Monday, January 24, 2011

Know your Buyer's Motives...When Things go "Wrong" on Ebay

I listed a vintage charm bracelet.  It was a sterling silver bracelet, loaded down with approx 25 - 30 charms.  Each charm was sterling silver.  Everything was marked "sterling" or "925"...
There was some really nice ones.  Some that had working parts, like wheels that turned...or arrows that spun. They were in mint condition.  I do not recall the gram weight...but, it was hefty. 

In the description I listed each one...giving the sizes, the special qualities, etc.  I also posted plenty of pictures.  It sold for about 60+ dollars.

I do not offer a return policy...I sell my items "as is"...I am NOT a business...so customer service to me is to get the buyer's item to them, well packaged and in a timely fashion.

About a week later, I received a message from the buyer that she wanted some of the money back.  Her complaint was that one of the charms was "misrepresented" in my description.  It was a western charm, a horse saddle.  She said that the stone was NOT turquoise...as I had noted in my description.  She said it was plastic...not a genuine stone. 

The 'stone' in question was about the size of a tip of a new crayon. 

She was very upset about this! 

It was unsettling to me...Once I mulled it over...I knew that my honest "mistake" was being blown way out of proportion.  I did some 'investigation' of my buyer.  She sells vintage charms on ebay!  She was getting very good money per charm.  It was obvious that she would break down the bracelet and sell by the piece.  She knows charms.  Her knowledge of vintage charms is her niche...not mine.  So, she may be right about the plastic stone...However, I know that the amount of charms she got from me was a bargain just in the amount of silver alone. 

I refused to give back money...I offered that ebay could make a decision if she wanted to have another opinion...if ebay found me to be in the wrong...I would buy back the whole bracelet...not one charm.

Never heard from her again...and I blocked her. 

*If you get an absurd complaint...check out your buyer..."Size them up" by what they buy and sell...and their feedback.  Then proceed with a resolution...and be as nice as you can.  :-)    Block if they are too silly to deal with again!

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