If you sell for any length of time on Ebay, chances are you will run into some unhappy Ebay customers. It’s one thing for a buyer to be unhappy with a purchase. It’s quite another to get a response that is rude. I’ve been buying and selling on Ebay for almost 20 years. I finally had a run-in with a very rude buyer. It ended up being alright, but here are some ways to deal with unhappy Ebay customers when selling online is your side hustle.
Apologize
No matter how rude a buyer is, I always apologize, especially if it was my mistake. You ARE going to make mistakes when you sell on Ebay. Acknowledging their unhappiness lets them know you understand why they are upset.
Make It Right
The very next thing you should do when dealing with unhappy Ebay customers is to offer to make it right. You can offer a refund or partial refund. You can offer to send them another item that is the same thing they ordered. Whatever you feel is a reasonable offer or request from them, make it right. Chances are, most people understand that mistakes happen. They will remember most that you went the extra mile to make sure they were a satisfied customer.
Report if Necessary
If you find yourself with unhappy Ebay customers that are using abusive or threatening language, report them to Ebay. Thankfully, I haven’t had to deal with this. I hope I never do. However, I have heard some stories from sellers about really rude buyers. No matter what the seller offered to do to make things right, nothing was good enough. Then the nasty language started. Some even received threats. You absolutely don’t have to put up with that as a seller.
Learn and Move Forward
Sometimes when you deal with unhappy Ebay customers, you just have to learn from your mistakes and move on. You won’t get it right every single time. Nobody does.
I’m getting people upset because they are expecting mail to arrive yesterday and even though they have tracking number they are holding me accountable for the late arrival of product. I try explained to them their item was sent immediately after payment but have no control as to when item will arrive being that it is media mail. It is really frustrating and have had to give back two refunds to keep them happy but I am out product and money. Makes me want to quit ebay.