A lesson in customer service.....I hope

[kryptonitecomics]

After a recent transaction of mine went bad on Ebay I thought I would post my e-mail to the seller. I really was trying to offer some good feedback on why good customer service is important.

 

 

How do you think I did?

 

 

Initial E-mail

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Shane Canup

To: XXXX@XXXXXX.net

Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 2:44 PM

Subject: Fw: eBay Item Purchase: 1856 SD DIME VF PICS (Item #xxxxxxxxx)

 

 

Good Afternoon,

 

I received both of my coins today, thanks for the fast shipping. The 1857 Half Dime is fantastic, but the 1856 Seated Dime has no resemblance to the coin pictured on your auction. The 2X2 is the same, but in the picture I see a nice gun metal gray darkly toned coin. The coin that arrived is blast white and shiny so it's obviously been cleaned pretty harshly. I like to stay away from problem coins as it will be difficult to sell them down the road.

 

You have other nice examples up for sale that I have already bid on, but this shiny one just doesn't fit my collection

 

Please advise.

 

Thanks

 

Shane Canup

"Kryptonitecomics"

 

1st response:

----- Original Message -----

From: XXX

To: Shane Canup

Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 8:04 PM

Subject: Re: eBay Item Purchase: 1856 SD DIME VF PICS (Item #xxxxxxxx)

 

 

the coin was the same one. i scan all my coins individually.

 

 

Very long winded huh?

 

My response:

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Shane Canup

To: Sue

Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 9:48 PM

Subject: Re: eBay Item Purchase: 1856 SD DIME VF PICS (Item #3922293135)

 

 

I have no reason to doubt you, but the coin in the scan looks to be toned quite a bit and I got a cleaned blast white coin, which isn't what was advertised. If the scan was not representative of what the coin actually looked like for what ever reason, How is the buyer going to know what he or she is paying for? I am not accusing anyone of sending me the wrong coin, but if you look at the scan in the auction, the coin does not look like that and was never advertised as a problem coin due to cleaning. The value of the coin is substantially lowered due to the harsh cleaning.

 

 

Her Response:

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: XXX

To: Shane Canup

Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2004 7:41 AM

Subject: Re: eBay Item Purchase: 1856 SD DIME VF PICS (Item #XXXXXXXXX)

 

 

you may return it less my ebay fees and paypal fees.

 

Very generous, so I lose 30% on the deal + Shipping which means I get about 40% of my money back and she can relist the coin with the same crappy picture and inaccurate description. Sounds like a deal right!

 

 

My last an final e-mail:

 

 

Well that's not much motivation for me to return the coin is it. Beside I know that if you refund via Paypal, they credit the fees back to you so you would be taking money from me that you weren't charged yourself. Let me give you some free advice as someone who has been on Ebay since 1998 and has more feedback than you. Customer service is extremely important when selling on Ebay as repeat business can generate a lot of revenue for the seller. Giving accurate description and presenting accurate pictures is also important as it will again help you maximize your profits. All of you pictures are very fuzzy and apparently the color is off on some of them as well. This will only cause you aggravation in the future, so adjusting your scanner settings could help you make more money.

 

If the coin had been described as harshly cleaned then we would not be having this discussion since I would not have purchased it. Scruffy does not equal harshly cleaned in any coin grading guide on this planet. So I will keep the coin and honor my purchase of the other coin I won a day or two ago, since I believe in being honest. What you seem to be missing is the big picture here:

 

I won two coins from you initially and then a 3rd several days later. I also placed multiple bids on you other auctions so obviously I am a man with cash in hand to spend on your coins. Your lack of customer service means that you will not receive my repeat business in the future which could have amounted to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in the future. So you see, a little understanding in this mater could have netted you repeat business and $$$$. Additionally I am a member of several coin boards, where recent purchases are discussed as well as good and bad sellers.

 

You have my assurance that I won't be on any of the forums throwing your name around as a bad seller, but I won't be on their singing your praises either, which again could have netted you some more money. No negative feedback will be left for you on Ebay, we will just complete this last transaction and go our separate ways. Hopefully you can read my e-mail and take it at face value as advice on how you could improve your business on Ebay.

 

Good Luck on you future auctions.

 

Thanks

 

Shane Canup

"Kryptonitecomics"

 

 

So anyone want to offer up feedback on how I handled the situation?

[TomB]

I think the seller is being somewhat cheap by asking for ebay fees back since the final value fee is refundable when a purchase is sent back, and the insertion fee is free if the piece subsequently sells. As for the transaction, I don't do business with people who do not explicitly write out their return policy in their auction. There is no need for a second surprise, after the first surprise of a cleaned coin, on your end. To me, your first email had more detail than needed; you might have simply written that the coin, in-hand, didn't meet your standards and that you would like to return it. By giving some people reasons as to why a coin is returned, you open up an avenue for them to muddy the issue. In this case, they started to write how it was the same coin when, in fact, this wasn't the issue at all. In truth, I think the seller is glad you are going to keep the coin.

[CarlWohlforth]

It sounds like you are being polite and helpful. Somehow I doubt it will be taken that way. I would have returned the coin. If I didn't get all my money back I might mention the sellers name here.

 

It must be low cost if eBay and PayPal fees take up such a large percent of the value! In that case postage would also take up a large percentage so I can see keeping the coin. Anyway you and Tom are right in that the PayPal fees are refundable. The Final Value Fee is also refunded. Also you get to list the coin again for free so I would never ask for those fees on a returned coin.

[TJ]

I say you handled it extremely well. Very well written. I bet after reading your emails, they refund you in total (if they have half a brain).

[kryptonitecomics]

Not an expensive coin by any stretch, but I do like to get what I pay for. I am not going to chance a reverse negative on a $12 coin, which is why I am not leaving negative feedback. I still have to pay for the other coin I won and I was high bidder on several coins in the $15 to $25 range that I will now make sure I don't win.

 

Some people don't understand that sometimes taking a few steps back or losing a little money up front would have netted them a lot more back in repeat business.

[RGT]

I believe you should retract all your bids from his current auctions. Even the ones you have been outbid on and the ones that haven't met reserve. I think that would make your point a bit better.

[leprecoin]

The 1857 Half Dime is fantastic

 

look @ the bright side

[kryptonitecomics]

Yep I love the half Dime, it's a problem free original coin. That was kind of my point when I wrote them......obviously they have some nice coins and I wasn't being overly critical since I had no problems with the coin that arrived as described.

 

I will go in an retract my bids today as I agree that I don't want to take a chance on winning anymore.

[cavecarson]

You handled it well A+

Seller handled it poorly d-

 

Seller's record:

Feedback Score: 1017

Positive Feedback: 99.1%

 

Members who left a positive: 1025

Members who left a negative: 9

 

All positive feedback received: 1385

 

 

Looks like others had the same problem!!

 

 

 

'Original' in desc but reverse cleaned. Return offered. I declined, kept coin

Cleaned coin, won't take returns, opened pkg then says I did it. Pass on him!

BUYER BEWARE! Deals in problem coins w/no return. Email me for info

 

etc. etc.

[coinman1794]

You were not pointed enough in your initial e-mail to let the seller know what you wanted. You did not ask the seller for a return policy, and that's likely why they didn't offer it immediately. They merely answered the question you brought up about whether it was the same coin or not. The seller should have taken the extra step to offer the return right away, in my opinion, though. Also, they should not have subtracted fees, as most are refundable, although, many, many sellers do this.