Would you block a buyer if you felt they might cause problems?

[silverdawn]

I recently received this request on my eBay auctions

"I know your description is detailed but is there a chance you could post or send me photos of all sides of Windy, Coco berry, Blossom, Baby Stockings and Cotton candy? Many posts can be deceptive and I really don't want to buy a pony that has a hidden flaw/permanent mark/s."

Most of those items have two very large detailed pictures of each side of the pony, and I take a lot of care to make sure all major flaws are noted.  And anytime I sell something incredibly rare like a Birthday Baby or something, I will definitely go over the pony with a fine tooth comb, but these are cheaper non-rare ponies.  However, the tone of the question makes it seem like as though this person feels sellers are being sinister and trying to hide things... I just get a really bad vibe from this buyer.  And eBay has no seller protection so if she gets anything and is overly particular about her ponies, there's nothing I can do to prevent a paypal clawback and negative feedback.  My seller history is 100% perfect and I want to keep it that way.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for working with buyers, but if you feel a buyer is going to be a problem (and this one is international to boot, so any problems with be extra difficult to deal with), is it wrong to ask them not to bid and/or block the username to prevent potential issues?

Thanks!
Silverdawn


[Moving to TS ~ Thanks, Mirnyj]

[NovelNerd]

Yes, maybe I'm weird but I block everyone that I think might be problematic. I just don't want to deal with drama.

I actually have put up a bunch of Breyers (not ponies I know) to sell as bodies for customization at really cheap prices since obviously they are bodies. I keep getting tons of messages asking for loads of pictures and for exact descriptions of flaws, that I'm having to ignore. Now, if it was a regular Breyer I was selling or a piece that I was selling that was supposed to be nicer quality obviously I would have no trouble doing extra things. When I'm selling them as bodies and have listed that they have tons of flaws...because they are bodies. I get a little "eh" when people ask me in depth questions and basically are trying to fish out if they can get something that isn't a body for a body price. 

[elvenwine26]

Hence why I always marked my ponies cheaper when I sold them.  Sometimes people think things are marked down because too many flaws and then you get less choosy customers.  Really it's because I hate answering all the nitpicking questions after I've already typed up an excellent description of any issues.  I understand some people are looking for minty mcmint stuff, but it's aggravating and I don't have time to dig said pony about the pony sale box every time someone wants a different/new/high-def money shots of specific flaws.

I think probably in your case you should just block this buyer, you don't even have to tell them that you're blocking them.  If they're so super nit picky they'll probably end up complaining regardless of what they get.   There's just no pleasing some people.

[Galactica]

I would definitely block a buyer that seemed super picky.  Who KNOWS what kind of "flaws" she might find once she finally gets the ponies? If she wants 100% perfect ponies, she needs to buy MOC ponies only.

[Navi]

I have blocked buyers in the past. I've gotten a few that bid on auctions and then tried to haggle while the auction was still happening, which is just frustrating. If you don't want to deal with them, I'd say go for it, especially if you already have pictures posted of both sides of the pony. Better to handle it now then after it's over.

[Noxxbunny]

I personally would. Agreed to what what said above...if they want a perfect pony, buy one that's NIB. If you have a bad gut feeling, go with it. That's usually best. Especially since they're international. That will only make it so much harder if they decide to nitpick when it arrives. Even if your pony is perfect...there's still a chance they can even find a manufacturing mark or issue and blame you for it. 

Like what someone else said, you can always block them and not tell them about it. In the rare cases where I feel I'm messaging someone potentially nitpicky, I certainly don't try very hard to make a sale. Then I make even less of an effort to ask them if they still want an item when they seem to forget about it...That's always convenient.    It's only happened to me like less than 5 times.

[flying_narwhal]

I agree with what everyone else has said, I would block them if you feel uncomfortable. I have blocked many potential buyers over the years that I have gotten a bad "vibe" from or buyers who have been a pain after a sale. Trust your gut, it could save you from a potential headache later on. Because eBay offers no protection to sellers (in my opinion) you have every right to do what you can to prevent issues and protect yourself.

[silverdawn]

Thanks guys!  I worried I was maybe being paranoid, but I'm glad the rest of you think the same as I do.  I just feel like she'll find something I overlooked or that since my camera misses small stuff, she's going to accuse me of misleading her when she specifically asked.  Whew.  I'm not a jerk.   And it's weird, because I take tons of time cleaning ponies so they look really nice, but I never do the $40.00 for a Baby Stockings thing lol.  She's only listed at $4.00, cocoberry was $4.00 etc.  Thanks again!

Silverdawn

[ponyqueen]

Short answer: yes!

[NoDivision]

I have blocked people who seem like they might be trouble. But I don't think I would block someone just for asking for additional pictures to make sure there are no hidden flaws. I've asked sellers to do that for me before, especially if I was swap shopping and wanted to make sure my partner got a really nice pony. I certainly hope sellers weren't blocking me just for wanting to be thorough.

[CupidStrikes]

I agree with NoDivision. To me it just sounds like they've been burnt in the past and want to be sure of what they're getting Ponies are 3D objects so I don't think asking for photos from all angles is particularly suspicious. Maybe they could have worded their message a little better, though, but if they're from a different country it's possible English isn't their first language.

That said, if you don't want to sell to them then you don't have to.

[Stormy31685]

I would block a potentially troublesome buyer faster then a late night store clerk would bar a known thief from reentering their store!

[Tap Dancer]

Definitely! If you have a bad feeling about someone, block them.

[Ringlets]

I agree - if you don't feel comfortable dealing with someone or they are giving you bad vibes then block 'em and don't worry about it   This particular buyer sounds  picky if she is only buying cheaper ponies ...that being said, its also true what NoD and CupidStrikes said - that your buyer might not be the best at wording messages, might not have English as their first language or have had issues with sellers in the past and wants to be extra careful - there are some ebayers out there who will describe ponies as mint/perfect/flawless etc and then hide flaws by taking pics in certain lights or poses etc so what you receive is far from what they said...    and especially the buyer might want to be extra cautious if the ponies are for a swap , trade or gift..
If you've taken plenty of clear pictures and made a good description though this should have already been clear to your potential buyer that the ponies are fine.  If you still feel uncomfortable with this person then go ahead and block, or you could write a polite message back saying thanking them for their questions but that you have taken clear pictures of both sides of the ponies already and that they are exactly as described so she/he need not worry about condition    its up to you whether you want to deal with someone or not, but I wouldn't be suspicious of all people asking for more pics or descriptions since some of us have had problems on ebay in the past. Do what you feel most comfortable with

[Sarah-Bee]

*raises hand* I'm a blocker!

I'm surprised so many agree, I thought I'd be in the minority lol.

There's a fine line between wanting to keep your customers happy and have their repeat business and avoiding problems. I recently bent over backwards for someone only for them to message me once they'd received the ponies to say one wasn't as described. It was so the buyer was added to the blocked list to avoid future issues.