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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

CF eBay chancer: AIBU/WWYD?

356 replies

ZazuMoon · 04/06/2019 13:05

First time poster.

I sold a Dyson airwrap last week as unused (which it is, it was an unneeded gift). Buyer messaged the day after purchase asking when it was arriving despite me providing delivery information. I paid almost £30 for delivery to cover its insurance. The package was lost over the weekend due to an admitted fault by Parcel force. Buyer emailing all weekend chasing despite me reassuring that I'd spent 2-3 hours on the phone/going to the post office to chase. It arrived today, one day after the estimated delivery time. She is now claiming the item is used. I asked for photos and they are not of my hair and not the condition the item was sent in. I know this but I can't prove it to eBay. She wants £100 refund and has sent a string of nasty messages all morning. I have acknowledged to her that I accept that she is unhappy with the whole experience but that I felt this was too high. Privately, I feel that she is seeking compensation for the late delivery or trying her luck but I have no way of demonstrating this to eBay. I am heavily pregnant and whilst I would Ordinarily be disputing this, I am considering relenting. AIBU/WWYD?

OP posts:
Reaah · 04/06/2019 15:34

I would call eBay and out my side across first.

Reaah · 04/06/2019 15:35

Put my side across first

foreverhanging · 04/06/2019 15:36

This is why I hate selling on eBay!

crazypuglady · 04/06/2019 15:42

It’s been a while since I’ve bought or sold on eBay because I got sick of the scammers but I used to use their community boards for advice and I clearly remember that once you’ve opened a ‘not arrived’ claim with PayPal, you can’t then open a ‘not as described’ claim. It would be worth you visiting the boards to see if this is still the case because she could fall at the first hurdle.

Original poster
ZazuMoon · 04/06/2019 15:44

She has now upped the nastiness; I am allegedly a fraud selling used items as new on eBay and the whole product is now apparently covered with my 'disgusting hair' and she has never come across such an 'arrogant seller.' She has sent me ten messages today demanding the refund by the end of the day. Wow. I have truly learned my lesson not to list anything of high value on eBay.

OP posts:
oreosoreosoreos · 04/06/2019 15:46

Definitely worth calling eBay customer services to say the buyer is being abusive towards you. I've actually found them to be quite helpful at times (although sometimes you have to call a few times to get it sorted).

Walkamileinmyshoesbeforeujudge · 04/06/2019 15:47

Please report her for abuse. Ring the customer service number. They can see the messages.

JessieTalamasca · 04/06/2019 15:47

Forward all these messages on to Ebay, OP. She's being abusive and a scammer. What a cunt.

MadSweeney · 04/06/2019 15:48

Have you used the 'report buyer' function yet? If not I suggest you do. Call eBay as has been suggested, and most importantly, IGNORE HER.

foreverhanging · 04/06/2019 15:50

I would report her to eBay she sounds like a nasty piece of work !

Original poster
ZazuMoon · 04/06/2019 15:51

I've ignored the last two messages and that's when they've turned nasty. I simply stated I wouldn't be communicating except through paypal/eBay and would issue a refund when received. I've reported her for four separate violations of eBay rules.

OP posts:
Mumofone1593 · 04/06/2019 15:56

So so horrible to hear. I usually have a bad buyer every few months and it puts me off for a few weeks and then I go back to it. Alot of the times buyers sign for packages and eBay still expects me to refund them! I don't know why they seem so bias to the seller!

DontCallMeShitley · 04/06/2019 16:02

Reporting via the Report a buyer button seems to not actually do anything, however I still use it in case it keeps a record.

Please contact Ebay directly via chat if you can find the link for it, you sometimes need to go through every option, and explain everything to them.

If you feel like it there are sites that list bad buyers.

Re: using positive FB as a negative is not allowed and will be removed if reported, will also not be good on your account. Just do all the things suggested via Ebay and PayPal. Remember the important things are to keep the money, get the buyer banned if possible and when you sell cover yourself as much as poss. with photos, serial no's and every tiny thing in the description.

mcmooberry · 04/06/2019 16:04

Good for you OP and well done for standing your ground, she obviously had no intention of paying what she payed for the item and was counting on the hassle factor of returning it allowing her to get a refund from you. She sounds absolutely awful and glad you haven't given in to her. My husband once had a volley of abuse from a buyer who purchased an ipad from him and was complaining about the state of the screen. He was at work so didn't see the original message so she sent several more escalating things and demanding a partial refund until he pointed out that it had a screen protector on it since new and the screen underneath was pristine. She then had a go at him for not making that clear and causing her to get in a strop!!

DrDentyst · 04/06/2019 16:04

She's definitely out to scam you by behaving like that. She's hoping you'll refund her to get her off your back. Good luck

FabulouslyGlamourosFerret · 04/06/2019 16:13

I'm enraged on your behalf! Please don't let her mug you off, the photos you took should show the condition it was in when you sold it to her. Bitch 🤬

fedup21 · 04/06/2019 16:14

Have you been through the chat process on eBay-do it all through their procedures

DeadButDelicious · 04/06/2019 16:14

I assume all these messages are through ebays messaging system? I'd report her for being abusive. She's activated the warranty, she's trying to scam you out of money. Call her bluff.

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 04/06/2019 16:18

Usually better not to enter into the emotive gameplaying and to remain infuriatingly polite and factual in the face of her tantrums. Eg, if you do reply to any of her messages
" Hi crazywoman, many thanks for you messages today. I'm so sorry to hear that you're unhappy. Please do return the item. Once I have it I will refund you in full. Many thanks,
Zazu"

Londonmummy66 · 04/06/2019 16:21

I have found that talking to ebay is helpful. If you go into the contact section and select the option for asking for advice on an ebay charge one of the options that comes up is for ebay to call you back - which is usually much faster than trying to call them. Explain to ebay that you are happy to refund if the item is returned in the condition it was when sent by you but that you are concerned it won't be as the seller says they've activated the warranty. I had this once and when the customer services team looked at the awful messages I got from the buyer they closed the case in my favour.

Summer84 · 04/06/2019 16:23

You could try getting on to chat with an ebay rep - I have done something similar in the past, as if you open a a case and email - usually their responses are automated.

Get on chat - tell them the situation, if they are also sending nasty messages - ebay will be able to see this, as they go through your messages on the site, and you never know, they might actually side with you.

Otherwise call their bluff, Tell them to open a case and send the item back, for which you will then refund the item minus postage.

I am sure you can do this.

ineedtostopbeingsolazy · 04/06/2019 16:29

I sell a lot on eBay and actually customer services are a lot better than they used to be. If you put your side across, they will look at the messages and in a lot of cases eBay have sided with me as a seller.
They won't refund before return. And if there's a problem with the item returned in some cases eBay themselves have refunded the buyer so although they get their money back which is undeserved, it didn't come out of my account.

PayPal also won't refund before return, and you can provide evidence to argue your case.

Annabella45 · 04/06/2019 16:31

This happened to me with an iPad which had ever been without a case. I knew there was no damage to it, but the buyer messaged to say he wasn’t happy as there was a ‘dent’ in the back of the iPad so wanted a partial refund. As soon as i told him to return for a full refund I didn’t hear from him again! She is really just trying her luck. Tell her to return it and you will refund on receipt of the product-I doubt you’ll hear from her again

MissMarple0203 · 04/06/2019 16:32

I would tell her that you have taken up the issue with parcel force or whoever... They will be investigating it as that was not the condition you sent it in. Tell her the process takes 30days.

Once this time frame has passed you can go NC with her because she won't be able to open a case with PayPal as there is a small window to do so.

MadSweeney · 04/06/2019 16:51

@MissMarple0203 your advice isn't sound sadly.

Firstly, these people thrive on drama. No contact is the way forward. Lying about parcel force won't help as the timeline for Paypal claims is 180 days.