As Ebay Turns...

This week on ebay...I had several deadbeats, as usual.

One of the deadbeats waited until the unpaid item case had almost closed on him. His feedback indicated that he seems to mostly bid on sportscards and sports-related crap. He bought an antique clock from me for $200+, which was rather odd...this put me on high alert.

I wrapped it in 3 layers of bubble wrap, I had 4 inches of peanuts around each edge. I reinforced the box corners. I insured the fuck out of that thing. I also shelled out an extra $20 for priority mail (he chose parcel).

I mailed the thing and waited for the inevitable "something is wrong" BS.

Ebay never disappoints. My message:

I received the mantle clock today.
Upon opening, I noticed that one of the front lion's foot has broken off and I could not find the piece in the package or box.
Your auction picture showed both front feet to be intact.
The broken section I observed looked to be new.
Please advise.
Thanks.

I like the accusatory "Your auction picture showed both front feet to be intact" so that he can accuse me of item not as described or something. Sure, asshole. I removed one foot from the front of the clock before mailing it. Makes a lot of sense. If it was broken in transit, the piece should be IN THE FUCKING BOX. It was held in with 2 screws also, so if they were kicking that box around and managed to remove a foot, there should have been way more damage.

I told him that when mailed, the clock had 4 feet. Then I sent another message and I asked for a picture, and informed him that I don't issue refunds unless the item is returned. I haven't heard from him since. This was 2 days ago.  No message, no case, no pictures. I am sure he is at the drawing board thinking of a new way to get a discount as I write.

Second deadbeat was almost amusing...I am not sure if what was written was true, or just the lamest excuse someone has bothered to dream up in a long time...

Message:

Good evening
My name is ______ and I am the husband of _______. She has purchased an item from you a few days ago. She recently was physically hurt and had her belongings taken. We had to cancel all and are waiting for new cards to come in which should be sometime this week. We apologize for the delay this has never happened to her before and she is pretty shakenrd up. We will keep you informed and pay the statement as soon as we receive new cards for new account. Thank you

If I got mugged, the last thing I would worry about was an ebay bid I had made.  If I was conscious, I would type the fucking e-mail myself. But I am not a delicate flower. I do my own business no matter what...deaths, illnesses, no car, you name it. I didn't know how to respond, so I did not. I just let the case close and blocked her as I do with all non-payers/scammers/weirdos.

Third Weird/Annoying thing. Message on Etsy. This is about a $14.00 hat with $7.00 shipping.

would you take 12. with shipping ??

I reply:

 It depends on your zip code. If you are anywhere west of the Mississippi, then it would cost almost as much to send it as the hat cost.

She's in Colorado, but apparently holds out hope because she sent me her zip code. Shipping is $7-$10, depending on how much weight the box will add.  No thanks. I am not taking $2.00-$5.00 for a vintage, rather expensive french hat. I cringed at charging $14.00! I felt like answering her and telling her that it isn't ebay...No "Best Offer" thank you very much.

Fearless

This was on the sidebar of my Facebook feed. Yeah. Purchase protection. The Post Office, FedEx, UPS or even you bust your shit, Paypal will be very happy to reach right into a seller's account and give you their money...oops, I mean your money back. After all, the seller had to have been the one at fault when you yanked that planter with the described hairline cracks out the wrong way and broke it, right?

Who cares if they are out an item and now money because of someone else mishandling things. They like being cold and not eating.

Frostbite

Ebay is never an easy road to hoe (Or as some message board regulars would have punned..."Ho").

This week I "made" about $500. I owe the town $150 for my water bill, and I am just about out of fuel oil, which right now is about a $200 minimum. It was about 30 degrees this morning, meaning I had better get some anti freeze into the Honda, stat. I don't know how much that will run me, but anything mechanical isn't cheap. I won't do it at home because I have 4 cats.

So...even though I've got $500 sitting here...I cannot touch it. Some buyer might have a problem with something next week and complain, and if the money is already spent, then I cannot refund the whiner(s).

I could and probably would throw up the "case smokescreen" in which I demand the item back so that paypal won't refund them for a week while it is enroute and I burn up the insurance lines and scramble to recoup, but that usually takes two weeks. My water would be shut off and my oil tank empty by then.

So I am splitting hairs again this week...in order to "save" $200, I am going to go to the gas pump and buy a smaller amount of diesel and just pay the frigging water bill, and pray that the two large delicate things that just got sent to California (of course...you think anything small, light, and unbreakable ever gets bid on by a west coast person?) get there in one piece and that the buyers aren't nitpicky assholes. The fucking bedspread is only going across the state, and a smaller less-expensive doll is going down the coast to NC...*headdesk*

Deadbeat Buyer Time Again

It's that time again...$260 worth of sales...One buyer sent me this right after the auction:

hi...I won this and will make payment on Thursday morning when I get my pay check....thank you :

This was Sunday. Nice of you to let me know this before you bid, Miss Self-Entitled. Ugh.
EDIT 11/17/2015:
She made good on her promise to pay on Thursday.

Then my case-in-point about sellers being able to leave negatives. This asshole bid on two clocks...he has only 15 feedback, and this is his POSITIVE feedback from five sellers (because we cannot leave anything but):

 Buyer does not pay.

 Sellers beware! Does not pay or communicate.

 NON PAYING!! Do NOT do business with this buyer!

 BEWARE THIS BUYER!!! HE RUINS AUCTIONS BY "PURCHASING" THEN NEVER COMMUNICATING

 Tried to contact buyer about payment after sale no response

EDIT 11/17/2015:
He now has 34 "positive" feedback, but 32 of them are exactly like the above mentioned. So he bids and pays here and there when he feels like it, and just ignores all the shitty feedback.

True to form, he paid for the less expensive clock, and left me hanging with the other one. I guess there goes 13 days of my life while I wait for him to not pay, wait for the unpaid item assistant process, and then wait another 5 days for the auction to end again. Thanks for wasting half a month, asshole. He's going straight to the block list.

3rd buyer bought another clock. She has 2 feedback, I haven't heard from her, and I do believe the unpaid item assistant will kick in tomorrow.
EDIT 11/17/2015: On the very last day before the UPI was about to close...she paid. It was delivered, and I haven't heard from her since.

For the love of God, people! If you don't intend on paying...PLEASE don't fucking bid!

EDIT 11/17/15:
So I got $160 out of the $260, albeit late. Something is better than nothing.