As an eBay seller you will inevitably have to deal with eBay buyers. As with traditional retailers you will most likely run into a few problem customers. While most eBay buyers are very pleasant to deal with, but there can be, on occasion, a buyer that will “ruffle your feathers”. While at first you may want to give those buyers a piece of your mind, it would be best to refrain from doing so, especially if you rely on your eBay sales to generate income for yourself and your family.
You can encounter difficult buyers even before they buy anything form you. It is not uncommon for a potential buyer to send you an eBay message requesting you to lower the price of a listed item. In fact, they may even mention that other eBay sellers have the same item listed for less. If and when this happens to you, you will want to try to remain cool. The best way to deal with these messages is to simply send a message back that states that you are unable to lower your asking price. You can even suggest, kindly, that if the eBay buyer is looking for more affordable prices, they should consider doing business with an eBay seller who offers more affordable merchandise. It is completely up to you to decide whether or not you want to lower your eBay prices. Never let a potential buyer pressure you into lowering your price.
When an eBay buyer does purchase an item from you there may be difficulties concerning the payment process. Many eBay buyers make the mistake of assuming that all eBay sellers accept the same methods of payment, but that is not the case. PayPal is one of the most commonly accepted methods of payment. If you don’t currently have a PayPal account, I suggest you consider getting one. No matter what methods of payments you choose to accept, I urge you to outline them in every auction listing. eBay does have a section for that, but many sellers don’t make there way that far down the page. If you should encounter a buyer that wants to make alternative payment arrangements, use your own best judgment. If an agreement can’t be reached, you should notify eBay.
Another issue you may face with eBay buyers is those that refuse to pay. eBay does have a policy that if you bid on and win and auction, you are responsible for paying for the item, but that doesn’t always mean that all eBay buyers do pay. It is important to remain professional when requesting payment from a non-paying eBay buyer. The best way to deal with this issue and keep a positive image as an eBay seller, is to simply send a few reminder notices through eBay. After about a week of not having heard from the non-paying eBay buyer, you will want to contact eBay. eBay has a process to allow you a way to get your fees back, and that will also give non-paying eBay buyers negative feedback.
Once an item has been won and paid for, you will ship the item. It can not be uncommon for an eBay buyer to be unhappy with an item they have purchased and received from you. If this should happen, again use your best judgment. To help prevent this problem from occurring, make sure to provide a detailed description of the item you are selling and multiple pictures. I also advise you to outline a return policy in your listing, whether or not you actually have one. If you should have intentionally or unintentionally have misled an eBay buyer, you should do what you can to correct the situation. However, stand your ground if you feel you are being scammed or “taken for a ride”.
These are just a few of the difficult situations you may encounter throughout the eBay selling process. I advise you to use your best judgment, no matter what situation you come across. Always remember to try and stay calm and cool, you will be happy, in the end, that you did.
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