eBay buyer requested refund

[sunshineandthunder]

I sold an item and declared it was 'well worn' in the description. I also included a several photographs.

Buyer has contacted me for a refund today as they said the item wasn't fit for purpose due to the wear and tear I had declared.

Where do I stand?

If the buyer opens a return request you will have no choice but to

A - Pay for the return postage to get the item back.

Or B - Refund the buyer without them sending the item back.

You can ask eBay to adjudicate but they tend to side with the buyer, so it’s really not worth it as if you lose it will leave a defect on your account, and also means the buyer is more likely to leave you a negative feedback.

Unfortunately “well worn” is a subjective term. To others it may mean “not new but still wearable” but to others it might mean fit for the bin.

Just had something similar via FB sales. Item described as usable but tatty, pictures provided & price reflected this. Buyer decided it was missold & contacted paypal.

After a bit of toing & froing - including me offering a refund but i wanted the item back at their cost - they sent it to paypal who decided in my favour. If you can prove that you haven't misled the buyer & therefore they cannot claim the item was 'missold' you should be okay

PissedOff PayPal tend to look at the bigger picture more than eBay.
If the buyer has opened an eBay case rather than a paypal one then they will decide in the buyers favour and the seller does have to pay for the return.

Unless there is really compelling evidence, but this doesn’t seem to be the case going by the OP.

Item description & photos is usually taken into account. If OP has shown the condition of the item in photos it isn't being missold

PissedOff that’s not how eBay works, unfortunately.

Only passing on my experiences. The one time i had to return an item on eBay i was made to cover the cost.

You will have to pay the return costs if it’s a non fault return (ie a change of mind, or just didn’t like the item).

If the buyer opens a return based of the arguement that the item has been Mis sold and eBay approve the return (which they do almost all of the time) then the seller is always responsible for return postage, in the form of providing a pre paid returns label, of which the cost is added on to their eBay fees.

PS unless your return was a while ago but the current rules have been in place for at least 3 years now.

Return was 6 months ago, i felt the item had been missold. It was pretty boik tbh. Seller showed photos & description, eBay sided with the seller. I got a refund on the basis that I covered the postage cost to return the item. The seller even relisted it with the same bloody description 🙈

This is why I have stopped selling on EBay - a beautiful, unworn, in perfect condition Mulberry jumper which cost a small fortune when purchased was returned to me by a buyer with two large holes in it and a large, visible foundation mark on the collar. I sent EBay close up photos of it taken before dispatch as I have had bad experiences before but the buyer still won the case she initiated against me, claiming it was damaged on arrival. I don't even wear foundation

Friends and family have had similar. My brother had to refund the money for a phone he sold after the buyer claimed it had never been delivered, despite the Post Office providing proof of delivery..I know there are some dodgy sellers out there but EBay's default now seems to be to automatically find in favour of the buyer.

😡 I'll offered a partial refund (half) and buyer has declined. I'm tempted to tell her just to keep the fecking item and refund her. Her messages have been less than polite despite her acknowledging my listing was honest. I presume she has changed her mind but I can't be arsed with the hassle when eBay will find in her favour anyway (& she knows it). Grrrrr!

Don't do that OP as it means yet again that these fickle - or in my case, downright dishonest - buyers get away with it. Can you not just accept her return of the item? I know it's a real kick in the teeth to have to pay her postage but you will have retained the moral high ground.

I re-listed the horribly damaged Mulberry jumper complete with photos that showed what a mess it was. Amazingly several people bid on it and I got a few pounds although only a fraction of the original selling price The purchaser that time around was lovely and posted nice feedback saying she would enjoy repairing it and making it like new.

I still don't sell on EBay any more though - too many chancers and fibbers out there. Final straw for me was receiving extraordinarily abusive emails from a woman I had sold a pretty tee-shirt of youngest DD's to. It was in lovely condition but she said it was 'filthy' and 'tatty' on receipt..she had paid £1.25 for it.. EBay still found in her favour despite seeing the photos I had taken plus her appalling emails to me which contained horrible language. I suspect she was well versed in how to use the EBay system.

In that case she kept the tee shirt and I had to refund her what she paid for it including the postage charge. Ridiculous I know but I was so outraged at the injustice of this that it made me feel quite ill. I get that I over reacted but how I despise these people who manipulate others' decency to get something for free!

I know, dancing! I feel totally aggrieved but can't be bothered with the hassle. I'm really not well at the moment and could be doing without this. It's a high end item that's worn at the heels but uppers in great condition. Was described and photographed as such.
Buyer is being pedantic saying not fit for purpose and arguing the toss. I agreed to refund half as this would have covered a repair. I have a feeling she'll arse about returning so am ready to back down - in 14 years of selling I have never had anything like this. It pisses me off I've to pay postage so I'd rather she just bloody kept/binned/put them to charity!! I'd be absolutely gutted about a Mulberry jumper being wilfully damaged, that is just spiteful and dishonest. Think my eBaying days may be coming to an end - if I felt I'd have their back up I'd stick with it.

I've recently sold some Primark girls shorts, and the buyer requested a refund stating "too small". I state no returns but in the end I've just had to accept them, even though they the label states the size in the advert...