Sealed beauty product apparently smells

[eBayschmeBay]

Hello, I've just sold a beauty product, posted within hours, they've received it quickly but now I have a message saying they're not happy. It was a sealed tube and apparently they've unsealed it to find that it smells "off". They said it's unusable and they can't afford to lose that money.

Please can I have advice on what I'm supposed to do? I paid out for postage so I'm not keen to refund fully as I'll lose out completely, even though I feel bad for them that they are not going to get use of it.

As far as my sale goes, I listed it as sealed, it arrived sealed, it has no dates on it (just the usual jar symbol to say it can be open for 12 months) and I obviously didn't know there was anything wrong with it, but from their point of view, they've received something they say they can't use as it doesn't smell nice.

What's the protocol here? I also included a % to charity in the sale - I don't know if that affects the refund in any way. I feel like a partial refund would be fair but I don't even know how to begin with that - what's the "official" route?

Bumping for any help this morning!

Can you ask them to send it back to you and once you receive it refund it? That's what I've always done if someone hasn't been happy for whatever reason.

Get them to send it back and refund once you’ve received it. Don’t refund without it! You can offer to reimburse postage if they won’t send it back without.

How would you feel about having to pay for the postage and return for a product that was faulty?

I'd send them a few pounds for postage and refund the rest when you receive it. The charitt donation is on you.

It's unfortunate but always a risk when selling things on eBay etc - hopefully it's a one off!

You'll have to refund once it's returned to you, paying postage to get it back.

It's not their fault.

The issue with them returning is that I then am even more out of pocket and all I get back is an unsealed product I'm going to bin. Money is tight so it's not worth paying more to send it back. Looks like I'll just have to be out of pocket and refund the whole thing, if a full refund is what everyone else would do anyway.

Just make them send it back, they pay the postage back that is eBays policy. Once you receive back you have to refund them the postage and the item cost. They open an case in dispute centre. You will be refunded fees and the charity bit will be sorted took. It's annoying, why I've given up eBay.

Personally I feel people do 'this' or say they haven't received something, so you say keep the item, here is a refund. CFs

Actually you don’t HAVE to do anything. eBay will likely side with the buyer because that’s just what they do, but no one has a right to return or exchange an item which has been sealed for hygiene purposes. If you were a large retailer I expect you’d probably take the product back and offer to send it for testing to see why it’s not right along with a swap as a gesture of goodwill, but since the seal is broken then retailers aren’t actually obligated to do anything. Even the “distance selling” regs don’t apply to products which have a temper proof seal which has been broken. See this www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/i-want-to-return-something-bought-online and go to “exemptions”.

eBay will likely side with the buyer and force a return and a refund at your cost unless you offer to simply refund without returning it to you (which, the cynic in me says, is likely what the buyer wants anyway. To get their money back and still have a product to show for it). But eBay aren’t exactly known for their adherence to consumer rights (or even law!) so I guess it’s up to you what you want to do. Personally I’d say you’ll refund when you’ve received it back and hope that they sack the idea off if they’re just taking the piss.

Just make them send it back, they pay the postage back that is eBays policy

No it isn’t.

The buyer is saying the item is faulty, so unfortunately it’s up to the seller to cover the return postage.

OP, unfortunately, all you can do here is ask her to open a return request with eBay and refund her when you receive it back.

Thanks all, it's sorted now.