"I loved one I had a while back - listing said no minfigiures in title, only part CAPS, and the price was like a third of the sets retail price. Some idiot bought it and then sent me a message saying where is the rest of the set. I pointed out the listing and he never responded to me again. So he opened up a case - Well I am thinking just a "I want to return the item". No - opened as "Item not as described, incomplete and missing pieces". "

Please tell me ebay ruled in your favor.

 

Ha - nope. In that they just said he can return it because I offer them. Stupid though. 

 

Ebay needs to allow you to charge a restocking fee. Something to keep people from just buying things and then returning them. Willy got hit the hardest - 8 returns is terrible.

My wife just sold this with 1 day shipping for $30...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171183232087?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649

 

Edit: They paid $43.99 total. My wife paid $1 at a consignment store... haha

That`s how it`s done! 

Ha - nope. In that they just said he can return it because I offer them. Stupid though. 

 

Ebay needs to allow you to charge a restocking fee. Something to keep people from just buying things and then returning them. Willy got hit the hardest - 8 returns is terrible.

ebay does allow you to charge a restocking fee. however it only works on desktop with the advanced listing tool.

as a reseller, reading these posts about dumb buyers is causing my blood to boil.

I've been lucky so far to have understanding customers when I make a mistake. I got my first return the other day for a dolphin cruiser.  The guy said he bought wrong item, but I figure he probably found it at retail.  I said not problem, send it back.  Oh well, I flipped 7 more of these anyway and can return this to the target across the street when it gets back in.  

 

 I have been selling on ebay for the last 9 months and I was thinking of expanding to amazon, but it sounds like they really keep their boot on 3rd party seller's necks.

An eye-opener thread for those who just started selling (like me), and may I add a bit scary. All the packages that I dropped off at the USPS office on the 19th dont even show an acknowledgement...fingers crossed

I have exactly the same problem. Two Priority Mail boxes were dropped off at the Post Office on 12/15 before hours in the lobby (there's a door open to the back with a person sorting mail where I leave the boxes). Neither package shows any tracking at all on eBay, only that the label has been created and a tracking number, One buyer said her postal worker tried delivering to the address yesterday, so I should be in the clear on that one. The other still hasn't registered any tracking, and the buyer claims he hasn't received the package yet, and we're only two days out from Christmas. Yikes.

When I started I waited in line at the post office to have EVERY single package scanned in.  Now I just don't have the time.  I'm sure that is going to come back to bite me at some point.  I really need to look into having my orders picked up.

I have exactly the same problem. Two Priority Mail boxes were dropped off at the Post Office on 12/15 before hours in the lobby (there's a door open to the back with a person sorting mail where I leave the boxes). Neither package shows any tracking at all on eBay, only that the label has been created and a tracking number, One buyer said her postal worker tried delivering to the address yesterday, so I should be in the clear on that one. The other still hasn't registered any tracking, and the buyer claims he hasn't received the package yet, and we're only two days out from Christmas. Yikes.

 

Ham yeah right with you. Had 51 (yes 51) packages go "off the grid" in terms of tracking in the past week. They are trickling in now, but I have had cases opened up and one decided they wanted to return it.

Ham yeah right with you. Had 51 (yes 51) packages go "off the grid" in terms of tracking in the past week. They are trickling in now, but I have had cases opened up and one decided they wanted to return it.

Off the grid sux cause you are in a complete state of limbo - is it lost? Is it late? will it get there before Christmas? will the buyer want a refund? What's even worse is one of them was dropped off on the morning of 12/15 with 3-day priority mail to the west coast...tomorrow it will be a week and still no response. Ugh-

Well reading this thread has put me off ever using Amazon to sell. So far using Ebay I have only ever had one person asking to return something. He paid

On the same sort of topics, the best offer messages have gotten even better during december.

 

- One where the person said they were buying Minecraft for their terminally ill child and this was "all they wanted in the world". Offered me half my price - less than what they cost retail together (all 3). I looked at their purchases and all the stuff they bought was adult type stuff. I offered back 5$ off my price. lol.

 

- got a ton of "This is my sons allowance and this is all he has - then its half of my price.

 

- I get a bunch with "free shipping" in it - even though all my listings are free shipping.

 

- One of my favorites - "I only have 10$ in my debit account, will you take 10$?" - Um, if you only have 10$ I am not sure you need a Batman minifigure.

 

- I think my favorite of all time is "I have seen these go for <blank>". Yeah find one now.

 

I just ignore those offers .. the worst ones are the annoying ones who will message you every 5 mins to ask if they saw your offer ... "" YES I SAW YOUR DAMN LOWBALL OFFER AND CHOOSING TO IGNORE YOU "" .. lol

Well reading this thread has put me off ever using Amazon to sell. So far using Ebay I have only ever had one person asking to return something. He paid

I always state "Ridiculously low offers will be ignored" in BIN listings with Best Offer enabled.  I was given a bollocking by an idiot last month for not acknowledging his insulting

Selling at Christmas time on ebay is a lot like driving around on New Years Eve. There are a lot of non-professional drinkers out there - so you've gotta be careful.

Off the grid sux cause you are in a complete state of limbo - is it lost? Is it late? will it get there before Christmas? will the buyer want a refund? What's even worse is one of them was dropped off on the morning of 12/15 with 3-day priority mail to the west coast...tomorrow it will be a week and still no response. Ugh-

Quick update for you:

All the packages that went MIA -all priority USPS- show either delivered or are being delivered today as of this morning, show ours and good luck. (I'm no hoping the packages are still in good shape)

Lol but those are billion dollar coorpations and companies .. we are just a small time seller on ebay I dont think we should be compared to the standards of a billion dollar companies

But if you offer a return period on eBay to take advantage of the Top Rated discount then you have a responsibility to accept any return within that time period, regardless of the reason. There's always the option of not accepting returns, even though you will get a lot of dishonest buyers who will open cases against you...

Christmastime customers will separate the Men from the Boys (or the Ladies from the Girls)  when it comes to selling.  Sure, profits look good but then you have to deal with uninformed customers, returns, damaged goods (by the shipper) and such it really makes you wonder if that little profit (after fees, shipping, more fees, and more fees) is worth the time and effort.  Time to look in the mirror and ask:  "Is it really worth it?"

I halted selling early last week as I want to spend a calm Christmas without worrying for customer issues

Lol but those are billion dollar coorpations and companies .. we are just a small time seller on ebay I dont think we should be compared to the standards of a billion dollar companies

 

Yes but as far as Ebay/Amazon are concerned you are a multi-billion dollar person who can hold those standards.

 

 

I halted selling early last week as I want to spend a calm Christmas without worrying for customer issues

 

I sold my last "large" items on the 14th - some first wave Star Wars sets from 1999. Now I only have small lots for sale, like 1980's catalogs and instructions. Amazingly, these do sell.

Well..... I'v had two large lego sets returned through FBA (I love FBA but in cases like this it really sucks.)

 

One was a #7676 Gunship... I think I sold it for around $350, got it back with a cut up box, no mini-figures, no instructions, just some pieces in ziplocks. They claimed it was missing pieces. This one hurt bad. 

 

Another was a #7674 Torrent, while not torn up as bad as the other. Sold for $100, came back with minifigs at least. They said it was missing a piece, my guess is they were either too stupid to build it or fed a few small pieces to their children.

 

When setting goals for profit margins, I at least factor in a percent or two as loss from returns.

 

I deal in electronics as well, laptops have a strict return policy of if you open it and it works you can't return it.... This doesn't keep Amazon from taking everything back though. 

 

My only hope is with the recent "black listing" of amazon customers maybe they are weeding out the fraud and abuse that is going on.  

I appreciate this thread because so many of the other threads seem to be looking at Lego investing in rose-colored glasses and profit score! It's easy to be caught up in the lore of profits by paying attention to all the hype and hyperbole. It's nice to balance out expectations every now and then with a dose of reality.

It's like my brother who likes to go to the casinos, I only hear about all his winnings

Well..... I'v had two large lego sets returned through FBA (I love FBA but in cases like this it really sucks.)

One was a #7676 Gunship... I think I sold it for around $350, got it back with a cut up box, no mini-figures, no instructions, just some pieces in ziplocks. They claimed it was missing pieces. This one hurt bad.

So someone opens up a sealed box ( I'm assumin it is sealed based on price,you didn't specify), take what they want out of it , return it, and you have to eat the loss?? Wow

I have contemplated starting to buy Amazon items and do the same thing to them that they allow their customers to do with us. Fill an entire eBay store with inventory of free minifigures. I'm sure there's people out there that already do it! <sarcasm>

 

My only hope is with the recent "black listing" of amazon customers maybe they are weeding out the fraud and abuse that is going on.

They are at least trying to get the worst abusers this way. eBay had a similar bad buyer purge over the summer.