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Original poster

Buyer requests refund on ebay - underhand?

78 replies

AnneShirley18 · 09/06/2022 02:53

I'm not sure why I'm so wound up by this but i can't sleep so here goes.
I sold some clarks shoes on ebay -in excellent condition. UK size 8 ladies.
A potential buyer messaged:could you tell me if these are 41 or 42? I said I dont know. I just know they're a generous UK size 8.
That person won the bid. They asked if I would be so kind as to post them next day as they needed them ASAP. I went out of my way to accommodate.
Cut to today where I get a refund request. ZERO niceties. Straight in with a request because the item was not as described and buyer was disappointed to be misled by inaccurate "generous" description. Shoes do not fit.
I dunno. I just feel really hurt. There is an implication that I've been underhand which I don't appreciate. Buyers have commented in the past that I do myself a disservice by being overly descriptive when my items are great. I'm just a private seller not a business. Anyway she is fixated on the word "generous" in that message we exchanged. It's kind of subjective I suppose (surely she knows that too) but they are. If asking if they are a 41 or 42 I would say that since an 8 equates to 42 in the clarks size guide then they are a 42. Therefore, the more generous of the 2. When I used the word generous I also couldn't have known what the buyer was after when she asked 41 or 42. She could have wanted the smaller or the larger end of the scale. I simply gave a judgement so there could have been no attempt to deceive on my part. Clarks shoes do vary in size. It is a gamble buying them on ebay. I've been caught out before. I never considered it the sellers fault though, I simply sucked it up and resold them.
Basically ebay won't refund if something doesn't fit but they will if it's deemed to be an inaccurate description or pic. I believe she is being underhand so refund is more likely.
What upsets me is, ebay usually sides with buyer. Also what upsets me is that I went out of my way for her and actually if she'd sent me a nice message, we could have come to an agreement.
YABU: you wanted to fob off tiny ill fitting shoes on someone unsuspecting for the princely sum of £7
YANBU: she is being underhand and unreasonable

OP posts:
Pottedpalm · 09/06/2022 07:42

Meant to say I felt quite slighted by the complaint even though I knew it was unjustified!

QueenArnica · 09/06/2022 07:40

Contest it with eBay OP. I’ve had this before (but with a PlayStation 4 that I was selling for my son) when the buyer tried to get a refund then claimed the item hadn’t arrived. I was like a dog with a bone as it became a matter of principal and I won! Victory was very sweet!

Pottedpalm · 09/06/2022 07:40

I get how you feel; I recently sold one of DHs sweaters which he wore maybe once. Buyer complained that I hadn’t mentioned the ‘extensive bobbling’ and demanded I refund. I have ‘no refunds’ on listing but didn’t want negative feedback so asked for it back and refunded,
I re listed and the new buyer was delighted, said it was in excellent condition, which it was.
I have sold a lot on eBay over the years and have had a couple of non arrivals. Use the proof of postage from the Post Office.

JenniferPlantain · 09/06/2022 07:35

I completely understand why it’s really gotten to you OP. It’s not a big deal, you’ll either get shoes back and issue refund or the buyer is a scammer and you’ll issue a refund, they wo T return item and eBay will cover cost. But it’s the ‘injustice’ and knowledge that some people exist to cheat the system.

The way I make myself feel better is by thinking how bad the buyer’s life must be that they need to scam ebayers for £7 shoes. Or they just have a really dull life. Whatever the reason, you’re a happy, positive person with a nice life. Don’t let this person bring you down, there’s lots of nice people out there too. Xxxx

greenbirdsong · 09/06/2022 07:30

I completely get why it's playing on your mind OP. I had something similar with eBay and a buyer and it royally wound me up and played on my mind for days!

I sold a brand new unopened sealed bottle of perfume. The buyer claimed all I sent was an empty box and no perfume! Absolutely infuriated me. They even sent a picture of an empty box to eBay who refunded them!

Even though I had my postage receipt that showed the weight of the item - ie, that if it had been an empty box I'd sent it wouldn't have weighed as much as it did. But eBay still sided with the buyer and I was £40 out of pocket Angry

You've got a couple of options. Either stick to your guns and don't accept a return. Or just accept the return but make the buyer pay p&p and maybe relist the item again.

But it is so frustrating there are people out there like that. People who win something for 99p and have the cheek to complain it doesn't fit or didn't arrive or whatever. Lots of dishonest people out there.

PrancerandDancer · 09/06/2022 07:18

I've recently just started using vinted. On the whole much easier however I received a refund request last night as the buyer bought the cheapest postal option then complained about it. I'm challenging it with vinted now.

But yes shoe lady is a CF. Buying shoes second hand online would always be a gamble!

stairgates · 09/06/2022 07:16

Is she paying return postage?

Rory1234 · 09/06/2022 07:13

I have tried using Vinted and agree it’s much better in many ways but stuff takes an awful lot longer to sell (in my experience) unfortunately

Antsinmypantsneedtodance · 09/06/2022 07:05

Tbh I'm not sure why you sell clothes and shoes on ebay. Try vinted. No seller fees and it's generally more efficient. I've sold quite a bit and so far have had no issues with refund requests or similar.

tothemoonandbackbuses · 09/06/2022 07:02

EBay is really bad for scammers at the mo.
ive recently sent 3 parcels Royal Mail recently and they all claim they haven’t arrived !
you get less on Vinted but I’ve found it better

ScootsMcHoy · 09/06/2022 06:59

I too have stopped using eBay. I once sold ten 1KG bags of Lego, all to different sellers and only three didn't complain of claim they hadn't received them. That was the end for me.

Littlepond · 09/06/2022 06:57

I don't bother with eBay now. I've lost more money than I've made!

loislovesstewie · 09/06/2022 06:56

And just so you are aware, I had another request a refund ( it was a lot of money) for an item they had bid on but didn't win. Not sure what they thought would happen, but I just pointed out they hadn't actually bought the item.

Stevienickssnickers · 09/06/2022 06:53

Sent a parcel, three weeks later parcel is returned as "not collected". Immediately contact buyer to say it's been returned, what does she want me to do with it. Nothing. Message again. Nothing.

A month later she opens a dispute via eBay that she didn't receive her item and wants full refund including p&p. Confused

jamapop · 09/06/2022 06:46

I sold some baby clothes (used) on eBay for pennies recently. The buyer informed me that there were stains on the clothes but that they couldn’t be seen in photographs 🙄 she was taking.. but still, they were there.

TheDogsMother · 09/06/2022 06:41

I've given up selling on eBay having been scammed. I ended up losing the item I was selling and had to send the 'buyer' a refund of £50. The next day the user had completely disappeared presumably to start up under another identity. Sorry that's not much help to you but I suspect eBay will side with the buyer so you will probably have to chalk this one up to experience.

Rory1234 · 09/06/2022 06:40

EBay is full of CFs.

I sold some brand new trainers recently. Marked them as dispatched but forgot to put in tracking number.

Got a refund request from buyer saying they hadn’t been received.

I added the tracking number and looked it up myself and sent them a photo of the item being delivered to them from the courier company.

Never heard from them again. Just a total chancer.

MintJulia · 09/06/2022 06:39

This isn't personal, it's a trade. She wasn't rude, just not chatty.

I think if you are going to trade you need to develop a business skin.

DolphinaPD · 09/06/2022 06:24

On the other hand I returned a faulty item to a business seller who refused to say they'd received it back, even though royal mail had a signature, so wouldn't give me a refund and left me £35 out of pocket and ebay sided with them Angry

DolphinaPD · 09/06/2022 06:22

I won't sell on ebay. I sold some denim shorts, perfectly fine, I checked them before I listed them.

The buyer requested a refund and said there was a hole in them. Wouldn't send a photo so I requested they be sent back and then I'd issue the refund but ebay processed it without my say so, so the CF got free shorts and left me out of pocket Angry

LongLiveLiz · 09/06/2022 05:55

If your policy regarding refunds is on the ad then they’re trying it on. I’m sometimes a 6 sometimes 6.5 so if I’d asked if they were 39 or 40 and you’d replied a generous 6 I’d know that I was taking a chance and I would only ask for a refund if you advertised that you gave them.

Tomikka · 09/06/2022 05:36

Note that eBay do not always side with the buyer.

Ensure all communication goes through the eBay dispute resolution messaging, repeat the description and that the shoes are as described.

If accepting the refund, counter offer a part refund of item price only on receipt of returned shoes

loislovesstewie · 09/06/2022 05:24

I had the same with a pair of trainers, unworn, with size 9 etc clearly on the tags. The buyer complained they weren't size 9 and laughingly said they were only size 7. They returned, I refunded. Inspected shoes , yes, clearly size 9. Inside the shoe was the packing, so I assume they didn't remove the tissues and couldn't get the shoe on their feet! I've even measured them in good old cms !

Soooonotoverit · 09/06/2022 05:05

Tell her to shove some insoles in them!

😉

StridTheKiller · 09/06/2022 04:05

Ebay is full of scamming bastards and cheeky fuckers. Unfortunately it is the best online selling (and buying) platform.
Just makes me hate people all the more. If dogs ran Ebay (and the world) we wouldn't have these problems). I allow for the Ebay scammy scummer factor, but it still rankles.