Frustrating eBay Experience -- Buyer I'd suggest you block

Ugh... you do your best to honestly sell duplicate coins in from your modest collection, and an individual with too much time on their hands harasses you via eBay's messaging system, alleging that I'm overgrading a coin in order to swindle the masses. Ultimately, wanting to avoid any appearance of impropriety, I added the following three paragraphs to my listing noting that there may be a difference of opinion in my grading of the coin.
"In the interest of full disclosure, eBay user 'animater9,' who apparently has more free time than functioning brain cells (and who more likely than not, lives in his/her parents' basement), has done me the favor of sending three harassing messages via eBay (the last one including a clichéd and overused prison-rape joke) to let me know that he or she thinks that this coin has been cleaned and believes that the coin has been more circulated than a prostitute (his/her words, not mine).
"'Animater9' also suggests that I should have difficulty sleeping at night, given that his/her difference in opinion of the coin's grade proves beyond a reasonable doubt that I am attempting to swindle someone out of the immense sum of $8 by overgrading a coin. What's really keeping me from sleeping at night are my visions of a cushy retirement in Maui, for which I'm incidentally only $8 away from accomplishing. So fortunately for the eBay community, I'm risking criminal charges to steal only $8 from you to accomplish this dream, rather than use my sinister and diabolic plan to defraud y'all out of much more tidy sums of money.
"So, in conclusion, I think the coin is uncirculated and uncleaned (as did the ANA-member dealer from who I purchased the coin some time back), but before bidding, please know that there's a hero out there disagrees with this assessment, and has heroically taken the time to send me three messages with numerous grammatical errors to let me know of this difference in opinion. If you should happen to bid on the coin, and strongly disagree with me as to the grade as 'animater9' has, I'll happily give a refund."
I also responded to the troll to let him/her know I've updated my listing in light of his/her comments (which has resulted in me receiving more incoherent messages, including excuses that he/she made the language errors because they were texting while driving, which is even more reprehensible in my eyes than calling someone a liar and a thief without any basis).

I probably went overboard, but don't really care. Idiots like this need to be called out.

You're adults, so do what you will, but I advise that if you sell or buy on eBay, block "animater9" before the/she craters your user rating without any basis for doing so.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Calling him out publicly like that in your ad was wrong.
Ignore or report to eBay as harassment.

 

I can understand your feelings, and would forward the 'nasty-grams' to eBay and ask them to permanently block that blockhead. And as eBay to please note what this idiot is doing.
He/she has no right to text while driving nor send those texts out.
Especially since he/she is also reading (your lot descriptions) while driving.
I would also tell them that you are forwarding the notes about texting & driving to the DMV.

What a moron.

 

PS:

If you really, REALLY need to the $8 to get to Maui, please advise and I will forward same.

 

Okay, the user sending harassing messages is a jerk, and you'd be right to ask eBay to intervene.

But you're really, really not doing yourself any favors by playing this out in the auction listing itself. When I see stuff like that in a listing, I'm sometimes amused or entertained, but rarely encouraged to bid. I don't especially like drama, and if a seller is willing to escalate drama into his listings, I steer clear.

 

Jeff:

Unless the drama is really funny.

And I think this enters the category

 

I'd be inclined to ask eBay to intervene if they gave me a way of doing so without having to call them.

 

What do you find wrong about it? Seems just to me, turnabout is fair play.

 

Hm. I would've sworn there was a way to do that. But after fishing around a bit, it looks like the phone's about it.

If it were me, I'd call eBay anyhow, just to get something on record in case the guy goes nuts and starts filing bogus complaints against you.

Frankly, though, you're running a risk as long as this description is live -- they could get you for "Listing practices -> No item listings and inappropriate comments -> Gratuitous comment" or "Inappropriate item description -> Publish contact information" (although that last one's a bit of a stretch). You haven't crossed a well-defined line, but you're in a grey area.

BTW, I took a look at the listing, and you might want to try getting better photos of the coin. From the ones posted, it's hard to tell whether it's cleaned or not.

 

I agree with jeffB. When I see seller's doing that I tend to stay away.

 

Read the rest of this thread to find the answer.

 

The photo I have is the best I could do with what I have. That's what makes this guy's accusations even more confounding... he's made the logically incongruent statements that my photo doesn't provide enough detail while at the same time saying he is certain he sees evidence of cleaning and wear. I guess we haven't institutionalized everyone who needs it yet.

Given the complaint, I felt an obligation to include a disclaimer as I really don't want to hide the ball and want people who receive my coins are happy as I don't want negative comments or the hassle of returns. I figured an explanation of my disclaimer was warranted. Either way, with or without the details of this user's comments to me, I was bound to drive bidders away by including a disclaimer. I'm not looking to make a killing, merely get rid of a duplicate coin at a reasonable price way less than what I paid for it, and I'd rather get less than value than deal with negative feedback or returns. I guess the cost of doing business is I drive away people who don't like "drama." In another forum I posted, some stated they'd be more likely to bid on the item because of the honest comments I've included.

 

I should have known better

 

I've read the thread. Some people have said they'd be less likely to buy from a listing with the comments I've made, but I'm not sure anyone has made a case it's "wrong" whether morally or ethically.

I hope to sell the coin for $8. I'll be fine without the $8. If no one bids, I'll forego the money and deal with the consequences.

 

Thanks for the heads up on blocking Ebayer animater9 , certainly isn't someone I'd like to do business with.

 

I certainly wouldn't appreciate the drama rich pm you received, but others don't see that, so I would have ignored. But your post did make me take a close look at your listing, and I do find myself concerned about if the depth of toning on the reverse is really into the corrosion stage, and if the chest of the eagle has too little detail to be uncirculated. I wouldn't call it BU from the photos as it doesn't appear to be brilliant, just maybe unc. perhaps it is just the photos ( not bad compared to many ebay photos, but certainly won't attract any but bottom feeders). I would remove the comments to A9 myself as it won't help selling and could turn others away thinking you would be hard to deal with on returns of that specific coin.

 

From PCGS glossary;
Brilliant Uncirculated
A generic term applied to any coin that has not been in circulation. It often is applied to coins with little "brilliance" left, which properly should be described as simply Uncirculated.

BTW, I would remove that comment (or at least the name) before eBay removes it and possible other things.

 

eBay can do what it will, I don't really care. Their proper action would be to take action against animater9. If they have a problem with me, they can go without the revenue I have generated for them in fees, which has easily exceeded thousands of dollars. They have access to the messages that were exchanged, and I would hope they take a logical course of action.

 

I'm not sure the OP really has the moral high ground here, but he's made eBay one little increment more weird and amusing. Cheers, BK.

 

just block the guy and move on.
Another option in your listing is to not grade the coin yourself and let the customers grade the coin.

That's what great southern coins does now because they know they clean all of their raw coins but they don't expect everyone to know that.