Ebay Help, Buyer wants refund

[AideyM]

Any thoughts woulld be appreciated on this.

I recently sold a car stereo, it made £40, so not big money here.
The buyer stated it arrived not working, even though it was unused and had only been removed from the box.

He asked for a refund, which I agreed to, after I received it back

He then sent a message saying he had had to cut wires to make it fit his car and would it still be ok to return it. A bottle of red and a nights company with my girlfriend made me agree to this.

Last night he contacted me stating that I had left the cage on the unit and that he had had to remove it from his car with a screwdriver and it was now scratched, could he still return it. As I had not had a bottle or red or a night's company I have declined to do so.
I feel that cutting the wires and the general bodgery of his methods have probably led to the unit failing and as he has rendered it unsellable I don't want it back.

I have contacted Ebay, who say it is nothing to do with them and a "friendly chat with the buyer " should resolve it . I think that it will end in negative feedback or worse

AmI right, wrong, mean etc

 

[asterix]

What if you get it back and can make it work? Having refunded the money.

 

[AideyM]

What if you get it back and can make it work? Having refunded the money.

If I get it back with cut wires and scratches I can't sell it as new and it will be devalued to the point where it would be bin fodder, it was only worth £40 in the auction when it was unused, uncut and unscratched

 

[PBancroft]

Tell him its not in a fit state to resell at the same price. Offer him this - sell it again on eBay, and give him whatever that auction makes as way of a refund. If it gets more, he's quids in, but if it gets less so be it.

Also, I think people get too concerned about negative feedback.

 

[dan_bo]

Tell the buyer to stuff it. He/she wouldn't be able to expect a refund from a shop with it in that condition would they?

 

[DJ]

Heres one of my e-bay stories if it helps, I bought a second hand bike frame, not much money about £40 I started building it up and realised the frame was wrong for what I wanted so sold it again, it sold for about the original purchase price. I sent it to the buyer who I gathered was quite a young man and he soon contacted me and said the frame arrived broken, he sent pictures and I agreed to a refund a conversation then ensued where by he was being quite pushy for his refund and kept aluding to wether he could trust me! I got the impretion he presumed I was going to rip him off!
Well TBH I wasn't mad about his e-mails and became more reluctant to curtow to his bullying tactics so in return for the refund I asked him to send me back the nice old retro front mech which had been on the frame all along, this tactic worked as the ball was in his court and he had to trust me in order to get his money, which he duly did once I received the front mech.
He later sent me an e-mail thanking me warmly for the return of his money, by then it was too late for us to leave feedback on e-bay but the outcome was positive all around.
I don't know how this helps you, but I thought I would share it anyway!

 

[XmisterIS]

Asking him to send you photos of it is a good idea.

Once I was the target of an attempted EBay scam - I sold a professional mic unit to a chap and thought nothing of it. A few days later, he sent an email back saying "it doesn't work, it arrived with a crack in the amp unit, can I have my money back please". I was suspicious to say the least (I had packed it incredibly well) - so I asked for photos to show the damage. I then got a whole string of excuses as to why he couldn't take a photo, then he started getting abusive over the phone. During one conversation, I said, "It hasn't got a crack in it, has it, you just want to scam me out of my money, don't you?" After a good rant, he hung up. Never heard back from him, never got any feedback from him, positive or negative.

 

[AideyM]

I had no issues with refunding originally. We agreed he could send it back and I would refund. I'm not to £40 and I don't need hassle.

It was only after we agreed that he started adding to the story, that he had wilfully damaged it.

I reckoned he had popped the fuse by crossing wires and it would be an easy fix, but now it isn't worth fixing, who wants a cheap damaged stereo after all?

I guess I'll have to take the neg feedback and live with it. I just hope he isn't 6 foot and nasty, he only lives 20 miles away and without a working stereo I won't hear him coming

 

[rodgy-dodge]

How did you word your Add! if you put down all the spec and any blips and your description was spot on with really good photo's, then I would say it was his responsibility to check it would fit. He may have wired it up wrong! and it sounds like he's been a bit ham fisted with it. With E-bay you have to be spot on and truthful if you don't want your item refunded and returned. Always state that your not responsible for any damage due to mishandling in the post. Make sure you parcel well, usually the post office will tell you if its not! If your prepared to take items back you must state that it has to come back in the condition it was sent. This clearly isn't coming back how it was sent! Never give a refund until you've recieved it back.

 

[asterix]

If I get it back with cut wires and scratches I can't sell it as new and it will be devalued to the point where it would be bin fodder, it was only worth £40 in the auction when it was unused, uncut and unscratched

Exactly. The buyer is almost certainly not competent but why should you take the hit? Tell you will take it back but will need to make a £45 refurbishment and packing charge.

 

[benb]

If it was just a case of it not working, then yes he deserves a refund.

However, it looks like he ****ed up the installation, so no dice.
Tell him to poke it, and live with the negative feedback.

 

[chillyuk]

How do refunds work when Ebay or PayPal organise it for a buyer. I bought a couple of Skoda car badges a while back but never received them and was ignored by the seller. I complained to PayPal and they were good and I received a refund from PayPal very quickly after the vendor didn't respond to them either. Who would stand the loss. Would it be PayPal or would PayPal make a charge against the vendors card or PP account?

 

[Downward]

How do refunds work when Ebay or PayPal organise it for a buyer. I bought a couple of Skoda car badges a while back but never received them and was ignored by the seller. I complained to PayPal and they were good and I received a refund from PayPal very quickly after the vendor didn't respond to them either. Who would stand the loss. Would it be PayPal or would PayPal make a charge against the vendors card or PP account?

Was it g40accessories by chance ?! I am waiting for some badges from December 15th !!

Anyway if the buyer pays using paypal they can do a claim and paypal refund them the money and take it from your money.

This has happened to me twice having sold an IPOD and a phone both which the buyers said were faulty. Both which were sent back to me and magically worked.

Paypay force the sellers hand by offering buyer protection and a no questions asked refund policy leaving the seller the one losing out.

 

[redjedi]

Any thoughts woulld be appreciated on this.

I recently sold a car stereo, it made £40, so not big money here.
The buyer stated it arrived not working, even though it was unused and had only been removed from the box.

He asked for a refund, which I agreed to, after I received it back

If that was really the case then I would give a refund once the unit was received back.

He then sent a message saying he had had to cut wires to make it fit his car and would it still be ok to return it. A bottle of red and a nights company with my girlfriend made me agree to this.

Last night he contacted me stating that I had left the cage on the unit and that he had had to remove it from his car with a screwdriver and it was now scratched, could he still return it. As I had not had a bottle or red or a night's company I have declined to do so.
I feel that cutting the wires and the general bodgery of his methods have probably led to the unit failing and as he has rendered it unsellable I don't want it back.

I have contacted Ebay, who say it is nothing to do with them and a "friendly chat with the buyer " should resolve it . I think that it will end in negative feedback or worse

AmI right, wrong, mean etc

But as he has admitted to damaging the unit, tell him you can no longer sell it as new and you will not be refunding it.
I'm not sure how paypal refunds work, but he shouldn't be able to demand a refund as he's damaged the unit himself.

 

[AideyM]

Thanks for the replies.
I am loathed to refund as I am 100% certain, that I am not responsible for the condition of the item, the packaging or "making him have to use a screwdriver" and him "having to cut a wire" to make it fit.

I will let eBay and paypal deal with it and if they force a refund then I will abide by their decision. I've been on ebay for 10 years with 100% feedback on 350 transactions. I do consider myself honest and fair and I have refunded in the past.

with eBay taking 10% of the final value and charging @ £2 per insertion, I think my ebaying selling days are drawing to a close anyway.