eBay - what is it with some people?!? (rant)

[Neeek]

I recently sold something on eBay to what seemed like a perfectly nice guy. It was an old starter motor for my Clevo. Before I begin this, here's a description of the ad:

What you’re looking at here is a starter motor unit from a Ford V8 Clevo engine. This one was most recently attached to a 302.

Last time it was hooked up, it was working perfectly. It does have a sticker on the solenoid that suggests it’s been reconditioned at some point in the past, although that was most likely well before I bought the car it was fitted in, which was about 2 years ago. It last cranked a Clevo over about 12 months ago. It’s one of many spares I have so I’m prepared to let it find a new home.

Pick-up only on this one as it weighs a ton.

It's sold for $15.50, and guy came to pick it up last Saturday morning from my place. Handed over the money, chatted a little about this and that, and then he was gone.

Then he called me on Monday to tell me that the starter didn't work. I apologised and out of the goodness of my own heart, said I'm rummage around under my house as I thought I might have another spare one. Told him that if I did, I'd let him know and deliver it to him at his place of work in Richlands on Tuesday or Wednesday, which is totally out of my way, but hey, that's OK.

Then I am out of the office on for 2 days, but logging in every now and then to check emails. I checked under my house and sadly I only had one spare starter, and that one's my spare and not for sale. So I email him and say the following, quoted word for word. Me in blue, him in red (he's an angry little man...):

"Hi mate
Sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday - been out of the office for the last couple of days and I won't be back until Friday. I've had a look under the house yesterday and I can only find one more starter, which is my spare and I want to keep that one! Seeing as the one I sold you is a dud, it's only fair that I give you a refund. If you'd like to email me your bank account details, I'll transfer $15.50 across to your account on Friday. Sorry I can't help you out - I'm sure you'll find another one... just stay away from those gear reduction ones, eh? ;)
Cheers, Nick"

The last quip related to the conversation we had when he picked up the starter from me - a gear reduction one ripped his ring gear off, apparently!

Anyway, I leave it there. That evening, I get a response from him (Weds evening):

"NOT HAPPY finished work 1 hour early on a Saturday to meet your scedual costing me $ drove over to the other side of brisbane costing me more $ taking half day Sunday to fit only not to work nad then carried a battery pack around in my car for 2 days and you want to give me $15 back, thats worth a -Neg Feed back to spoil your 100% to me , what do you think?

In your Ad you stated it worked you should have tested it or put condition unknown and i would not of wasted mine time with this crap."

Now in the interests of being brief, I'm not going to be. My response to that was as follows:

"Mate, not sure what to say after that!

First of all, the starter was advertsied as last having turned an engine over 12 months ago. I had no reason to suspect that it wasn't working and if you read the ad I didn't specifically advertise it as fully functional. If I knew it didn't work, then I would've chucked it in the bin myself. You yourself said that in hindsight you should've tested it before you went to the trouble of putting it in your car, so there's nothing I can do about that. I was 100% prepared to give you another one if I had a spare, which sadly I don't. In the same manner, I'm still prepared to give you your money back that you paid me, which I think is fair. As for petrol costs and so on, I'm sorry about that too, but again, the ad said pick-up only. The fact that you had to take time off work to pick it up from me is also unfortunate, but I have no control over that.

At the end of the day, I've offered you your money back. I can't possibly say any fairer than that - you buy something that doesn't work, you get a refund or replacement. I don't have a replacement, so you can have your money back. If you choose to accept that offer or not, that's up to you, but it's still there. I'm a honest bloke, and I'm not in the habit of trying to rip people off. Finally, I've left you positive feedback already - if you wish to leave negative feedback for me, then that's your decision too. Of course I'd rather you didn't, but I think I'm being fair with this matter. Where it goes now is up to you. Nick"

So I get this back after that:

"up to me now, simple a working starter motor delivered or a neg feed back"

What am I, a bloody wrecking yard? Yeah, I'll just pull one out of the RPO83 XA GT I've got rusting in the corner of the shed..!!! And I respond thus:

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I haven't got a spare, as I've told you. Do as you will."

So now I'm waiting for this primate to tarnish my otherwise perfect 100% feedback rating. Not that I really care - there are more important things to worry about than some feckwit who can't read an ad properly and is ****ed off that he lives far away and went to some trouble to fit a dud starter without testing first. Not my problem - I thought it worked, but it didn't. Offered a refund which was refused... what more can I do? :togo:

The funny thing is that he hasn't even left my negative feedback as yet... perhaps he's calmed down and seen reason, but I doubt it. Until then, I look forward to getting my first little red box. :

[merlin]

Yep thats the problem with ebay, you can get neg feedback ever though the other party is totally unreasonable and in the wrong. I cannot see anything you did that would warrant a neg feedback. If he does give it to you, you can always retaliate with an unpaid item strike for him.

[Neeek]

I already left him positive feedback, though. In future, I'll wait until I get feedback before leaving it for others when I'm selling.

[GCFordChic]

he is a wacko.

in the end its $15, your offer of a refund is more than fair, if he didnt know where you lived i would tell him buyer beware, when i read the ad i got the impression that it may or may not work...

if he does leave neg feedback, respond by stating that you offered a full refund but they just couldnt be pleased. Make up something for sale, 'sell' it to me and ill leave nice feedback for ya!!

Hope all goes well!

Jennifer

[protd]

all i can say is what a toss

[agony]

some people need to get a life!

[Neeek]

I'm gald I'm not the only one that thinks he's being unreasonable. I could even shame him... he's not on the forums, but I know exactly who he is... likes his 1/4 miles...

... but I don't think I will. That's just stopping to his level of idiocy.

[Laminge]

Don't shame him here, send Ebay a copy of his correspondence if he leaves the negative feedback.

[nb_351]

what a ****... if you stated in your ad that it worked, and then he got it home and it didnt, then he has the right to be angry... but as far as you knew it worked... it probably wouldave helped your ad if youd tested it yourself, and said that it works perfectly... but thats up to him if he wants to buy it... and only pay 15 dollars for a starter motor, then what does he want for 15 bucks? had a similar problem... bought an item off someone, and itwas scratched and damaged... under the postage packaging, and he didnt want a bar of it... he said it lefthis hands in good condition... but how does it get damaged under packaging?

[rag top]

If he gives you a negative feedback, would you then feel obliged to give him a refund?

You sold it on the condition of as is. Did he drop/damage it since picking it up? Or is he giving you his old one back and keeping your good one??

I'd let him have it, transaction as is. If he wanted to, he could have tested it in your driveway...

[Neeek]

Originally Posted by '67

If he gives you a negative feedback, would you then feel obliged to give him a refund?

Nope. Once he's left me feedback, good bad or indifferent, I'd say the transaction is closed. I've given him every chance to get his money back, so if he decides to close it off, then that's his call. At least, that's how I've left it with him. We'll see what he does next...

[82XD393.3v]

Neek if you sent your emails through ebay you will be able to get ebay to look at them and they can withdraw his negative feedback if they belive you acted in a appreate manner
Cheers

[brenx]

rofl. The idiot expects a warranty? Money back is more then enough. I've offered the same on things, I've sold on ebay at times.

[thefargo]

some arty type would pay 15k for a classic clevo sculpture to decorate their bar. he got a great buy, and a talking point for the next time friend are over.
whats one neg? when/if I buy from e-bay, one neg is nothing if the seller has 90% + or more I just factor in the idiot buyer.

[Papa Smurf]

All I can say is... HOW BLOODY ANAL this guy is? Tell him threats don't become him and that maybe he needs to move on into adult-hood?

[poolkeeper]

He's bitching bout $15

[Dazza XLT]

He has nothing better to do obviously!

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by D1XR2C

He's bitching bout $15

This bloke has a serious mental issue. Anyone that carries on over a $15 starter motor needs to be taken out the back and have the above mentioned starter motor inserted into the side of his head.

Just another idiot buyer.

[AC/DC]

Sucks when you help someone out, by selling them a kinda rare part cheap, and they whinge about it. I never do pickup when I sell stuff on ebay, , and the majority of stuff I sell is over $100.... This makes any drama worth it...

Next time, , dont sell something cheap on ebay, , bin it.

All said, , what else can you do ?

AC/DC

[promina]

kudos to you for been a good ebayer

Promina

[4.9 EF Futura]

Ebay: Caveat Emptor!!!!

Mate sounds like you went ABOVE and BEYOND the call of duty with this guy. I would have been a genuine pr**k and asked for the unit to be sent back in exchange for a refund.

If he neg feedbacks you, just put a response in - "Refunded money, tried to help - still negatived me". I know if im dealing with someone, i look at their neg feedbacks and read the responses. Doesnt bother me if an ***-hat has negatived someone if there's a good reply.

There's just no helping some people.

[peyote]

he has up to 90 days to leave feedback

[EA2BA]

Maybe it does work, and he is just scamming you for a freebie, that also happens. Possibly he hooked it up wrong and fried the thing and then blames you that it doesnt work. Give him nothing, he bought the item per description, his problem not yours.

[hrtrip]

what a tool - it's ebay, deal with it

[Stylin]

yeah what a deekhead. Seriously, we all buy things thinkin geeze i hope this works. He shouldv'e tested it and quite frankly if he's willing to blow a gasket over his $15 or fuel or inconvenience then he needs his head read. What if he'd bought it from the paper like the old days? He would've had no way to retort at all...Be thankful for the refund and leave it at that...If i was him i'd be checking i connected it correctly...


Mate you sound like a great seller so if he posts red just go to ebay.
Here's how you should do all feedbacks from here in...I generally insist on it when i buy from people, so if a seller doesnt listen thats fine. But unlike some im not in the habit of mucking sellers around :

Your the seller so NEVER post feedback until the buyer does. You are the provider and as such deserve right to retort if a buyer has a complaint. See if i get the product and im happy i post positive and then the buyer posts positive back. That way if i get scr3wed as a buyer im more likely to try to resolve it, knowing we both still have to post feedback...

If a buyer wont agree to those terms then he or she is an idiot... :jab:

[goldfire]

If he does leave neg feedback don't stress to much over it hey. I've read that if you send ebay all your emails there's a rather large chance they will wipe it.. aparantly they do that if the feedback they feel is unjustified.

Might be worth investigating perhaps.

[Bucket]

Worse comes to worse, just leave negative feedback in his too

...Or call in the FFAU Lynch Mob..i bet they're dying for a good punch up : :

[HOON69]

take it to the dispute console mate,tell em he wont accept or acknowledge you in the way of a refund etc and if he does put negative feedback they'll remove it leaving you once again with 100% positive feedback.

u get ppl like this all the time on ebay,they want something for nothing and they want it now,tell him to do his worst and take it to ebay they'll sort it out for you.

[GT290]

I think you will find that it has changed and its not as easy to just leave bad feed back like that. I reckon you take to the ebay tribe and have it sorted if you think it will effect you heaps. You can 't help ignorant buggers and if you have done the righty they should see it your way. I mean the cheek to ask for fuel money. I don't get a refund at the store for time and running cost if the fridge I purchased don't work. I might get money back for it or have it fixed but the rest is my problem. what planet is that guy from?
good luck

[Work Horse]

I'm with the buyer, you are a rat and a fink Neeek!!!

But if you send me $50, a new starter motor, a slab of VB and a Tshirt saying "I am a rat signed Neeek", I will tell everyone you are a nice guy.