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AIBU?

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Original poster

Not to refund this eBay item?

61 replies

CesareBorgiasSkeletonOnesie · 04/12/2017 14:36

Sold a lovely velvet tunic on eBay recently as needed to raise Christmas funds, and have just had a message from the lady who bought it saying she’s unhappy with the size:

‘Sadly this item is certainly not the usual Sahara size L or a 16 - 18. My fault for not requesting measurements but it does mean my feedback won't be positive since I've spent over £50 on an item that doesn't fit.’

It may not be the usual but it is definitely a size L from that shop and fitted me as a size 16, admittedly only for a try-on. I’d offer to refund but really can’t afford it at the moment. I don’t often sell stuff on eBay and have never had bad feedback or the threat of it before - WIBU to suggest she sticks it back on to get her money back and say there’s nothing I can do. Will it matter if she gives me bad feedback?! Also WHY is she giving me bad feedback - I listed the item as the size it is!

OP posts:
TheVanguardSix · 04/12/2017 15:38

You have to specify that refunds are not accepted, OP. I learned this the hard way.
Go to your payment information page and choose no refunds for future sales.
You could refund her and go with a second chance offer to the next highest bidder or just sell it again.

It's worth refunding if you don't want negative feedback.

Schlimbesserung · 04/12/2017 15:38

If it;s within 14 days of receipt then if she requests to return you have no option but to accept under distance selling regs
Distance selling regs only apply to business sellers (and I think they are now called something else anyway). Private sellers only have to accept returns for SNAD unless they state otherwise in the listing.

MyrandaRoyce · 04/12/2017 15:39

I think that under Distance Selling Regulations you have to refund buyers, but you should ask her to send it back & not refund until you’ve received the item. It really sucks but eBay seem to always side with the buyer

Schlimbesserung · 04/12/2017 15:41

Assuming that she does return it (and she very well may not), relisting with added measurements could mean you make more money, not less. Just make sure you cancel the sale properly to get the fees back from the first sale.

ConcreteUnderpants · 04/12/2017 15:42

I'd just suck it up and ask her return the item then.
You'd lose about £6 in postage charges (but get your final fees back which amount to more or less that anyway).
EBay practically always side with the buyer, and if she's unhappy, she may rip it, whatever and then open a case against you. You then lose your tunic and won't be able to resell it.
I've been burned like this a couple of times.
I hate EBay..

Puzzledandpissedoff · 04/12/2017 15:45

You have to specify that refunds are not accepted

It doesn't work that way I'm afraid. In principle this might get round folk who want to return something for no good reason, but then they just claim the item's damaged - and will even damage it themselves to prove it

Nor is it true that "private sellers" don't have to refund; in fact they often get a much harder time than business sellers, who after all make ebay much more in commission

RidingWindhorses · 04/12/2017 15:45

On eBay as a private seller you can either offer refunds or not. If it states on the listing you don't offer refunds you're under no obligation to to refund her but you will get negative feedback.

It would be more sensible to accept she's not happy and agree to refund her as a gesture of goodwill.

Be assured that if she does open a case with eBay as she feels the item was not as described she will win. eBay side with the buyer unless the circumstances are exceptional.

Ellie56 · 04/12/2017 15:46

I would contact Ebay first and see what they say before doing anythng. I have always found them very helpful when dealing with unreasonable people. But then I sell a lot of stuff on there.

And block that buyer so she can't bid on anything again.

Original poster
CesareBorgiasSkeletonOnesie · 04/12/2017 15:48

Ergh this is so much faff! It absolutely is as described- I clearly photographed the L label. I certainly won’t be refunding unless I get it back though - there was a lot of interest so I’d rather just try to resell it than use the money. I could just suggest to her she tries to sell it on?

OP posts:
Puzzledandpissedoff · 04/12/2017 15:52

I could just suggest to her she tries to sell it on?

You could, yes - but that would be the sensible thing to do, and the approach she's already taken indicates she's not exactly the sensible kind

Frankly, if you want your item back, you'll just have to offer a refund (but only when she's returned it using tracked postage). Unless you're a large volume seller you won't get anywhere with ebay, and TBH I wouldn't waste your time trying

pisacake · 04/12/2017 16:00

I'm not sure if you should have described it as size 16-18, if it was labelled as L.

The seller can open a 'Not as Described' case and say it's not 16-18 and they win.

OTOH I wouldn't worry about negative feedback at all.

pisacake · 04/12/2017 16:01

"You have to specify that refunds are not accepted, "

The listing DOES say that.

RidingWindhorses · 04/12/2017 16:07

Ergh this is so much faff! It absolutely is as described- I clearly photographed the L label. I certainly won’t be refunding unless I get it back though - there was a lot of interest so I’d rather just try to resell it than use the money. I could just suggest to her she tries to sell it on?

L can mean anything. I ordered a an item in large from John Lewis for my mum and it came up really small.

L differs between shops. That's why it's vital to list the measurements.

Email her and tell her you'll refund it is she returns it. Presumably she has tried it on already or she wouldn't be telling you the size is not what she was expecting.

HotelEuphoria · 04/12/2017 16:09

I would get it returned and refund it with a note to say how sorry I am that she is in denial about her size, Because clearly she is and I am a bitch.

PiffleandWiffle · 04/12/2017 16:10

If she puts that it doesn't fit in her feedback you're perfectly entitled to put that she's obviously not a Size 16 then.....

HotelEuphoria · 04/12/2017 16:11

Just adding, but isn't a L a 14 for clothes?

8 - XS
10 - S
12 - M
14- L
16- XL

pisacake · 04/12/2017 16:15

L is 14-16.

16-18 is XL, so OP is BU

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140402214000/www.saharalondon.com/size-fit-guide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20140402214000/www.saharalondon.com/size-fit-guide/

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 04/12/2017 16:24

You've accidentally misdescribed it, so of course you should refund the poor buyer!

19lottie82 · 04/12/2017 16:25

Returns not accepted only applies to “non fault” returns, like it doesn’t fit, or change of mind.

If a buyer claims an item is Mis described or faulty the “no returns” is meaningless!

BobbinThreadbare123 · 04/12/2017 16:29

Just watch it; ebay can and will do a forced refund. The buyer can also force the seller to pay the refund postage. I've just had this little set of lies from a buyer who broke the item he bought from me, and then never posted it back.

SlideAway82 · 04/12/2017 16:29

I had this happen to me and I just reiterated the 'no returns policy unless faulty'. I'm not a fucking shop and it's not my fault your husband said your arse looked big in it.

eBay sided with me and closed the case.

CrossFreelancer · 04/12/2017 16:32

Just a thought- if she paid through a 'Buy it Now' rather than a auction then I thing you legally have to refund it. I might be wrong in this....?

19lottie82 · 04/12/2017 16:34

Cross that doesn’t make a difference.

RoganJosh · 04/12/2017 16:42

So if a Saraha L is a 14-16 does that mean the buyer has got it wrong, or did you describe it as a 16-18?

ToadOfSadness · 04/12/2017 16:43

She seems to think it is the same size as other items of the same name. It may well depend on what you actually put in the listing, in the title and on the photos as to whether she is justified in complaining.

Threatening to leave poor feedback - if it is not extortion then what is it? She has made a huge hint that it is not what she 'thought' it was and will not be leaving a positive, therefore will be leaving neutral or negative. This implies that she wants it resolved, and if you have made an error with the sizing and not put measurements in the listing then you need to offer to take it back.

The chances are that if you don't deal with it she will open a case and you may well get a defect, this will impact your sales more if you don't sell a lot as will a negative, if you get one of those your listings will pretty much vanish from Best Match search.