Northern Exposure/ Ghost in the Machine

Another Etsy "Ghost buyer".

Said potential buyers ask questions about an item, ask you to drop the price, sometimes ask you to put said item on hold, then they disappear, never to be heard from again. This one asked about some prints I have for sale. She asked if the signatures were dotted.

The signature on each is a different size and in different locations, if they were printed on, they would generally be identical and in the same locale. Two are on the lower left and are large, one is small and on the lower right, they are not identical.

I added though, that the glass on the frames, and paper they are printed on is textured, giving them a bumpy appearance when you look at them. I am sure this lone piece of info will deter her. I already have them listed at half of what I would really want for them, which is about what an unsigned one would be going for.

Etsy has been going to the dogs lately. It is getting worse than ebay, and the shitty once or twice a month $10 sales are not worth the trouble.

I am tired of negotiating, putting shit on hold, and getting burned over and over. I saw that ecommercebytes had an article that focused on Etsy getting a lot of Google exposure as of late. I think that as more asshole buyers jump ship from ebay, the more they seem to defect to Etsy.

The bitch I gave the refund to was Exhibit A.

Even an ebay buyer will usually go away quietly once you refund them in full. I could have photographed my son's hospital bracelet as evidence of why my communication was "slow", told her "the fucker wasn't scanned - not my fault, I mailed it, and too bad!" and went on with my life, but NOOOO. I had to go taking the high road, lost some money, and instead of being happy she got her money back, the bitch decided to trash my feedback instead.

Some People Are Never Happy No Matter What

This may well become my new mantra in resale. I sold a stupid doll (of course, a doll loony) on Etsy. It was the week before Christmas, so I was right in the thick of Christmas BS. I noticed the sale a few days after it happened, and notified her that I would be sending it that weekend.

Meanwhile, my son gets the flu and an ear infection. I spend a day at the doctor's, and Christmas Eve at the ER because of his reaction to the antibiotics. I spent half of Christmas day at the only pharmacy that was open 11 miles away, where I had to pay out-of-pocket for the meds after waiting two hours because they could not reconcile the birthday on their records with the ones the insurance company had.

I never had time to message her. I also didn't bother to check the tracking either, because, really, when your kid is sick and you have no fucking internet capable phone, you generally don't give a fuck about a $10 Etsy transaction, sorry. The doll was never scanned in and I told her that this has happened before with Etsy items. It NEVER happens with Ebay items, ever. The way those labels print out make them hard to scan at times, postal workers love that, believe me.

I refunded her in full, including shipping. This was my 1 star feedback:

The item was ordered and never received. Communication was slow & seller stated she has had similar issues of "sending" items and them not being received by customers. A refund was provided by seller. Not reliable service.

I have half a mind to send her pictures of my son's hospital bracelet and tell her "Here's the fucking excuse you want for my "slow" communication"

And as for the other two packages she mentions, I sent a message to each of the people once the item landed back on my porch a month after I sent them, asking them if they wanted a refund or me to send it to the CORRECT address. They never responded, and both items are still here, sealed in their original shipping boxes, stamped "No Such Number" and "Return to Sender" because the addresses provided were wrong. One's been here for a year. I feel weird reselling it, because someone bought it!

I'd like to know how are these things my fault?

What cracks me up is that she is apparently on a mission to damage my reputation, why? She's out exactly NOTHING. I am out merchandise and the money I paid for the label!

Return Trip

Whenever an item causes a problem, however minute, I know it is going to be a problem sale, even if the original pest was blocked and did not bid.

This clock is going the way of a soft sculpture Cabbage Patch doll I sold last year...nothing but headaches since I listed it.

First, there were the idiot questions, the blocking, the re-listing, the stalking from a blocked idiot.

Now an entirely different person wins the fucking thing and "The chime is broken, and the movement won't run" Whatever shall we do? When they ask for "suggestions" I know they are hoping for a partial refund, and since it will only cost me $5 to return ship that badboy, you bet your sweet ass I want the fucker back.

Sure. I shot off a message to return the fucking thing, but not before reiterating that the movement did in fact run when it left my doorstep. I will refund you upon receipt of item, can you print a label or shall I mail it etc etc?

If the clock truly is "broken" she should not have any qualms about returning it.

Update 1/16/16: I haven't heard from her since offering a return shipping label. Typical. I find that demanding the item back scares away some potential "partial refund" people who received the item as advertised but try to get a discount.