DICK eBay seller - vintagecyclebits

Tim

Tim

Administrator
Staff member
http://myworld.ebay.ca/vintagecyclebits/

OK, so I bought a Suzuki 4LS brake lever from this guy. Did the buy it now for his asking price of $45.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360245661528&_trksid=p2761.l1259

He then quoted $19 shipping, which seemed high given I had just paid $11 shipping on the matching clutch lever from another US seller. No matter, I asked, but of course paid anyhow. He got all uppity, writing me responses in all CAPS (dick) making snide remarks. Here is my comment verbatim in my PayPal payment:

$19.90 seems awfully high for this shipping - I just paid another seller $11 to ship a clutch lever/cable. If it turns out to be less let me know, but I'll pay now to save time.

This was his first message to me when I commented in my payment that if there was a less expensive flat rate shipping option I'd appreciate a lower price.

SIR YOU WERE NOT OVERCHARGED SHIPPING AS YOU
SUGGEST IN YOUR PAYMENT . ACTUALLY UNDERCHARGED BY
$6.00 THAT IS OUR HANDLING CHARGE FOR SHIPPING OUT
OF USA SINCE WE MUST GO TO THE POST OFFICE TO
DELIVER THE PACKAGE FOR SHIPPING.

WE ARE SHIPPING IT AS BILLED AND REQUESTING NO
MORE MONEY . WE ASK YOU TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH 5
FULL STARS WHEN YOUR ITEM ARRIVES . WE DO NOT
CONTROL THE POSTAL SERVICE CHARGES .
THANK YOU

--------------------

There was NO mention of any 'handling fee' for International shipments, so I was surprised by his generosity in not charging me his arbitrary $6 fee.

So I get the item, and leave + feedback. I negated to do the whole stars business, which I never do on any feedback. I can't bother to take the time to leave stars on top of my + comments. I left my standard high praise:

"Excellent - fast shipping - highly recommended!"

--------------------

Today, I get another rude email from the asshole:

WE ARE SORRY YOU FELT YOU COULD NOT LEAVE 5 FULL STARS
BUT BECAUSE YOU DID NOT CONTACT US WITH A PROBLEM YOU WILL BE ADDED TO OUR BLOCKED BIDDERS PAGE .
PLEASE SHOP ELSEWHERE IN THE FUTURE .
THANK YOU

---------------------

So I simply responded saying I had left him +++ feedback, and that if he felt like banning me as a buyer, I'd let the 5500+ good friends of mine at www.dotheton.com know to avoid his auctions.

SO BOYCOTT THIS ASSHOLE. The world doesn't need another sarcastic jerk. I've got that job already.
 
Pretty damned demanding over his feedback. Personally the only time I leave feedback is if I feel like the seller or buyer actaully did go a bit beyond, or I got the item really effin fast. Otherwise, they are just doing thier job and no praise is needed. Begging for praise seems like fake bitch everytime.

I dont think I have seen thier auctions, but I will make sure to avoid them from now on.
 
:eek: WOW!!!! You create the situation, then call him a dick???? How's that work? You should know by now that if the shipping is not in the description, to ask the seller first! If you don't like the price, then move on. If the price is acceptable, then buy it. Simple! He probably gets people all day, every day asking dumb questions, and bitching, so I don't think he got all uppity and snide with you, but instead was very firm. BIG difference.
 
Seller had every right to stick to his advertised shipping, I'll give you that. But note that this isn't what Tim is pissed about. Putting a customer on a block list for not leaving the most shiny feedback possible is a dick move.
 
killerdwarf said:
:eek: WOW!!!! You create the situation, then call him a dick???? How's that work? You should know by now that if the shipping is not in the description, to ask the seller first! If you don't like the price, then move on. If the price is acceptable, then buy it. Simple! He probably gets people all day, every day asking dumb questions, and bitching, so I don't think he got all uppity and snide with you, but instead was very firm. BIG difference.
Click to expand...

Why so pissy man?
 
dcwp said:
Seller had every right to stick to his advertised shipping, I'll give you that. But note that this isn't what Tim is pissed about. Putting a customer on a block list for not leaving the most shiny feedback possible is a dick move.
Click to expand...

exactly.

im with tim on this one. note to self... dont buy from vintagecyclebits.

that was just a dick move... maybe his teachers didnt give him enough stars as a young kid? ::)
 
So me not leaving 5 stars (or any - stars in feedback is an optional addition - I left him positive feedback - he has left me none, regardless of my prompt payment) is cause for him the declare war on me, banning me as a buyer?

I think my communication to him, compared to his directed back at me, coupled with him deciding to 'ban' me from buying from him again is pretty clear. At least to me. I'm open to being judged by my peers here.

His description of shipping out of the US from the auction:

WE WILL NOW GLADLY SHIP THIS AND ALL ITEMS LISTED OUT OF THE USA AS LONG AS THEY CAN PASS CUSTOMS REGULATIONS (SIZE WEIGHT ETC ) !!! NOT SURE ? CONTACT US FOR SHIPPING CHARGES TO YOUR COUNTRY BEFORE YOU BUY OR BID ON OUR ITEMS . US mail charges by weight /the more weight the higher cost to ship !

That description, which leads one to believe that shipping rates are solely dependent on weight, coupled with the lack of any mention of 'handling fees' as well as my most recent $11 shipping for a clutch lever/cable, made me question his $19 shipping quote. When it comes to shipping to Canada, most eBay sellers take stabs in the dark at the cost, and end up spending less in actual postage. I can't tell you how many $10 shipping fees I've paid for a package that arrived with $2 in postage marked on it.

So yeah, for:

suggesting he actually undercharged me for a previously undisclosed and unmentioned handling fee
doing it in ALL CAPS
demanding specific feedback
not leaving me any feedback at all upon payment (my only obligation - eBay sellers should leave + feedback the moment someone pays - it should never be contingent on receiving + feedback themselves)
not shipping my item until the 11th, 8 full days after I made payment
banning me for leaving positive feedback, but not bothering with the stars

...I'll call him a dick. Just like he's using the tools at his disposal to 'punish' me (banning me from buying from him on eBay) I'll use the tools at my disposal to reciprocate.

So if you like him, buy his shit. Just be prepared to follow his feedback instructions TO THE LETTER less ye too are banned.
 
Gotta agree with Tim on this one... As a buyer, Tim did EVERYTHING by the book...
The guy is a dick...

Imagine 5643 ebayers all offering 1cent for all his "best offer" auctions?... now that would be funny... ;D
 
VonYinzer said:
Why so pissy man?
Click to expand...
Not pissy. As a person who deals with the public, sometimes enough is enough, and we seem to snap back. Try not to take it personally. Those stars are essential to ebay sellers staying on ebay. Especially the people just starting out. Not enough stars, within a few sales, and they're done! I think the whole situation could have been avoided. No big deal he was banned from buying from the guy, sounds to me like he would never buy from him again anyways. Move on.
 
Firestarter said:
Pretty damned demanding over his feedback. Personally the only time I leave feedback is if I feel like the seller or buyer actaully did go a bit beyond, or I got the item really effin fast. Otherwise, they are just doing thier job and no praise is needed. Begging for praise seems like fake bitch everytime.

I dont think I have seen thier auctions, but I will make sure to avoid them from now on.
Click to expand...

Meh, you should leave feedback either way, because the higher numbers and star ratings let you know how reliable a seller is. Not such a huge deal anymore cus i think ebay changed the rules so you cant sell with less than 4 stars, but back in the day there were lots of people selling a lot of stuff, but had horrible feedback. So you always had to check feedback first otherwise you could get screwed.

I know what you mean though, Tim, about stupid shipping. I bought some bearings from ebay, 99 cents for the bearings, and the quote for shipping to canada was 4 dollars. I had to ask for a total because i guess she didnt set up the auction properly, she charges me 12 bucks to ship, and waited 2 weeks before mailing... When they finally came, $2.01 marked on it. I asked her why so much before i left feedback and she said she had to "Fill out paperwork" before she could ship it. So i left her 1 star on shipping.

I dont mind paying a bit extra for shipping to canada, but it really annoys me when people try to make up for their low selling price by jacking up the shipping costs.
 
Well, I've never paid any attention to the stars. I look at feedback and the % rating. I have over 400+ feedback at 100%. I guess I'm an old-schooler eBay user. They introduced these stars a while ago and I've never used them.

Of the 871 feedback scores at 96.9% (he has mixed feedback) only the last 200 or so are rated with stars. It's a relatively recent introduction, and I don't use them. If they're mandatory and determine if a seller stays on eBay (I don't think they are) I'd be forced to populate the rankings. I'm not.

Anyhow - bottom line is he pissed me off and I'm in a pissy mood. So buy from him or not - don't matter to me. Just posting up my opinion. If this guy wants buyers, he'd best start understanding how to interact with people who win an auction, make quick payment, and only ask a simple question about the shipping total.
 
wow i thought the stars thing was confidential to the buyer,i had no idea the seller can see who gives what,
 
Tim said:
Well, I've never paid any attention to the stars. I look at feedback and the % rating. I have over 400+ feedback at 100%. I guess I'm an old-schooler eBay user. They introduced these stars a while ago and I've never used them.

Of the 871 feedback scores at 96.9% (he has mixed feedback) only the last 200 or so are rated with stars. It's a relatively recent introduction, and I don't use them. If they're mandatory and determine if a seller stays on eBay (I don't think they are) I'd be forced to populate the rankings. I'm not.

Anyhow - bottom line is he pissed me off and I'm in a pissy mood. So buy from him or not - don't matter to me. Just posting up my opinion. If this guy wants buyers, he'd best start understanding how to interact with people who win an auction, make quick payment, and only ask a simple question about the shipping total.
Click to expand...

Ok this is what i found out about the star ratings, i was wrong:

If a seller has a 4.6 or lower rating, eBay will penalize that seller by disadvantaging that seller’s items in search, and they will lose any eBay fee discounts they may have previously enjoyed.
Click to expand...

I can see why sellers would want to maintain their star rating. However, i think opting to leave no stars would not affect the seller.

Dont take it the wrong way, i wasnt criticizing you. I was just saying that leaving any feedback at all is important, and i was mainly responding to the guy who said he doesnt leave any feedback at all.
 
Actually I said I generally dont leave feedback, unless there is a reason to. Just upholding your end of a deal doesnt get you an A+++ super sellr/buyer rating from me. Too often I think that the feedback given is over-rated and abused, and honestly doesnt make me trust or distrust a buyer/seler any more or less. I guess I suck at eghey, even though I took a class at SEMA a year or two ago that was supposed to make me e-ghey leet.

IMHO a seller who is making a bulk of thier money on "shipping and handling" charges because they have marked up thier items only a few percent are worth dealing with anyway. When I had an ebay store I sold at a realistic markup and charged actual shipping with no boxing or other charges unless it was some odd-shaped hard to ship stuff (like tires), then I would again charge actual shipping and what the materials/time cost to pack and carefully ship the stuff, while other people were undercutting the crap out of me and making thier money on the shipping. eff that! I usually only buy from vendors who either charge actual shipping or have their shipping very clearly posted, and bypass any add where the item is at wholesale price with $40 shipping to send me something the size of a paperclip.
 
I've dealt with this same seller. The ebay estimated shipping price was quite high. I emailed him three times over the course of about 10 days. He didn't respond. The package came and the shipping charges stamped on it were a fraction of what I paid. The box wasn't a fancy USPS shipping package...it was a cut up and folded piece of a larger box with tons of tape wrapped around it. It's not like he paid a few bucks for packaging materials.

I emailed him and let him know that the shipping charges were high and asked for a partial refund. No response.

So, I left positive feedback but with a mention of the shipping charges.

The seller emailed me minutes later...in ALL CAPS...freaking out on me. He was going on and on explaining the ebay star rating system and how a less-than-five feedback fucks him over. Welllllll A good way to keep your star rating up is to provide good service. Screw that guy. I'm done with ebay sellers that deceive people and skirt ebay fees with low list/high ship prices.
 
Hey Tim. Just out of interest, what was the sticker price on the postage?
 
Just another pothole on the Internet road.
Forget about it and move on.
It's not worth the time to type about it.
 
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