November 30, 2006A PowerPhrase Is as Strong as it Needs to Be and No Stronger

Filed under: This Week in the World by merylrunion |

I buy and sell on eBay and have 100% positive feedback. Most vendors are reasonable but occasionally I run into someone who seems unconscious. I usually choose to speak up even though I know I run the risk of negative feedback. So far I’ve managed to make my point without offending.

This week I was surprised to receive a cryptic email from a vendor about a $7 auction that had closed 24 hours before. The email said,

- Payment was due within 24 hrs of auction end. Please pay now or I will have to relist the item and file a dispute via eBay.

I examined the auction listing and discovered that, there in the fine print, the vendor had noted that payment was required within 24 hours. A 24 hour payment policy is unusual and I missed it when I placed my bid.

I checked the vendor’s feedback and noticed that mixed in with the positive comments were comments about her being rude. I understood why.

I emailed the vendor back saying that I had missed the 24 hour policy, and I would make payment immediately. I continued that while I understood her right to set her own payment policies, her email seemed unnecessarily harsh, particularly since her policies were unusual.

Her response to me was conciliatory, and the interaction ended on a positive note.

Sometimes it is necessary to make demands and indicate the consequences of non-compliance, but it’s important to wait to get heavy handed until it’s clear that’s what’s needed. The eBay vendor was technically justified in the strength of her demands – I was late in remitting. Being technically correct isn’t always good business, and being stronger with customers than is needed never is.