Has anyone else had a problem with Ryu's communication or lack thereof?

I've been extremely busy with my business, and it doesn't help that I've been catching up after four days without internet. ( My business requires internet, soooo, yeah, pure suckage. ) However, I did pay for my item I had last.

Well, I won another item last night, and I had asked for a shipping notice for the previous item over the last few days. Never comes, this morning I get an invoice for BOTH items, even when I've paid for the one! This isn't the first time this has happened with Ryu. It's like they just bypass emails and ignore them no matter my concerns or this or that! I paid on the 4th of July, and Paypal shows my payment as complete and sent to him, however he doesn't seem to notice I've already sent him this nearly $400 bill, but now wants me to pay a $600 one, including that item that's already paid and another. :sigh: He screwed me around on my last auctions too, but not this badly. I followed his emailed invoice's instructions on paying via paypal, versus the ebay method, simply because Ryu can never get the ebay Invoices right and some how the shipping is always wrong and I end up having to send another payment through paypal anyways! So I figured I'd send it through paypal completely and save myself some grief! Nope!

While I never have any problem with the items I get, they're certainly very lovely and they're always in the condition stated, I'm exceptionally tired of having to fight around for paying and getting things shipped! I mean, in the last few weeks, I've dropped something in the range of four digits on his auctions alone! I mean, is it so hard to give a little service? I certainly understand that there are language barriers, but still, I should receive some email at least asking me about what I'm asking if they didn't understand. I've sent auction numbers, my user ID, the paypal transaction number, and just about any other pertinient number there is. I just think that no matter what Ryu starts getting that I'm going to pass. I mean, he's fine on one item, and only one item for the most part, but when you start having to combine, he gets everything a mess and he never communicates. -.-

I've had issues where he sent me an invoice when I was emailing him with questions about payment, but I have to admit that's the worst I've ever heard of Ryu-Japan. Normally I can easily work out my issues with him. What I do is usually ignore the first invoice he sends me and email him with what I want in shipping and such. I always use the ebay payment system, though, so I don't know how changing that can affect the payment/communication issue.

Normally, I think what's happening with Ryu is that he gets the notice for our wins before he gets our emails, and then he gets emails before he gets ebay messages. I think he sees the notice for the win and instantly sends out what he feels is the appropriate invoice and doesn't bother with the emails, since he figures his invoice was perfectly appropriate to everyone's needs and it covered whatever the email would have asked. I find that if I email him before my wins, stating that I want to combine shipping for these specific items, then the transaction goes much smoother after I win (hopefully). In general, I've come to start doing that with every seller that I plan on purchasing numerous items from, just giving them a heads up so that they can atleast remember that in the immediate future, they're going to be combining shipping on something. Usually they remember it's me and give me the appropriate invoice the first time, but if Ryu doesn't remember, then I remind him and he remembers my earlier emails and we easily straiten it all out. It's only after this, when I have the right invoice, that I consider payment. I won't put any money down until I have the invoice I'm happy with.

I'm afraid that's the only advice I can give you. I would imagine the large numbers your putting down is leading to most of the hassle, I would be mad to if there was even one error in a payment of that size. I think that you should still work with Ryu, though, as he has some of the best kimono that I've ever seen, and I don't think he's intentionally trying to weedle extra money out of anyone. I think he's just a little scatter-brained.

I don't think he's trying to weedle me out either, he's just not very. . .professional at times in the way he assumes if it's as you said. I double, triple, and quadruple check everything I send out, invoices and email and all that. Granted I'm not shipping out the same volume as he, nor would I *ever* want to, but I do ship anywhere from 50 - 100 items out a month as one person with an assistant every now and again.

I ended up having to open a claim and call paypal with it, because he sent me another invoice! I think it's worked out now, as he refunded my payment, and then sent me a combined bill for the item I won last night, so, hopefully that'll be the end of it, but I know those last three items I were looking at will not be bid on. :sigh: Some of it may have been paypal and ebay to blame, as they're both been glitching like mad constantly. People not getting invoices, both ways, despute tickets being canceled, messages not going through, unable to view messages, it's just crazy. I really hate all these changes ebay is making, and as a seller, I really miss not having the ability to leave negative feedback, or least have it as an option in a sulky buyer's mind. . .

To make it even worse, though this is my fault, I missed my mail running packages and when I got back I had to call all over the place and this and that, as I'm having a few problem buyers on ebay, oh bad apples, how I love thee, how I love the remorseful buyers, yadda, yadda, so, I've been handling business for the last four hours and neglected my mail box. My two previous items came in via EMS today, I missed them, and I checked my mail at 6:01 after the post office closed. Fml.

Yes, I totally love that site. . . Always reminds me that things aren't as bad as they seem, but still, I have to wait tomorrow to get my items! So impatient! Hah!

It's good to hear that things are being worked out in this case. It would be horrible to lose that much money in one go, especially over something as stupid as miscommunication. I never really thought that Ryu-Japan was very professional either, I always assumed he was working out of his house and had maybe one or two assistants, so I always thought he was having a hard time coping with the amount of work he had. Then again, I also mentioned that I think he's a bit of a space-case when it comes to his work. Ebay has been crazy lately, it's making me more and more appreciative of Crescent Shop. I know you've been trying to move towards another site that has better rights for sellers, how has that been going?

Yeah, it is good, but ebay is usually pretty good at figuring those things out and getting on the ball IF you're the buyer. Not so as a seller. Your last line had me laughing just at how rotten my situation is right now as a seller.

I require immediate payment, but I can't require it if I take a best offer. Well, I did such, and this lady hasn't paid me and it's been eight days! Ebay says I still cannot send in an unpaid item dispute until tomorrow! So, in the mean time, I have to sit on the stock and lose money when I could have had it sold again.

I absolutely hate buyer's remorse, and I'm one of the top doll sellers on ebay in the dolls I specilize, and I have 100% feedback after selling for six years. I've had two negatives, but they've both been expunged and have been issues of just getting total nut jobs. Right now I've been dealing with two nut jobs at one time and it's been frustrating that I considered shutting my business down right then and there and going to get my bartending license. There are times when I wish I could just be a little underling and have a big boss to run to and cry to when a big mean buyer came around, hahaha.

I'm dealing with a woman who bought a doll from me for $275, and it's a very rare doll, and it's worth more than $275, but with the economy. . . In the last six months, there has only been 3 of these dolls listed including mine, and another one I sold, which was not at all nice as the one I sold to this lady, and I got $300 for her. ( she had all replacement clothes, shoes, etc, where is this one is all original but two extra dresses I threw in, the doll is very large, and the size is hard to find and clothes are incredibly hard to come by. ) Anyways, she complains when she gets the doll that it's not to her liking, and all of her complaints are ones that were listed in the auction, except for one. The dress was flocked, but it wasn't quite as nicely flocked as she thought she was. I always list I don't take returns and that her problems were all in the listing but the one, but she wanted to return the doll at first. Then she wanted a partial refund, which I said no, I don't do that, I don't sell a doll then take another price for it in lieu of threats of reporting me. To me, that's extortion, and after dealing with email after email of her nitpicking this, making up this, lying, manhandling me with words, I got sick of it. By this point, she had already reported me to ebay for not answering her because I didn't get back to her within 10 minutes, and I had been online with her for 8 hours. She says she wants me to give her $100 for the doll and she'll shut up basically. I told her no, just send the doll back, complete, unmessed with, and I would refund her, because at that point I was just sick of it. This morning she says she's keeping the doll but she thinks the price is unfair, which I told her, it is the price she agreed to and that she has two options, send the doll back, or keep it. That's how I work and I was nice enough to offer a refund. It just turned out to being a person wanting a sweeter dealer and thought they could badger me.

The other one. . .ugh, don't even want to talk about that one. She wants me to sit for a week, hold her payment while she sees if she can get the doll she bought from me can be 'fixed'. A knee wobbles on the doll, but most people who deal with these dolls, know that they do, it's a 60 year old doll. Also, the rubber bands in her arms weakened in shipping because of the heat, and she tossed a fit about that. Rubber bands are easy to fix, but I offered her the same deal, keep it or return it for a refund, but she wants to call around and have a bunch of people mess with the doll before determining what she wants to do. That's not cool with me, it's like buying a computer from dell, and the computer not working quite as one thinks and taking it into geek squad to be fixed, but expecting dell to foot the bill. That sort of thing voids the warranty, and to me, it counts in dolls too. Besides, I can reband the doll's arms in five minutes or less, it's something easy to do, and was one of the first things I learned to do when I got into the vintage doll business.

:sigh:

So yeah, this thing about ebay being nicer to sellers, hah, no. I wish. Though I know if I cry and bawl, I can get some of my listing fees covered and such. If I threaten to leave again, they'll give me an extra credit on my selling fees. :sigh:

Ebay's policies are the main reason I've never considered doing a kimono side-business, I know they don't treat their sellers well. I can see why big businesses and power sellers would stick with ebay because it's one of the most popular venues to get their wares seen and sold, but I'm still surprised by how many little sellers still use ebay. They don't stand to get much of a profit from it, so it always seemed like the hassle was never worth it. I know a lot of sellers are moving to places like Etsy, I was wondering if you were considering it as well.

Those two buyers of yours are crazy. I've regretted purchases, but after I place a bid, I always make sure to follow through. I generally find starting with a low bid (that will surely be beat in the next few days) and giving myself a couple days to think about it gets rid of any regrets, though. Your policies sound good, you clearly stated you don't do returns or refunds, which is your right, so they should consider that as they place their bid. I wouldn't have given them an option of refunds or returns, but it would also be hard to tell who ebay would have sided with...

I would try Etsy, but I don't craft, I restore old dolls and deal with kimono now and again, but I've got my collection cleaned out for the moment, so, for now, no, no more kimono selling. I've been considering Ruby Lane for about a year, it's a big Antique site, and it's cheaper to maintain month to month, and it's like a store, versus auctions, and on an average, most of what I deal with goes for 30% more than what I get for things on ebay. The problem is the set up fee, it's $75 atop the $30 monthly fee, and I'd hate to waste $105 when it turns out to be a total bust. Another thing is I would have to deal directly with paypal with snotty customers, Ebay now, for ebay items, goes to ebay for reports, not paypal, as ebay owns paypal. Paypal is vicious, vicious, vicious, as in freeze your account no matter what if the buyer raises a claim. I had a person actually ruin a doll, herself, and got her money back from me and I had to eat the $165 on it. That was not fun. I do have an established buyer base for some of the dolls I deal in, which does make things pleasant on that side, but it's when I branch out into other doll brands that the trouble comes. :sigh: I am thinking of starting a kimono side business whenever I can go to Japan, I had planned to go this summer, but I'm taking care of two family members and it just didn't work out to be. Ah, maybe next year.

I get buyer's remorse too, but I don't go ask for my money back except for extreme cases. I paid $130 for a doll body, that I was going to use with a really nice doll head, well, when it came in, it reeked of cigarettes! Yuck! And the thing is, cigarette odor does not come out of vinyl, so I did return that doll, because with that issue, the body isn't worth much more than $50. I've returned one kimono to a US seller after she told me, after a question that it was perfect and it turned out to be a tattered mess.