Ezbuy Loses Best Service Staff

Is a Singaporean lady at Tanjong Pagar office unit "warehouse".  Her service is always beyond her job scope. I am sure those who have been collecting from her know what I mean. Ezbuy is losing its best service staff.

I didn't ask for her name even though I had many chances to.  I just feel odd to ask people their name.

This morning, the moment I woke & was thinking of the things I might need to purchase from Ezbuy, I felt very troubled & disturbed that she wasn't going to be there anymore. And that if I ordered, I would be collecting from some shitty personnel who wants me to repeat my mobile phone number all over again.

I began to worry.  I began to wonder what was this feeling. Then I put my finger on it. Anxiety.

I began to think that may be I can forgo ordering from Ezbuy for as long as possible. I can use other means of bringing in my stuff or not at all.

It may sound funny that I am making such a big deal about a counter lady staff. But the experiences over the years with Ezbuy's staff have been so bad that she is the best thing that has ever happened in this company.

Her impending departure troubles me so much that I wrote on their Facebook (update: 31 May Tues: Ezbuy completely ignored my post & deleted their whole promo thing.).

Dear Ezbuy, I feel great anxiety that my regular counter lady @ Tanjong Pagar warehouse will be leaving your employ soon. Her service has been beyond excellent whenever I collect my items. Her personal touch is warm & wonderful. Past experiences with your other staff have been so bad that I stopped ordering. Because her service is so excellent, I've been ordering from ezbuy again because collection is such a pleasure. Now I am feeling very uncertain about ordering more items from ezbuy. Afraid that the next person you put at that counter is going to be rotten. Despite any assurances from you, I am quite sure the next person will be rotten. I will miss her very much.

On Fri 27, she let me know that her last day will be on 9th of next month (June). She only mentioned it because I was complaining about the "new" guy who had pissed me off the previous day when I tried collecting & returned empty-handed.

I was saying, "If I knew it was your day off (on Thurs), I wouldn't have come to collect!".

She then said that actually, her last day would be on 9th of next month. I was so stunned with heartbreak that I couldn't speak. Took me a moment to regain myself.  This is even though I had already considered that one day, she would leave.

Still pained by the revelation, I said without looking at her, "I knew that one day you would leave. You are too good for the company.".

She said, "Oh, don't say that.".  She is very nice like that.  Always keeping customers for the company.

I have said it to her once before, & I will say it again. Such an excellent staff like her is too good for such a company as 65daigou/Ezbuy. Sooner or later, she will leave.  Ezbuy only keeps rotten China staff, which was why I stopped ordering from them some years ago (at that time, it was collection at MRT station.).

It may seem that a counter staff is unimportant. But with her, I realized that the counter staff, the last & physical end that connects with the customer, is the most important.

Even when Ezbuy messed up, her presence, her warmth, her smile & apology, always made everything better. She actually apologizes for the company!  This time, she even seriously bowed while apologizing to me about that shitty "new" guy (whom she said will in turn also be leaving (on the 11th)).

She's just amazing. Those of you who have have been collecting from her will know.

From 2 to 3pm, she's supposed to be having her lunch break. Yet, at 2.30pm, she is already back with a takeaway container of fruits to eat in the office. And this is not the first time.  A number of times, she returned earlier than she should have, to open "shop", which has benefitted customers who sometimes arrive early or drop by unexpectedly.

If by chance, you happen to be outside of those break times, you're in luck if she's around.

From 5 to 5.30pm, the office is closed. Once, I happened to arrive just after she had left. I was prepared to wait. As I rode up the escalator on one side, she was coming down just beside. However, I didn't notice until she called me while riding down, "Hey! Have you come to collect your stuff?".

At that time, I wasn't too familiar with her yet. And didn't notice her. She could have just pretended not to see me.

Surprised, I nodded.

She rode down & hurried back up on the escalator, met me outside the office & re-opened the office door. I noticed she was panting. Where can you find such staff who goes out of the way for a customer like this?

The next day or shortly after, I happened to arrive at 5.35pm. Again, intending to wait if she wasn't there.

As I walked to the office, I saw her just locking the glass door bottom about to leave. She turned in surprise to see me approaching, "You ah! So lucky!".

She re-opened the door & I was able to collect my things. :)

From that time, I think I fell in love with her. Hahaha! To be honest, she actually upset me the first time we met & talked.  That's why I kept my distance from her whenever collecting. But with every collection since then, she won over my heart.

She is always very professional, yet very warm & personal. She remembers her customers without them needing to repeat mobile numbers or IDs every time. She sets aside the regular customers' items so that when they come, she just hands it to them.

All I have to do when I walk in, is say, "You mei you?" (in Singaporean Chinese). Means, 'Have or not?' (Is it here?).

I time my collection based on her information on when the goods typically arrive at the warehouse.  She once praised me for being so perfectly timed. :) "Smart girl." she said. Hahaha...

Recently, she told me she text messaged to tell me my stuff had arrived. Unfortunately, (unknown to her) I no longer have a mobile phone.

It was because I had previously asked her if there was a phone in the office that I could call to enquire about my package arrival. She said there's no phone. "If you call, it would be to my mobile." she smiled. As I didn't want to unnecessarily impose upon her to give her number, I didn't ask for it.

Some days ago, I saw her talking to a customer on her mobile phone. She was busy because the delivery uncle Mr Tan had just arrived with a load of stuff for her.

From her frowning replies, it sounded like the customer was an idiot asking about credit points.  Such questions should be put to Ezbuy, not to her. She is only a counter staff who forwards the items to customers. Details such as credit points, she don't know.

Her rapport with people in her job is so good, even with the delivery uncle. Still on the phone listening to that idiot customer, she handed him a plastic bag of cut fruits & gestured for him to take it with him as he was leaving with the trolley. He declined but she gestured again with a frown. He took it & smiled at me to say that she was just being too kind or difficult. I assumed the bag of cut fruits was from him.

She once told me that those cardboard boxes, she gives them to an old collecting uncle who works for the building. I was wondering whether she returned them to the ezbuy's delivery men, but she said rather than return the boxes to the company, she prefers giving it to the old man for him to sell & make some money.

I thought that was kind of her.  It also implies that she does not like this Ezbuy company & does not belong to this company. Which means, all her actions & excellent service are actually from her own initiative, her own heart & personality.

A company that can keep such a worker, is a company that deserves to be taken seriously.

When she said that shitty guy would also be leaving, I asked why everyone was leaving. She smiled a little in the presence of another female customer who just entered, & said, "Maybe too stressed?". I realized she wasn't saying why she was leaving.

And I didn't ask why she was leaving but when I told bro, he raised his left hand & rubbed his fingertips together. Money.

I was also guessing that they aren't paying her enough. Or some company policy against her.

Last year, she was forced to go to China on company trip that the Ezbuy CEO was paying for. Bad trip, she starved & was ill upon returning to Singapore. Said the food was bad.

I think she's anemic because she's always looking so pale & white. Yet she's always so warm & happy in her service. She enjoys her job of interacting with customers. So, the only reason she's not staying would either be the salary or health problem.

Since she appears fine, it means it's a company problem. Plus, the shitty guy is also leaving. Bro said if it's personal problem, that guy wouldn't also be leaving at the same time.


On Fri, I had actually arrived early at 2.30pm. I knew she was out for lunch (2 to 3pm closed).

I also knew that I might catch her if she happened to returned early. True enough, as I hung around outside opposite the escalators, I saw her coming from across the restrooms area.  I raised my left hand in greeting. 

She was surprised & stopped there. Made her playful "tsk" eyes at me.  I started telling her about that horrible "new guy yesterday" while she opened the office door. She knew I was upset & right away told me to chill "babe".  I wasn't pleased with "chill babe" either, but kept quiet. 

I had a chance to tell her about that lousy guy & that's when she mentioned she was leaving.

After collecting my stuff & feeling despondent, I was about to leave but decided to head to the restroom first.

Coincidentally, when I went to the wash basin, she also came out of the cubicle & greeted me. It was after all still her break time.

I said it's very sad that she was leaving & I might not buy from Ezbuy anymore. She immediately made her usual "tsk" eyes at me & said, "Don't be like this lah. You can still buy & it will just be someone new who will get to know you just as I got to know you.".

I said Ezbuy hires shit. "Just yesterday, you weren't here & that new guy...". 

She said, "But he's actually very experienced.".

Very experienced??  When I entered, he didn't even say "Hi". Instead I was the one who greeted him.  Asked for my mobile number. Didn't even bother looking to see if my stuff had arrived. Just sat on his ass, looked at his tablet & said, "Not arrived.".  He said because I had scheduled for 5.30pm, it hadn't arrived. I said usually, it would already be here (it was already 4pm).  When I asked if he was sure my item hadn't arrived, he said "yes" & just returned to looking at the tablet or his iphone under the countertop. Didn't even talk to me properly. Didn't even bother to physically check.

I suspect my item was already there but he wouldn't check it. And I regretted that I didn't make him check it. Wasted trip causing me to return the next day (which turned out to be good because I got to talk to the regular lady & learnt she was leaving.).

Now I know his attitude is because he is leaving the job on the 11th. Or maybe he has always been like this.

She revealed that she heard that he had been late in coming to the office, causing a queue outside the door.
There you have it. It wasn't just me. This guy is problem.

Somewhere in between, I asked where she was going after quitting & she didn't reply. I realized she was also avoiding this question, just as she avoided saying why she was quitting.

As we walked out of the restroom, she said, "Truthfully, I spoil you all.".  Hahaha! I immediately smiled. Yes, she does. But she said it in such a motherly way, I wanted to laugh & cry at the same time.

She does spoil the customers. With her personal touch & warmth, she makes them feel always welcome anytime. I have even dropped by on her once just to ask a question or two.

We stood at the escalator & as I looked at her pale shoulders in her black dress, I had a strong impulse to hug her.  I still wanted to ask her name, but didn't.

She said, "Ok, see you. You'll still see me here until the 9th.".

I said, "That's if I order something before then.".

She agreed. With serious sincerity, she said, "If I don't see you then, take care.".

I laughed, saying, "Yes, bye." when in fact, I felt really, really .... disturbed & troubled inside. I don't say "take care" to people because I don't feel that people mean it seriously (although she does). 

Or maybe... I am subconsciously feeling something else from her. Is she ill?

Bro feels that I am giving her a halo. He is mistrustful of everyone.  She has in fact also been polite to him, always greeting him when we collect together. She even asks after him when he is not there with me.  But she doesn't know he's my brother.

Regardless of whether I am giving her a halo or not, the truth remains that when she leaves, Ezbuy is going to put a new person there to whom I will have to state my mobile number every time. Gone will be her personal touch.

When I complained that I have to state my number or ID every time a new person is there when she's off,  whereas I don't have to with her, she said, "That's because I know you.".

Well, I want this person who knows me to be there when I collect. Rather than an imbecile who looks at me blankly & asks for my number the moment I step in. This is not a customs check-point.

I don't want to be a new person every time I collect my items.  Understand, Ezbuy? I'm a regular customer, I want to be treated as such.


 

Disappointed with Ezbuy 65daigou US Order

Ezbuy is just sooo slooww.... & messy with US orders. They don't even know what the US side is doing. I'm so sian to even talk about it (but this is for my record).

Next time I go back to Comgateway.  More expensive but was fast the last time I used it. DHL also good, just that gotta wait for the delivery guy.

Every time I order from the Ezbuy for US orders, it's so slowww... I wait weeks just to get a few items. And now it's even longer. In fact, I didn't get 1 item & even the refund was sloowww until I pushed. And now even my other items also delayed or missing & I didn't get to collect it at the warehouse today.

Don't know what's the matter with Ezbuy.

Only good for China orders. They are after all China. They know the ins & outs of China very well, the sellers & their China domestic delivery system.

EZbuy's US shipping is cheap at just $3.99/500g but... it's so very sloowww & messy. I'm so disappointed with the long waiting time that I have no feelings any more.

The only positive is the clueless but helpful & courteous chat messaging staff.



65daigou (ezbuy) used to be faster for US orders. Orders would be placed same day I ordered & shipped out same day I requested.

Now, they take 2 US days just to place order. Of course Ezbuy has no control over US postal delivery or when sellers send out items. And typically, US side can be quite slow. But Ezbuy adds to the delays.

I've been avoiding ordering from the US because of Ezbuy. But this time, I was thinking of the free agent fee promo to maybe get a few things.

Total 4 items.

3 items from 1 seller. And 1 item from another seller that I've ordered from before (2 or 3 times).

Ezbuy took 2 US days to place order. Normal, working weekdays.  I waited patiently even though it was an unusually long wait just to order.

The 3 items arrived at the warehouse in about 5 days. The single item didn't appear at the warehouse even after 1 week.

I know the time frame of this seller. The seller can be quite slow (based on previous experience) but not this slow. It must be missing. So, I asked about it through the Ezbuy chat. Whether it was lost in transit.

Ezbuy (65daigou) staff said will "check".  A remark was left in my item order:

If I didn't ask, I would have been left waiting & waiting. But I didn't think it was delayed in US shipping. Very likely, it was missing.

I waited, still nothing. So 1 or 2 days later, I asked about the item again through chat.  Look at the clueless staff.

Her "moment" turned out to be quite long. I assumed she was really checking.

Yet to dispatch???  What the heck is she talking about? Where is she getting the information from?  She sees that the seller has yet to dispatch? See from where??

I said:

Either the first staff was lying or this one is trying to smoke through. What's the matter with them?

She replied:

So she wasn't checking the US side all this time?? Then where did she get the information "I see that actually the seller have yet to dispatch"??

I said: Ok.


She disappeared for some time & then said she has informed the US staff to check the order & they will leave a remark in the item order once they have updates.

Their remark:

After more than 1 week (10 days) since order was placed, they say the order was sent to the wrong address. And that's after I asked & pursued.

Whose fault is it? Ezbuy typed the wrong address? Or the seller sent to the wrong address? Or the USPS delivery guy sent to the wrong address?

I didn't want to wait anymore. I said cancel & refund.

No reply for 4 days.

Since order was placed, it went into the 3rd week. I asked in chat why there was no reply. The staff was clueless & I had to explain.

Shortly in the same day, the remark appeared:

So it means that if they don't get a reply from seller, I don't get a refund?

The next day, I didn't want to wait anymore. I didn't see any refund into my prepay. I asked through chat about the refund & mentioned the item being sent to the wrong address.

Ezbuy staff Fye said: ...my colleagues are currently following up for you.

There is no parcel number because warehouse never received it. I explained briefly. 

I like this Fye. She/He handled it very well.  Fye was nice enough to pursue the matter of the wrong address after addressing the refund issue.  She/He was listening at the start.

I asked whether it was Ezbuy that gave wrong address or the seller that sent to wrong address. Of course, I expect them to say it was seller's fault. There's no way of finding out. 

My first thought was that Ezbuy had typed the wrong address in the checkout section. It can easily happen. The seller will just print out exactly what was typed & sticker it to the parcel to be sent out.  So the seller sending it to the wrong address, is unlikely, although possible. The seller is also reputable, making it still more unlikely for it to happen.

True enough, the order was cancelled & refund was in my prepay in the same day after the chat.

At least 65daigou/Ezbuy is reliable in this aspect. However, nothing would have been done (or done much later) if I didn't push it, if I didn't ask & pursue.

So, after waiting 3 weeks, no item.

As for the other 3 US items, I made a trip to the Ezbuy warehouse this afternoon. But returned empty.

The regular auntie was on leave. I hate it when it happens because Ezbuy will put a stupid guy there who is clueless.

The collection was scheduled for 5.30pm onwards. But I was there at about 4pm. Usually, at this time or earlier, collection would be possible.

But this guy looked at his tablet (for the online status) & said it had not arrived.  He didn't even bother getting out of his chair to look for the parcel. 

No"sorry" or anything. Just your business if you waste your time coming down & your parcel is not there (even if it is there).  He merely said I scheduled my collection for 5.30. I said usually, my items would have been delivered by this time.

He said, "It depends.".

I asked, "Sure?" (that it has not arrived). He said, "Yes." and continued looking at his iphone under the table.  I doubt he was looking at the tablet.

Till now, at 10.15pm, the online status of the parcel still has not changed. It says, "Ready for delivery". That guy was reading this when he said the parcel had not arrived. The correct status should be "Out for delivery".

The status is not even updated. The clueless guy didn't even bother to check the goods in the warehouse. I made a wasted trip.

Tell me. How can I not be fed up?

Earlier tonight, I spoke to Ezbuy staff through chat about the 3 items parcel & why I wasn't able to collect it.

Via e-mail?? Why can't she access the status now?


The e-mail never came.  When  I asked through chat in the morning, staff just ignored everything & said my item is still at the warehouse ready for collection.

For Sellers: How to Spot or Identify Shitty Buyers on Carousell SG

Too many reports of scam sellers when there are actually many, many shitty buyers. In fact, it is not the sellers who are shitty. It is the buyers.

Carousell SG in fact, has many sellers who are honest in selling.  Although positive reviews don't necessarily reflect truly good people, many sellers are not scammers. Meaning they don't just run away with your money.

Take a look at the sellers' feedback columns.  Over & over, I see many many more feedback of bad buyers compared to bad sellers.

Think about it. It makes no sense for sellers to be bad. In fact, they are too desperate to sell. And thus are taken advantage of by bad buyers.

Buyers on Carousell SG are worse than buyers on other buy-sell platforms. I have met buyers from other platforms & they have been fine.  Only Carousell buyers are a problem.

Reading sellers' feedback columns, you can identify many shitty buyers who admit to all kinds of selfish problems they cause.  Shitty buyers pretend to apologise. With no deeper moral understanding that what they did reflects badly on their upbringing & character. Instead, they thank the sellers for accepting their inconsiderate behaviors.

1) Lateness. Very common problem. I would say intentional.

Buyers think the seller will wait indefinitely because the seller is desperate for a sale. With this in mind, such buyers don't bother making the effort to be punctual.  They know the seller will wait. 5 mins, 10 mins, 20 mins, even 1 hr or more.  They stroll casually to the meeting place or pretend to rush, with or without apology.

A responsible person will not be late.  Don't forget, this is the first time meeting someone. How can anyone be late & let the other person wait? So thick-skinned & inconsiderate. After that, they thank the person who waited & waited like a fool for just some little cash.

Very bad buyers.

2)  No return positive feedback.  Buyers who don't have the courtesy to return a positive feedback.

Buyer thinks that since it's your initiative that you gave a positive feedback, he/she don't have to return it. This is a very shitty person. Take but don't reciprocate. Ingratitude.

Even if a buyer don't like a seller for some reason, it is basic courtesy & manners to return a positive feedback when you receive it first.  It's like a handshake. When someone extends a hand, you don't just ignore it. Very bad manners. Very poor upbringing.

If a buyer don't give a positive feedback on the same day of the sale, don't bother giving him/her any. That person will not be reciprocating.

So far, it has happened twice.  Both times were couples.

Yesterday, a woman earlier contacted me to purchase an item. Looking at her profile pic, I had a feeling she wasn't quite trustworthy, but gave her the benefit of the doubt because she was polite in message. She asked for a $6 discount. I gave her a $4 discount.  Her request for a few dollars discount shows a stingy nature. Not a good sign. 

Met the couple a few hours later at night. They went punctual & polite. Smoothly completed.

After a got back & I left positive review for her, she gave me none even now (the next day).

Before giving her a positive review, I had checked that she had previously returned a positive review to another seller.  It is likely she gave that seller a positive review first in order to get her first positive review. That seller already had many positive reviews but she had none. So she stood to gain by initiating.

I know this because I previously tested it on three fresh buyers who needed +ve reviews. After a positive experience selling to them, I refrained from giving a positive review. They then initiated positive reviews because they needed a positive review more than me.  Two of them even sent messages asking for a positive review after they had left one for me. One of the two had a negative review & needed me to upturn it with a positive one (although he didn't say so).

This was after the below case: 

The first couple who did not leave me a reciprocal positive review was some time back in Feb. The guy had contacted me to purchase an item. The meet up went smoothly & they were punctual.

However as I mentioned in another blog post, the woman behaved very rudely & without manners or respect for me as a seller. The man however, was friendly.  Considering that, I gave him a positive review.

However, he left me none.

After that, I decided that I would give nobody a positive review unless he/she gave me one first. Last night, I broke my own rule & gave that 2nd couple a positive review with the expected result that it was not reciprocated.

Such couples, with their lack of respect & manners for other people, are naturally not as sincere or honest in their relationships as they pretend to be. Sooner or later, they will break up or they are already having problems.


Today, we will be covering identification of shitty buyers by their profile pics &/or their messages.

I am able to spot dishonest or untrustworthy people, just by looking at their photos.  So it's even better when people on Carousell put their photos up in their profile. But even without photo, it's possible to spot unworthy buyers through the messages they send.

These cases are not in order as I list them.


Case #1:  March

Look at this photo. Is this a person you can trust? When he first contacted me,  I knew he wasn't trustworthy.  First, the name. Second, the face.

The arrangement of the eyebrows, the beard, the hair style & the sideview says that he is not a trustworthy person.

Not to be biased, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Let's test him out.

True enough, he turned out to be a very bad buyer.

First he never made an offer. It meant I couldn't leave him feedback. I never forced him to make an offer.

He had set the time, day & place to meet. But changed the day at close to the last minute just before I was going to leave.

When the day came to meet up, he waited at the wrong place. I waited  25mins at the arranged location but he never turned up. I actually waited for longer than 25 mins because I came early.

He then wanted another meet up at another day & time.  Although I should have refused, I agreed because he was polite.

When that day came,  he was 20mins late, strolled over with no apology & no smile. Very rude. I had waited longer than that since I came early.  The least a buyer can do is be punctual.

Furthermore, he didn't bring the money even though I told him to bring exact amount.

He appeared to have lost interest in the purchase & showed no interest in the item that was still wrapped in the bag.

He said he will go over to the ATM to withdraw cash. "You can wait, right?".

I was so speechless with the upset that I did not answer.  After waiting for so long, he had the gall to want me to wait longer.  What was the matter with him?

He repeated, "Can wait, right?".

Obviously, he had it planned to make the seller wait. He knows I will wait. Which seller will walk away?

I said Ok & stood there waiting for longer while he casually, slowly strolled over to the ATM machine that was some distance away (Bugis MRT).  Luckily, there was no queue at the ATM despite the evening crowd. After withdrawing the $50, he slowly strolled back like he was dragging his feet. No hurry whatsoever.

I have never met a person like that. I have sold 20 items & he is the only one who did this. I have done buy-sell for 4 years & he is the first person who did this.

As he approached, he looked elsewhere. And when he arrived back where I stood, he turned his face reluctantly back to the deal & forced a smile before handing over the cash. I gave him $1 coin change.

At the moment, he has 10 positive reviews. That's why I say positive reviews give no indication of how trustworthy a buyer/seller is.


Case #2:  February

First, the name.  But not to be biased, let's look at the photo. The photo appears fine (traditional/old-fashioned), except for what appears to be a larger-sized woman compared to the man.

The man's message was polite & accomodating. But he spelt working as "werkin". That was alarm bell for me. I wondered if he was a foreigner.

Let's test him out.

I arrived on time. He was 20 mins early. When I arrived, he had no smile, no greeting. Just a very unhappy face as if I was late.

He looked different from his photo. Fatter, darker, rough acne skin. Could be a different person.

He had addressed me as "bro" in the messages & because I did not correct it, he probably felt conned that I was a woman. Or maybe he didn't like doing business with a woman or meeting a woman.

Whatever the reason, he kept a very stiff & unfriendly face throughout.


At the end when I thanked him, his face was tilted upwards with his nose up in the air while he walked away.  Very rude & offensive.

As he had made an offer, I could leave a negative review. However, I have not done so.


Case #3:  April

This photo instantly says he is a bad buyer. When you see this type of profile pic, you can avoid selling to the person. There is another profile with an even worse (similar style) photo & that person has negative reviews as well.

What's wrong with this photo? Everything. Bad behavior, dishonest look while trying to act cool.

Let's test him.

He was polite in messages. But was odd in changing his own earlier decision regarding meet up schedule. Throughout, I let him decide day, time & place.

Yet he was late. As I was early, it meant I waited much longer.  Although I didn't expect him to be early, I certainly didn't expect him to be 15-20 mins late.  And just like the foreigner I encountered in an earlier deal, he just casually strolled over & asked if I was the seller without even an apology first or anytime after.

When I reminded him that he was late, he merely mumbled that he had come off work.

Well, the day, time & place was set by him. Not by me. He should know if he was going to be late & give himself enough allowance to be on time out of consideration for the person he was going to meet for the first time. 

It was very difficult to restrain my displeasure. I would have preferred he didn't purchase the item so I could sell it to someone better.

[Update 6 Jun Mon: Weeks later, after he realized I gave him negative feedback, he decided to send me one today. In it, he said he had apologised yet I gave him negative feedback.

Here we see how inconsiderate he is. He thinks that just because he apologized (when actually he didn't) & kept another person waiting for 20 mins, it's fine. Everything's fine & dandy just because he is the buyer.]


Case #4: May (date of my birthday).

Look at the photo. Same style as case #3. The lack of a frontal, honest, clean look at the camera. Straightaway, this photo tells me he is hiding something or has something to hide.

Give him the benefit of the doubt? Let's test.

First, he messaged without a "Hi". 

He asked about time & day to purchase the item. Disappeared for several hours until the morning. Suddenly says he can meet in 3 hours' time at Orchard.

Obligingly, I said Ok.

Suddenly, he veers course to ask about the item. Then goes back on track asking about meet up time. Appears care free about the meet up time without regard for the other person who will be taking the time to go there. Says "if" he is near by that time then ... (maybe we can meet up).

Finally, he admits that his group will be going to the embassy & he isn't sure when can meet up. Tells me he will arrange to meet up once he is done.

However, he disappears & never returns. As he did not make an offer on the item, I cannot leave a negative feedback.

Likely, a foreigner.


Case #5: May

This buyer has no profile pic. And has 2 positive reviews. Very often, a buyer will sit on 1 or 2 positive reviews as a front.  He/she could have purchased from more sellers but made no offer & so sellers weren't able to leave reviews.

Again, just like case#4, he started messaging without a "Hi" or even punctuation marks.  "How to deal".

However, he first made an offer for the item.

He asked about discount for self-collection. Then disappeared till the next morning enquiring about post.

He said he wanted the item. Then suddenly asked again about meet up location when it was already mentioned last night.

Disappeared for another 2 hours, then said he wanted to meet at night but did not give a time.

Disappeared for several hours until at night, then asked (again) where to meet.  At that time, I was out as he had not arranged a time for the meet up.  I returned to reply to his message. Reminded him of the location & said I can be there shortly. But he disappeared completely.

A key tip off of a bad buyer is the irregular & long timing of the replies. How long he/she takes to reply is an indicator of whether the person is sincere in buying.  Whether he/she has the "heart" to buy.


Case #6: Feb.

The first couple.

The man contacted me regarding purchase of an item.  No profile photo. No greeting. Started with "I'm interested!".  [As I mentioned before, be wary of buyers who don't greet first.].

Such "I'm interested!" messages are frequent & reflects very badly on the person. Only a fool will say "I'm interested!" like a primary school kid.

If you're really interested, just make an offer of the full price or arrange immediately to purchase. What do you expect a seller to say to "I'm interested!"??

When I get such messages, I feel like throwing it back exactly the same way "I'm interested!".

I had to ask if he was a sincere buyer. He switched to being serious & confirmed he was really interested in purchasing.  [It later turned out that he was in fact offended that I had questioned his intention.].

I also remembered that previously before his message, I had "liked" one of his items & he had not reciprocated. (This is in fact an accurate indication of what sort of person he is, because later, he also did not reciprocate my positive review.).

He was polite in deciding meet up.  On the eve of the meet up, I was surprised he was responsible in taking the initiative to remind me of the meet up (although it wasn't necessary).

Seemed like it would go well.

On the night of the meet up, he showed his lack of ettiquette without a greeting. Athough he seemed friendly, he did not respond to my "Hi" upon first seeing each other.

He brought along a woman companion who was even worse. Stiff-faced & mean. Turns out the item was meant for her.

She did not even smile or acknowledge me as the seller. Never once looked at me. Something wrong with her. Investigated the item like she was raping it together with the man. I regretted on the spot that I was selling the item to them.

Took a long, awful while before the woman nodded for him to pay me.  All the while, I grimaced while watching them. Worst sales I ever made.  Should have sold to the next nice man who wanted it later (I had to re-order it & unfortunately, it was of a poorer quality than the one I sold to this awful couple.).

The man was friendly enough & since they were punctual, I gave him a positive review, thinking he would give me one in return.

Waited but nothing. He continued to benefit from my positive review for a month making his sales. Still nothing.

That was when I realized not to give anyone a positive review unless he/she gives me one first.

Tonight, (months later) he finally complained that he was in fact, able to leave positive feedback but chose not to.  Just as I kept the original message to leave feedback, he also kept it on his side. It meant he chose to benefit from my positive feedback to him without returning the favor.

His excuse was that even though the deal went smoothly, he was offended at the start by my asking if he was serious in purchasing. That was all. And that was why he wouldn't give me a positive review while benefitting from the one I gave him.

He never once considered how stupid his introduction had been ("I'm interested!") & how many "I'm interested!" I get from "buyers". How lacking in ettiquette he had been without even a "hi" online or in meet up.

An unfortunate, selfish & despicable man (Profile ID: daniel8023).


Case #7: May 

The 2nd couple.  The woman contacted me. At first, I considered it was perhaps a man who had put up his gf's photo. However, even though there was no indication in the message of the gender, I still had a strong feeling that it was undeniably a woman & that this was her photo.

What's wrong with it? Nothing particularly wrong with it. Just the large nose.  However, it's the eyes that speak to me. The shape of the eyes and the eyes themselves say that she is not very honest.

Well, let's test.

She started out with greeting. But wanted a $6 discount off an item. Not a particularly good start.

I offered a $4 discount instead & she accepted. As mentioned above, a person who wants a discount of even a few dollars off, can't be a nice person.

The arrangement of the meet up was settled very quickly.  I asked her to make an offer for the item & then she did. I don't know if she had intended to make an offer but I doubt it.

Sellers: Note that buyers will almost never volunteer to "make an offer" for an item so that you can't leave them negative feedback. They will pretend & not make any offer if you don't mention it. Meaning they will get away with it if you let them.

I have tested this many times. 99.99% of buyers will not make offer if you don't tell them to do so. This is a sign of dishonesty,  regardless of the deal turning out to be good later.

Why would a buyer not make an offer if he/she is genuine about buying? A doubt a buyer is such a newbie that he/she don't know how to click make an offer. Many buyers with zero scores are actually not newbies. Even many buyers who have scores do not bother to make offers.

Personally, I watch whether a buyer takes the initiative to make an offer. I don't insist, I don't force. Because making an offer is something they should do naturally if they are sincere in wanting to purchase.

I am sure they think I'm a newbie who let them get away with not making an offer. But it's not that I let them get away. It is that I give them chance to show me. It is a test.

I watch to see if who will take advantage of this "slack" that I give them. Then I realize that almost all will take good advantage of it by being late.

I realize that this is why many sellers insist that buyers make their offers first.

The woman was punctual & she waited near the agreed location with her male companion. She was alert to have spotted me & came over.
A smooth & positive experience with a few questions from the woman. She was polite. Nothing particularly outstanding. At the end, I said (as usual), "Thank you.".

Throughout, I was professional, smiled when necessary, replied briefly when necessary, just wanted to get paid & get out.  I don't like chatting over a deal.  I stayed as long as they needed me to. 

When I got back, I checked her feedback column & saw that she had reciprocated a positive review from another seller. So, I left her a positive review.

But received none.

She did not have the courtesy to leave me one. Again, another one of those who just sit on positive reviews & give none back.  No wonder I wanted to get out of there. They must be giving out bad vibes.

The deal was smooth. She should consider that & return a positive review.

She should get together with case #6 daniel8023. They would make a fine selfish pair.


This case #7 makes me think that couples are bad buyers.

And re-affirms my rule never to leave positive feedback unless the other person leaves one for me first. Regardless of how "nice" the person appears to be during meet up or how well the deal went.  Because you don't know what the other person is thinking.

Carousell buyers are rotten. If I had money, I wouldn't be selling a single thing on that platform.

   

How Can Carousell SG Pay the Rent?

When I look at Carousell now (12.20 am Thurs), I sigh.

I want to move out to a new apartment, but where to get the money?

How can Carousell pay the rent & put food on the table?

I see the seller selling a certain branded bag. She sold 7 more in about 3 days. She gives free registered post. Each bag I calculate she makes just about $12 or so. That's a total of $84.  I sigh holding my calculator. How is this going to pay for anything?

She has to sell 7 over a few days to get just $84. Groceries alone cost at least $30 per day (always more). 

Why do Carousell sellers price their items so low? They shoot themselves in the foot & spoil market.  If you charge too little, make too little profit, it's not enough to buy new stock let alone save up. What happens is that you are just patching a hole & keep patching that same hole without making any real profit. Such a "business" is not worth doing. 

Additionally, such sellers ruin the market, spoil the customers. 

There are many sellers selling the same bags that she sells, at about the same prices. Why does she get all the business?  She only opened a few months ago.

And she don't even have the stock.

Not only crazy buyers on Carousell SG. Crazy sellers also quite a few.  Such sellers might as well just give away their items. Waste of time & money to import the stock + handling time +  transport cost etc...

Another Upset with Bro

Happened around 4pm or so. These days, his fuse is very short.  I just "blamed" him for a small thing & he blew up. It was about the light for the aquarium.

Hot miserable day. Sweaty.

All of a sudden, in his boredom or whatever, he wanted to clear the space on the rack against the wall. To put his light that he says he'll be wiring up. It was messy to clear & I asked if it was necessary to do it now. He said he'll be wiring it first.

He wanted to just leave all the junk on top, said it will prop up the light fixture. I said won't it be hot & the things will be flammable. There was even a piece of newspaper there. And an old umbrella.

As I removed stuff, he saw the shelf actually has no base. It's just 2 empty square holes (that had been blocked by junk). He gave up then.

However, at the same time, I was also waiting for the damn garbage men to stink up downstairs. I was waiting so I could close all the windows when they came.

While I was messy with the stuff at the balcony, they came & stank up the entire kitchen. Goddamn. I shut the windows too late.

Bro entered the kitchen & joked that it was too late.

I was upset. And just blurted that he shouldn't ask me to do this, do that. Coz I was watching for the garbage men. I can't do 2 things at the same time. (I was venting my frustration on him because I was upset with myself for being held up on the only day that I'm free to do my writing. My novel hasn't been going well.  I've been busy swimming for the past 2 days & tomorrow again.).

He went into the master bedroom &  emerged back into the kitchen with a lousy-looking face & tone. Said that the garbage stench is not a life & death matter. Said he spent his time doing the aquarium light when he had "better" things to do.  Implying I wasn't appreciative.

His face was sarcastic, mean look.

Sometimes, he can be such a different person from the boy I once knew. This is a person that I no longer know.

I got mad when he said it's not a life & death situation. Got mad with his tone of voice. I ignored him & went to my room.

He then just continued ranting to himself. Even saying I was "weird" in a strange, exaggerated way that he was mimicking from the neighbour some years ago. Kept saying "weird" "weird" loudly in the bathroom.

When I came out to the kitchen, he had worn his jeans & T to get out.  To diffuse the situation, I said he can buy the roasted chicken from Cold Storage if he happens to be going there. He had earlier said that he wanted it (before the upset).

He got angrier. Said I wasn't listening.  Said with all the upset,  "still can calmly say buy a chicken from Cold Storage".  Said it was like I was wearing ear muffs. "Why don't you wear ear muffs?!".  His entire body jerked with anger.

This is the first time he is so rude in his words to me.  He has gotten worse.  I have never seen him so sarcastically rude.

His rudeness & attitude, insulting me like I'm a subject, reminds me of when I worked at MAS building where the women there were verbally abusive. They speak as if you are made of air. They insult you over your head like you are not a person there.


This blow up from him also happened before. Also over a small thing I said. To me, it's a small thing. But to him, he just blew it up.

In the past, he wasn't like this. It only got worse recently.

That's why I advise people to live apart. Get ur own space, ur own place.  Regardless of how close u are, live apart.

Advise people not to smoke. DNA damage goes through at least 3 generations. My grandfather smoked a lot. My great grandmother smoked.


My bro & I are very close. Yet friction & deterioriation are still unavoidable.

For the rest of the day, he went out & never came back until 8.30pm. After that, he took a bath & for some reason, still angry, went out again for another 2 hours. I was coming out of the bath & he was going in, I didn't see his face. Maybe it was reconcilatory & I didn't see it & he got upset again. I don't know.

To me, I feel nothing because I am disapppointed too often by him. Grieved too often. It is just a disappointment that I have come to live with.  I won't say he is a disappointment.  Just that "it" is a disappointment. If I had money, I will live apart.


I just hope he won't snap.

What I fear for, is my life.  When a person snaps, it's uncertain & unpredictable what he may do.  His state of mind hasn't been good. And I've observed some behavior that I've never mentioned to him.

I simply grew too relaxed in my own house, in his presence.  When relaxed, I say whatever I think & feel. Next time, I must be careful. With strangers, I shut my mouth no matter how upset I sometimes get. With him, I better shut my mouth as well.  Sad, but that's the way it has to be, unless I get my own house.

Next time, whatever I feel upset about, just shut up.  Don't say anything. I don't know if that will make me go mad.

I read about the tragedies in the papers & I'm concerned.  A person can build up hatred for another person in the same house, then over time... suddenly go completely crazy.  At most, the person goes to jail. But you lose your life.

To be honest, I have been feeling cautious since his last upset. I started getting worried.  These days, I've been too relaxed. Let down my guard. I think tonight, I better shut my door extra tight.

Ironic. The bro whom I asked for & waited so long for his birth...  Now I've to keep up my guard, watch what I say & even have to watch my back & door. 

When he came back just now, I made myself say,  "I thought you went to Bukit Merah?" without looking away from my laptop.

On the way out from his room, he at first didn't reply, then mumbled sarcastically, "I thought you didn't care?"  while walking off.

I feel nothing.  It was meant to diffuse the situation, so that he don't go nuts.  That's all it is.  Yes, it's true I don't care.

In fact, when I came home after buying groceries & saw he wasn't home with the rooms dark, I liked it. For a long time, I've always wanted my own house. At first, it was her, now it's him.

And I am perpetually broke. I can't afford rent. My whole life, nothing but compromises, sacrifices. I have ceased to cry or feel anything.  I have loved & gotten nothing back.

How close can a bond be when a small thing gets blown up?  His ego is bigger than what I said. Also, I don't think I can forgive him calling me "Weird" "weird" in that odd, mimicking voice of the neighbour. And the sarcasm in telling me to wear ear muffs.

It goes beyond just upset. Ranting like that. Not normal.

I still value my life so that I can continue writing. I must remember to shut up. Keep my guard up.

So many things he keeps within his comfort zone & never helps me even when I ask him to. But I always let him be. His inconsiderate self, he never blames.

To me, it's all small things. But I forgive too easily when it comes to the people I love. Even forgiving of the man who killed the woman I love.  What else do you expect me to do?

Just now, I spoke to him. He was jabbing the air, talking & ranting to himself.  Hearing his voice from my room, I went over & asked him what was the problem. He was sitting in his computer chair facing the door, his right leg was propped on part of the seat.

He said I was pretending not to know. I said in the past, he wasn't like this. He jabbed his finger in the air, rudely said, "Let me tell you why. It's called F O G.".

He was referring to the brain fog he's been having for 3 years. He has never jabbed at the air like that at me.  His face, totally changed. Looked like gangster. Uncouth.

I pointed to him & said he was never like this. He continued to say I had ignored him earlier in the day on purpose. I said I merely blurted out what I felt. He said it wasn't what I said, but it was that I went to my room & put on ear muffs.

I said I didn't have ear muffs. He said don't pretend.

This is a man, a loved one, I no longer know.

He said everytime he's upset, I just walk away & ignore. I said I don't know what to say to him because he's ranting. He builds the thing up in his head & I can't get in.

He didn't seem to understand what I meant by 'ranting' & dismissed it by blaming me again.

I tried not to antagonize him further. I said next time I will shut up if I want to say something. So he need not worry. It seemed to appease him somewhat. It's all about him. Self-focussed.

He said, "You know how I'm like. You should have taken my attention away by saying 'How about put a piece of wood across the rack etc...'.".

Frankly, that plank thing was over & I was upset when he sacarstically said it's not a life & death matter. So, to say that I should take his attention back to the rack... means his mind is not on track with the timing of what happened. 

Actually, I don't know him any more. The person I knew was never like this.  Come to think, they say personality changes are a bad sign... But this change is due to his brain fog.

I don't know why I cannot have a happy, loving, normal brother.  Or a happy, loving friend. I am a very giving person, always giving out more than receiving. Even in sex, I always give pleasure rather than accept.

Some things are just not meant to be.  Some things in life, you just have to accept.

After just reading an article on brain tumor, maybe it is not me who should be fearing for my life.  I think I shouldn't be avoiding. Or walking away. Or ignoring him. 

How Dentists Make Money

If there is no hole, make one. And then pretend/proceed to tell customer that it needs repair.

If your teeth is perfect, dentists will look disappointed. They want to see damage so they can "repair" it. 

The hook instrument they use actually damages teeth. Dentists can destroy teeth beyond repair. Beyond the body's ability to heal the tooth/teeth naturally.

All for money.

There's a dentist downstairs my place. Used to be very kind & brilliant in all his work. He worked at high speed, smoothly & expertly. But a few years ago, he went crazy over money.  He got worse.

The last time I saw him, he was very rude, very condescending. Throughout, he was mean. Smiled happily when he talked about extracting all my wisdom teeth.  Pretended to be bashful regarding the price until I pushed & he happily said more than $7000.  Bloody asshole.

Luckily I warned him very firmly not to draw blood when cleaning my teeth. I said it's why I don't go to dentists. He said, "Bleeding is because your gums are weak.".  Don't give me this bullshit.

The gums bleed because the dentist is stupid. Using primitive instruments to injure soft tissue. And they get a degree for that?

That was the last time I went to a dentist.

Later, I heard that my dad's friend went there & cried. Unnecessary torture & suffering.

Actually, you don't need a degree to injure people & lie to them.