 | I made a mistake, yes, it's true.Posted Jun-14-08 06:09:16 PDT This is a true story, which I'm sharing with you so you DO NOT make the same mistake. Everyone on Ebay has a feedback rating. Whether you're a buyer or a seller or both, your account is tied to feedback. The rules have been changing recently. Ebay has made the buyer experience top priority. Without buyers none of us would make any money, so in that light I understand. I occasionally shop on Ebay, mostly just for the fun of it. When I find an item I like, price, quality and customer service are things I look at before the purchase. I read the terms of service, and make sure that I'm comfortable with the seller before I drop a dime! Now here's where the story darkens. As a seller, it has been difficult to determine the quality of buyers who shop with me. I sell beautiful collectible items that grow in value. People who shop and buy in my Ebay store are either collectors or someone looking for a gift for a collector. The majority of the people who shop in my Ebay store, 98% or higher, are responsible, intelligent folks who just want to add beauty and fun into their lives with a quality item. Here's where I made my mistake. I have closed 2 retail stores in the past couple of years. Within the inventory from these stores, there are an abundance of miscellaneous items that I list in my Ebay store once in a while. In the listing I clearly state in the terms of service that the item is "Final Sale, No Returns." Other sellers use the same terms. I've purchased items under these terms and I know whatever comes I keep or sell back to someone else. Simple, right? This is where I made the mistake! A customer purchased one of these items from me. I had used a stock picture from the manufacturer in the listing. I had sold several of the same item on Ebay in the past 2 years, all with positive feedback posted and happy customers. This item was the LAST one. It was sold for 50% of the retail value. Another 20% was lost to listing fees and payment fees. The customer took 3 weeks to pay and I did NOT file an unpaid item dispute because of the low price on the item, I just let it ride. After the customer paid and the item was shipped I thought it was done. I provided positive feedback, the only allowable option now. I went on with life and then it got interesting. The customer contacted me and said the item wasn't what was listed. I checked the listing and responded it was exactly what was listed. Then the customer compared the item to the picture and one word was different on the enscription, which no one had ever brought to my attention. Now, here's the MISTAKE. The customer wasn't happy. I don't know why really, but it makes no difference. Instead of just allowing the customer to return the item and providing a refund for the item, I choose to enforce the terms of service in the listing and say "No refunds, no returns." In my mind at that moment, I said to myself "if I let this one do it, I'll have to do this all the time!" The result was an unhappy customer, negative feedback posted and now time required to repair the damage to my overall standing as a quality Ebay seller. I should have allowed the customer to return the item. I should have said if you're not happy, I'm not happy. I should have never questioned that the relationships I have with the buyers on Ebay are more important than one single item added back into my inventory. I will continue to fine tune my listings to reflect the best options for my customers which allow me to offer best price and best service. I'll also continue to list items for the best chance for me to make some money. That's the object of this excersise, to make money. If you sell on Ebay, please leave a comment here. Whether it's your advice, your support or a policy that worked for you in this situation. If you are a buyer on Ebay, please leave a comment with your experiences. I really want to know where the balance is, providing quality items at a reasonable price with solid customer service. Thanks for reading all this! Bonnie, Diva in Charge
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