Odd Situation with Breeder on Ebay

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

This lady is really nice, and has a ton of positive feedback. Let me just say at this point I'm not BLAMING her. And I'm not angry! These things happen, and I understand that, especially when you are dealing with something as perishable as eggs.

-Meghan

 

[homecatmom]

I too sell on Ebay. In my auctions I say "Feedback will be left for the buyer as soon as payment is received and verified". I feel that the buyers job is complete at that point. If the buyer then leaves a negative feedback there is always the rebuttal. I do not agree with sellers holding feedback hostage to guarantee they will get good feedback. I would wait till Monday before leaving a negative however.
Cathy

 

[MissPrissy]

It sounds like to me that she counts her eggs before they are laid. Once it is settled just leave a neutral feedback score.

 

[Windy Ridge]

My personal opinion, without having seen the exchange of emails, is that the seller is trying to do the right thing.

When I'm buying eggs to be shipped I want them to be quite fresh, with the freshest preferably laid the morning of shipping. Four weeks is a long time, even if it's possible they hatch at that age. Most people recommend no longer than a week, which would mean (with shipping) eggs should be only 3 or 4 days old when shipped. The breeder I order from puts the date on each egg, and I notice that the freshest hatch most often.


When your seller discarded her older eggs, she was probably trying to do you a favor. She had no way of knowing her hens would stop laying. Sometimes they go broody... sometimes a rainstorm upsets them... sometimes it's a moult... sometimes it's something else, and we just don't know what the cause is.

Because she's given you options, to me it sounds like she's trying to make good. Apologizing would have been good form and good business, I agree. However, she may be thinking that if you're a chicken person, you understand that sometimes these things are out of one's control.

I doubt she was trying to imply it was your fault you didn't get the eggs, but of course I could be wrong. If I felt someone was trying to blame me for not paying the day of the win, when there was a seven day time period for paying, I probably would just ask for my money back. I'm evil that way and I don't like to put up with petty machinations. I like honesty. Since she's willing to refund your money, chances are good she's not trying to do anything tricksy. Her hens probably just really have stopped laying. Internet transactions just make everyone a little nervous. And for people like me that start out a mite paranoid to begin with--oy!

I personally would save bad feedback for poorly packed eggs, or for an unwillingness to refund your money if you feel you've waited too long for the eggs you won in the auction.

Just my opinion.

 

[Markp1964]

As a long time Ebayer, this sounds fishy

As Ebay likes to remind people. your bid is a legally binding contract to pay what youve promised.
It is also a legally binding contract for the seller to send what they have promised.
If the seller does not give what has been promised, you deserve a refund-no question.

 

[Windy Ridge]

Are they very rare eggs... for example, might she only have a few laying hens of the breed? Or is the breed you're wanting notorious for being broody?

I guess I *would* be suspicious if the eggs were RIR eggs, or some other variety it's not likely she'd have a problem gathering, but I really wouldn't suspect anything if they were something like, say, Tolbunt Polish or Coronation Sussex (in the US).

<shrugs> I guess I disagree with the majority, here.

I hope everything turns out, okay, though.

 

[beebiz]

Quote:
Best I recall, Meghan said in her original post that the seller offered her the option of another breed or a refund! I too am a long time Ebayer. I've had good experiences and I've had bad, but mostly very good. My experience has taught me that if something happens and a seller offers you the option of a substitute for what you bought or a full, cheerful refund, there's nothing "fishy" about the situation! It's just that something has happened that is beyond the seller's control or the seller has made a mistake. Most of them are human, you know! On the other hand, if the seller will only allow you to choose an item that is different from what you bought, and flat refuses to give you a refund, then you can expect that something is "fishy"... like maybe they are intentionally playing the old fashioned "bait and switch" game!

Quote:
Cathy, I agree with you completely. But, you and I both know that everything works like that all the time only in a "perfect" world. In the "real" world, lots of sellers have started holding positive feedback hostage to ensure that they get positive feedback. The other side of this coin is the fact that a handful of buyers have brought it on all of us. The handful of buyers that I referrance are those impossible to please buyers who the seller has bent over backwards to please, yet they insist on leaving negative feedback..... just because they didn't get their way! Thus began the "tit-for-tat" game that some sellers play!

Meghan, if it were me and I didn't want the other breed, I'd simply get my money back and leave positive feedback. You might say something like, "Good communication. Had a problem, but seller cheerfully, promptly resolved." I've two reasons for this. First, any other type of feedback will probably garner similar or worse feedback for you. Second, the seller is trying to appease you with the only two options that she has at this point... offer a substitute or a cheerful refund. Wal-Mart would be hard pressed to do better!!

Good luck,
Robert

 

[ole-crone]

I agree - if her feedback backs up that she is a good seller, give her the benefit of the doubt. The only thing that she is guilty of is 'counting her eggs before they're laid". She is probably used to people paying immediately and mailing out the same day. She didn't take in account either someone who would mail her the payment or a delayed payment. Good luck with the rest of the auction.

 

[Haviris]

Well here's my opinion, but I would not leave neg. feedback, not at this point anyway, I think the hens not laying would be completely possible and I've even seen on some auctions were, don't know the exact wording, but basicly that there is the risk that the hens will stop laying and in that case they will refund the money.

I think putting a time limit to pay is just to help with non payers. I'm guessing most would like payment immediately, but would be willing to give the buyer some time. But with no time limit some buyers may drag it out to a month or so.

It's hard to say if she was really meaning to blame you or just made the comment not meaning anything by it. I HAVE had people make off handed comments in an attempt to make it look like my fault, I hate those types, but it's hard to say for sure if this is one on just this one email. The breeder of one of my dogs acted like it was my fault he threw up as a puppy, and had allergies and an overbite (maybe she didn't blame me for the overbite, she just got somewhat defensive when I let her know about it, I wasn't even complaining, just letting her know).

As for freshness, I prefer eggs I order to be as fresh as possible, no older then 7 days when I get them if possible, and I have seen several auctions list that they ship only the freshest eggs.

It does annoy me when sellers don't leave feedback after being paid, I always pay right away and I feel like my job has been done and they should give me feedback. I use to leave feedback as soon as I got what I bought, and so far I've never left neg. But I had way to many sellers not leave me feedback at all, so now unless they ask me to leave feedback (with a promise to leave me feedback) or go ahead and leave me some, I don't even bother, unless I'm just extra happy with the transaction. If it was me and you aren't completely happy about the transaction or maybe just not completely unhappy, I'd either leave nuetral or no feedback at all. But I would wait until you get things completely worked out. Because right now it sounds like she's trying to work it out.

I hope you keep up informed!

 

[hinkjc]

I'll offer some of my thoughts on this topic as a seller of hatching eggs.

Any seller who gathers eggs first and then lists an auction is a lousy seller. This seller is trying to get you the freshest eggs possible so you have a successful hatch. It is a known fact that any eggs over 10 days start losing hatchability and then put shipping stress on top of that and you'll get nothing. So the best situation is to ship within 3 days of the eggs being laid and take into account time in transit and settling before the eggs are set (which can easily take you up to the 7-10 day mark sometimes). IMO, anything over a week is not hatchable and considerred an eating egg, unless it can be hatched at home. I would never put a customer at risk of an exploding egg by sending old eggs.

When I have an auction ending on Monday, I will collect those eggs over the weekend or Sunday and Monday morning, assuming the buyer is going to pay immediately at auctions end so they can be shipped out promptly. If they don't pay those eggs are discarded and I start a new collection once they pay. That means they have to wait as much as 2-3 days for fresh eggs before the shipment would go out. It was their choice to wait on payment, so they should be flexible on when the shipment goes out. Eggs are very perishable and hatchability is more important to me, as that is what most will rate you on in the end. Think about it..if she simply sent you old eggs and you got no hatch, would you be happy? She is trying to do the right thing to ensure the best outcome for you.

No one can guarantee a hen will continue to lay. This is a fact everyone should take into consideration when offering and bidding on eggs. She likely loaded the auction based on the laying cycle at the time and thought they would continue strongly. When they didn't, she promptly offererd a refund or another choice..the right thing to do.

Personally, I would be very angry if she told me she was sending the old eggs because I took so long to pay. But that didn't happen and this seller is trying to be flexible to your needs to work it out with you. Doesn't sound like that's worthy of negative feedback to me.

Jody