The Perils of eBay

My eBay love affair started a couple of years ago, when thinking that I would never have any more children due to lack of opportunity (a very sad few days). I decided to clear out and sell all my old baby equipment, to make a bit of cash before my girls birthdays.
I had a fair few things, and sold monitors, bottle warmers, safety gates, clothes, bedding, you name it. I even sold a buggie. Which led me on to selling more buggies, which I would purchase off eBay and then sell for a better price.
This didnt last long: I realised that people can be really unreasonable. They seem to think that everyone selling on eBay must be a webshop or business with brand new, well packaged items, wellI'm sorryguys, but thats not the case!
I'm very truthful in my descriptions, if something is wrong or has a scratch I will say. I always put from a pet free smoke free home, which is good to know, I know I always look for this. And, I have to say that the majority of buyers have been good, and Im currently on 100% feedback, and very pleased with that!
But there have been the odd few, who have had me fuming, steaming at the ears and breathing fire! Today, was one such case.
I'd found a couple of 'old' mobile phones. I say old because we dont use them, not because they are old. In fact they are less than a year old, but my kids couldnt get to grips with them, so they got abandoned. So I put them up for auction on ebay, and they both sold. One, absolutely fine, very happy, good feedback, thank you very much sir! The other? Don't get me started!




Well, it seems I have started.
The guy received the phone and immediately starts messaging me that it doesnt work. In a displeasing tone. Like hes been the centre of some scam. Well, for a start, I know full well it does work, it just hasnt been used in a while and needs charging for a while. And for a second, I feel am I the receiving end of one of those rogue bad ebayers, who are notorious for doing these sorts of things.
So, I tell the guy it does work and to try it again, and if it doesn't work, send it back to me.
I receive a message that he's sent the phone back. Ok, I thought, I'll check it . cos you never know, and you cant say anything til its been checked out really. So I plugged it in, and within 30 seconds it starts flashing. I leave it overnight and on Sunday morning it is working, absolutely fine like new. Now, I spent the majority of the week with my mum who was in hospital having major surgery, or thinking about her being in hospital, so I didnt give much thought to my eBay happenings, which I had previously explained to the buyer, so when I received a very rude message from him threatening me with an 'open case', I was furiously p!$$£d off, and sent him back a message telling him basically that people have lives to live, we dont all hang onto eBay every second of the day, and that I found him very rude and disrespectful. I too could launch a complaint athim because my item had nothing wrong with it.
Next day, message from said buyer, all apologies, calling me 'my friend' (I ain't your friend, and never will be!) and asking for a refund. So I try to issue the refund, but it doesnt work for some reason, so I explained it to him and asked for his bank details so I could transfer the money that way.I realise this may have sounded dodgy, but I do not have chequebook facility on my bank account, and wanted to be a good seller so what else could I do?
Today, I get back a very rude reply once again, saying (quote)

 you have two options 1. sort out the problem with paypal 2. I have sent you invoice so you can make payment that invoice. so pay my refund soon I cant wait anymore today is the last day for you.

Today is the last day for you?? What, am I gonna have a gun at my head,what are you threatening?!
So I check out this guys invoice, and he's charged me the item price, plus delivery (ok) and the return postage. Well, I'm not having that. If the item was faulty then yes, but its not, and im certainlynot paying this guywith his rudeness.
And then, somehow, paypaldoubles the refund Id have to pay back. No. I dont think so.
Just as Im aboutto replyto the guyagain about this 'mistake', a message comes through 'a case has been opened against you. this needs your immediate attention'. This, had me fuming, again!
So I looked at the case and you wanna see what this guy has put about me!

Details the buyer provided:
Problem: The item is not as described
The buyer has already contacted you through eBay Messages
The buyer paid on 23 Apr, 2012
The item is damaged
You have not responded to the buyer
You aren't working with the buyer to solve the problem

 the only things true about this are nos 2 and 3! And as an added thing he says Im wasting his time! Ha!
More fuming and more anger. I just wanna give this guy his poxy refund and be done, does he really think I want to be faffing about with him? Am I really gonna do a scam for fifteen quid and then keep contacting him to arrange refund if I was a scammer?!!! No, Im pretty sureascammer would do a runner!
So I clicked on the refund button, and ebay say ineed to refund £15.50 (the correct price) so I do it. And it goes through, finally. I am happy. But I know this guy will not be. I cant wait to leave him feedback. Needless to say my love affair is well and truly over (as a seller at least).
And Im sure there will be another rude message waiting for me tomorrow.

Bunnies Galore!!
So, how was your easter? Ours was very nice and chaotic as usual.
On the friday we took the kids (five of them, my four plus bf younger one) to see mirror mirror. We thought the kids would like it and in actual factwe wanted to see it aswell, so it was good for all, and most were very well behaved.
On sunday (egg day, as my Finnish friend calls it) we had an easter egg hunt.
For kids who dont believe in the easter bunny they were well getting into it!.
We had plastic hollow eggs filled with chocolate mini eggs, smarties eggs, egg sweets and stickers. they also hunted for cadburys creme eggs, so there was a good mix for all those who do and dont like chocolate!Then they got their big eggs and small treats. Usually they are very sensible with the opening of the eggs and make sure they can be wrapped up again after and make it spread out over a few weeks. Not this time! They opened everything in one go,and tipped it all out onto a plate each, plates piled high that chocolate buttons, minstrels, and aero balls were all dropping off with every movement. It wasnt a pretty sight (or was, depending on your thoughts of a chocolate fest). I felt sure there would be pandemonium. Fights over who ate whose, and 'you've taken mine!', 'mines all gone!' all filled my mind,and I was ready for it, but thanks to a few sainsburys bags and a permanent marker,and a gorgeous boyfriend of course, in actual fact they've all been really good and most of the chocolate is in fact gone already, and into the correct tummies to-boot.
Happy Easter everyone :-)

You're Fired!
I'm just watching the end of the apprentice. All these high flying business minded people competing, battling for prime position with Lord Sugar.
Can you imagine what it would be like to apply to be a parent?
They'd be sat in a church hall or park or similar (instead of the boardroom) in jeans and t-shirts all looking knackered. Some might have painted sick on their shoulder, or made their hair more ruffled than usual.
Here's some of the things they would have to have in their CV and application to be a parent

1 the ability to stay awake all night (maximum two hours sleep), every night, for an infinite amount of years



2 to be an octopus. The problem with being a parent is that you still have to do the house work, and when there are children involved, the amount is multiplied X10.

                      3 so this mum is looking a bit too happy and perfect for reality, but it doesn't mask the fact that mums or dads in charge of the household have to have a business brain, or at least quickly grow one. Running a household is exactly like running a business.


      4  yes, it is a stomach of steel. Honestly the amount of horrible things I've had to clean up this week. Sick, poop (alot of both) wee, snot, dribble. Seriously, we deserve medals....


    5   entertainer! Yes, just this job requirement alone can take up 90% of your time. Entertainment has to be incorporated into everything. Nappy change time (keys), dinner time (planes, smiler faces), bedtime (lullabies). Anything from drawing a picture to making playdoh, making a den to building a post office (my job for the next few weekends)...

        6 every parent needs to be a gourmet chef, trying to shove as many different varieties of fruit,veg, meat, carbs etc as they can, to broaden their childs culinary horizons. So what is it, with this vast array of foods they have sampled, that the kids want for dinner EVERY SINGLE NIGHT? Cheese and pasta...

     7 doctor, nurse and surgeon, in one go.


   8 Unfortunately I am this most of the time. Referee. Now that the kids are getting older I let them sort it out themselves, but I still find my assistance is needed on the majority of occasions.I must consider myself lucky to come out of it with only minor scrapes myself

9 Having to be the critic for everything. School plays - yes, you were the best shepherd, literary critic - yes your poem was the best, arts council - I will put your best pictures on my wall, Eve, go and change those clothes they don't 'go'

10 Ssssshhhhhh! Don't tell the kids...



                                                               11  You have to be like a military leader sometimes, to make sure four (or however many kids you have) little people manage to get up, dressed, eat, brush teeth, etc either getting ready for school or a day out, its not an easy feat



   12  Last but certainly not least, boundless energy!


Candidates for apprentice, you don't stand a chance. You're all fired!