No hope? Fraud

[pamplem0usse]

I sold a dress for £120 to a buyer in the U.S. Three weeks after receipt she's opened a case saying the fabric composition was not as listed and that it was "well worn" (listed as new without tags)! I've genuinely never worn it. I paid for it to be dry cleaned as I wanted it pressed as there had been a slight crease from hanging in my wardrobe. The listing stated this and the crease was gone! The buyer has uploaded a photograph of a completely different dress (black and a different size!) that says polyester (I have a photo of the label saying silk). I'm still going to lose aren't I? I'm expecting either not to get it back and lose the money or for it to be trashed as she's worn it in the intervening three weeks. So cross and the money was a fund I've been saving to pay for some private medical treatment for my baby daughter :(

Hi OP - I don't usually say that but I would fight this, especially if it's clear the photo that she has uploaded is different to the one in your listing.

However if you do, make sure after you've uploaded your statement, that you telephone eBay and speak to a actual person to put forward your argument.

Even if you lose, then then all that will happen is that the buyer will be ordered to return it for a refund, and I don't THINK you can be forced to pay return postage for international sales. Postage from the USA is extortionate, so this will most likely put her off returning it, and ultimately you having to refund.

Surely your listing shows the dress and what colour it is?

Hi OP,
Just a thought – could the buyer have opened a case with the wrong seller, and the black dress is something she has bought elsewhere?
You can use both the Advanced Search and her feedback page to try and establish what else she has bought recently, and it could be that she is happy with your dress and was intending to open a case with the seller of the black dress that she uploaded the picture of.
Fingers crossed for you that it is a simple mistake
Andrew.

Thanks everyone. I'd love to think it was a mistake but unfortunately she wrote "it looks black but it's really red it's just the light" or something along those lines to accompany the photograph! It's quite clear that the size is different though, too. I had a bad hunch about the sale (messages before I even sold the dress) in advance and am kicking myself not for having gone with my instinct. I've already spoken to someone on the phone but apparently as she registered with eBay Spain it has to go via that, bizarrely!

This is complicated and you need to speak to someone. Do not refund anything. Message buyer politely to say you do not agree and will be contacting ebay CS to resolve the issue. Do your original pictures and description have all the details including fabric content etc? Do you have receipt from dry cleaner? All evidence is helpful. It appears to be dodgy and you can also report the buyer. Look at their fb esp fb left for others. Use the CS phone or call back not the instant messaging, it is better.

Yes all the details are in the description including that it had been professionally cleaned and the material content. I have the dry cleaners bill on my bank statement and I'm sure they would give me a copy of their reciept (they keep a duplicate reciept book). I spoke to the customer services but they said I had to wait for a message from eBay Spain, where the user registered initially, and they want me to fund a return postage label as well as accepting the return. Sorry for the whinge im besides myself with stress generally (baby just recovered from septacemia now requiring treatment for a chronic gut issue, I'd just let it go if it wasn't such a lot of money :( ).

No do not refund yet. She has uploaded a picture of a different dress! Did you send those ebay pictures and your original ones?

This is the reason I've stopped selling things on eBay, I sold something to someone before the item was in new condition, when the buyer recieved the item they put a hole in it and asked me if they could have it for half price

I made them return the item for a refund! eBay and PayPal 98% of the time side with the buyer