eBay feedback

[ricercar]

If you got a Model M keyboard with 2-piece keys on eBay
If the keyboard arrived missing one key cap top
If you had that key in a 1-piece
If the seller was not a keyboard vendor

How would you proceed and what would your feedback entail?

Would you request the vendor refund some money?
Would you request the vendor supply a replacement key (cap)?
Would you just grab your 1-piece key?

I'm so ****ing tired I just want to use my 1-piece and give no feedback, but that's not the answer I'll feel comfortable with in 10 years when I look back. Help me out friends, goad me into the proper response.

[itlnstln]

Yeah, I'd email and ask for a replacement key or $5.

This.  It just depends on how much of a big deal it is to you.  If that cap really gets you bent out of shape, I would pursue compensation.  If the keyboard was used and I were buying it, I probably would have already considered buying a replacement set of keys from Unicomp, so I wouldn't have cared so much.

[didjamatic]

If photo showed missing cap, you're sol.  Bite the bullet and buy replacement.

If photo doesn't show it, or description says it's complete, perfect, etc.  then email the seller a link to some site that sells replacement caps and ask them to do a partial refund in paypal of that amount, or return it to them and they should refund shipping both directions plus auction amount.

[kishy]

Did the photo show a keyboard missing any keycaps?
Did the description have any type of text that could be read as a disclaimer - missing parts and so forth are not their responsibility?

If you have no reason to believe or expect it to arrive incomplete, I'd go with a polite message informing them that the keyboard arrived incomplete and not as described ("keyboard" really ought to include "keys", yes?). No threats, no requests. If they're responsible and intelligent, they'll see where it's going (neg. feedback) and will offer to make it right.

If they're irresponsible and/or unintelligent, they'll respond with something like "So?" or not respond at all, to which I'd respond with something perhaps a bit stronger (giving as long as, but no longer than 2 days if they don't seem to be responding).

[ricercar]

> If you don't train those Ebay sellers early they misbehave.

Sometimes, rip, you scare me how close you think to my ways.

Here's my intent:

Hello.

I am not ready to post feedback for our transaction because there's a problem. My IBM keyboard arrived without the F4 key-top (one part of a 2-piece key). I have checked the packaging and the area where I opened the package and this part is definitely missing; it is not present.

I suggest that you examine your packaging area to see if the F4 key cap is found, and send it ASAP, but this may not be possible. Alternately, you might refund me $8 USD via Paypal to <~~~@~~~.~~~>, because that is the cost of a F4 keytop from clickeykeyboards.com. ($5.38 is the true cost, but $8 is the minimum order.)

Please advise. If you have another suggestion for customer satisfaction, I would be pleased to negotiate. I have neither the desire to be a bad customer, nor the desire to complete this transaction with either party dis-satisfied.

Sincerely,

Over the years I generally get faster and more complete satisfaction when I include a suggested remedy. And the pic clearly shows the F4.

[Rajagra]

Your email looks OK, just point out that his photo showed all keys present.

[itlnstln]

That letter is great.

[ricercar]

zOMFG a keeper!

[ricercar]

Total WIN. They found the F4 cap and are sending it.

[Nonmouse]

Total WIN. They found the F4 cap and are sending it.

Excellent!

I've found that it's usually worth the time to communicate politely with the seller first- for instance, I have an IBM Model M keyboard with the integrated trackball that I picked up fairly cheap (NIB, even) because it was advertised as "clicky"- but when I received it, I found out it was the "soft touch" rubberdome version.  Instead of f-bombing the seller, I told her of the problem, and she refunded the entire amount, including shipping, and told me to keep the board.

Of course, then there's that counterfeit Motorola bluetooth headset I had to go through eBay to get refunded...

[Voixdelion]

Yes.  And well done in the letter!  +1 for being civilized!  It can get truly trying out there sometimes, but a years worth of anger management has taught me that most times people don't actually intend to be injurous or anything, and our assumptions about their motivation is what really makes us angry.  When we communicate our own feelings/reaction in terms of "I felt...when you..." as opposed to "you made me...." people are much more responsive and sometimes surprised and completely unaware that they may have offended.  Good for you taking some time to think about it too.  

WIN - Indeed.

[clickclack]

I actually just had something similar happen to me (missing part on item purchased) on ebay. This thread helped me keep my cool, not that I would have been unreasonable but it helped calm me down. My response was kinda similar to what ricercar wrote. Hopefully all goes well, I am glad it worked out for you though that's great! =)

[clickclack]

.... Most times people don't actually intend to be injurous or anything, and our assumptions about their motivation is what really makes us angry....

spot on!!!  =)

[clickclack]

... Nice marketing, but it is designed to drive you crazy and give up while retiring as a monk because you cannot take it any longer. In the end I did get my money back minus return shipping.

No kidding!!! This happened to me twice with some expensive items that never arrived and one seller suddenly was no longer a member and the other never responded to me. I am just a sucker because it took so many months to try and resolve it that I just said EEF it. I still feel like a moron for letting it go, but It was just too frustrating and upsetting. Glad you got your money back though, maybe if this happens to me again I might be even MORE aggressvie with trying to get my money back.
Oh well, live and learn... errr regret, or something like that.

[Voixdelion]

I had one like that too.  But the guy got my Spider Sense tingling almost immediately after the auction ended so I was hyper-vigilant about keeping all communications (come to think of it, maybe the price was a little too good to be true to begin with, it was a motherboard going at 2/3 the going rate from china and half from USA).  There was a window of 3 days for the return and when I looked at his ENTIRE feedback history it appeared that he had sold several items that were clearly misrepresented.  I really got suspicious because I paid extra for 2-3 days priority mail and he hadn't even sent the thing a week later.  When it got to my door I took pics before even opening the box and was unsurprised by the condition of the board inside.  That one was a huge pain because when I filed the dispute the guy even tried to claim he never received the item in return and claimed a different address than the one handwritten on the package.  I actually did some research via public record to find that address in the name of someone who happened to have the same last name as his wife which added some credence to my claim along with the delivery confirmation and photos of the mailing reciept, which I posted on a flickr page with photos of the obviously (and poorly) hand refurbished board along with each and every communication received from him which included profanity and threats of not granting a refund unless I lifted the hold on the Paypal funds.  What an ass.  

Fortunately. though I quite expected it to drag on for a month, my entire cost was refunded in two days via paypal,  It did cost me the 11 bucks or so to ship back, but I hate when people try to be deceptive and sucker somebody out of even a little bit of money. since sometimes its all they have.  

For the most part, even though its a pain, I do gather that the claim process favors buyers over sellers. though.  If you have even a little bit of evidence to back up a claim, you will probably win.  Then again. I don't know how much of the complaining is done by less than careful sellers either.