Give her a refund or not?

[cleoteacher]

Going to cut a long story short. Sold a fridge for nearly £200 on a local Facebook page. Before sale I turn fridge off, clean and defrost. Buyer comes to view the fridge and decides she wants it. Leaves deposit. We discuss leaving fridge for 24 hrs to stand before she turns it on.

Her dh and his friend come to collect fridge later and with my husbands help move it across landing, down stairs and through hall and into back of their car, lying down flat. Get rest of money, all fine.

A couple of days later I get a msg via FB saying the fridge is 'faulty' as it stinks of fish and is unusable. I can hand on heart say it didn't smell when I sold it it her. She didn't notice a smell when she viewed it or her husband or my husband when it was moved.

I can only think it happened in transit or at her house and is an internal problem. Perhaps she didn't wait the proper amount of time before turning it on.

So from my point of view it was not faulty when it left our house but I feel bad she says she cannot use it. Wwyd?

no you don't have to give a refund for a private sale like that.

Sold as seen..... She will have to suck it up :)

It's likely the condenser tray needs cleaning. It's located just above the motor in most fridges.
When the unit was switched off the tray would have got fluid into it and if there was anything like a bit of meat juice or anything really in there when the unit was switched back on it heats up, evaporates the fluid and causes a bit of a stink.
She just needs to give it a good clean.

Has she actually asked for a refund? And is she offering to return the fridge?

Thanks guys. I just wasn't sure if I was doing the wrong thing in not offering one and I do feel bad she cannot use it.

According to her she's drained it but then she was asking me where different parts are (which I don't know) so that makes me think she hasn't drained it at all.

She hasn't officially asked me for a refund but she put a public message on the community Facebook page asking what their returns policy is. The guys who set Up the page replied their is none. She was subtle and didn't name names but others commented if it was faulty the seller, me, should take it back and refund it. I think she might ask me for one.

Which is what got me worrying if I am in the wrong here. However it wasn't faulty when it left my house.

no, caveat emptor on all private sales, the item could have been damaged in transit.

not your monkey, not your circus.

I'm afraid it would be best for you to just ignore any Facebook pressure.

All fridges smell when they get turned off for a bit.

If she turns it on and leaves it a few days it will likely dissipate. It's just where they warm up to room temperature.

Ours did this when we moved. It's fine now.

No it was her responsibility to ask you not to turn it off if she wanted to view it working. She saw it, paid for it and collected it. Not your problem.