Item not as described - but it was

[sparkle101]

Hi Ladies,

I was wondering if you can help me please. I have recently sold some items on e-bay, one of which was a CD and DVD set. In the description I detailed that the CD had been played once and that the DVD had a few scratches on it.

The buyer has contacted me upon receiving the item and said he is not happy with the state of the DVD, it would cost him £2.00 to get it "shaved" and he would like a partial refund to this amount.

I have said to him the descritpion said the DVD had scratches however if he was not happy he could return to me recorded delivery and I would give him full refund and pay postage costs. He is now saying he can't afford to send it back.

I am unwilling to give a partial refund as I made potential buyers aware of the DVD so what happens now? Can he open a dispute? If he does want to send it back what do I do? Will I get negative feedback?

Have sole quite a few items but never had issues before.
Thanks

Will he give me negative feedback

[jimswifein1964]

He's being an arse. If he can afford to buy dvds, he can afford to pay the postage until you refund it to him as you have offered! Unfortunately, if he is arkward, he will prob leave you a neg anyway

[fergoose]

you are right, stick to your guns. This is why many sellers won't give partial refunds. I reckon he is trying it on.

As for feedback, you could do everything he wants and still get a neg. If he does leave you one leave polite, calm response

'buyer not happy, offered full refund upon return but buyer declined'

[fergoose]

PS and yes, he could open a dispute, and will have to return it signed for at his own expense so i very much doubt he will.

[sparkle101]

Thank you ladies, you are, as ever most helpful, I shall update if it all goes wrong which I think he'll try and make it! Apologies for asking about neg feedback twice I am very paranoid!

[fergoose]

don't worry it is only a red dot on a website - your reply to it speaks volumes so keep it calm, factual and businesslike and you will be fine. Don't be bullied, if a buyer threatens neg unless you do what they want it is feedback extortion which is reportable to eBay.

[Tryharder]

Hmm. Does the DVD actually play? If it doesn't, you shouldn't really have listed it. If it plays OK and he's just quibbling about a few marks, then stick to your guns.

But TBH, I would just refund him the £2 it would cost to rectify it to shut him up.

[fergoose]

I guess it depends on the value of the dvd. By the way what does the buyer mean getting it shaved - is not something I have ever heard of?

[sparkle101]

I'm not sure either about this shaving thing. Not sure if the DVD plays, I bought it brand new from supermarket and never played it so unsure. He is now saying he wants refund of item and postage he paid for first and then refund the recorded delivery when I have received the item, this is wrong surely. i would be a mug to give him all his money back and then wait for the item to arrive? What is proper e-bay etiquette, should I stick to my guns or let e-bay know? Am thinking along the lines of "I'm sure you would understand that I cannot give a full refund until I have the item back in the original condition it was sold in, therefore please return and I shall issue full erfund as detailed in the previous e-mail" I don't want to give him the £2 now on principle as he is so taking the piss!

[fergoose]

yes it is totally wrong - would marks and sparks give you your money back before you return an item? Your reply is spot on, just keep on being polite and stay firm.

definitely stick to your guns, if he opens an ebay case he will have to return before an email

I agree he is totally taking the pee - I bet if you refunded him it would never turn up as he wouldn't send it. Sounds like it is buyers remorse, he doesn't want it any more as he has watched it and wants his money back.

[sparkle101]

Thanks fergoose, I never thought of that - even more annoyed now! I shall send that then and we shall see what happens.

[fergoose]

Fingers crossed for you :)

How much was it that he paid?

You are right stating 'in the condition in which it was sent' - if it is now used he has accepted it and can't have a refund. I wonder if he watched it and has now damaged it to get a refund?

[fergoose]

Or - he will return his own damaged copy and keep your nice copy for free

(or maybe I am being a bit cynical!)

[sparkle101]

Fergoose....... OMG.... these are all things I hadn't thought of, you obviously have a great range of experience, he paid £4.50 for CD with £1.00 postage which I miscalculated and it cost me almost £2.00 but thats another story! Next time I will put pics of scratches in the listing and hopefully we won't go through this again.

I am hoping this last e-mail puts an end to this issue, I cannot believe that he would expect all his money back beforehand, totally gobsmacked!

[ChristinedePizan]

Someone did this to me with a changing bag - said it was not as described and said he wanted a refund or he wouldn't send it back. I stuck to my guns and eventually he returned it. I was so relieved to have the whole thing over, I refunded his cash before I'd opened the packet when I discovered that he'd absolutely trashed the bag :( I ended up giving it to a friend because there was no way I could sell it.

Stick to your guns - I would never, ever accept something back again now!

[fergoose]

trouble is you have to accept returns - if the buyer opens a case you have no choice.

Sparkle - if you get the chance mention you will refund after you have checked your security marks - hopefully to prevent him sending back different item

the buyer doesn't know you didn't uv pen mark the item does he? :)

[sparkle101]

Well I have got back to find he has taken a case out against me. Full refund before he sends it back or nothing.

I am so bloomin angry, I did not attempt to mislead him or anyone, I detailed the issues, I have answered every single one of his e-mails, I am not going to give a refund if he hasn't sent the product beforehand, what will it cost like £2.00 as someone else on here said if he can buy CD's he can pay for postage. He's said I haven't responded to him, but then on another bit put that I have declined his offer to refund then post.

Are e-bay going to find in his favour, they have written on the screen they advise I go with the buyer's preferred option i.e. a full refund beforehand I guess. Surely they can't make me refund him first?

[fergoose]

no - you are advised to offer a full refund upon the buyer's return - hit that button then he will have to give ebay tracking info for the returned item, and pay for it himself

under no circumstances refund without the return

Gosh, what an utter git of a buyer. Keep calm and polite (difficult I know!); this too shall pass :)

[fergoose]

oops not buyer's return, item return! sorry, half asleep :)

[sarahtigh]

no ebayer do not expect you to refund without return unless you are business seller, however if it comes back more damaged you will lose case and you can not proof it was him, I know people who sell quite valuable stuff security marl it so can proff not correct item returned
put it down to experience you will have to refund cost of item not postage when he returns it I hear the DVD CD section is really bad for this get yuor DVD copy it then ask for return
once he has returned item and you refund the case is closed he can not then leave feedback or if he has you can request removal

[fergoose]

The buyer can still leave feedback after a not as described case.

The only time a buyer can't leave feedback is if they are a non-payer.

[sarahtigh]

ok sorry stand corrected

[Marne]

If he wont return it then you can't refund, he will have to open a dispute and go through paypal to get his money back, they wont refund him until he has returned the item. I wouldn't worry too much, he is being a dick, if he leaves bad feedback you can respond to it by saying 'offered full refund but buyer refused to return' (or something similar), one bad feedback wont hurt as long as you have a good response to it. Sounds like he's just trying it on. Stand your ground .

[fergoose]

I bet he doesn't bother to return the item

[sparkle101]

God, I love you mumsnet, thank you for calming me down. I sent an e-mail to him as this is what he requested. I said in it (very politely) that as I had stated it had scratches on it I wasn't obliged to do anything but as a gesture of goodwill I would refund upon return, and that if I went into a shop with no product I wouldn't expect a refund, he replied with this:

Buyer's message:
when i'm not happy with a item i get from anyone on ebay they always do the refund first so i can send the item back to them, so if your not willing to refund me so i can send the item back then i will just let ebay sort it out.

All of what you ladies have said is true and he is so out for what he can get so let's see what happens. Never had to deal with this before and it's making me think twice about selling on e-bay again.

[sparkle101]

He he he, I've just taken great pleasure in clicking on the "issue a full refund when the item has been returned to you", never has one click felt so good!