Crazy Chargeback Customer

by rosieg
34 replies
I have a bit of a dilemma I need some help with.

A customer charged back in January for a small ticket item and she tried to order products worth over $500.

I recognized the name and refunded the order, explaining that we cannot supply her with more goods because of the chargeback, but now she's calling my 1-800 number insisting that the purchase go through.

It's been going on for 2 days now, and I'm really sick of her. She's using every method available to contact us to sell the products to her.

How do I get rid of her? After the way she's acted (chargeback & hysterical calls to me, the call center and my VA), I really don't want her as a customer.

Rosie
#chargeback #crazy #customer
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    • Profile picture of the author Neil Morgan
      Hello Rosie

      If you have made the decision not to have her as a customer, and have told her so, then really all you can is ignore her. She will go away eventually.

      You could still accept her as a customer but you would need to be prepared for the cost (ouch) of any future chargeback.

      Remember that some people chargeback instead of asking for a refund, whether through ignorance, laziness or whatever. They don't see anything wrong with it because they don't know any better.

      Cheers,

      Neil
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    • Profile picture of the author sparrow
      I do the same not allow someone who refunds very shortly after buying

      Many times these individual are just passing the product out in forums the only exception I have been making is if the customer has purchase consistently and a refund once in a while from a good customer is to be expected. Generally they need more help than a refund.

      Customers who choose a charge back as first means to get a refund show them no merchy especially when they have a means to request a refund.

      The best thing is to ignore this crazy person, I also think its illegal for them to harass you

      Good luck
      Ed
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  • Profile picture of the author timer
    She sounds like a pain to me. You're under no obligation to sell anything to her and have refunded her money. I agree the best way is probably to ignore her. I'll bet you can't reason with her or have a sensible conversation.

    If she phones just put the phone down. Ignore e-mails and faxes. Is she persists maybe it will come under stalking laws, depending where you're based.

    Fingers crossed she gets the message
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  • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
    Originally Posted by rosieg View Post

    I have a bit of a dilemma I need some help with.

    A customer charged back in January for a small ticket item and she tried to order products worth over $500.

    I recognized the name and refunded the order, explaining that we cannot supply her with more goods because of the chargeback, but now she's calling my 1-800 number insisting that the purchase go through.

    It's been going on for 2 days now, and I'm really sick of her. She's using every method available to contact us to sell the products to her.

    How do I get rid of her? After the way she's acted (chargeback & hysterical calls to me, the call center and my VA), I really don't want her as a customer.

    Rosie
    Block her emails and tell her if she rings you again, you will report her for harassment. It sounds a bit drastic, but if it was me, I wouldn't want her as a customer either, especially in light of subsequent behaviour

    Kim
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    • Profile picture of the author Ted Kopelli
      Tell them to send you a cashiers check, money order, Western Union or bank note. Don't turn your back on $500

      A good way to test their intentions

      Ted
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      • Profile picture of the author adamv
        Originally Posted by Ted Kopelli View Post

        Tell them to send you a cashiers check, money order, Western Union or bank note. Don't turn your back on $500

        A good way to test their intentions

        Ted
        I totally agree, you beat me to it. I was going to say cashier's check, money order, personal check (make sure it clears before you send anything), or even cash.

        Let this person give you $500 but don't put yourself in a position to be taken advantage of again ie credit card or paypal payment. I suspect that if you take those options away though, you are not likely to see that $500 any time soon.

        On the other hand, you may want to ignore this person until they go away. If you do get $500 from them and they're not happy with the product who knows how much of a pain in the ass they will be then.
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        • Profile picture of the author rosieg
          Originally Posted by adamv View Post

          If you do get $500 from them and they're not happy with the product who knows how much of a pain in the ass they will be then.
          @ adamv - that's precisely why I don't want her $500
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          • Profile picture of the author adamv
            Originally Posted by rosieg View Post

            @ adamv - that's precisely why I don't want her $500
            I hear ya, some "customers" art not worth $500,000 let alone $500.
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            • Profile picture of the author Lance K
              Tell her that you have a special "Pain In The Ass Customer" rate of $1,500 and there are only 3 criteria to meet in order to qualify...
              1. Be a pain in the ass
              2. Sign a waiver releasing all rights to any type of refund, etc.
              3. Pay with a cashier's check
              Then ask her or her fax number so you can send over the release form.
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          • Profile picture of the author Kay King
            Have you personally talked to this person by phone? If not, I think you should do so. This sounds like a battle of wills and she may believe that if she complains enough to the call center, she'll get her way.

            Tell her calmly that you have instructed the call center not to accept her calls or her orders. Be firm and businesslike - and tell her that your policy is not sell to those who have created problems with chargebacks in the past.

            Maybe you have already done this - not clear from your post. If the person received an email or message with the refund, feeling insulted or ignored might be part of the problem. A personal call might defuse the situation and make her go away.

            $500 won't begin to pay for problems with such a customer in the future.

            kay
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            • Profile picture of the author rosieg
              @ Kay King - I've spoken to her 5 times already on the phone, and done all the things you suggested. Unfortunately, they haven't worked. There's just no reasoning with this woman.

              To avoid running up expensive call center minutes, I have blocked all her numbers from my 1-800 number. I have also blocked payphones, in case she decides to call from one of those.

              Her address and zip code have been added to the shopping cart, so it no longer processes her orders.

              After I did this, she then started sending emails to every address she could find that was associated with her. I've added her email address to my kayako helpdesk, so it won't get parsed as a ticket anymore.

              I'm really hoping she cools off over the weekend.

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              • Profile picture of the author adamv
                Originally Posted by rosieg View Post

                @ Kay King - I've spoken to her 5 times already on the phone, and done all the things you suggested. Unfortunately, they haven't worked. There's just no reasoning with this woman.

                To avoid running up expensive call center minutes, I have blocked all her numbers from my 1-800 number. I have also blocked payphones, in case she decides to call from one of those.

                Her address and zip code have been added to the shopping cart, so it no longer processes her orders.

                After I did this, she then started sending emails to every address she could find that was associated with her. I've added her email address to my kayako helpdesk, so it won't get parsed as a ticket anymore.

                I'm really hoping she cools off over the weekend.

                This woman sounds like a complete pyscho. She's probably getting into her car right about now to come down to your offices.
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                • Profile picture of the author rosieg
                  Originally Posted by adamv View Post

                  This woman sounds like a complete pyscho. She's probably getting into her car right about now to come down to your offices.
                  I think she would if we were in driving distance, but fortunately, she'd need to get on a plane to harass us. She's in California, and I'm in London.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Leigh Burke
                    Pen a special contract for her stating tha you will sell her the $500 of products on the condition that they are non-refundable.
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                    • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
                      Pen a special contract for her stating tha you will sell her the $500 of products on the condition that they are non-refundable.
                      That's exactly what I was thinking. And make her pay by Western Union. In a case like this, I wouldn't accept any other form of payment.

                      It shows some flexibility on your part, and puts the ball squarely in her court. Unless she's buying with the intention of refunding, she shouldn't have a problem with that.

                      If she continues to harass you after that, just ignore her. Completely. No further contact at all. But store every contact she makes with you.

                      If it continues, contact her ISP and the phone company in her area. NOT HER.


                      Paul
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                    • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                      Originally Posted by magchick View Post

                      Pen a special contract for her stating tha you will sell her the $500 of products on the condition that they are non-refundable.
                      I like my "Pain In The Ass" customer special better. See reply above.

                      Charge tirple, sign waiver of refundability, cashier's check only.
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                      • Profile picture of the author rosieg
                        Thanks guys, I'm getting some great ideas with how to deal with future customers that I'm not sure of. I really like the idea of getting a cashiers check.

                        Because of the nature of the product, "Crazy Chargeback Customer" might need some support, which means she'd never get out of our lives.

                        @ Paul Myers - Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely keep all the recordings of the calls and messages she's made, and put her emails in a separate folder. Even though her new emails aren't being parsed as tickets, Kayako can store them in the parser logs, so I'll make pdfs of them.... just in case.
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                        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
                          Geez - if you've spoken to her that much and she's still going psycho, I wouldn't even take her money unless I was planning to move somewhere she couldn't find me by phone, email or anything else.

                          Some people really are whacko! Hope she finds something else to obsess about over the weekend so you can leave her behind....

                          kay
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      • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
        Originally Posted by Ted Kopelli View Post

        Tell them to send you a cashiers check, money order, Western Union or bank note. Don't turn your back on $500

        A good way to test their intentions

        Ted
        And don't forget to send the package registered and require a signature to receive it... otherwide they will be an even bigger pain when they insist on a refund due to not receiving the product (even though they did)

        Personally, I would call the police immediately to have it on record that you are dealing with an out of control situation that is disruptive to your business... The next step would be having a lawyer send her a letter...

        Mike Hill
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        • Profile picture of the author rosieg
          Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

          Personally, I would call the police immediately to have it on record that you are dealing with an out of control situation that is disruptive to your business... The next step would be having a lawyer send her a letter...
          @ Mike, I may have to resort to that. Later on Friday, she found another local number to call from, so I blocked her area code from my 1-800 number.

          Somehow, she's found a telephone number outside of her area code and has left a message on my voicemail over the weekend, demanding that we call her back.

          She's stopped crying and now she sounds really angry.

          If I wasn't located a 14 hour plane ride away from her, I'd be crapping myself now.
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    • Profile picture of the author rosieg
      Thanks guys - I'm going to investigate some ways to block her phone number, as the call center I use charges per minute, and this issue is getting quite costly.

      @ Neil - i may have given her the benefit of the doubt (before the hysterics) if she'd returned the goods when she charged back, but she kept them and they obviously worked really well for her because she wants more!

      @ Timer, you're right. She can't be reasoned with. I'll have to instruct everyone to hang up if she manages to get through to us again.
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      • Profile picture of the author rosieg
        @ Ted, I need to investigate these options. I'm in the UK and a lot of my customers are in the USA. Do you know if any of these can be reversed?

        I think in the case of this woman, I will turn down the $500, as I have a feeling that she'll be a high maintenance customer even if she gets the product. Her numerous phone calls have already eaten up a lot of call center minutes.
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        • Profile picture of the author Ted Kopelli
          Since you will not provide the products until the payment clears, there is little cause for concern.

          Given past actions, I would imaging they are looking to get the goods and scam you again.

          Ted
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          • Profile picture of the author Neil Morgan
            Hello Rosie

            To answer your question, no, Western Union and bank cheque cannot be reversed. Those are the only two options of Ted's that I recognised as being available payment options to us Brits.

            With Western Union, you would need to go along to a Western Union outlet to collect the funds. With a cheque, you would need to wait for it to clear which could take a few weeks.

            Cheers,

            Neil
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        • Profile picture of the author peteinoz
          Originally Posted by rosieg View Post

          @ Ted, I need to investigate these options. I'm in the UK and a lot of my customers are in the USA. Do you know if any of these can be reversed?

          I think in the case of this woman, I will turn down the $500, as I have a feeling that she'll be a high maintenance customer even if she gets the product. Her numerous phone calls have already eaten up a lot of call center minutes.
          Western Union, can absolutely not be reversed.. thats what I'd suggest you choose

          then its on to her to move forward

          Cheers

          Pete
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  • Profile picture of the author hibernate
    Pareto principle at play ; 20% of the customers cause 80% of the headaches.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kenneth Maddux
    As one post wrote , If you have made the decision not to have her as a customer, and have told her so, then really all you can is ignore her. She will go away eventually. I would have to agree, all you can do is wait for her to give it a break. Ken Maddux
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