Holiday sales continue to chug along here at MoneyintheGarage. Using eBay and some Craigslist, I've been able to clear out nearly all my Christmas inventory. I am a one-man version of Amazon...shipping packages all over the country! I even broke down and began selling stuff I'd been saving for winter auctions like hockey and basketball jerseys. You have to strike when the iron's hot, so why wait?
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The Post Office said it was delivered! |
But even with the awesome number of sales, there's always a small downside. I've noticed that increased holiday sales always brings a corresponding increase in buyer complaints! It's just the way the numbers work. This past week, I've attempted to de-fuse three separate complaints. One buyer wrote me claiming she never received her item...even though USPS tracking showed it was delivered! This is an all too familiar story for seasoned sellers. Many know that despite having proof of USPS delivery, Ebay will
still give buyers a refund when they claim non-receipt! Seriously, what's the point of tracking and proof of delivery if eBay chooses to ignore it?
In another test of my patience, a buyer balked at the condition of a HO scale model train building purchased in one of my auctions. The building in question was a small plastic farmhouse in the original box. Similar models have been selling on eBay in the neighborhood of $60 dollars. While my set wasn't perfect, I knew it would sell for decent money. Vintage HO railroad pieces are always popular with train hobbyist. I listed the model in "As-Is" condition. I also attached a bunch of close-up photographs. I believe in giving buyers the opportunity to really look the item over. This "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" approach helps to avoid complaints regarding an item's condition. The train model ended up selling for $44 dollars! A nice sale...until I received an e-mail from eBay's Resolution Center. This is Ebay's version of getting called down to the Principal's office! The buyer whined about the model's condition, complaining it had some drips of paint on it. He even went so far as to claim the paint drips made the model unusable! This despite the fact the small paint drips were clearly visible in the original auction photos! Gimme a break!
I tried to compromise with the buyer, offering him a $25 refund and reducing Mr. Picky's out-of-pocket costs to $19 dollars. But this magnanimous gesture on my part was rebuffed! It was obvious the guy knew eBay always takes the buyer's side in most disputes. Facing this no-win situation and possible negative feedback, I waved the white flag and gave the guy his full refund. I didn't even ask him to return the model back. Why bother? With the buyer insisting I pay the return shipping costs, it would have been just another expense in a losing proposition. So the guy kept the model
and got his money back. I'd be willing to bet my model is sitting on his HO train platform right now...paint drips and all! But I am over it. Besides, it's Christmas time and for every deal gone wrong, I have a hundred happy Christmas sales that went right!
I had a great experience a few days ago when I sold a nice little HO train set on Craigslist. I purchased the train set at a yard sale last summer for ten dollars and waited until the holidays to sell it. I posted it for $75. A young dad e-mailed me, asking if I would go any lower on the
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The little guy loved his HO Train set! |
price? Heck, I am no Scrooge, so I agreed on $65 dollars. Before I knew it, Dad and his adorable four year old son were standing in my garage eager to pick up the trains! I am not sure who was more excited about buying the train set...the dad or his kid? Dad was definitely in the Christmas spirit, constantly referring to me as "Mr. Train Conductor" in front of his son. I played along and this delighted the little guy, who actually thought I worked on the railroad! After I explained how to assemble the set, Dad handed me $65 dollars. Some more small talk ensued, while the happy little kid looked over his new trains with wide-eye wonder. I then handed Dad the large box containing the HO train set. I gave his son the much easier job of carrying the roll of green platform paper. As they headed back to their car, Dad promised his little guy he would set up the trains
that night. Watching this cute scene between father and son would have made even the Grinch bust out with Christmas spirit!
So around here, Christmas sales are going pretty great. How's your sales going?
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