What Is It About Messages From Ebay Buyers?

I can categorize my ebay messages into 3 broad classes:
1. People asking for combined postage on items already bought
2. Folks asking why their item hasnt arrived yet.
3. People trying to make a special deal for multiple items

The first two I have no problem with -- its the third category that bothers me.
I had one last year that wanted to buy several books (BIN), but wanted combined postage -- to Greece (from UK)!!
When I told him how much this would be, he then started asking about postage to a UK address -- but by this time one of the books had already gone.
And then another question, and another book gone.
In the end he didnt buy anything -- it was all wasted time. weighing the books, working out the international postage, doing it again, etc etc.

Then another guy asked if he bought a large number of books, would I give him a special price -- he seemed to be implying a really large number, but I asked how quite how large -- it was maybe 5. In the end he bought just 2, without the special offer. There was lots of talk about how much he admired my book selection etc etc along the way.
(By the way, these were paperbacks listed at 99p plus postage (at cost), so they couldnt have been cheaper.)

Now I have another one, trying to get a really special deal on stuff thats already at rock bottom prices, and this time the stuff is listed for auction ... I know some of it will sell at the price its starting at, because I've sold identical items at that price before, without trouble.

And what's worse, in my experience these types always get offended that you arent interested in wasting time with this nonsense.

I realize I'm just venting ... but there it is. New messages just make me wonder, "What nonsense is it this time?"

10% of ebayers will waste 80% of your time. You are right to vent, but after that just block them and move on.

Those who love to haggle generally do it for the sport, and have little interest in the item.

ebay actually encourages this activity, when you use the message system it has a list of topics. If you hit the "make an offer" it tells you something like "this seller doesn't have make an offer, send him an email with an offer and see". I've done it a few times and am successful most of the time. I do this all the time at stamp shows--for me it's part of the whole buying experience. I was at one of the largest antiques shows in the nation this week and the same thing happens there. In fact, as you walk by their booth and look at something, many of the dealers will walk over to you and start haggling before you say anything. Of course, that is in person and this is online, so somewhat different, but the culture is the same.

In many parts of the world haggling is expected. I lived in Asia for three years and it was a running joke with the locals about how certain cultures (especially Americans) just paid whatever price you asked. They thought we were rich (comparatively speaking we were) and clueless (in many cases we were).

The best response is probably a short "no" or something similar. The ebayer will just move on.

I hate haggling - and I regard professional dealers (in any field) who do so as dishonest. Put the correct price on something and sell it at that price. If you want to offer discounts, do so on a formal or spot basis.

We owned a brick and mortar retail shop for many years and sometimes had people try to haggle with us. We would politely turn down the offers but at times we had people who would not listen and continue to try to argue down a price. Those folks were shown the front door.

We already offered the best prices we could, had several discounts programs (based upon volume) posted and advertised periodic specials and sales. And while in some parts of the world it may be expected behavior, I am sure that those sellers built in extra margin so they could be haggled down. This seems to me like a waste of time and an inefficient approach to selling.

Haggling also opens the door to potential discrimination and discrimination legal actions. As a seller you have legal exposure if you cut discounts differently to different buyers. Buyers can claim they were discriminated against due to race, religion, sex, etc. unless you can show that you have a documented discount that applies equally to all. This is especially true in wholesale distribution companies; discounts should be documented and applied equally to all customers.
Don

'
steevh: Not everyone belongs in retail.

I know I don't, and always sold B2B, and never went to prison for murdering a customer.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

As Paulsonja said it can be a cultural thing. Having bargained for goats in Baghdad and office furniture in Kabul I can attest to that. Add ebay into the mix and SHAZAM!

Interesting discussion!

Add a category to the types of messages that people who sell postal history receive: "Can you show me the letter content?"

I don't have my material set to accept offers (except for one consignor, at his direction). This does not stop people from emailing me about deals on items, usually at half price or less, which is absurd. I rarely negotiate or take them, but it's part of doing business.

How about cranky responses from ebay sellers?

I asked one seller if there were any backstamps (transit markings on the reverse) on a stampless cover cover where he only scanned the front and where I was trying to figure out the routing. He basically called me a moron for not understanding what a stampless cover was.

Another seller posted a potato quality image of a cover and I asked for a better scan or for him to tell me the name of the ship endorsement at bottom left of the cover (i.e. one or two words) and he responded that he didn't have time to transcribe letters.

One important point not made here -----Many of those who ask for or haggle over deep discounts are in fact RESELLERS ON ebay .

People look at what your selling ,then they think Oh !!!! I could sell that and get a higher price .

There are some 42,000 professional sellers who use ebay ,they need inventory and stamps are a small product to inventory and mail and a very long term market place to establish one self .


I was selling mixture boxes for $15.00 and had one fellow buy one then gave me a negative as it being trash ,then within days he had half the stamps up for sale for $30.00 and a $5.00 lot . GO FIGURER....what do you say ?

BUY on ebay and sell on ebay . I believe a lot of what is listed on ebay is this kind of turn over .....and sometimes it is huge with a 100% or more reselling price from what you haggled over to your customer .Then there are those who settle for a buck or two on each transaction .

I assume that there are sellers that build "haggle" padding into the "Buy it Now" price if the also accept offers.

rogdcam, I ALWAYS assume that anyone who lists an item (stamps or otherwise) as buy it now with a best offer price is willing to accept less, is expecting to sell it for less. I dislike haggling (unless it's a new car, and then I'm in the trenches), but if they have a "best offer" option out there I'm not buying it now. Worst that can happen is they say no.

What gets me about this latest customer is that the items I have up are for auction, not Buy-it-Now. In theory there isnt a problem offering a combined deal for multiple items on a BIN, but doing it for auction items means cancelling the auctions early, which is not really legit, even when there are no bids on the items. Sure people do it sometimes, but whenever I've seen it its been for big ticket stuff ... only an idiot would be breaking ebay rules to do what this guy wants.

I feel your pain--don't give up.