help! Think I'm about to get my first crap ebay experience

[hettie]

So I sold some nice leather boots- used what I consider slight wear. Buyer asked me to specificaly check the heels to see if they needed reheeling (quite a snotty email so I should have seen it coming). But I only got her email after she had sucesfuly bid on them and replied saying no don't think so (because although worn I wouldn't have reheeled them at this point). So she got the boots (which she paid £1.57 plus postage for btw) and has sent me a shitty email saying she is not happy, my listing was inacurate to say slight wear and I said they didn't need reheeling.....
I don't have a refunds policy specificaly on page, frnakly she can have the boots for free but I'd really much rather not pay postage, can i do anything....

take it on the chin - apologise - refund her money and ask her to leave positive or no feedback. otherwise your stars will be knocked down and she'll leave crappy feedback and people look at that. but do it all through ebay messaging so you have a record. Also - don't admit you are wrong (not that you are) but just say ambiguos phrases like "sorry you are not happy" etc.

that's what i'd do - not very nice thign to happen, but for the sake of X amount of money, I think it's better to go down this route than get negative feedback.

Don't mention feedback in your email.

Just refund her money and say

Hi there, really sorry that you feel the boots were mis described, I have refunded your original payment and would ask that you keep the boots as a gesture of goodwill.

Once again apologies for any inconveninence caused.

That should do it I think.

How about if you offer to refund the money for reheeling (assuming you got more than that amount for them) based on what you would pay locally?

mme it's hard isn't it- becasue on the one hand I don't want crappy feed back... but on the other hand they are used boots- so I am finding it a bit much for her to say the heel needs replacing and I misled her (maybe she's an avid re-heeler who re-heels at the slightest sign of wear who knows...). Have taken everyone's suggestions on board (thanks experienced ebayers!) and suggests she returns them for a refund if she's not happy- would bloody well have blocked her from bidding if I'd seen the first email in time (you know when you can just tell some ones goign to be a pain?)

I had a similar thing when I sold one of my DD's dresses. I asked the women to return it and refunded her on receipt of it. There was no way I was letting her keep it, I would have sooner took it down the charity shop!

I think that sometimes buyers chance their luck that you will just refund to avoid getting negative feedback.
I sold a beautiful flower girl dress last year, and they complained that i had mis-described and that it did not fit, so they wanted a refund. I had to point out to them that i could only go on the size label in the dress, which i had photographed, and maybe they should complain to the shop diectly!
I never heard back from her, and they left a glowing feedback.

Stick to your guns.