Seller left feedback then e-mailed me to say item is faulty

[Rosebud05]

Does anyone know what the best way to proceed in this situation is please?

I sold a my old pushchair by auction on e-bay in very good working order, which is was. I washed all coverings, wiped it down, open and closed it loads of times before selling. Buyer picked up on Tuesday, declined my offer of showing her how it worked, and left positive feedback. She's bought/sold +700 items.

I received an e-mail today (Sunday) saying that she was unable to collapse buggy and hence it is faulty. I'm 100% sure that it wasn't.

I've e-mailed her to say that I'm sure that it wasn't faulty (which I am - I would never try to rip someone off); is there anything else I should do?

Thanks. I'll wait to hear from her. The e-bay advice suggests contacting the person by telephone but, although I have her number, I don't want to if she's in hospital/recovering and I'd rather things were in writing.

In her feedback to my feedback she wrote "Yes, meaning I was a MUG to buy unknowingly FAULTY goods. Dishonest seller!" (verbatim) which isn't very helpful really.

Thanks to all who have held my hands over this! Never been called dishonest before in any context!

You stayed calm in your reply, no !!! and no capitals I take it? You stated the facts. People will know, trust me, they will know you are the sane one.

and don't ring her up. Blimey - the ball is in her court and she's being weird.

Ignore her and leave it. Move on x

Today's update - she left me a very long phone message AND e-mail message saying that she's had a 4 hour round trip to pick buggy up, it was supposed to be a present for someone, she feels cheated etc etc. She also mentioned that there's something wrong with the hood.

I've responded by saying that she can either return the chassis for a partial refund or all items for a full refund. Also, that she choose to bid on it, drive across London, not check it etc. Also, to e-mail rather than call me.

I this okay?

I think it's a bit weird that she won't bring it back...I mean, what does she want you to do? The first rule of refunds is that you return the item. If she was that bothered about the trip why make it in the first place for am item that presumably isn't that rare? She could have got one nearer to home. Also, she could return it to you by courier (don't suggest this, but she could) and that would be cheaper and easier than driving back with it.

You offered to demonstrate it at your house; she refused.

I can see her point that it was described as OK but presuming she's telling the truth, developed a fault once she was home. That would piss off anyone. But she must understand that you cannot seriously be expected to refund something you haven't even seen, taking her word for it; that;s just silly.

you've been fair offering either a partial refund or full refund depending on her returning part or all of it.

If I really believed her I would offer a refund of part of the cost, but only after seeing pics of the part that wasn't working; I'd really need to believe her though.

Asking her to email rather than call is always acceptable. I left our old number on ebay by mistake and was really pleased I'd forgotten to change it when a couple of awkward customers said they couldn't reach me...I left it like that I'm ashamed to say! Phone calls are not usually the bestway to sort things out, unless you want to apologise to someone.

Good luck. She knows she can't get a refund without returning it. She should have checked it before taking it. It's sad for her if she's truthful, but there's not much you can do if you're not convinced she is.

Btw - make sure you put a time limit on your offer. Otherwise she might turn up in two months when she is 'passing' and expect you to have it back. Even paypal has a six week limit.

also you could consider sending her a tenner, just to shut her up and restore relations - the requirement being she removes the feedback. She can ask for this to be done.

Wow she is being unfair. You wouldn't expect mothercare to refund you for something faulty and not bother returning the faulty item.
Something doesn't stack up with her story.

Thanks once again. My instinct is that, for whatever reason, she is having problems with the chassis. It's a Loola, so not as straightforward as most pushchairs, hence checking it thoroughly before selling it, offering demo etc etc. She's a business seller, and has +900 feedback.

I have thought about offering a partial refund just to shut her up but if she doesn't want it I would like to give it to an organisation around here who want donations of baby stuff (should have done this in the first place!). Tbh, her rudeness and long stories left on my phone about how it was a four hour round trip to pick it up and it was supposed to be a present and now babies are disappointed (I didn't ASK you to bid)are making me want to dig my heels in.

Good advise about time-limit. I'll let you know if there's an update!

There isn't really anyway of taking a photo of 'faulty part' as she says that it doesn't close properly. She pics on e-bay were of it open and she picked it up closed, so it clearly does!

I think you're right. I've never had a Loola, but if they are generally tricky to fold then it is pretty likely she's just annoyed with it but there's no fault.

I remember buying a pram that was quite dear second hand, it was couriered from Scotland down here and when it came, it had a clicking brake. Every time I used it, the bloody thing clicked rapidly when the wheels were going round, like a cog was catching (it was).

I had a tremendous time trying to explain this to the seller who was full of righteous indignation about her pram. it was really hard to find a dealer as it was rare but eventually I got her to pay me towards some spare parts for the brake...it still clicked, but I felt somewhat pacified. She was well pissed off though, I don't think she believed me. But to courier it back would have been about £30 - and I really liked it!
Different situation, but it goes to show how awkward these things can be.

I then had another pram the same, which also clicked, less so but still. I think she just had never really noticed it.

I think this is the final instalment.... no messages today and (not that I'm obsessed or anything ) I've just checked her 'items for sale' and she's selling most parts of the buggy individually in 'good used condition'.

Shall I take that as a 'thanks for your all your time and offer to return but I've decided not to' then .

She's broken the buggy down into about 10 different items (inc separating the bumper from the bumper cover - is there a market for this sort of thing?!?).

She was a charmer.

My Loola is sometimes a nightmare to fold properly. I have had to sit on it on occasion

THe fact she is selling it in bits means she was trying it on imo.

I never had any problems selling it and did check it but, yes, it's not as straightforward as a Maclaren for example.

I actually don't care if she was trying it on, as long as she leaves me out of her lunatic communications.

Yes there is a market and tbh it's a standard thing to do when the item doesn't function as a unit. She might well make a loss on it, but it's sometimes the only way to get the money back - she will probably lose less this way than if she drove back to you to return it.

It's what I would do, anyway - and to me it suggests she wasn't trying it on, because if she had been, she would have sold it as it was.

Sorry - I do hope she breaks even on it, but I think you should consider sending her something as a goodwill gesture in case she doesn't.

Nobody would break a functioning buggy - so my guess is it stopped working properly once you'd sold it. It does happen and can happen to the best of us!

[buggyholic alert]

IHas she listed the chassis? If so, has she mentioned it doesn't fold properly?

That would be the defining factor.

I agree with Everett. The fact that she's selling it like that actually makes her seem genuine. Unless, of course, she's selling the chassis too!

Again, it sounds to me as if, for whatever reason, it didn't fold when she get it home. It's possible that if it was tricky to fold she broke it in the process. I know it worked when it left you but I do think I would give her the benefit of the doubt in this one.

I've also bought things from eBay that were faulty and weren't worth it financially to return.

In what further way should I give her the benefit of the doubt? I've offered her full/partial refund on return of items/item - this is the benefit of the doubt, surely?

If there's a market for buggy parts then she's fine - she got a perfectly decent buggy, rain cover and parasol for less than £40, so it's not really make or break on this months earnings.

I've asked her and, as she didn't respond, e-bay to remove her comment about me being 'dishonest' as it contravenes their guidelines (shouldn't leave positive feedback then slag someone off) and, tbh, I feel upset about being called dishonest when the buggy was sold in good faith.