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eBay

If you buy or sell items on eBay, you will find tips and advice on this forum.

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Original poster

Customer services email address

20 replies

bigbadbarry · 03/02/2014 21:19

I have a complicated situation with a buyer and need to speak to customer services. It is too convoluted to explain on the phone so I would like to send an email but can't find an address, just a phone number. Anybody know if there is one?

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 03/02/2014 22:03

no - you need to go through customer support, top right of my ebay, and take it from there to message them

what is the situation with your buyer?

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 03/02/2014 22:20

It is messy. Briefly: I made a mistake with the measurements - I realise this is entirely my fault and cannot have apologised more. Large item so we agreed the best thing was to relist it to be collected from his house. It sold again. In the meantime he has damaged the item. New seller has offered a reduced price to compensate for damage. Buyer 1 believes we should refund entire purchase price plus the cost of van hire and diesel for his journey. We agree but think he should cover the cost of the damage (which is within a tenner of his claimed travel costs, in his favour, so we proposed refunding purchase price only and writing off his travel versus the damage). He is getting nasty. He won't let buyer 2 collect the item until we have refunded in full.

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 03/02/2014 22:40

who relisted it - you or him?

You haven't even refunded him yet? Did he collect from you or did you courier it and how did he pay?

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 03/02/2014 22:50

I relisted it.
I haven't refunded him because rightly or wrongly I wasn't very happy about him having money plus item. He seemed happy with this.
He collected.
Have I done it all wrong?

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 03/02/2014 22:55

and he paid by paypal?

yep everything wrong sadly - firstly cash on collection only

he then should have returned it to you for a full refund and you should only have relisted once in your possession.

I would tell him to return it to you for a refund, and hope him and the new buyer don't both give you negs. And the second buyer, if they have paid with paypal again cash only but only when they collect from you.

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 04/02/2014 07:29

Why cash only?

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 04/02/2014 08:14

because they can claim not received and get their money back and keep the goods

If i was you I would ask them to return it, refund the paypal - hope the 2nd buyer is still interested and ask them to arrange collection from you with cash. If they don't you will need to send a cancellation request to get your fees back. You will also need to send a cancellation to the first buyer too.

But relisting and relying on someone else for collection, and paypal after item collected - definite no nos for both of those - recipe for disaster.

And do not refund any money until after you have received the item back.

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 04/02/2014 08:25

Does your advice hold when I tell you can hire plus diesel £150 so we will be up to 300 if I go and get it from him?

OP posts:

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 04/02/2014 08:25

/van

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 04/02/2014 08:37

advice about what - paypal? I don't understand what you mean. You need your item back before you refund him and you just have to hope in the meantime he doesn't claim not received and get his money back and keep your item.

The delivery/collection of the item is irrelevant - listing an item and relying on him to sort out new buyer collecting should never have happened - you should only list if you have the item in your possession. You now risk losing your item, all the money and 2 negs on your account.

nickstmoritz · 04/02/2014 11:05

Why didn't he look and measure item when he collected? Then he would have known your original measurements were incorrect and could have sorted it then. I guess you would have had to refund his travel for your error but this sounds complicated.

Wouldn't it just be easier if he paid you for the item then he kept the money from selling it again. Any difference would then have to be made up by you for making a mistake. I think you might get bad feedback though unfortunately because it hasn't gone smoothly.

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 04/02/2014 15:34

Yeah, good question and of course with hindsight we are wishing we had insisted he did :( I am past caring about feedback, just want it settled without anybody feeling ripped off. He just doesn't accept he is liable for the missing parts.

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 04/02/2014 15:37

so are you going to tell him to return for a refund - that is the only way forward tbh. How long ago did he pay you? Has he opened an ebay case?

LilyBlossom14 · 04/02/2014 15:39

actually hang on - missing parts? I thought you said he had damaged it? If so then that is tough luck surely? If he has removed part of it then he has accepted it. Difficult to say though not knowing what the item is and what is now wrong with it.

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 04/02/2014 17:02

Yeah I was trying to stay reasonably anonymous. It is a conservatory and a couple of the roof panels have apparently gone missing from his garden.
My thinking is that if I bought a dress that had the wrong size label on (so it said size 14 but when I got it home was clearly size 20) then tried to return it without a sleeve, the fact that it had the wrong label is irrelevant an the shop would tell me sorry no refund.
I am now thinking I probably have to refund in full then open a case for the damage?

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 04/02/2014 17:22

no you don't refund until after he has returned it in the condition in which it was given to him, no exceptions - and you cannot open a case for the damage. Really, he should sell it on himself on his own account with the damage he has caused to it - that is the only option. Has the second buyer paid for it yet - if you refund them in full now.

how long ago did he buy it - has he opened a case himself?

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 04/02/2014 17:30

The second buyer is being extraordinarily tolerant - he hasnt yet paid but he does want it.

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 04/02/2014 17:33

well - you can't let him have it until after you have it back - you need to tell the first buyer to return it to you (and not at your own expense either). You need to inspect it and then refund - but again, his delivery costs are not your issue or problem. He checked it when he collected it surely??

have they opened a case yet? And again, when did they pay?

Original poster

bigbadbarry · 04/02/2014 17:34

He paid when he collected - a couple of weeks ago?
He has not opened a case.
I don't want it back, I want the second buyer to collect it from his house because they live close together but I live 2 hours away!

OP posts:

LilyBlossom14 · 04/02/2014 17:42

well he has you over a barrel doesn't he - you can't refund him until after the buyer has paid, and that buyer needs to pay cash and they will give the money to him. And they won't pay a penny until they see it, then will prob negotiate lower.

Sorry but this is a complete and utter mess, unless the new buyer pays the other buyer in cash for the item and the original buyer doesn't open a case against you or do a chargeback with their credit card in the future then you risk losing all the money and never having it back.

If he can't return it for a refund you don't give him back the money - and if he refuses that then he needs to sell the item he damaged on his own account. Hope it wasn't lots of money because I think you will lose out the way it is heading.

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