WIBU to block this buyer before she could bid?

[bonzo77]

She asked me yesterday to post more pictures. The item is shoes, starting price 99p and p&p £6.19 with collect +, the standard rate suggested by eBay and what I've recently charged without any problem. I said I would but it would be the next day (today). By 730 this morning I'd had 3 more messages asking where the pictures were, and if I'd reduce the postage. I got the pictures up at midday, and messages her back that I would not reduce the postage, as I charge only what the courier charges me, nothing extra to cover fees, packaging or petrol. If she felt this was too much please do not bid. Then I blocked her. I bet if she won it and I sent it there would be a to and fro of emails and quibbles over a refund. She actually had a 100% feedback rating, but does that count for much as a buyer?

does Collect + really cost that much? You could prob send them for £4 with Hermes. And you can't charge for fees or petrol in your p&p. And sellers can't neg buyers now so feedback doesn't show much really.

Exactly. I don't charge anything above the actual cost of postage. Collect + charges this for items in this weight category. I could use Hermes. In my listings I always say if they have a preferred courier that I have not listed they can contact me before they bid for a price. It's just that collect + happens to be most convenient for me. If she'd said "I'd prefer Hermes, I think it's cheaper, can you check?" I'd have just done that.

how much do they weigh to cost that much to send?

oh gawd, do block, she's making so many demands. Tell me her name so I can block her, too.

Why in the world did you start bidding at 99p? There's no good reason to.

Fback % for buyers is meaningless, but sometimes you can get some dirt from looking at the detailed comments. Good thing to do is see what FBack they have left for others. See if they are always moaning about something.

ps: don't use Ebay's suggested post charges, you have to figure it out for yourself or use a starting price that includes the postage + fees that you know you'll have to pay. Lots of people are getting caught out by Ebay's suggested amounts & buyers not liking them.

As soon as a potential buyer comes across as being demanding, I block without a second's thought. My most recent one was requests for:

further descriptions of a well-photographed well-described new item; then

explanations of exactly how the courier would react to them not being at home when this item was to be delivered; and then

my assurance that once this item had come back to me after a failed delivery I'd resend it.

Life's too short.

Thank you. right, I have blocked her. Life is indeed too short. What is it with the piss takers? I had one who started on about a slightly worn lining in an otherwise pristine bag that was listed as used, and another who bought my unopened, sealed BNIB, in date test sticks for an ovulation monitor, and then asked to borrow the actual monitor (she'd return it once she'd got pregnant)! In the mean time I have double checked the weight (I was going by the ebay suggested postage, which happened to be correct the last time I posted shoes), and they are a lower weight category, so will revise that anyway.

holiday that's a good idea, to include the postage in the initial price, and then call the P&P "free". I've not ebayed in ages, and hadn't clocked the free- listings. I'm sure at one point they didn't charge the fees on postage.

Do not use ebay's suggested postal prices, I listed an item and the suggested postal price was £6.50, took it to the PO when auction finished and the cheapest price was £14! Was being lazy and using crappy ebay app so didn't check the prices others charged.

I find the "feedback left for others" can be very illuminating!

I blocked one suspiciously demanding potential bidder after checking the feedback he'd left for others - scores of negatives because the postage was too high, or the seller wouldn't respond to his post-auction "negotiations" on the price. He wanted me to send an antique clock to him in California for the local postage rate.....