Argh!!! (Ebay rant)

[shelleyd2008]

What the heck!?!?! I sold some button eggs on Ebay. My button quail were laying very well so I had listings for 18+ eggs ending every 2 days. I had 1 listing that ended on a Thursday, February 24. The eggs were ready to ship THAT DAY (listing ended at 10 am my time) but it took the person until Sunday night to pay. I had sent 1 invoice and 2 messages to this person to please pay so I could send the eggs and never heard from them. I didn't want the eggs to go to waste so I went ahead and sold those eggs to someone else. I had other listings that ended on the 26th, the 28th, the 2nd, and the 3rd. So on Sunday the 27th this person finally paid. I went ahead and sent his and the winner from the 26th's listing their eggs on Monday (Feb. 28). I planned on getting back into shipping as usual but then the buttons decided to practically stop laying.

I finally just this past Monday sent the eggs for the listing from the 3rd, but I hadn't yet shipped the eggs for the 2nd's listing. The buyer from the 2nd had told me to hold off until the 14th to ship. The 14th was this past Monday and I didn't have them. This person had already waited 12 days since the end of the listing for their eggs and I didn't want them to have to wait any longer. So instead of contacting this person and asking them first (which I probably should have done) I bought the same amount of eggs from a friend of mine and had them shipped to my buyer.

So today I get a message from my buyer telling me that she felt mislead because my profile says I'm in KY (which I am) but the eggs came from Florida. I explained to her what happened and that I had a friend ship eggs to her instead. So now this person is telling me that she is not going to incubate these eggs because these aren't what she wanted, after she's left positive feedback on my profile saying that the eggs were packed perfect and that she was very happy with the order?? She got what she ordered, 18+ button quail hatching eggs. She's mad because they didn't come from ME personally. In hindsight I probably should have asked her first which she would prefer, to wait a little longer for eggs from me, a refund, or to get eggs from someone else that has comparable birds.

I explained to her what happened and told her that I would be happy to send her eggs from my birds later in the week or after the eggs from my friend hatch. She sent me a message saying that she doesn't want these eggs and she's not going to incubate them and that she wants a refund.

Regardless of whether or not I got her approval before drop-shipping eggs from another supplier, can she do this?? She got what she paid for...18+ button quail hatching eggs...they just didn't come from me.

Can she do this? I'm thinking no. She got what she wanted, they just didn't come from me. I have no problems giving her a refund but not if she got the freaking eggs!! I don't think she has a case with Ebay or Paypal because she did get what she ordered...18+ button quail eggs. I could see if she wanted eggs from mine personally because I have something special...but I don't...they are just regular old button quail.

So I've not responded to her latest email and I don't think I'm going to. I just wanted to vent here and see what you all think about this.

 

[hollymh]

OOoo That's a tough one, I see it from both sides but with that said she did recieve eggs and I think that she sees and opprtunity to "have her cake and eat it too" so to speak. I personally would not refund the money, like mentioed, she orderd 18+ eggs and got 18+ eggs of the same breed...

An afterthought---The fact that she also left positive feedback and then later realized that they were shipped from somewhere else sounds fishy. I would have been happy to get the eggs as a buyer opposed to having to wait unless you had something special, but like you said they are standard button

 

[chickened]

Did your ad say they would come from you? if not then I would not worry, you sent what you said you would ship. She said they were fine when they arrived. On the other hand make sure the battle is worth fighting. Personnally I would refund the money all but shipping. I just settled a 2 year long lawsuit from my business and can tell you it was over a large sum of money( 40k) and after 2 years I gave up and could have proven I was right and won but would never be able to collect.

 

[HEChicken]

Well....honestly....if I were the buyer I'd be a little peeved too. With hatching eggs its not like buying say, a paperback book, where one copy is identical to another so it doesn't matter if it is shipped from next door or Timbuktu. I have saved some favorite sellers on eBay to alert me when they have eggs available. If I won an auction from one of them and they did (what appeared to be) a bait and switch, I'd be peeved. Sorry - I think you should definitely have communicated with her before sending her eggs other than the ones she thought she was getting.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Well, the listing does say 'my button quail'...so I guess it does say they would come from me. Guess that's another thing I'll need to reword in future listings

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
besides unless she's closer to FL then KY then they have added shipping stress.

 

[chickened]

I have learned over the years to leave no wiggle room in an ad for the very reason you stated. Some people cannot be pleased no matter what you do. I suppose you could re-ship your eggs but I would refund and be done with it and chalk it up as lesson learned. And sleep well.

 

[shagbarksilkies]

I don't know I believe I would refund her money I can see both sides but !!!!

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
So where does she live? (closer or farther from your drop shipper?)

 

[shelleyd2008]

She is about in-between, NC I believe.