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AIBU?

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Original poster

WWYD - buyer wants a refund - help

32 replies

clpsmum · 04/12/2012 01:55

Hoping you can all help me and tell me what you would do if you were in my position.

A large paintball company donated a voucher worth £309 to me to use as a raffle prize for an event I was holding to raise money for my son. The prize went unused so I sold the item for £80 on facebay in August. The buyer has tonight emailed me asking for a refund as somebody has told her these vouchers are given out free to anyone that asks. (I don't know if this is the case or not).

I genuinely don't know what to do. I have already used the money she paid towards treatment for my son, which was the reason I sold it. I just don't have a spare penny at any time of the year to be honest let alone Christmas.

What would you do in my situation I feel awful.

OP posts:
AltinkumATEalltheTurkey · 04/12/2012 02:03

Say no, she bought it, and just say that it was in aid of charity and the money has been donated.

richardsimmonstanktop · 04/12/2012 02:19

She should've checked the item out before she bought it, like everyone else does. I doubt she has a case for a refund.

I don't think you should tell her it's for charity, it's of no concern to her what the money was for.

NatashaBee · 04/12/2012 02:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IceNoSlice · 04/12/2012 02:38

Has she given you feedback yet? If not it might damage your seller rating. (i'm assuming you meant ebay when you said 'face bay').

Is it true that these vouchers are handed out like smarties? Seems a strange thing for the company to do if they are trying to make a profit! Just wondering if you could somehow find out, and if so, appeal to the company's good charitable nature to get another freebie of some kind which you could give the woman to keep her happy.

ChristmasSpiritEndorphins · 04/12/2012 05:52

That was in August, I am surprised she would e-mail you 4 months later about it. I think her time to ask for a refund has passed.

EleanorGiftbasket · 04/12/2012 06:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YouSeveredHead · 04/12/2012 06:38

Facebook then ignore and block

Lougle · 04/12/2012 07:27

As long as the ticket does give £300 worth of experience, then it would come under the 'bad bargain' principle, I think.

In other words, you can't claim a refund for making a bad choice.

ellee · 04/12/2012 08:50

That's not a good reason for a refund. Tell her it was given to you to raise moneu for your son, you sold it on ebay for that purpose. As far as you know the company will provide fun to the face value of the ticket and that is what she bought. There's no requirement that you must have bought what you sell on ebay. She's being ridiculous.and I really doubt the comapny is handing them out like smarties.

arrrghhhhwaiting · 04/12/2012 09:26

Tell her that under distance selling regulations the government says 14 days are long enough to change your mind, and therefore you can't refund.

DeWe · 04/12/2012 09:45

If you do give a refund then make sure you get the voucher back first. Then she can see if the voucher is given out like smarties.

shewhowines · 04/12/2012 09:48

They are not given to anybody who asks - they are given to charities in order to raise money for that charity in any way they wish.

This is what you have done.

pigletmania · 04/12/2012 09:55

Gosh August, say that se should have taken it up nearest te time, her time fr refund as now passed, sorry

grovel · 04/12/2012 10:09

Tell her to FOAD.

RooneyMara · 04/12/2012 10:15

Even if it were ebay she would no longer be able to leave feedback OR ask for a refund.

As long as she didn't pay by credit card you should be alright.

Don't refund her, I'm aure as others have said the company only give them out to good causes, one of which is your child's needs - and you have done nothing wrong.

Explain this to her, politely, and say that you are sorry but you are unable to refund as the money has already been used for its intended purpose. And that she has left it far too late to ask for it back now.

Or you could just ignore her completely and block any messages.
I understand that you feel bad but you have no reason to - ask her where she got her information, it sounds totally wrong!

lovelyladuree · 04/12/2012 10:23

Are you a registered charity? If not, you are breaking the law raising funds for your 'son's treatment'. She sounds pissed off enough to make a whole heap of trouble for you.

FrequentFlyerRandomDent · 04/12/2012 10:40

Check in legal matters but I think it is far too late / unreasonable for a refund.

Plus it is a refund based on hear say(if true, then friend can hand h ten other voucher for heer ti sell in ebay?) not on basis that good eng sold with fault ir in bad faith.

If I buy a sofa in August and a shop sells it on sale in December, I am not entitled to a refund.

It sounds crazy.

FrequentFlyerRandomDent · 04/12/2012 10:41

Gosh, funny predictive typing... " then friend can hand her ten other vouchers to sell on eBay, etc."

SantaWearsGreen · 04/12/2012 10:55

Nope, no refund, too late for one now- she is trying it on to get some cash in for Christmas.

EmmelineGoulden · 04/12/2012 11:19

lovely when did selling something in order to pay for health care become illegal?

timeforachangebaby · 04/12/2012 11:30

Tell her no it's too late and it was given to you to raise funds for charity which you have handed over

lljkk · 04/12/2012 11:30

I buy something on Ebay for £100. 2 weeks after delivery I find same item in a charity shop for £1. Or my mother ups and gives me the same thing. Do I contact seller & demand a refund? No, of course not, don't be daft.

BoulevardOfBrokenSleep · 04/12/2012 11:59

lovelyladuree isn't there a maximum turnover per year, after which you have to register with the Charity Commission?

DeWe · 04/12/2012 12:25

Another thought-has it gone out of date and she's hoping to get a refund because she forgot to use it?

foreverondiet · 04/12/2012 12:31

I think explain the situation - voucher given as prize towards charity raffle and proceeds used for these same charitable purposes.

I think you might have been unreasonable selling the voucher when it was given as a raffle prize (ie did you check with the company that donated it they were happy for you to sell it on?) but it was sold a while ago so I don't think you need to give refund.