She Thrifts

Thrift. Flip. Repeat.

Conspiracy Theory – update

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Do you remember when I (only kind of jokingly) mentioned my eBay conspiracy theory?

So, on Sunday I listed 12 new items, all of which I listed by finding a like item already listed in my store and using “sell similar”.  When I woke up on Monday morning I had one sale and one offer – both on items I had used as the basis of a “sell similar”.  And I got an offer on another of my “sell similar” items by lunchtime.

Three of the 12 had offers or sold within a 12 hour window of using “sell similar”.  And it’s not like those were new or exciting listings.


Sold overnight, listed since February, 2018


Got an offer overnight that I countered, listed since April, 2018


Got an offer before lunch (that I accepted), listed since August, 2016 (!!!)

So, all plush because that is what I was listing on Sunday.

But, still, it’s weird, right?

Of course it could just be a coincidence.

Maybe?

Maybe not?

eBay and the case of the missing photos

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Who else has listings missing photos?  I can tell from the eBay FB groups that I am not alone.  It seems that the photos in at least 100 of my listings have gone AWOL.  Ugh.

So, I first noticed a few days ago, in a couple of my listings.  And I admit I ignored the problem.  Hoped it would magically fix itself.  Spoiler alert:  it didn’t.  But it also gave my brain a couple days to think over the issue without really thinking about it, if you know what I mean.  And although I don’t save photos for items I already have listed (and just a week or two ago I actually finally emptied my trash can on my laptop, forever deleting thousands and thousands of photos) … there was another place I could look for the photos.

Bonanza

Yup, I import my listings over there.  I sell maybe a couple things a month there (oddly, almost entirely replacement loveys – I have a theory about this, maybe I’ll go into at another time).  Every once in awhile when inventorying I come across an item that is no longer in my eBay inventory.  I then turn to Bonanza to see if it is still listed there, so I (hopefully) don’t have to recreate the listing from scratch.  Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not.

New problem, same possible solution.  It’s still a hassle, don’t get me wrong.  I am still investing hours of my time looking for my items in my Bonanza booth, saving the photos, and then re-uploading them to eBay.  But, it’s a heck of a lot better than having to re-take the photos.  (Which I will still have to do for a few items that for some reason are no longer in my Bonanza booth at all.)

Want to see if you have some items missing photos?  Here’s the most direct way I’ve found to do it, from a suggestion on an eBay FB group:This tip helped me a lot, so I know exactly which listings to focus on.  I’m less than a third of the way through fixing my listings (more sighs), but I will keep chipping away at it.  Here’s to hoping you dodged this particular eBay bullet.

“Winning” a return case

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Last week a return was opened for a pair of pants, and automatically approved.  No big deal, it has happened a few times before.  The pants didn’t fit, so the buyer had to pay to ship them back.  I received the return last night, opened the package and found that all of the tags had been removed.  Which is almost comical considering the number of tags these pants actually had on them!  Five different tags, all removed, not returned.

Grrr.  I mean, really?  First, why take the tags off before trying them on?  Second, would any other store let you return pants with no tags?  And third, the return was only for $12.  I was honestly tempted to just refund the money and be done, but on the other hand felt I shouldn’t just on principle.  I worry that sellers who are quick to refund when they aren’t actually in the wrong encourage buyers to continue their bad behavior.

So, I called eBay last night.  They said to upload photos of the pants in the condition received.  I did, and called back this morning.  I got transferred around a bit, but everyone I talked to was nice and seemed knowledgeable.  They agreed that it was a “faulty return” because the pants were not returned in the same condition, and that I would not have to refund the buyer’s money.  The case was escalated, and within about 5 minutes I got this e-mail from eBay:

eBay opened a case because of an issue with an item purchased from you. We reviewed the case and have decided to issue the buyer a refund of $12.00 without any impact to you.  

This case is now closed. You are not required to reimburse the buyer or eBay, and this case will not be counted in your seller performance evaluation.

Soooo.  I get to keep my $12.  But the buyer still gets their refund.  Which I fear will indeed encourage such bad behavior.  Oh well.  I did what I could.

When is a drawstring not a drawstring?

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I’m sure I am not the only one who has made a mistake when listing an item.  The only INAD return I have ever had to deal with had to do with a drawstring on a pair of pants, of all things.  The pants did indeed have strings that tied at the waistband.  The problem?  They were just decorative!  They didn’t actually go through the waistband to cinch anything up.  Whoops.  The (first) buyer requested a refund, and was a bit harsh – accusing me of intentionally misleading her.  Obviously I had made a mistake, but it was an honest one.  I mean really?  What a silly thing to try and “mislead” someone about.  She returned the pants, I relisted them (after updating the description), and they happily went to a different buyer not too long after.

Since then I’ve been MUCH more observant about the drawstrings on any pants I list . . . or so I thought.  I couldn’t believe it last month when I pulled out the J CREW pants below to prep for shipping:

They look like a pair of drawstring pants, right?  Nope!  The string goes in one grommet and out the next, totally decorative right on the front.  And I had listed them as drawstring.   I couldn’t believe I made the SAME mistake again.   Thankfully this buyer didn’t mind, and left me positive feedback soon after receiving them.

I have both listed and shipped several pairs of drawstring pants over the last few days, and you better believe I am triple checking them all to make sure the strings actually draw!  Ha.

Anybody else have a mistake they’ve made on a past listing that they’re slightly paranoid or overly cautious about making again?  Please share!   Misery loves company.

Avoiding Negative Feedback

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Overall I think I do a really great job providing good customer service to my eBay buyers.  With very few exceptions I only sell items that are new or in nearly new condition, I package items neatly (usually wrapped in tissue, with a packing slip that I write Thanks! 🙂 across), I always ship within one business day, I send a friendly e-mail to the buyer after the item has been dropped off at the PO to let them know the item is on its way.  I know I add in extra steps that aren’t necessary, and they take time, but I like providing that level of service.  And in return my buyers are generally very kind, friendly, gracious, and appreciative.

But every once in awhile, I do make a mistake.  It happens, it sucks.  Usually this takes the form of pulling out a clothing item I have just sold, only to find that it has a flaw.  Like at the end of last week.  I sold a beautiful cashmere sweater, and when I was packaging it up I noticed it had a small hole on the back.  How I could have missed it I have no idea, because I always try to be sooo careful with cashmere sweaters, looking for flaws.  And yet, there it was.

So, what would you do?  Cancel the sale?  E-mail the buyer to let them know, and ask if they still want it?  Send it anyway, and hope they don’t notice?  Or?

Here’s what I did.  I packaged up the sweater, and mailed it.  Then when I went to send the “your package has shipped” e-mail, I sent this instead:

Good morning,

I wanted to let you know that I dropped your package off at the Post Office yesterday (Thurs) morning. When I was packaging up the sweater I noticed a really small hole on the back. It’s not very noticeable, but it is there. The sweater is beautiful, and I hope that you are still able to wear it and get enjoyment out of it. But, I am SUPER picky about what I list on eBay, and I would never have listed this if I saw the hole earlier. I am going to refund your money in just a couple minutes. But I’m not canceling the order, the sweater is already on its way. I hope you still love it!

If you have any questions or concerns about this transaction please let me know.

Best,

Kari

Is it overkill?  Maybe?  Does it save me from getting the occasional negative feedback because I’ve owned up to an honest mistake, and tried to make it right?  It’s certainly possible.

And in addition to saving myself from negative feedback, I also simply want to give the buyer a positive eBay buying experience.  While the buyer probably won’t come back and buy from me again, I have hopefully spun my negative into enough of a positive that the buyer won’t be turned off from buying on eBay in the future.  We’re all in this eBay thing together, and hopefully the good, responsible sellers outnumber the crummy ones.

This particular situation where I’ve missed a flaw on an item that has sold probably only comes up a couple times a year, and this is how I have generally chosen to deal with it.  About a year ago I sold a NWT dress, only to realize that it somehow had a stain on the front.  I had purchased several of the same dress at the same time, and obviously hadn’t looked over every single one closely enough, and of course the one with the stain was the only one I had left.  I shipped the dress, refunded, and sent an e-mail of apology/explanation.  I had looked up the buyer’s feedback history, and she left negative feedback a LOT.  But that time?  Not only did she leave me positive feedback, but she sent my money back to me(!), with a note saying she washed the dress and the stain “mostly” came out.  So that scenario turned out much better than I could have hoped.

And the cashmere sweater I sent out last week?  Here’s the feedback I got today:

Positive feedback rating Best seller on eBay, fast shipping, great communication with seller.

Of course there are no guaranties, but when buyers know we are trying to do our best, they appreciate it and often respond accordingly.

 

“Bug Ticket”

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Oh, eBay.  I wish I could fully understand you, and what’s actually going on behind the scenes.  My sales have dropped off in a scary way the last couple months.  I can’t figure out what’s going on.  I’ve been listing new items, inventorying, ending old listings, tweaking and “sell similar” some, uploading new photos, adding BO to most.  Started some auctions which I haven’t done in ages, offer free shipping on almost everything.  What more do you want from me?!

About a week ago I got the following message from a potential buyer:

When I click on this item nothing happens. All my other shopping is fine.  I did select 3X…I tried add to cart..buy it now…and went to your store.  No matter what I click nothing happens.  The odd thing is I bought 3 other pairs of shorts with no problem.

The potential buyer and I messaged back and forth a few times, but were never able to resolve the issue.  Lost sale.

Today I got the following message from a different potential buyer:

I would love to buy these sailor pants, but I am getting an error code when I try to buy them.  I contacted eBay and they said the error is on your end; a problem with your PayPal?  Can you help me resolve this issue?

What the heck, right?  So I called eBay.  Talked to a very nice rep who sounded like he knew what he was talking about.  Couldn’t find anything at all wrong with my account, no restrictions, no issues with Paypal, no nothing.

He said he will have another customer service rep look at my account with him to make sure rep #2 doesn’t notice something rep #1 might have overlooked.

He said he will submit a “bug ticket” to see if they can determine a reason why my sales are so.darn.slow.  I have around 1500 items listed, and have sold one thing today for a total of $9.  I have had THREE days in the last 30 with no sales at all.  Before these three days, I had gone months and months without having a day with no sales.

It’s a mystery.

It’s also feeling like a mystery as to how I am going to pay for my boys’ school tuition, my almost 6yos birthday party, our yard maintenance, etc, let alone potential vacations I was hoping to schedule at the end of the year.  This. Sucks.

Has anyone experienced something similar?  Was it just a funk or phase and you came out the other end?  Was there actually something wrong with your account?  Please, do tell.

(Sorry for the downer post.  I try to keep things pretty upbeat, but as I told the rep earlier the whole situation has me feeling pretty discouraged.)

Another negative(!!!) BUT ….

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This time eBay sided with me!  YAY!

I came home from a morning of thrifting to discover a negative feedback.  It was a Fila snapback hat that sold last month and was shipped to Denmark.

So, the thing about the hat.  Its tag said “one size”.  But it was quite small.  So I wrote “runs small” in three (3!) different places, included measurements, and this as well:

***Doesn’t specifically say if it is men’s, women’s or youth, but it seems to run small.  May be most appropriate for youth.  Please view measurements below.***

In bold.  With asterisks.  I tried to be as clear as possible about the size.

And then I got a negative, which said something like:

He said it was S/M, but it is to fit a baby

So.  Nowhere in my listing did I say Small/Medium.  It did run small, but it fit me, it definitely wasn’t for babies.  And the wording was just a bit off.  Was it a language/communication problem?  I really don’t know.  Another puzzling feedback.

It sucks when a buyer doesn’t contact you first when there is an issue.

It sucks when you feel like you did everything you possibly could to accurately describe an item, and then you still get stuck with a negative.

But it’s AWESOME when you call eBay, and in less than five minutes they agree that you accurately described the item, and that the feedback can “absolutely!” be removed.

So, today it’s a yay.

Stuck with my first negative

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It’s gotta happen sometime, right?

Negative feedback rating Description wasnt what I thought.

I got my first negative in December on a Nike jacket that I had sold.  Boooo.

She didn’t contact me first, just let me a negative.

Of course I immediately contacted her.

And got no response.

So I called eBay, and talked to a guy who really got on my nerves.  He told me to contact her again, and send a feedback revision request.  So I did.

And got no response.

So, today I finally called eBay again hoping I could convince them that SHE was the issue, not ME.  Because really?  “Description wasn’t what I thought.”  It doesn’t say that the listing was inaccurate.  It doesn’t say that the item has a flaw.  It says it wasn’t what SHE thought.  Basically, she didn’t actually read the listing.  Because it had 8 photos, measurements, a written description, fabric content, etc.  What more did she want?

The guy I talked to today at eBay was nicer than the first guy.  And he agreed I did everything right, and that I basically got stuck with a sucky customer.  A customer who if she had actually opened a case or asked for a refund then they could have had some discretion and closed the case in my favor, but because she didn’t do that and only left the feedback there was nothing to be done.  The feedback is “non-removeable”.  He kind of gave me a pep-talk, saying I was obviously a good seller and any buyer who cared to check my feedback would see that it was the buyer’s issue, not mine.

Negative feedback rating Description wasnt what I thought.
  • Reply (Dec-17-15 22:09):

    No idea what issue was. E-mailed buyer 3 times to resolve with no response. 🙁

As a side note, the buyer has left feedback for several other sellers since mine, one neutral and the rest positive, and ALL of them include something like “I thought it was going to be bigger.”  This buyer doesn’t seem to know her own size and probably shouldn’t be buying online.

Okay, thanks for letting me vent a bit.

Onwards and upwards!

UPDATE: (Leaving) Negative Feedback (Guilt)

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In case you missed it, I’ve been dealing with a crummy seller, mentioned HERE.

So I’ve got good news and bad news.

The good news is that I did get a response from the seller later in the day on Monday in regards to the case I opened.  He agreed to a full refund, which just came through.  He also sent me this lovely message:

Seller’s note:
“Yeah sorry about the late response. My computer took a crap on me and I had to replace windows. I issued your refund today, it should show up tomorrow.”

He’s really got a way with words, doesn’t he?

The bad news is that eBay is not letting me leave any kind of feedback for him, negative or otherwise.  When I try it just comes up with an error.  Sigh.
 

(Leaving) Negative Feedback (Guilt)

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I am so annoyed with a seller right now. He only sells one thing, and had a bunch listed. The listing prominently boasts: Free Next Day Priority Mail With Tracking!  

Fast forward to:

Aug 5:  Purchase item.

Aug 11:  E-mail seller asking for tracking number because I don’t see anything indicating my item has been shipped.

Aug 11:  Receive e-mail from seller asking if I want a refund or if I still want the purchased item? And if I still want the purchased item to send him my address and he will send the package out.

Aug 11:  E-mail seller saying I still want my item, provide address.

Aug 13:  E-mail seller again asking if my item has been shipped.

Aug 14:  Receive e-mail saying seller has run out of stock. “Please give me your purchase date and full name so I can make refund.”

Aug 14:  I respond (rather annoyed) with the requested info.

Aug 18:  Still no refund or any further communication from the seller.  (!!!!!)  I just opened a case in hopes of actually getting my money back.  I am really annoyed now.

I am feeling really tempted to leave negative feedback.  Sellers like this give us all a bad name.  

But then on the other hand, I feel bad thinking about giving negative feedback because I wouldn’t want someone to give it to me.  

But on the other other hand, if someone contacted me with an issue I would have figured out what had happened ASAP, and wouldn’t let in hang around unresolved two weeks later.

Grrrr.

Thoughts?