Need to vent about dishonest buyer

[LapsedPacifist]

Nothing to be done really, but need to vent.
I sell vintage clothing on eBay, and recently sold a vintage Laura Ashley dress. It's labelled a 16, but I listed it as having a 40" bust and best fitting a modern size 14. I provided detailed measurements, as I do with all my vintage clothing.

Buyer now claims:

1. label must be a fake - NO WAY is this dress a size 16
2. Bust only measures 32-34".

Well:

1. Buyer seems completely unaware that vintage clothing sizes are considerably smaller than the equivalent modern sizes. I would expect any dress from the early 90s labelled 16 to fit a modern size 12-14.

2. I only sell vintage clothes in modern sizes 14-28 - plus-size true vintage clothing is my niche. The mannequin I use for photographing my clothes is a size 14 with a 39" bust measurement. The dress clearly fits the mannequin like a dream in the photos. If the dress was as tiny as claimed, it would be completely impossible to fit on the mannequin.

I messaged the buyer, pointing out the above, and asked for photographic proof of the measurements and have just received back photos which supposedly show the bust AND waist as measuring 32" (which is insane as it's a very waisted dress with a full skirt). It's perfectly obvious the dress has been scrunched up at the back for the photo but I can't prove a thing! Don't know what more I can do!

Am fuming. I make a point of always accepting returns, even when the dress just doesn't suit or fit well, but I expect the buyer to pay return costs. On the very rare occasions I screw up then I pay for returns or offer a partial refund. This is just taking the piss. This is the third time this month someone's pulled this stunt to avoid paying return postage. Am getting so sick of eBay - I also have an Etsy shop and never have this problem with Etsy customers.

very annoying!!!

I'm afraid that's the problem with items that are labelled as X but fit as Y...... buyers will only read and take in the parts that they want to, then moan that it doesn't fit / has been misdescribed.

There's not much you can do in this situation, I'm afraid. You can report the buyer so that if they are doing it a lot then the buyer team at ebay can take a look at their behaviour, but you always get a few buyers who regret their purchase and need to blame the seller to feel better about it. If you sell clothing then you're always going to get returns -- at least the return postage is fairly cheap!

The problem is Lauren Ashley in the 80s had a sizing all of its own

I have a size 10 dress which has a bust of 28". I actually remember taking it back because I couldnt get into it and was told at 32" bust I would need a size 14 or maybe a size 16.