The old saying goes “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”, but I’m about to feast on my buyers hands!
I can’t explain why, but I’ve had some extremely Annoying Buyers recently. I’m talking about buyers who make me want to climb through my computer screen and give them a good old sucker punch. It got me thinking about the various types of Annoying Buyers out there and so in today’s blog post, I’ve outlined the top 3 types of Annoying Buyers.
Annoying Buyer #1
The first type of Annoying Buyer is the one who gives you negative feedback before even contacting you to give you a chance to redeem yourself.
I encountered this Annoying Buyer last week when I reviewed my seller feedback and found a negative feedback score next to my name! The buyer claimed that a (brand new) clothing item I sent them was ripped. I went through my usual damage control process and asked them to send a photo of the damage.
All I got back was excuses, despite my offer to give a full refund if the item was in fact, damaged.
In the end, I put it down to the Annoying Buyer deciding they didn’t like the item I sent, and accusing me of selling them a damaged item as an excuse to get a refund.
Annoying Buyer #2
Another type of Annoying Buyer is the one who asks “Can I pay less in shipping?” This one irks me because it represents a real misunderstanding of how cut-throat online marketplaces can be. I would love to be able to offer free shipping and still make a profit; Think of the number of sales I would make! Buddy, if I could charge less for shipping, I would!
Annoying Buyer #3
The “buyer’s remorse” buyer. These buyers are usually a little heavy handed on the old “Buy It Now” button and then regret their purchase soon after. This annoying buyer will typically send you an email a few days after they have bought an item from you and claim that:
- They can’t afford it
- Their 5 year old son hit the bid button (a 5 year old boy bidding on a leather handbag? Yeah, right)
- They just don’t want the item anymore
The bummer outcome here is that you will need to re-list your item again which is a real time-waster if it happens often.
If you sell on eBay, you can open a dispute with the eBay Resolution Center and get your fees refunded to you. You can also block the buyer (requires login) to ensure they don’t try to buy from you again.
Tell Me Your Annoying Buyer Stories!
We all have a story about an Annoying Buyer, so leave a comment below and tell me about the ones you have encountered.
Buyers who take so long to pay can really cause cash-flow issues in a business. It also makes a sale a lot less profitable if you have to take the time to follow up with buyers all the time and chase them for payments. Time is money! Not to mention, it's just downright frustrating!
In my experience, selling used clothing is like attempting crossing a minefield! You need to be extremely detailed in the state of the clothing and explain ANY wear and tear on the garments. With the exception of a few fancy dresses (that I've only worn once :P) I just take all my old clothes to the good will store now. It's just not worth the trouble in my opinion.
Yes, that is a lesson very well learned - always use tracking for international and local sales. It saves you from having to spend time emailing buyers and tracking down orders, not to mention, it saves money offering refunds to buyers who may or may not be telling the truth!
Wow, that's quite a story! Thanks for sharing. It's not often that eBay related disputes end up in court, but it sounds like a nightmare. How miserable of eBay to turn a blind eye and not offer any advice.
Is your account still disabled?
"In fact, if my competition has run out of stock perhaps I should raise my price, thanks for that informative email lol"
Haha, I like your thinking ;)
Good grief. I hope you are continuing to offer free gifts; despite that customers strange resistance to it, free gifts are a proven way to help get good feedback and to encourage repeat purchases.