Buyer has concerns - should I refund?

[sybilfaulty]

Hello

I have just sold a brand new Boden Coat on Ebay for £26. I described it as mossy green as that's the colour I thought it was and the picture was an accurate representation of what it was like colourwise. I also said Size 16 as that is what it was labelled. I bought it in a sale a few years ago when I was pg but it did not fit me after I had the baby so has never been worn.

I sent it the day after the I was paid along with my standard "I hope you like it, but please raise any concerns with me before leaving feedback" email. I specifically said in the ad that I don't do returns. Now the buyer has emailed, very politely, to say that it seems to be a brown rather than a mossy green and it may have the wrong label on it as she is a 14 and it barely closes on her.

So what should I do? Colour wise, the picture was I thought an accurate representation of the colour and I can't remember what it was sold as. As far as the size is concerned, it looked like a 16 to me but without knowing what this lady is like size wise, I can't tell. Do I have to give her a refund and relist it? I am disinclined to pay her postage back to me as I can't see what I have done wrong. Seems to me she just doesn't like it, which I can't really help.

Any advice gratefully received.

Many thanks

good morning bump

Well....it's a tricky one.

One one hand, the colour is the colour. If you said it was mossy green and it could be seen to be mossy green, then where is the argument? As for the size, the label says 16, and there are no standardised measurements for sizes so that's that.

On the other hand, as far as she is concerned, it is a different colour and doesn't fit.

You could ask her to measure the coat and then compare to Boden's sizes on the website to give a definitive answer for the size issue.

The problem is that as a buyer she can leave you negative feedback and if she paid by paypal, if she disputes they will side with her, they always do.

Mossy green is a browny green is it not??

A label says 16 so it is 16 some sellers may say a large 16 or a smaller 16 but not all.

Its not your fault if the coat doesnt fit her.

Tell her she shouldn't eat so many pies and is obviously a 14 in the way Dawn french (love her though I do) maintains she is a 16. (my arse)

Depends how bothered you are going to be about poss neg feedback really. You ahven't done anything wrong, she should suck it up after all she bought it from ebay not boden.

Bucharest, I see your size 16 Dawn French and raise you a size 12 Vanessa Feltz

I put mossy green to show not bottle green. It was a bit like a Barbour in terms of green - dull and earthy rather than bright and cheery green. It was double breasted so not good for the larger busted person. Hence why I am selling it.

I suppose neg feedback is inevitable though. Really annoying as I did say no returns, there is nothing actually wrong with it and she clearly just doesn't like it.

Even if the neg f/b is a given, you can appeal to ebay. I certainly would in this case. Moss green is kind of brown-green and you didn't sew the label in.

That said, that price for a Boden coat isn't that much. You could get it back and start again?

Thanks Bucharest. I think I am too old and tired for a fight, so will get her to send it back and re list. It is a really nice coat and £26 was a steal for it.

If you search completed listings under boden coat 16 it's there - fur collared one.

If you do let her return, I would definitely not be refunding her return postage costs. Also, insist the coat be returned recorded post to cover yourself if it should go missing.

I recently sold a BN Boden coat for £40 (last Winter catalogue). Others were going for up to £25 more for exactly the same coat. You never can tell how much you're going to get but hopefully, if you re-list, you'll get a bit more.

I've just read my post back and I don't think you should be refunding any of the postage costs. She is returning because she doesn't like it and as a goodwill gesture you are letting her do this. You should not be out of pocket!

Thanks Mogs. Presumably I have to refund the postage from me to her initially though as she reimbursed me effectivly for that?

Ebay is a funny one. The same day I sold a boden skirt which was lovely but used, and that only went for a £1 less than the brand new coat!

I wouldn't refund either postage
She is returning it as it doesn't fit her and you are doing her a favour

It looks a dull green brown in the pics

OK I will email her without offering either postage. Thanks for the advice.

I wouldn't refund either postage. Yes, she did pay for the postage but you've already spent that on sending her the coat. It hasn't gone into your pocket. Like EldonAve says, you're doing her a favour by letting her return it.

The prices some people (including myself !) will pay is quite puzzling sometimes!!

I hope she is pleasant about returning. I sold a pack of pyjamas a few years ago and the buyer was so nasty in her emails. There was a problem with them but I had sold and sent them not knowing about it. I offered a full refund for the item plus both sets of P&P and she was still rude and horrible.

How did it go?