live there or are visiting.
I know the prospect of a buyer is exciting, but another one will come along.
SO uh…Anyone need a car? 😉 lol
I didn’t get any sob stories (or offers, it sold for the asking price) on a Windstone I just sold on eBay. I did, however, get reamed a bit by someone who thought my shipping price- a guesstimate based on a similar sized package I shipped a week before- was highway robbery. Thanks, you really made me feel bad, even though I said in the listing I’d refund a difference if I was off more than a few bucks. For what it’s worth, I shipped it out today, only going 1000 miles, and I was only a few bucks off (and the buyer said to keep the few bucks). As a seller, I can’t control what the shipping services cost, and maybe the prices are different in different parts of the country? We’re off all the major routes here.
I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t be too much a vigilante please? The only way I could have reduced the price is if I’d reduced the packaging, and then it would probably be a casualty.Wolfen, I had a similar situation! My Grandfather passed away two Christmases ago and I asked through the estate if I could have his car since it was in much better shape than mine. The guy that used to own the dealership where he bought it stopped by our house and said, “I heard your grandpa died, can I have his car back?” The dealer had lost his dealership due to some illegal practices and now sells cars from the edge of the road in front of his house. Way to pay some respect to a grieving family, huh?
I’ve been selling on eBay as a full time job for the past three years. I’ve encountered many “woe-is-me” stories. Somewhere in the “Whine is served” thread from a few years ago I had encountered a buyer like that. I had a bunch of collectible dolls listed and someone clicked buy-it-now on the rarest, most valuable one I had listed. Then they sent me a message that was nothing more to a link for a website, nothing else. I clicked on it out of curiosity and it was a website talking about a family whose house had burned down and they had 4 little girls who needed donations of clothes, toys, and sports equipment. I felt so awful and ran to this forum to vent! I didn’t want to donate an expensive doll! I can’t afford to give away my valuable things! I felt like a jerk because I didn’t want to donate it, but that’s not fair to me either! In any other situation, I would’ve been happy to donate a toy to a little girl that lost hers in a fire, but not one that would pay one of my household bills that month. When you have a situation like this arise, you need to take a moment to step back and make sure it is fair to BOTH parties. Sometimes you just have to make sure that people aren’t trying to take advantage of a good heart. <3
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