Sellers and Integrity

Companies Should Stand Behind Their Mistakes

We have heard that "The buck stops here" and in recent times, they have been applied to presidents and top CEOs. I also think that similar ethics should apply to those millions of small sellers and companies that have sprouted up around the world, in large part due to the continuing success of the internet.

Of course if you stand behind your mistakes, it sometimes hurts and it could cost you money. That is why it shows whether you do have an/some ethical bones. It takes ethical strength. And integrity.

In the last few months, I have encountered two such incidences from the viewpoint of a buyer.

A couple of months ago, I made my first buy on Etsy. For a set of knitting needles. I can't remember the name of the brand now and I am not going to disclose the seller's name. However that brand of needles, when sold in a set can go up to hundreds of Aussie dollars. This set was very old (her grandmother's) and she was selling them for US$19.95 or something. I was overjoyed and bought it.

But I never got it. The seller wrote to me saying she had made a mistake about the shipping cost she listed with her items. The real shipping cost was XXX, which was many times what she had advertised. She said she was sorry for the mistake as she was quite new to selling and to Etsy. She asked if I was willing to either pay the high but real shipping cost or if I would like to cancel the order.

Note that she did not offer to bear the loss of her mistake and send it to me anyway, as per listed conditions and the conditions under which I had made the purchase.

I chose the latter option - to cancel the purchase. I could not bear the cost of the real shipping. But I did not mind. And I did not blame her. She had written and explained things nicely to me and she was sorry for the mistakes and I know that, especially when you are starting out, these mistakes can happen.

I don't think she showed lack of integrity and I know that if I was a nasty buyer (of which there unfortunately are) I could have made a fuss and demanded her to send anyway as it was her mistake. But honey goes a long way and does not leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

As for my second example: a long established company in China and fairly large. (This is not going to be about bashing a company just because they are in China as some trends seems to do). What's worse, I have been a buyer with them for the last few years. And my purchases are often between US$1,000 and US$4,000. So I may not be their largest customer, but they are not puny amounts either. I mention that not because they should have treated me better because I have bought in substantial amounts from them over the years, because I believe sellers should treat their customers with equal doses of integrity no matter how long they have been shopping with them and for what amounts. No, I mention that to show that in spite of my past history with them, and I imagine what they hope will be my continued business with them in the future, they would not stand behind their mistakes.

I had purchased 2 items (call them A and B). And for each of those items, the items were listed as US$XX per kilogram. I ordered 2 kgs of each item.

What I got (after much delay) was 1 kgs of each item. Now A and B are very small beads so there are many many small beads in each kg. When I told them that on arrival, I was short of 1 kg per bag of items A and B, they told me to please count them to make sure - i.e. count the millions of beads!

I told them that was impossible. And anyway, they were sold to me, as listed, by the kg.

Then after more to-ing and fro-ing, they came back and said that they had listed it wrongly. They should have been sold for US$XX by the number of beads; not by the kilogram. (And they have now rectified the error listing on their website).

I pointed out to them that:

1. it was their error
2. the purchase contract between us had been US$XX per kg


3. (worse! the dollar amount in dispute here is not large. (less than US$50)

I told them that given these facts, they should honour the original contract and send me the missing amount or just refund me.

And their answer? They are so sorry. Hope I can understand. Hope I can forgive them. But no, they will not make good on their error!

That to me just smacks of lack of integrity.

Personally, I have been on the other side - as a seller. And a very small one at that in the scheme of things. I once listed a bulk lot of Sterling Silver chains that was supposed to be priced at AU$199.95. But I had mistakenly listed it as AU$9.95 (typo error). And let me tell you, for me, that is a big difference. Way, way, way under what I myself had to pay for them.

But because it was my mistake, I still stood by that purchase and sent the customer the full bulk lot for the AU$9.95 she paid. But I did tell her about my mistake. I admit, there was a small hope in me that she would understand and say to cancel that order as she would not have wanted me to suffer such a loss. Some great buyers have been known to be that kind and considerate and understanding. However my other more logical reason for telling her was so that she would know the real value of the goods she had purchased. We all know how people can tend to undervalue the things they have if it came to them too cheaply.

This customer was just overjoyed at her good fortune. And I sent out her good fortune to her. To this day, it still hurts - that loss. But I am still glad of the fact that I stood by my error (why should customers have to pay for my mistakes?) and I know that though there have been times, especially lately when I feel the economy slow-down in my sales, I still would not do any different.

I say this not to state that I am such a great great person. Rather it is when you have that integrity bone in you, to do anything against that grain would cause huge self-discomfort and even pain. So to those sellers who don't stand by their errors and make good on their mistakes, AND don't take care of their customers .. well, I suppose they just don't have an internal ethical, integrity bone. And all I can say is, if you cannot keep away from them at the present time (e.g. they are the only ones who can offer you the price, or range, or specific items you need) - keep looking HARD for alternatives anyway. Keep looking constantly. Because these sellers/companies don't deserve to keep on succeeding on their weaknesses and at your expense.