Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have cancelled and refunded this?

414 replies

Bottletopsx · 08/04/2019 09:51

I have an online shop. Message below from a customer.

I cancelled and refunded her as I am obviously too stupid to post her item!! Cheeky Cow! Angry

Hi there. I'm ordering this for a master's degree project and would appreciate the most expedited shipping I can afford. Not that you could possibly know what that is, but I'm willing to pay a bit more to get it sooner if that's at all possible. Thanks!

OP posts:
FizzyGreenWater · 08/04/2019 12:12

Sorry I'm rather on OP's side here.

That is an incredibly confusingly written message. I read it the way OP did at first. And reading it the 'right' way makes no sense. Why be so cryptic with the 'you cannot know what I might be able to afford... willing to pay a bit more' -? She says she would like the most expedited shipping SHE CAN AFFORD - then is coy about what she can afford. No wonder OP took it the way she did really. I would imagine that before jumping to her conclusion she might have actually tried to work out the message and what was being asked for...

Presumably OP has shipping costs on the website. It would have been simpler to say, how much more for priority shipping? I can afford up to x. Or even just do you do express delivery and if so how much.

Joebloggswazere · 08/04/2019 12:12

As If OPs misunderstanding wasn’t enough, along comes Eliza....double whammy! Thanks both Smile

Tinkoschminko · 08/04/2019 12:14

She’s being self-deprecating and letting you know she’s aware that she’s asking the impossible until you actually know what her budget is. Sounds really friendly to me.

GinandGingerBeer · 08/04/2019 12:18

Aww come back OP. You know if you just say 'oh god I've been such a nob, I completely misinterpreted it' the thread will calm down.
Hopefully you've reinstated the order, sent it already and all is good Grin

steff13 · 08/04/2019 12:20

I had no idea what the OP's objection was, until I read some of the other posters' messages. I thought it was pretty clear what the customer was asking, but even if she was being rude, so what? A sale is a sale. Who cares if the customer is rude?

DiaryofWimpyMumm · 08/04/2019 12:20

I hope the buyer can find the item elsewhere what a shame!

MrsEricBana · 08/04/2019 12:22

ROFL (as ds would say)

IceRebel · 08/04/2019 12:23

but even if she was being rude, so what? A sale is a sale. Who cares if the customer is rude?

I said similar earlier on in the thread. Whilst it can't be nice to receive a rude message from a customer, if they're buying your item you grit your teeth, reply politely and then send the item.

MrsEricBana · 08/04/2019 12:23

(at least this is an anonymous forum eh OP Grin)

Cheby · 08/04/2019 12:25

Do we think the OP is hastily messaging her customer and that’s why she’s not been back to the thread?

Cel982 · 08/04/2019 12:25

She’s being self-deprecating and letting you know she’s aware that she’s asking the impossible until you actually know what her budget is. Sounds really friendly to me.

^^This. And I'm surprised people feel English isn't her first language, I'd actually read it as being the work of someone who's very articulate and writing at quite a high level. Possibly too high for the OP...
Of course she's not going to state her max budget, as an unscrupulous seller might then demand that amount, regardless of what the expedited shipping actually costs.

ooItsAoBeautifulDayNow · 08/04/2019 12:28

Ah see I read it as you might not know the term so she then explained it, but that she's worded it a little clumsily or English isn't her first language so could have said:

"Would be great to get costs for expedited shipping, in case that's not a term you use I mean costs to get it quicker"

She doesn't sound rude at all to me just clumsy wording!

Oakmaiden · 08/04/2019 12:29

Am I the only one who read it the same as OP? No chips here I have an MA of my own ;-)

I read it the same way first time. Then I thought "eh, that can't be right" so re-read it and understood what the customer meant.

I suppose (on the off chance the OP reads this, instead of running and hiding) it depends how you cancelled the order. If you simply refunded and didn't say anything then you could claim it was an error and reinstate the order if the customer would like.

If you fired off a snotty email, then I guess it is a balance of how much you want the order balanced against how bad you feel about letting down what appears to be a desperate customer, balanced against whether the customer stills wants to order from you after receiving a snotty email. Assuming you still want the order OR you feel guilty about letting them down, then email and say there has been a big miscommunication that has been pointed out to you, and you are really sorry for YOUR misunderstanding, and you would be happy to supply the item if the customer stills wants to go ahead.

Failing that, I guess brush it under the carpet and pretend it never happened. And name change. :D

ginyogarepeat · 08/04/2019 12:29

Oh my word, the irony!

Good luck with running a business if this is how customers are treated....

GreatDuckCookery · 08/04/2019 12:29

To me either English isn’t her first language or she’s chancing her arm a bit so the OP will offer shipping at a reduced rate, I don’t think she meant the OP didn’t understand what expedited meant.

Oysterbabe · 08/04/2019 12:30

Your business must be doing well if you are happy to throw away sales for no reason.

BloodyDisgrace · 08/04/2019 12:31

Aww come back OP. You know if you just say 'oh god I've been such a nob, I completely misinterpreted it' the thread will calm down

Hmmm. Not after a lot of people took obvious delight in humiliating a person who just made a mistake. Just because she posted it on anonymous social media forum doesn't mean it's a free for all. Calling her arse, laughing ... seriously, people. Rather excessive.

VaggieMight · 08/04/2019 12:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at poster's request.

cocomelon23 · 08/04/2019 12:32

Whoops op!

Excited101 · 08/04/2019 12:33

Oh Christ op! I read it exactly the same as you, before I realised what she meant... what an error- bet you’re feeling like a right donut!

IceRebel · 08/04/2019 12:34

Not after a lot of people took obvious delight in humiliating a person who just made a mistake

You mean like the OP. Who took delight in cancelling an order and posting about it online, calling the buyer a cheeky cow, when the buyer has made a mistake in the way she worded her request?

caughtinanet · 08/04/2019 12:36

Punctuation is key, the use of the fullstop and capital letter clearly indicated what the customer meant

katseyes7 · 08/04/2019 12:36

Not after a lot of people took obvious delight in humiliating a person who just made a mistake

You mean like the OP. Who took delight in cancelling an order and posting about it online, calling the buyer a cheeky cow, when the buyer has made a mistake in the way she worded her request?

^ This.

NCforthis2019 · 08/04/2019 12:37

OP - come on, you cannot have mis-read that. That would impossible to read any other way.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 08/04/2019 12:40

Not after a lot of people took obvious delight in humiliating a person who just made a mistake

What you mean the person who took great delight in humilating a student who needed something clearly important for her studies and had actually done nothing wrong???