First ebay sale... am i being scammed already?

[HazeltheMcWitch]

Firstly, apols for the frequent questions!

I have just completed my 1st sale on ebay. A fragrance: on the same day of receipt by buyer, they've contacted me to say it doesn't smell like normal... Is this the beginnings of a scam?

The fragrance was sold as new, still in cello wrapper. Which it was! It was bought last week of Nov '12 in a reputable retailer with very high turnover, so there's no way it's either old stock, nor a fake.

How would you respond?

TIA.

I think you'll have to ask them to return it to you and refund plus postage. It could be genuine.

Not what you want to hear, but it sounds like you are starti g a business and you'll need positive feedback.

Suck it up this time and hopefully it won't happen again.

Just a thought, what are their transaction ratings like?

I'm so not starting a business! I was just bought 2 of same fragrance for Xmas, and another for my birthday just before, and would never use all of it! I was hoping to sell the odd thing here and there - but an average of 2 things per month! And if I don't sell anything else, it's really no bother.

Their transaction ratings are fine. Mine are obviously very very low, with purchases only.

But if the fragrance is returned to me, it's now been opened. So is pretty worthless. Also, it could easily be swapped for a fake, and I'd have no way of proving. Is this the downside of ebaying?

could you return it to where you bought it?

It was bought in the states, and I am in the UK.
There is no way it is old stock. Hence my suspicions.

difficult call to be honest - your buyer could be honest, not everyone is a scammer, though I can understand why you would feel like that

If I were you I would kindly ask them to return to you and once you have checked your security marks you will refund

They don't know you haven't security marked it and this may prevent them trying to scam you, if that is their intention.

I have sold perfume thats been opened and used for one test squirt. Started it at 99p and it ended up almost the new price. So if you takr it back you can still sell it on.
When it comes back can you get a test strip of it from a shop and compare them ?