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Original poster

Grr-buyer wants to return item.

20 replies

ihaveadirtydog · 09/05/2014 02:32

As she's not happy with the condition.
Sold a pair of shoes-I described them as 'good condition' which I felt they were. Not pristine otherwise I would have described them as excellent. Ticked the 'used' box and put a photo on.
Tbh they sold for over what I was expecting.
Buyer took over a week to pay and only did so after prompting.
Today she's asked foru address to send the shoes back as she's not happy. My listing states that I don't accept returns and I'm not impressed at having to refund and go through selling process again.
Any suggestions? My gut feeling is she got carried away bidding and now regrets it and is trying it on.

OP posts:
HolidayCriminal · 09/05/2014 08:11

Better to accept the returns than get a strike against your account (called a defect, too many & you can lose your selling rights). Ebay will force a return, anyway if she insists. Just say you're sorry she's unhappy & please return for full refund of original sale price plus postage (she pays return postage).

Put her on your blocked bidders list, too.

Original poster
ihaveadirtydog · 09/05/2014 08:32

Yes you're right. eBay gives me the rage sometimes.
They were in perfectly good condition.

OP posts:
IFoughtTheLaw · 09/05/2014 08:33

Id wait to be chased again - she might not bother. Then refund.

LavenderGreen14 · 09/05/2014 09:54

you can't refuse the refund - and if she took a week to pay you should have opened a case on day 2 and could have closed it 4 days later.

Snowball4girlz · 09/05/2014 22:06

ASk her to return the shoes trackable and you you will check them and then issue a refund for the original selling price and original postage.

Its not your fault she does not like them so you should not have to refund the return postage.

Coffeeinthepark · 10/05/2014 09:49

Just came on here for sympathy and saw this.

Feeling very stung as I just sold some unworn baby shoes and now have a complaint from woman who says they have been worn demanding refund plus return postage Hmm this has actually ruined my morning as I am a very honest person. She says there is fluff in the velcro and some scratches on the sole! These could have happened in store. The original tissue paper is in them ffs

I don't care so much about the return thing and hate conflict so willing to suck up return postage to make it go away but I hate being accused of being dishonest. Think she has taken it a bit far in her last message where she says they are 'worn through in places' which they are categorically not

Tempted to refund her and tell her to keep the shoes to make it all go away

OwlCapone · 10/05/2014 09:51

You could try offering a partial refund given you got more than you expected for them. How long has she had them though?

Secretsquirrel13 · 10/05/2014 09:59

She would have to pay return postage so just ask her to return them and relist them

WeAreEternal · 10/05/2014 10:03

Buyers are (unfortunately) within their rights to return.
However, they are not entitled to be refunded the return postage.

I would not refund imidiatly, especially in Coffee's situation, I would ask for pictures of the claimed damage to 'compare with the multiple pictures I took before sending the item'
Quite often that alone will stop someone who is trying it on.

ConstantlyCooking · 10/05/2014 10:14

Coffee - I had this with a buyer. I sold an unworn item of children's clothing and then they complained it was stained. I was just going to say keep them and I will refund to avoid the hassle, then DH pointed that she was trying to get something for nothing. I had bought the item in an end-of-season sale then forgotten about it.Blush so it had never been worn.
After I contacted the buyer and said please return recorded delivery and I will refund both the price and postage , she emailed to say she had washed the top and would keep it! Some people are just cheeky!
Sorry for typos - I am on my phone.

Coffeeinthepark · 10/05/2014 11:20

Thanks everyone. She sent some pictures to me featuring some light wear to the shoes. The shoes were not worn by my family but it is conceivable that the wear was there when I bought them - can't remember if it was on eBay or in an outlet store some years ago. Certainly I hadn't noticed the wear before listing them and genuinely believed them to be new

I have given her a full refund and agreed that she will donate them to charity. Just so sorry it has clouded what should have been a lovely morning with my family

Original poster
ihaveadirtydog · 10/05/2014 13:11

It really gets to you doesn't it coffee. I sold some children's shoes a while ago and the buyer claimed they were too small and she couldn't see the size inside as they were so worn. This was categorically untrue - I had a photo where I could see the size. Really enraged me!

I offered her a refund if she returns them.

OP posts:
Coffeeinthepark · 10/05/2014 14:48

Almost puts me off eBay, and I thought I was doing so well with my decluttering mission. The £7 I would have made is nowhere near worth the aggravation, and probably barely worth my time. Would have done better taking them to Oxfam

I'm still smarting a bit from the email confrontation - I'm too British for this...

bonzo77 · 10/05/2014 14:58

I've given up selling on eBay after shit like this. Not worth the hassle.

glammanana · 12/05/2014 16:05

Far too many honest people are being taken for a ride with customers saying items are not as described these buyers end up with the item free of charge in most cases and it is not fair to you honest sellers trying to make a few extra £s. Just remember never ever refund until you get the items returned and you are not responsible for the return postage at any time.

Pandsbear · 16/05/2014 14:07

I once had someone get into a bidding frenzy and bought a lightly used pair of girls Jones the Bootmaker boots from me. Tons of photos and lots of info on the listing etc....but she sent a rude message and wanted to return them as they weren't as good as she thought. I just took a deep breath and said 'send them back to me' only for her to suggest 'oooh thank you maybe you could sell them as a second chance offer'. Hmmm so not that bad then?!

The next day in town I noticed Jones the Bootmaker had an offer on where new boots were pretty close to what she had paid for the second hand boots...

JenniMoo · 23/05/2014 14:41

I'm in a similar situation. A buyer is complaining about a mark I didn't notice, has sent photos of it and it is there but IMHO just the wear and tear youd expect of used items and just visible in the photo. The item sold for way more than I expected (I'd bought it on eBay last year for less) and she's said she expected more for the price, but that's not my fault!

Anyway, she is saying she wants to return but doesn't think she should have to pay the return cost! Am I within my eBay rights to say she must? And that they must be recorded?

DillyBob14 · 23/05/2014 15:05

sending an item back with proof of delivery is to protect the buyer

you cannot be forced to pay the return costs - but I think if the item was marked, and you did not mention it, then you really should pay back those costs too. Why should the buyer be out of pocket for a pricey item because you omitted to mention a mark?

Tell her to return it hermes - only costs £3. Signed for waste of money as half the time the postie never bothers with a signature.

JenniMoo · 23/05/2014 15:19

It's a pair of jeans and the mark is a slightly white line where they've been folded and stored and i didn't notice it during months of wearing them so not sure I accept it's my fault or enough to make them not as described.

It doesn't look like I have any choice but to let her return it and if I don't refund in full, including her return postage, she will most likely just leave negative feedback :(

DillyBob14 · 23/05/2014 15:44

you can't refuse a refund - if you do a buyer will just eBay to force it and will certainly neg and leave very damaging low stars too.

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