Selling Toys - Horror Stories & "Happy" Customers

I once sent a guy a refund for a lost package. Of course the package starts moving right after I send the refund. It was delivered and the guy was super nice, he bought two more items from me that equaled the original sale and told me not to send them. We couldn't think of an easier way because eBay has no way to reverse a refund and they monitor emails for personal info and off site sales.
That guy was a gem and patient. He wasn't even asking for a refund, but I figure the package was lost and I felt bad he waited so long.

The item was a 12" Medicom Spawn with a deteriorating vinyl cape. The guy wanted to attempt a repair or give it "battle damage". I was thinking what else can go wrong? First I have to sell the figure below value and then it gets lost. I was just trying to recoup a few bucks!
 
Lists a single Marvel Legend for cheap pick up and go price.

First three responses:

"Are you selling Transformers and DC and Turtles, too?'

"Can I pick this up in two weeks? I don't pay in advance, but I'm not a shithead."

"Are you selling all your Marvel Legends? Can you give me a list and photos of all of them?"
 
Lists a single Marvel Legend for cheap pick up and go price.

First three responses:

"Are you selling Transformers and DC and Turtles, too?'

"Can I pick this up in two weeks? I don't pay in advance, but I'm not a shithead."

"Are you selling all your Marvel Legends? Can you give me a list and photos of all of them?"
I remember when I was willing to do photos for people, but they can go fuck now.

I remembered another one... I sold my boba Fett cape which I made from an authentic military shelter, just like the original in rotj. But for anyone who doesn't know, his cape is really just a long, green rectangular piece of fabric attached to his back/collar armor. Originally it had another clasp to attack to the other shoulder to do a sorta poncho look but they never did that in the movies. So I was selling that with very clear pictures showing the measurements and shape. The guy who bought it flipped. His. Lid. And emailed me about how I sent him just a rectangular piece of fabric with the edges hemmed, where's the cape? And I sent him pictures of the real costume and how this is exactly the thing, but he filed a thing, got my funds frozen until it was resolved, and eBay made me refund him. He did send it back, it was exactly what I had sent, and someone else who knew Fett costumes bought it right up.

What kinda sucks was I was thinking it was an easy thing for me to hunt down at surplus stores and get two capes from each shelter, so it could be a consistent little side hustle for me to do for Fett costumers but that experience convinced me to definitely not bother heh.
 
Speaking of capes, I recently unloaded a bulk lot of minifigures. Within the mix were some of the Marvel what if figures. There is a Spider-Man minifig that is supposed to have a doctor strange cape feature from the zombie episode, but I don't know where that went. This was an extra.

Someone inquired about the entire lot. When we get to that particular figure among the 100 in the lot, it became but where's the cape. This is worthless without the cape. I need the cape. Can you find the cape.

No. I wrote exactly what was missing from every single item in the listing.

"Then I'm not sure I want it."

Cool, sold to the lady who came in 5 min after your message, no hassle.

"Did you sell the lot on me?!"
 
Man, I love when people get butthurt when you take them at their word. I'm horrible at haggling, if that's what he was doing, so I would have done the same as you.

Oh and another thing! Heh heh.

This was me as a buyer... I got a 3d printed, 1:1 scale Boba Fett ESB rifle replica from a guy and when I got it, it was more like 3/4 the size of a real one, and the guy argued with me that it was right and I told him no, and also sent him a picture of it next to my BOBF rifle. He said it was smaller in ESB. So I sent him a lengthy email explaining how the original ESB rifle was made from a British flare gun, which was the basis for all Fett rifles since, so they're all the same size and scale. So, it's real easy to know the exact measurements. So he suggested selling me the proper sized one for a slight discount and I'm usually real laid back about this kinda thing, and I've eaten some cost over the years to be a nice guy or whatever but he already had my back up by arguing with me about Fett costuming shit, so I said no, you're gonna make this right. And he did so that's fine. I really don't like being a dick, at least not for myself, but sometimes I will damnit. And I did assemble and paint it then put it away because it's tainted heh.
 
I genuinely appreciate this as a reminder to never sell high-dollar items online. Only $5-$20 figures for me, thank you.
Yes! I'm in a real "hey, if I make a dollar or two off everything I have listed, that's almost two more figures I can buy" stage heh
 
Listed one figure from a two pack at a high price - always start high, you never know! You can make three whole dollars.

Got a message saying this pack is available for X price at Hasbro, so I'll buy this from you for (a much lower) X - if you are willing.

I so want to respond:
a - do you think I'm not aware?
b - do you think I care?
c - feel free to buy it there then
d - the price is the price at this time
e - your message is a waste of my time
f - u

My sympathy is just at an all-time low for idiots these days.
 
I had that when I was trying to sell the Classified Stinger without the driver. Amazon had it on sale and I only wanted the guy, so I put the vehicle on ebay for what ended up not being much of a discount from the sale price (but made more sense based on the full retail price), and a guy pointed out he can get it from Amazon for blah blah blah. The reason I priced it the way I did though was... shipping, ebay's (recently raised) percentage, and trying to break even on the vehicle so that the figure ended up costing me only $10 more than regularly priced single figures. I wasn't even trying to get it to work out that I paid $25 for the driver, just $35! But I totally get how it looks to a potential buyer, but sometimes you just gotta take that extra dick initiative and point it out to as seller who's just trying to recoup some cost. I get it.

2e29520e-e496-4d7d-a961-afc63eac9351_text.gif
 
When did Ebay raise percentages? I try to read the seller updates but I missed that and can't find the email! How much?
 
I'm not really sure, but there's an ebay fee calculator site I used to use when listing stuff and it's been wrong lately. I sold something for $2.49 and ebay took $1.29 of that, heh. I dunno... more than half seemed excessive to me but maybe I'm being dickish. Interestingly, I sold another item just a week earlier for $2.49 and ebay took $1.25 of that one. Same category etc.
 
My most recent sale, a $40 (free shipping) Lot of six Toybiz LotR figures:
40 x 13.6% = -$5.44 Variable final value fee
40 x 1.65% = -$.66 international fee
- $.40 fixed value fee
Shipping $11.71

I have international sales blocked, but this seller got around that by using a forwarding service in Oregon. His eBay account is registered in China, which I don't believe ebay shows you until they calculate fees. I was going to cancel because it's easy to spot a forwarding address, but I haven't had any issue with Chinese sellers, so I let it go.
 
Last edited:
I never have "make an offer" enabled but it doesn't stop the messages from filling the inbox. "end the auction now and i will buy. it is my son's birthday and he really wants it. i get paid next week and will pay you asap"
 
I sell on Mercari, I find it very simple. I don't have first hand experience with ebay, but my wife did and she switch to Mercari just because of the headache of ebay. Any issues with shipping, delivery, etc, Mercari handles it. I sold a set of christmas bowls to a lady and when it showed up to her, she said one of the bowls was cracked and she wanted a partial refund. When a package arrives through Mercari, the first thing the app asks you is to inspect the product and if you have any issues to report to begin a return or refund. I told her to do that. She didn't do that. 8 weeks later she messages me again asking when I would refund her. I asked her if she went through Mercari and she never responded.

I would say 95% of my transactions have been flawless. Another 4% had delivery issues because of UPS/USPS, that last percent has been somebody trying to pull something shady that might have worked on ebay or facebook, but can't get away with on mercari.
 
I have international sales blocked, but this seller got around that by using a forwarding service in Oregon.
Same, and yeah they still get me that way.
I never have "make an offer" enabled but it doesn't stop the messages from filling the inbox. "end the auction now and i will buy. it is my son's birthday and he really wants it. i get paid next week and will pay you asap"
One of my wife's brothers just stopped by to have coffee and gossip with her some, but he's also selling another of my wife's brothers' car for him on facebook. So he's getting hit with lots of people who are interested, and some of course are scammers. But while he was here, he received a call from someone who was clearly not genuinely local (he messed up what the local time was, weird), then opened with "what's the lowest you're willing to take for it", he asked about the paint job and my BIL was real up front with the recall they had on that model but everything was replaced and it's all up to code, new brakes, AC works perfectly, everything has been maintained through the dealership etc. Then the guy asked "Well, can you drive out to Inglewood to meet me on Friday." and my BIL said no, sorry, I can't do that. Come out here and you can take it for a test drive, all your concerns will be put to rest, I can sign the pink slip over" etc etc. But the guy said "How about you meet me and my wife at the target on such and such. it's for her and she really needs it" then gave a whole backstory for that. And best case scenario is he goes out there with the car and the guy tries to haggle him down even further, but after they hung up he, my wife, and I all agreed they were probably gonna steal the car from him. And it's not even his car; he's doing it as a favor to his brother. But just so many red flags, and he was on the phone with this guy like 15 minutes and I pointed out his patience. I'm not even that patient with people at my job where I'm getting paid.

but it's just amazing to me how people can enter into a completely simple interaction and make it painfully complicated. I see something I want and if it's too much money, I move on. I just don't have it in me to dick people around.

I have bought here and there on Mercari and never had a bad experience, even when one item took an extra month and arrived looking like the neighbor kid on Toy Story had received it first. Seller made it right, Mercari handled it well, all good. I just... I have been on ebay so long and it's just a thing of starting all over as a seller at the new place. but yeah... maybe I should. I know they handle the fees differently and such.
 
Back
Top