Dealing with “SCAM” customers on eBay

Posted by admin in ebay tips on Jul 30th, 2010 | 5 comments

As eBay sellers we know that 99% of all customers are good honest people, but…there are exceptions…

Ever have a customer on eBay tell you that you shipped them the wrong item even though you shipped them the right one?

Ever have a customer tell you that they did not receive their merchandise even though tracking number shows delivered?

Ever have a buying customer falsely call your designer item a fake and demand a refund (holding you hostage)?

Ever have a customer bid up an item and then back out?

Here are some creative solutions I’ve gathered from the forums of MySilentTeam.com (where over 1,400 active online entrepreneurs share ideas, content, and encouragement about eBay and all sorts of other online income ideas).

Are some of these ideas mean or over the top? You decide…but the bottom line is they all work and help protect sellers from bad customers!

SCENARIO 1:
A customer on eBay tells you that you shipped them the wrong item even though you shipped them the right one

This buyer is likely looking to replace their own broken merchandise with new merchandise they got from you! Combat it by marking every item you send out with invisible ink! When the buyer returns the item look for the ink. If the buyer returns an item that doesn’t have your ink on it get eBay trust and safety on the horn right away and consider getting the police involved. POSSIBLE TWIST: Before the customer even sends you the item indicate to them that you mark all of your merchandise in a “eBay approved” way and that they must return the EXACT item to you in the EXACT condition in order to get a refund. This will deter them from trying to scam you with an old broker version.

SCENARIO 2:
A customer tells you that they did not receive their merchandise even though a tracking number shows it as delivered

Respond to the buyer that you have an “Excellent relationship with the manufacturer of your product,” and that you have the “Serial Numbers Written Down,” and will “Report the item to the police in their city as stolen so that they can start an investigation!” This works especially good if you sell electronics. Buyer will likely email you back the next day to say miraculously “I found the item,” or “turns out my neighbor signed for it. Next, block that bidder from your auctions. This strategy can help with SCENARIO 1 as well.

SCENARIO 3:
A buying customer falsely call your designer item a fake and demands a refund (holding you hostage)

Your email reply:

Hello. I’m sorry you are not happy with your purchase. All of my items come with a money back guarantee and can be returned for a refund of the purchase price less a 15% restocking fee for any reason. I am happy to offer and honor this guarantee for my buyers.

Being you are so unhappy with your purchase I will gladly refund your entire purchase price, shipping and refund you the extra shipping it costs you to send it back. You can send it to the address at the bottom of this email. Please include the eBay item number on a separate piece of paper and enclose it with the bag. Upon receiving it I will issue you an immediate refund via PayPal and send you an email letting you know I received the bag and that your refund has been sent.

I especially enjoy selling BRAND NEW AUTHENTIC ******* products. I assure you that yours is AUTHENTIC. I have the receipts to prove it and my reputation on Ebay speaks for itself. It is ILLEGAL to sell replicas and I do not, have not and never will sell them. I abhor the slime that partake in such practices. I work very very hard to make my listings attractive, shop for merchandise at legit sources, run to the post office and in general operate my Ebay business above board.

The store I purchase my ***** items from is store # 05450. The operator at the time of purchase was Jamie and the associate who checked me out was # 999954500. The date was 7/30/10. The time was 8:23pm. the register was #003. The code on the bottom of the receipt under the bar code is 0251780545000309042007. This was transaction #25178 and the store phone number is 555 748 5151.

I appreciate your concerns and I hope you can appreciate mine. I am glad to end this transaction through mutual agreement and refund your money but at the same time your notion that I sell anything but AUTHENTIC ***** is simply misguided and insulting to all of my honest hard work. Furthermore, it could be damaging to my reputation and I take that very seriously. Respectfully,

Name
eBay name
Phone

According to MySilentTeam.com member ‘uncledearest’ this strategy worked almost 100% of the time in getting the buyer to change their mind, keep the merchandise, and back down.

SCENARIO 4:
A customer bids up an item and then backs out after the auction is closed.

This ‘slightly mean, but fair’ solution to this scenario has also been called ‘fun’ by some that have boldly tried it. I first learned this trick from Terry Gibbs, but have never actually used it myself. Let me know if you do try it and what results you get.

It goes something like this…

Bill bids up your item on eBay and wins the auction for $200. He then shoots you an email full of excuses, explanations or reasons why he can’t actually pay for the item he just legally obligated himself to.

eBay does have ways of dealing with this, but they don’t always work. Try this first next time if you’d like:

Use a different email address (that can’t be tracked to you) and send the winner (Bill) an email that looks something like this:

I noticed that you recently won an ****** on eBay for $200. I would love to pay you $240 for that if you can send it to me quickly. Let me know once you have it and I’ll paypal you funds immediately and arrange shipment.

Now you can expect that Bill just might be able to afford the item suddenly.

Dirty pool? Yep- that’s why I’ve never used it, BUT, I’ll bet that some readers of this newsletter are VERY willing to scam a scammer and I’d love to hear how it goes for you.

Leave a comment!

Special thanks to MySilentTeam.com members ‘wholesalecoin’, ‘Uncledearest’, and old friend Terry Gibbs for their contributions to this article.

Sell on eBay? Beware these items…

Posted by admin in ebay tips on Jul 29th, 2010 | 6 comments

I had a great phone call today with eBay’s “Top Customer Care” department* and as part of the talk the agent let me in on a few tips that I hadn’t heard before. Apparently there is a big trend right now where eBay is cooperating in a BIG way with local law enforcement to help track down people that are selling stolen goods on eBay.

Of course we all support that effort as legitimate business people, but…how can you avoid being mistaken for one of the bad guys?

The eBay TCC agent told me that you should always be able to prove that the items you are selling weren’t stolen ESPECIALLY IF the items are new (I guess there isn’t much theft of used items for resale on eBay).

I said, “What if I buy a new item at a garage sale – how can I cover myself?”

His suggestion was to always have an invoice with a signature from the source. Carry your own invoice book if you have to and get a signature from the seller of any NEW goods. I thought that was a great idea and had to share it with you.

I also asked specifically, what types of items are on the radar with eBay and local law enforcement right now?

According to TCC it’s anything that is :

• Easy to shop lift
• Pricey and small
• NIB (new in original box)
  

If this describes anything you are selling consider covering yourself by tracking each purchase source with proof that the item wasn’t stolen.

According to TCC an invoice will do the trick if you are ever asked for proof.

*TCC or Top Customer Care is set up to answer the questions of experienced power sellers. As a Gold Powerseller I get access to them, but ANY seller can call eBay. (866)643-1588 is the number you can use and they will route you to the correct place if you aren’t eligible for the TCC team.

The Newsletter is Online

Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Jul 14th, 2010 | 0 comments

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In this newsletter:
===============
1. Income online in 50 words or less 
2. Quick tips:
   – $14K business for sale on eBay starting at $1!
   – Your feedback about my Facebook suggestion

Online Success in 50 words or less

Posted by admin in Creative Ideas, Hot Niche Markets, inspiration on Jul 13th, 2010 | 11 comments

What advice would you have for someone that is desperate to earn an income online? The catch is this…

You have to answer them with around 50-70 words.

o Look into selling other people’s stuff on eBay (consignment selling). Advertise your service cheaply locally and specialize. Don’t get trapped into selling cheap junk. Go after big ticket items and keep at least 30-40%. There is plenty of this business out there right now.

o Find a partner that has a trusted reputation, potential to be followed by thousands, but is afraid of the Internet. Help them get their stuff online. Every expert knows they should be doing this, but many never have. Use this success formula: Step 1. Give away great content and grow your email list.  Step 2. Ask the list what they want Step 3. Over deliver what they want at a great price.

o Join MySilentTeam.com and go through the bonus pool FILLED with fantastic ideas. Discuss your ideas and challenges in the forums with the other thousands of users.

o Talk to local businesses about helping them with their Internet marketing needs. You already know far more than they do. Ask a bunch of questions and you’ll find many ways you can help them out. Something as simple as setting up and running a facebook page for them could be both beneficial and lucrative for you both. Joining OfflineBiz.com (6,000+ members) will give you a community and support that you need to flourish in this type of business.

o Similar to previous idea, but with a different approach. Find local business websites that rank well on the search engines, but lack one key feature to their website…EMAIL CAPTURE. Help them set up and manage the only marketing tool that gives back $50 for every $1 spent. EMAIL! OfflineBiz.com has details on this simple biz model as well.

o Produce SIMPLE yet high quality free content (articles, video, blog etc.) on any “big niche” topic such as:

• health/weight loss
• relationships
• self help
• crisis management (i.e. divorce etc.)
• business/income/debt etc.
• cooking

… and all the while grow your mailing list while GIVING away great content. There are countless ways to monetize such a list. Be truly helpful and useful for your readers and they’ll want more an more of what you have to offer.

Want further detail on 20 great online ideas like these?

Check out:

Best20Ways.com

What ideas do YOU have for online income? Any feedback on the ideas listed? Leave a comment.

The Newsletter is Online

Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Jul 7th, 2010 | 1 comment

Click here to read
In this newsletter:
===============
1. Put Facebook to Work
2. Create Something
3. Quick tips:
   – My family on stage uncensored!
   – What sells best on Clickbank?
   – Check out my List Building Course