Very recently someone e-mailed my about an Anime doll that she was desperately looking for. She really wanted this doll but the only auction on e-bay was $300 and she didn't want to pay that much. Keep in mind the doll she wanted was long out of production and pretty hard to find. I used to have one but sold her when i was letting go of alot of my Anime dolls.
I asked her how much she was looking to pay for one and she said $100. I told her that the original retail was already $100 so it would be impossible to get her now for that price. She then said she was willing to pay $200. Stupidly i decided to help. She seem genuine. She really wanted the doll and has been looking for it for a long time. She told me she would pay once i find her one. Since i collect Anime dolls i know how to find rare dolls. So i did and i found one. I was asking $200 which would include shipping. I e-mailed her and told her that she can make payment within 2 weeks time and i will have it for her.
Then, the shocker.... She just lost her job and apparently forgot to let me know. Big duh!! But she still wants the doll and promise to make payment. But she'd like to do a layaway, a very very long layaway. $10 a week for 20 weeks. Which means the doll will ship in Sept. I had no choice but to agree. She then asked if i can ship her the doll first and she promise me she'll pay. Like HELL NO. No one ships before getting paid. She said that she got cheated off an item before. Well i told her to look at my ebay feedback. I've been on e-bay since 2002 and have over 2170 feedbacks. I also have tons of feedbacks outside e-bay on various doll selling forums. All positives i might add. I am a good seller. I don't know about her.
Well, i am now waiting for her next e-mail to see what she has to say. I swear i will never help anyone find and buy dolls again unless payments are made in advance. Some buyers are just not very reliable.
Which also brings me to another bad buyer i encountered this time through e-bay. This dude wanted to buy a set of dolls i listed. But he can't make payment for another week or so and wanted to buy and pay when he can. He told me to check his feedback and that it was good. I said ok. I usually list my buy it now auctions with buyers having to do instant payment.
So he purchased my item and i waited for payment. Then the time came when payment was promised and guess what, he can no longer afford it because he needs to have surgery the next day. Wow, unexpected surgery. Oh and get this, he's a veteran and lives on money given to him by the government and they don't pay him enough. He needs to shell out his own money for the surgery so he has none left. Wow. That's a new excuse.
He promised me that he'll pay in a month. I told him i can't wait because i need funds for other things. And also how can i trust that he would pay. By that time, i will no longer be able to file a non paying bidder claim with e-bay and i would be out of all those fees associated with selling the doll. He then have the nerve to say that if i need money, i should get a job. I'm a stay at home mom to 2 little boys and am 6 month pregnant (at the time of the transaction, i am nearly 8 months now). This is my full time job. What an ASS! He should be the one getting the job instead of relaying on government funds to pay for e-bay auctions.
Anyway, he's no longer an active user on e-bay. Good riddance.