I love a bargain! Whether the company is large or small, a group or an individual selling it doesn’t matter to me just so long as I am getting the best price! With the economy spiraling out of control from one day to the next, I find that more and more people are taking what they really don’t need whether the item is brand new or gently used and getting whatever money they can for it. I enjoy buying online and when everything goes right I am quickly giving a seller four stars but when things go wrong, and they do, I am asking for a refund. But before I share the negative experiences, let me start with reasons why I buy from private sellers and what keeps me coming back. The three things that are important to me are price, personal service, and timeliness. A good price or special is what draws me in when selecting a seller to buy from. Also, location is a big deal for me too. When I know the item will be shipped from someone locally, I tend to go with this person because usually the item gets to me quickly! I will continue to buy from a seller if I know he or she is oftentimes receiving positive feedback from his or her buyers, but when I see a change in anyone of the areas I like, I move on to another seller.
Now for my bad experiences with private sellers that have happened to me more often in recent years. I assume that customer service has gone downhill because the economy has been bad. Prior to the economy, I didn’t have as many problems with online sellers. One problem I have is when the seller doesn’t disclose everything that is wrong with a product. When you, as a buyer, have an item such as a small electronic device that takes batteries and when you play it after a few times its time for new batteries, you can’t help but feel like you have been ripped off. This is when you say, “No wonder I got it for such a great deal.” Some sellers will reason that they left out those details because it may not have sold, let the buyer be the judge of that. I notice with some of these items that have great prices the statement of, “You get what you pay for” holds true. But what should be added is “but we aren’t that kind of company.” When the product arrives, it should be a pleasant surprise not the kind that appeared bigger in the picture but in all actuality it is smaller than you realize. To me, I feel cheated.
Another issue I have with some private sellers is a lack of professionalism in customer service. I know that he or she may be a stay-at-home mother or a retired grandfather, but there is no excuse for not sending me a follow up email letting me know the item has been shipped, may not arrive on time, or is out of stock. Let the customer decide what he or she will do if this issue is happening on the seller’s end. Not everyone will ask for a refund. I also would like to know if a seller even received my order and payment for an item. A friendly note will put me at ease. I don’t like to be put in a position to ask a seller, “Where is my order?”
One of my biggest pet peeves with private sellers is the hoops you have to jump when asking for a refund. I understand that there are people who abuse the system, but there are also people who are honest. If private sellers want to play in the big leagues then refund like them. I had an issue with a table, a large table, not arriving at my doorstep, I told the company and without hesitation they looked up the order, realized it didn’t come to my address, and refunded me the money. I learned the reason why some sellers will make you jump through hoops is because they don’t have much money if any money put away for refunds. That is why some will make you wait as long as 30 days to give you your money back. There business just isn’t generating enough profit just to hand you over your money when you want it.
When dealing with private sellers it may be difficult to exchange a product because they aren’t like the big chains having an abundance of items in stock, so you may have to wait awhile. Also, you are responsible for paying for the chipping and handling usually to return the item. There are some companies that will boast on the front page of their website that they will pay for shipping and handling on returns, but that isn’t many.
In conclusion, I love private sellers because I have been on both sides of the fence. I know what it feels like to have to scramble around the house looking for items to sell to meet a payment on a bill. I understand when you deal with a drop shipper and the item is suddenly out of stock and you have 50 plus orders to fill. It can be a pain! But I also know from a buyer’s point of view that all you want is a little communication and honesty. If the item will be late a seller should say so, if something happened to the item then be honest about it. I would recommend private sellers despite some of my negative experiences especially if you don’t have much money to spend with the larger chain stores and just hope and pray that your transaction with them will go smoothly!
By Nicholl McGuire
