Listing mistake

David Rueppel

Lets say you have a customer purchase a stamp for lets say $1.65, you go to pull the stamp for shipment and it's not there. Okay, you the seller made an obvious mistake. What to do? No other copy of the stamp is available, most of your listings are one of a kind. So how does this sound, immediately refund the seller the amount of the item not available, leave them a note explaining that it either sold and did not fall off the site for whatever reason or more likely I accidentally double listed it. Offer over the top apology, and expect the buyer is probably human, makes mistakes as well and all will be well and forgiven. Now understand, this wonderful man bought another set as well. It is here, I shipped it and that one cost all of $10. I refunded the whole order, and sent the $10 stamp anyway for his trouble and a show of good faith (which for me on this site is wearing thin). So I did all I could do to make this right?

Stupid me right?
I had this buyer purchase a French West Africa stamp for $1.65, it wasn't there, it happens once in a while. I did all of the above things mentioned and this is what I got in return, buying from you was a waste of time, I didn't want to buy from you anyway, you overcharged me way to much for shipping, I didn't need the other stamp and since this one wasn't there it was a waste of my time, you wasted my time.($2.25 is what we charge in the U.S), you provided no explanation with the refund, you completely wasted my time especially since I was buying stamps I didn't need.

Wow, Seriously?

If there is someone, anyone on this forum who does not occasionally make a mistake please reply and verbally crucify me all over again for the one I made here! If I would have responded to a customer like this clown responded to me I would be subjected to another one of the Hipstamp staff threatening to suspend my account and lecturing me on good manners and proper etiquette.

It used to be that stamp people were some of the nicest people around, looks like that is not the case anymore.

Kitty Rueppel

Michael Almond

Kitty: I would just say that in my opinion you went 120% to correct the issue. By coincidence I had the same issue today and followed a similar route to correct the missing cover from my inventory. I see this about every 1000 cover sales and is typically to do with covers that were originally listed back in the BidStart days. (I am not blaming BidStart or HipStamp as I could have just lost the item!)
The one part of your post that I would take issue with is that in my experience 100% of my customers that I have dealt with on this site are the nicest people and are very understanding that an old man may make a mistake occasionally!
Mike

David Rueppel

Thank you Michael for bringing me back to earth with the " Taking issue remark" It was not in good taste to broad brush the site, which we actually really enjoy being on. We have experienced this a few times, we list each item one at a time, takes a while to get to 21,000 listings that way and we accidentally click the list twice button. We have this happen more so since the switch over Gibbons marketplace to Hipstamp, which again, it happens, mistakes happen. But I'll just assume I made the error and correct it. oh well, this infuriated my Russian blood to the point I don't even want to look at another stamp right now, which sucks because I have 2 stores full of them.

Ron Carmichael

One must remember to try not to take this stuff personally, that's how I try to deal with customer responses like this.

You did your best, certainly above and beyond.

Buyer responded poorly, which fortunately tends to be somewhat rare in the stamp world, however the buyer has also done you a big favor!!! If it were me, and it was possible on this site, I would have blocked them from buying anything else from me down the road anyway.

You did your best, you didn't get the response you hoped for but think of the other 99.9% of happy customers you have and continue keeping them happy.....

David Rueppel

Your right, I’ll be playing with my China Dr Sun Ovpt”s after supper. I’m probably being petty, feeling a little foolish for sounding off actually. Thanks fellas.

David Rueppel

Oh let me say this too. It wasn’t that it was only $1.65, it doesn’t matter if it was a 20 cent stamp, they are all equally important and I get it the collector bought it because he needed it ( at least I thought) And I didn’t deliver. That’s annoying but don’t have , how do Americans say, a cow? Over it. Lol.

George DeKornfeld

That buyer is the poster child for the 'block buyer' option !

Michael Generali

Remember the average age of stamp collectors. There are many old poses in the hobby who stay locked behind closed doors in a small closet, and never see anyone. They have no social skills or graces, expect everyone to be perfect, and with their dementia expect everyone to bow down in front of them and do their bidding better than any god would. Those people are simply disgusting pigs.

Then there are the 99% of the others who treat everyone with respect and understand that human beings make mistakes. These people only expect the seller to make things right, like you tried to do.