Damaged goods? Really?

creased-leach

Hi all, first time on this board and a very rare ebay user these days, looking for some advice/input.

I just put a garden parasol on ebay. It was new, but I'd opened the box and checked it before listing. Asked a cheaper buy it now than others on there as I just wanted the space back, and offered postage or collection.

Two days later, it sold and I had a message from the buyer asking if they could collect, but noticed they were in the town hubby was off to to pick up his oil filter the next day. Offered the lady to have him drop it off for her, as we're about 20/30 mins from town- a good deed which would save her hassle/petrol money. We arranged for her to pay cash on delivery at hers.

Two days later, I had a polite email from her saying that she'd just got it out and it was unusable- the top was loose and damaged and could I take it back. I've only just seen the first email in my inbox along with the second, which arrived today & said "I need a refund for the damaged item I have been in touch with ebay"

Now I've not even been into ebay since completing the sale, and being the sort who would normally pay her for the inconvenience of opening the box (I'm too soft :rolleyes:) I just wanted some advice before I got in touch. Somethings just not right!

I'm bl**dy sure I checked the thing before laying it on the bench in the shed. From there it was only taken to the car by hubby.

Hubby called her to say he'd be there in 5mins, and she came out & met him at the end of the road. I'd have checked it before I parted with cash!

The day she mailed & said she'd had it out, it was p**dling down & blowing a gale- not the day I'd choose, and there was no way it would have gone up in their house.

I'm rambling- any thoughts on what to do? I'm confused at why she'd do this as a "scam"- unless she shouldn't have spent the money and has damaged it for a refund.

What do you guys think?

NeilJung

Ebay won't entertain a refund because she paid cash, so nobody can force you to refund. If she was going to scam you, she could have paid by Paypal and because there is no possible tracking in a personal pick-up or delivery all she would have to do is claim she never got the item. That means it wasn't a contrived in advance scam.

Chances are it got damaged if she had it out in a gale, or perhaps it was already damaged and you didn't check it thoroughly. Like I said, nobody can force you to refund, but she may leave a neg (if that worries you) and this doesn't sound like a scam to me.

Go round and take a look at the damage yourself and see if there's any way it could have been like that when you sold it.

sunnysea83

or maybe she didnt think you would accept paypal for a collection item and as you lived so close she thought she would be able to use the parosol for what she needed and then you would agree for her to return it! sounds far fetched but theres someone at my work who does just that with things from retail stores. i.e buys a dress she needs, carefully removes tag, wears dress, puts tag back on and returns.

some people will try anything

was the parsol expensive?

creased-leach

Thanks for your thoughts guys- one thing that crossed my mind was that it'd blown over & been damaged in the winds we had or something- it's a bl**dy huge, heavy wooden thing that'd almost take off!

I listed it for just over a tenner- which was an absolute bargain. Got it when the Tesco "glitch" was on and buying three was cheaper than buying a brolly lol. An identical one for me, a smaller black one and the one I later sold- those two were for my friend to choose between as a housewarming gift.

I think what I'll do is email & ask her for a pic of the damage- and go from there. If I bother with ebay again it's a collection jobbie, I'll insist they inspect the flippin thing myself before leaving.

sunnysea83

have u heard from buyer again