eBay Complaints

[x-pack]

Where do I stand with this?....

Sold a 1:18 scale model car mint in the box on eBay. Described it as having been out of the box and as having imperfections in some of the chrome trim, so it's not 100% perfect.

Now the buyer is saying it looks like a trim piece is missing and like something has been glued back.

It hasn't. The car is as it was when I bought it from a shop years back. It's not perfect and I stressed that in my listing. It's not ****ed but there are some niggly defects if you really look close.

To be honest i've got 100% positive feedback from over 200 sales/purchases. I have no intention of giving the buyer their money back because I know how the car was listed and I know how it was sent. Will that cause me any issues? I can stand one bad feedback. Not really bothered. Obviously would rather not have one but hey ho :roll:

 

[itfciain]

eBay can't force you into giving a partial refund but they can make you give a full refund if he returns it - and to be honest this is what it sounds like he is gearing up to

Best bet for me is just to accept it - there is no point in fighting with people once they have made their mind up on things like this - and the more you drag it out the more likely you are to pick up a neg (and you'll still have to give back the money)

 

[x-pack]

Cheers Iain. Can I claim from the postal service if it's the case that something has been damaged in the post? It's insured for the full value.

I knew this sale would be hard work.

This is the original description

"Christine from the John Carpenter movie, in 1/18th scale, by Ertl.

This is the now very much sought after Ertyl 'Joyride' version of the gorgeous Plymouth Fury from the Stephen King classic - Christine.

I bought it new and have had the car out on display while the box was put away in storage. Everything is present, even the aerial is still taped inside the box. The batteries in the lights ran out years ago - I guess you just need to stick in 3 x watch batteries and away you go. The car itself is as it came out of the box. There are a couple of small imperfections on the chrome in places but that's the way it came from the factory. These are small details but I have to mention them so you know exactly what you are getting.

The box is in decent condition with very little evidence that it's been opened, but i must stress that it has been opened and sat in storage, so bear that in mind if you want an absolutely pristine, unopened 100% example.

Tonight i've just been putting it back in the box and screwing the car back to the base-plate. It all looks pretty good and, from what I can remember, it's all there. There may have been a clear band that secured the car to the packaging - if so, that's gone.

Postage will be tracked only and packaged as well as I can make it. Looking at other listings i'm not sure how they get the post in at less than £10. That must be by courier or without tracking. If you would like a courier then I guess we can arrange that, just send me a message. I will allow collection in person and if postage turns out to be less than stated in the sale I will offer a refund."


Think i listed it ok

 

[itfciain]

You can make a claim to the postal service but if you sent it Royal Mail then they have 90 days to respond and are unlikely to find in your favour unless there is clear damage to the outer packaging (which I am not sure you buer has anymore - or will help you with)

For me, cases like this are just a general 'suck it up'. The buyer may be genuinely misinformed as to what he thinks is wrong - or more likely, trying it on to get a partial refund.

In this case I have found that if you call their bluff and ask for it to be sent back then sometimes they go away. Worst case is that they do send it back (make sure you film yourself opening the box) and you sell it on elsewhere

There is just no point in arguing with the buyer - eBay WILL find in their favour and they are very likely to leave you a neg

 

[indianawars]

Oh mate, I'm sorry to hear you're having issues with a buyer. Sadly, when it comes to eBay sellers don't really have a leg to stand on. Doesn't matter how many pictures you take, how honest you are with the description, if the buyer wants to return it their find a fault. Iain's right though, just accept the return - Add the buyer to your eBay block list and add him to the SWFUK buyers to avoid list.

 

[x-pack]

I read that people ask the buyer to return at their own expense for the seller to inspect the item. If they carry on i'll do that and as Iain says, they might just go away.

If i list it again i'll just say the car is ****ed :wink: It's not though. Bloody mint :roll:

How do eBay make you pay up by the way? Do they just charge it to you as with fees?

 

[itfciain]

I read that people ask the buyer to return at their own expense for the seller to inspect the item. If they carry on i'll do that and as Iain says, they might just go away.

If i list it again i'll just say the car is ****ed :wink: It's not though. Bloody mint :roll:

How do eBay make you pay up by the way? Do they just charge it to you as with fees?

To be honest - if you don't sort it out amicably with the guy then he will open a case with either eBay or PayPal - at this point the will take the money (including the initial postage cost from your account) - there is no such thing as returning it for your inspection - they will just ask the guy to return it (at his own cost) - once returned then they will take the money that they took from your PayPal account and give it to him.

If you don't have money in your PayPal account then they will put it into negative and you won't be able to use it again unless you accept the clearing down of the balance

 

[indianawars]

I've had buyers in the past demand a partial refund for items, but I stuck to my guns and told them I only will do a full refund upon the item being returned back to me! Funnily enough non of them ever did. My guess is they were trying to scam me by get the item even cheaper.

 

[x-pack]

Bummer. Oh well. I've asked them to send me photos of the damage. See what happens. Not the end of the world. Might just get the car back and keep it. Be pissed off if they've damaged it though. If it's as I sold it then that's fine. At the end of the day all I will have lost is the postage from them returning it

...and i'm not doing a partial refund. The postage cost would be less than any refund I would give ...unless they'll take a tenner :lol:

 

[x-pack]

and now i'm really confused because the buyer has left me positive feedback :?

 

[x-pack]

...and there it is. Return requested. Just accepting it :roll:

 

[Palifan]

Sorry to hear about this and it looks like it's coming back to you. Out of interest did you receive any pics back from the buyer?

Ian

 

[x-pack]

I did. There is a piece of chrome missing on one of the tail fins that was there before I mailed it. Who knows, maybe it's rattling around in the box somewhere. Not all that bothered. Lesson learned with eBay though. Never really did much selling, mostly buying. As for the car I might just keep it.

If nothing else it's a cautionary tale for would-be sellers :?

 

[x-pack]

Can someone tell me what to do next?

The car has been returned to me and eBay seem to have intervened by placing a hold over the balance owed to the buyer in my Paypal account. There is an open return case on my eBay account where I requested the return from the buyer. Now i'm not sure if I have to pay the buyer manually or if eBay do it automatically on my behalf.

I've topped up the funds in my Paypal so there isn't a problem returning the money. Can't find any more options to end the dispute.

 

[Section 8]

I have no returns on my listings.

By accepting the return, your accepting there is something wrong with the item. I would contact Ebay claiming there are no missing parts before accepting this as you will foot the return costs. If you receive unjust negative feedback, you can ring them up and often get it removed.

Sometimes when there is a conflict of interest between buyer and seller which can't be proven either way, Ebay will refund the buyer at no cost to the seller.

 

[Section 8]

If they opened the case, it will be up to them to close the case. You'll need to contact them through the case.

Make sure you claim your fees back.

If the item returned signed for, you could claim it never arrived. If you think they have dicked you around or damaged it and sent it back.

 

[x-pack]

They did open the case, which is fine by me. I now have the car and there is a small piece missing. Whether it was something they did or something that happened in transit i guess we'll never know. But other than a normal message to the seller through the original sale there's nothing more for me to respond to. It just says the buyer needs to have the item back to me by the 28th. That's it. I can't really be arsed communicating with the buyer so might just wait to see what happens on the 28th. I guess eBay will just take the money from my account :?

The buyer already left me positive feedback which was presumably before they took the car out the box and decided there was something wrong with it. Maybe I should message them to say I've got it and could they please continue from their side.