Totally agree.
I run two businesses (neither very well....lol) and I am fed up to the back teeth of always putting myself last. Or that's how it seems. Got a punter who rang today, my guys installed some xmas lights in my absence outside. I haven't been for a month cos laid up. Said to the lads, test lights fist, they did this in the box. Took about three hours to string them through the two trees. All connected up, and I texted her today to see if all was ok. Now bearing in mind I am the brains of the operation I said to them not to open the enclosure with the timer in as its a 'mare to set right after you do a manual override - they just ran an extension lead to test them then coupled into the power supply (away from the timer in a separate enclosure). Customer literally just rang complaining that they are flashing not static. There's a control unit, and once its set will recall the blink/flash/fade/static or whatever. Can only be set once they are lit. So all it takes is to walk to the base of the tree, click the clicker a few times till on correct setting. Apparently I should be going out tonight (on bl00dy crutches- she knows I won't be back working till Feb) to do it as its my job not the customer's......
Yesterday both of my Collies ended on ebay. I tweaked the reserves a little bit on Monday to stimulate bidding a bit. A guy who I had spoken to last week about the white one who seemed 100% straight sent me a nasty ebay message this morning. "You liar you made me lose it. You told me reserve was £**** and someone bid less and won it". I responded that 4/5 days after we spoke I lowered the reserve as was my prerogative, and had he bothered to check his watch list/the listing it clearly said this. Got another load of abuse back. I pointed out (politely) that seeing as he thought that the reserve was higher than it was, then surely had he bid what I had previously set the reserve at then he would have stood a better chance than any snipers. His response - "deliberately didn't bid as I didn't want to pay the reserve". Unbelievable.
Then.......(we need a drum-roll smiley) I start to deal with the aftermath of the black one. It missed reserve by £50. I'd previously had an offer (about 7 hours before end) of £50 above reserve but it was a complex deal and anyway I couldn't add a buy now or take it off because it was within 12 hours. Plus the buyer was in a different time zone - so he said he would try and bid and if he missed the end and it didn't sell he'd be in touch. I waited about an hour after the end and was inundated with derisory offers by message, some £3-400 lower than the last bid - and some of these "offers" were from bidders who had bid more when it was live!!! Cue a deep deep breath. Decided to list as a buy now with a high price but best offer facility. Actually wrote in the listing something along the lines of "look I've had loads of people messaging, it wasn't far away from reserve, so it's got a buy now plus offer, I will be making a decision by lunchtime Wednesday". Get a call from a local bloke - How much? Told him make offer, he refused. Wanted to view. Then told me he would bring cash full buy now price. Asked address etc, I was a bit coy as it was 11pm. 12am Mr time-zone sends me a best offer of what we agreed. Messages back and forth about payment method/holding car for him etc. He pressed the button about 230am this morning and then told me he'd sort deposit when he got in from work. I woke up late, about 8.45. No deposit. Messaged. Wrong email for paypal. So out of courtesy to the local guy I texted and said look its sold and deposit on way. 9.01am. He rings at 9.02am - "what is this text?" Explained position. He says fair do's and hangs up. Deposit arrives so all good. Half nine I start getting sh1tty texts from Mr Local - "you **** - you say no timewasters you wasted my time, you charlatan etc - I had already been to bank to draw out the money" etc. So apparently he has a £3k withdrawal limit on his card or his bank opened specially for him so he was could be back home with his wad, eating his cereal at 9.02am when I rang......
My p*** is still boiling, fed up of these utter ****heads. By contrast, the fella from other side of the world has been superb. So I join the rant.
Karl, I didn't bother recanting my woe earlier - you sounded stressed enough as it was, so cheers for this thread pal
