Idiot buyers on Ebay - is this normal??

[tabbycat7]

I've recently starting selling buggy board cushions on Ebay and technically I have sold 5. Unfortunately three buyers did not pay, 2 of them I opened a dispute thingy, they still didn't pay, so I closed them after 4 days. I've tried to open a dispute thingy for the third non payer but it wont let me , I might try in a different browser, I've experienced Ebay weirdness before. Then this afternoon, I had a message from another buyer saying, "I'm returning this. I thought it was a buggy board not a cushion. I am not happy".

The description clearly states that it is a cushion. I really could not make it any clearer!! The first line says something like, "This is a cushion for a buggy board", then it says what it is made of, size, how it attaches, and at the end, very clearly, "NB buggy board not included!" ! because imo somebody would have to be exceptionally dense to have got that far and not realised!!

I'm a little partly due to pregnancy rage (which I think might be an actual thing!). He is not happy?? Maybe he should read stuff properly and perhaps apologise for his mistake and for being a berk.

WWYD? I suppose I ought to reply, but like I said, pregnancy rage .

Also an 80% failure rate seems very high. Do any of you sell stuff like this elsewhere?

Thanks. I'm feeling better for ranting :)

I'm also worried he's going to leave me neg feedback

Tell him that he can send it back in new resellable condition by recorded method as it is your not your fault that he mis read the auction.
Refund him when you have it back but only the original postage and cost and send him a nice e-mail explaining this no need to upset people needlessly but some are real numptys :)

As to your failure rate some people bid at the last minute and might think it is a buggy board then only reed the whole auction afterwards so dont pay ?
Is it clear in the title?
Sorry but I dont have much more advice.

What is a buggy board cushion

I have found that many people are bidding on things at the last minute - they see what they think is a bargain and bung a bid on, only noticing afterwards that they have not bought what they thought they had.

Thanks for replying. The title says "buggy board cushion for litaf seat2go"!! It was in amongst the buggy boards, so perhaps he just looked at the price ( its bin) and didn't read anything at all. I don't like the idea of refunding his postage though, I'll be out of pocket because he didn't even read the title [rage]!!

OK I've found them on ebay.

You've got one pic on the item which is of a whole buggy board. Then because I read your thread I could see there was a cushion on it. I know that some people are dense, but if someone was bidding they could see that, think its a 2nd hand buggy board at only £8 and bid on it.

Maybe its the pic of a buggy board with a stripey bit that is confusing people.

Personally I think you need more pics. The main one needs to show just the cushion. Because that is what you are selling - just a cushion - not a buggy board with a cushion on it. Then maybe one showing the back of the cushion and the attachments, and another showing the pic of it in use on the buggy board.

The stupidity I have experienced on ebay is quite remarkable.

I feel your pain.

I would get tough an not refund postage.

Don't worry about negative feedback. Actually getting feedback is unusual IME. (Although all the feedback I do get is brilliant, so I don't think it's that some people are disappointed)

Flibberty I have one of those buggy boards that's like two rungs of a step ladder, so the child can stand on the bottom one or sit on the top one. I made a little cushion for it because ds2 was complaining that the bumpy lanes hurt his bottom. DH suggested that I ran up some more and tried to sell them. I'm thinking ebay is not the place.

Ok I take the point about the pictures :)

I would use cushion as the first word in the title, and say in the 3rd paragraph, "it attachess to a buggy board, rather than "the buggy board"

Buggy Board Not Included in a different colour, bold and in itallics might be a good idea

Have you sold anything on etsy or folksy before? I haven't, but I'm imagining although you will get fewer buyers (viewers) they may be more intelligent.

Have you tried contacting the manufacturers of the buggy board to see if they want to make them themselves but pay you for the idea?
They are a good idea, just not something I'd thought about.

(I made ds1 walk everywhere at the side of the pram and there's only a 16m age gap )

I tried etsy but nobody even looked! flibberty ds2 wasn't walking at 16 mo!! And the school run would have taken 3 hours, it actually did on the rare occasions he insisted on walking! I'll try the buggy board company, that's a really good idea: )

If you are selling them new you are a business and a buyer does have the right to return for a full refund - and if not as described you should refund their return postage costs too to be honest.

And you should be registered as a business with eBay and HMRC. Also demanding payment in 48 hours is a bit pointless as you can't even open a dispute until 4 days - but you could do buy it now with instant payment required.

You also need a clear return policy.