Will I really have to refund?

[Fairyliz]

Hi I advertised a dress something like this (not actual listing):

Heading said : - NEXT Prada style dress
Brand :- NEXT

Buyer has got in touch with me three weeks later to say she wants a refund as she thought it was a Prada dress.
Unfortunately the only options on the screen seem to be to give her a full refund.

Given that it says it is a NEXT dress and it was only £10 I am not sure how she thought she was getting a Prada dress. However I am not sure what to do next. If I just reply no will ebay refund anyway?

Thanks for any advice.

I'm surprised the listing didn't get taken down. eBay don't allow people to use titles like that for this very reason. It contains misleading information and keyword spamming

When I had this I had the option to message back and/or give a partial refund. I had clearly stated in the description the make of the dress and they had take it as something else (although I hadn’t put that it was like something else)
I took screenshots of the listing and sent them back to the buyer, eBay did not make me refund her.

Unfortunately yes you will have to refund. Ebay by the way normally doesn't allow descriptions like that to be used because they are misleading

In ebay speak the word style in the middle is usually shorthand for fake, why you didnt just put Next dress and let the buyer decide if it was like a prada one i dont know because a next dress is not a prada one, you have no choice but to refund but make sure you get the dress back first so you can list it correctly next time

Thanks for advice looks like I will have to refund.

Just for information how would you advertise a particular style of dress? E.g I am sure after the royal wedding in May lots of bridal companies bought out dresses similar to Meghan Markle's. If you were selling a second hand dress from one of these companies how would you advertise it so that people looking for this particular style could find it?
I am assuming from what posters have said you couldn't put 'Meghan Markle Givenchy style wedding dress'?

I disagree- the title says Next Prada style dress. I don’t see why you should have to give a refund

You only have to refund if she sends the item back. If the item was not as described, you would have to fund the return postage. However, it sounds like you described it adequately. Don't refund unless eBay ask you to.

I hope you don’t have to refund OP. The buyers inability to read a description shouldn’t be your problem.

The buyers inability to read a description shouldn’t be your problem
True, but, in this case eBay are quite explicit you can’t use another companies brand name to describe your item ‘in the style of....’. Historically some companies (Mulberry and Ugg being two I can remember) have employed people to trawl eBay for this kind of description and inform eBay they need to have the listing removed. Which they have done.
In the OPs last msg, the answer on how to describe that kind of dress would be something like (sorry don’t know what her dress actually looked like) ‘wedding dress, satin, column with train and boat neck’ (or whatever it was). You can say ‘Meghan’ you cannot say ‘Givenchy’

No you can't do this, it's search manipulation and against eBay rules. I'm also surprised the listing wasn't taken down but unless someone reports it eBay likely don't see it.
You'll have to refund if it escalates eBay will refund the buyer anyway because your listing has a policy violation in it.
You'd be better to ask for a return which you'll have to pay for and refund because if eBay look at it you may get a warning on your account.

Update for anyone interested.
I refunded and the dress was returned clearly worn (it stank of their perfume). I did wonder why they took two weeks to raise a case.

So it looks like this is a thing now, buy a dress for an occasion, wear it and return saying not as described and get your money and postage back.

I don't there is any point going back to ebay.

I would go back to ebay over this. They don't just need buyers, but also sellers. If sellers are all unhappy and go elsewhere, ebay can pack in. I would make a complaint about this buyer and block her on your account so you don't have to deal with her again.