Seller canceled my order after a price discrepancy, then apparently blocked me. Did I handle this badly?
Seller canceled my order after a price discrepancy, then apparently blocked me. Did I handle this badly?
I found a vintage item on Facebook Marketplace with a Buy It Now price of $8 (probably should have been a clue to proceed with caution, since this item usually goes for way more on places like eBay) It seemed like a great deal in the moment, so I took it at face value, acted on impulse and purchased it. My transaction summary showed $8 for the item, $13.18 shipping, for a total of $22.83.
Only afterward did I notice that the listing’s title said “$65 plus $8 shipping.” I realize I should have read the listing more carefully before buying, but both the Buy It Now price and checkout showed $8.
Before I could ask the seller about the discrepancy, the order was canceled. I messaged her: “Hi, I purchased the item but it was canceled. Is there a reason?”
She asked whether I had paid $65 plus shipping and said she hadn’t sent me a PayPal or Venmo request. I don’t use Marketplace much, so I was confused—I had purchased directly through Facebook’s checkout.
I explained that checkout showed $8 plus shipping and sent a screenshot of my transaction summary. She replied:
“Not what my ad says at all.”
“And you have no FB details at all. It’s an empty account.”
“Title says $65 plus shipping.”
“Did you read that?”
“Of course they are NOT $8.”
My account has posts and profile information, although some of it is private, so I’m not sure what she could see.
I wasn’t asking her to honor the $8 price or demanding that she send the item. I was trying to understand why the listing allowed me to purchase it at that price. Her replies didn’t seem to even acknowledge what my checkout summary showed.
When I tried to send another explanation, it wouldn’t go through, and I could no longer view her personal or seller profile. It appears she blocked me, which tells me she thought I was the scammer.
I understand that she intended to charge $65 and may have been suspicious of my account, but her responses felt unnecessarily harsh. Was my question unreasonable? Should I have handled this differently?