eBay Sellers: How to Deal with Difficult
Customers
If you are an eBay seller, you will have to do business with
eBay buyers. As traditional retailers do, you may also have a
problem with some customers. While the majority of eBay buyers
are more than pleasant to deal with, there are some who can
“ruffle your feathers.” While your first thought may be to give
a difficult eBay buyer a piece of your mind, you may want to
refrain from doing so, especially if you rely on eBay to
generate income for yourself and your family.
When it comes to dealing with difficult eBay buyers, one
problem that commonly arises is with your current auction
listings. It is not uncommon to get an eBay message from a
buyer requesting that you lower your price on one of your
listed items. In fact, it is not uncommon for an eBay buyer to
mention that other eBay sellers have the same items listed for
less. If and when this ever happens to you, you will want to
keep your cool.
You should simply state that you are unable to lower your
asking price. Kindly suggest to the eBay buyer in question that
if they are looking for more affordable prices, they should
consider doing business with an eBay seller who offers more
affordable merchandise. The decision as to whether or not you
want to lower your eBay prices is yours to make, but you should
never feel pressured into doing so.
Another situation that commonly arises on eBay, concerning
difficult eBay buyers, is the payment process. There are many
eBay buyers who make the mistake of assuming that all eBay
sellers accept the same methods of payments, but not all do.
One of the most common methods of payment accepted is PayPal.
If you currently do not have a PayPal account, you may want to
look into doing so.
Regardless of what methods of payments you do accept, you
are urged to outline them in your auction listings. Yes, eBay
has a section for that, but, unfortunately, not all sellers
make their way down to that section. Should you have a buyer
that wants to make alternative arrangements, you need to use
your best judgment. If you cannot reach an agreement, eBay
should be notified.
One of the other common problems that arise on eBay, with
difficult eBay buyers, is those who refuse to pay. With eBay,
if you bid on an auction and win it, you are responsible for
making payment; however, that doesn’t mean that everyone does.
When trying to request payment from a non-paying eBay buyer,
you will want to stay professional when doing so.
By simply sending a few reminder notices you should still be
able to keep your positive image. If you haven’t heard anything
from your non-paying eBay buyer, you may want to contact eBay
after about a week. eBay has a process that allows you to get
your fees back, as well as a process that will gives non-paying
eBay buyers a negative feedback rating.
It is also not uncommon for an eBay buyer to be unhappy with
the item that they purchased and received from you. If this
happens, you need to also use your best judgment. To prevent a
problem from occurring, you will want to make sure that you
provide a detailed description of whatever you are selling, as
well as numerous pictures. It is also advised that you outline
a return policy, whether or not you actually have one. Should
you have intentionally or unintentionally mislead an eBay
buyer, you should make the situation right; however, stand your
ground if you are being scammed or “taken for a ride.”
The above mentioned situations are just a few of the many that
you may come across as an eBay seller. No matter what situation
arises, you are advised to use your best judgment and also keep
your cool. In the end, you will be glad that you did.
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