Buyer wants refund and P+P for items that's too small.

scottishchick27

Hi, I sold a jacket on Ebay that I said was age 3. I put it in the category age 3-4 as they don't have a category age 3 only. I bought it in Turkey and it was size 116. It was a size too small for my daughter who is 4. A lady bid and won the jacket for £11. I have just had an email from her saying that it was advertised as 3-4 years and it is too small for her son. It said age 3 on the title of my auction and was in the first line of my description. I offered her money back but now she wants her postage back that I charged her to send it and postage to send it back to her. What should I do? Is she entitled to this? Will I get my fees back from ebay and paypal?

leebarton

I have just refunded someone who bought a skirt from me and found it to be faulty. I refunded her extra postage as well because I didn't want to get into an argument over it. I will not get fees back from ebay, but have from paypal as this automatically happens with a refund.

Your situation is different, and I would think that you would be fine to stand your ground and say it was advertised as size 3 so the mistake is hers. You are willing to give her money back, which is more than most people would do. The downside is negative feedback and whether you are prepared to take the knock.

kevinyork

scottishchick27 wrote:

Hi, I sold a jacket on Ebay that I said was age 3. I put it in the category age 3-4 as they don't have a category age 3 only. I bought it in Turkey and it was size 116. It was a size too small for my daughter who is 4. A lady bid and won the jacket for £11. I have just had an email from her saying that it was advertised as 3-4 years and it is too small for her son. It said age 3 on the title of my auction and was in the first line of my description. I offered her money back but now she wants her postage back that I charged her to send it and postage to send it back to her. What should I do? Is she entitled to this? Will I get my fees back from ebay and paypal?

People have some cheek don't they! Although listed in a category for Ages 3-4 you clearly said it was for age 3 in your listing. You have not mis-described it and as a private seller (if thats what you are) you dont have to offer her anything as you are not bound by consumer legislation. Explain to her why it was in that category (i.e. its a category for ages 3 AND 4) and that you stated it was for 3 yr olds. Let her start a Paypal dispute if she wants. Although Paypal always seem to favour the buyer I think in this case your listing will speak for itself. Worse case scenario is that she has to post the item back at her cost and will only get her original outlay refunded.

You will not get your eBay fees back (unless she agreed to a mutual agreement - very unlikely) but if it was an auction you could isue a second chance offer to the next highest bidder to stop having to relist the item. If she wins the Paypal dispute you will get you Paypal fees back.

kevinyork

leebarton wrote:

I will not get fees back from ebay, but have from paypal as this automatically happens with a refund.

If the buyer is amicable, you could issue a Mutual Agreement message which allows both of you to confirm the item has been returned for a refund and you will at least get your final value fees back. You have nothing to loose by trying this option at this stage.

scottishchick27

She says she has measured the jacket against her sons 2-3 jacket and it is smaller than that. I suppose every make is different with their sizes.

rose_sparky

scottishchick27 wrote:

I suppose every make is different with their sizes.

Therefore she should have asked you for the exact measurements.

It must be silly season.

appleblossom

suggest she re-sells it herself - I have bought a couple of things from ebay which have come up too small, but if the label says age 4 and thats what I wanted theres nothing I could - or would even try, to do about it. same as adult clothes, depening on the make I vary over 3 sizes. I wouldn't refund in this instance.

scottishchick27

julieblake wrote:

suggest she re-sells it herself - I have bought a couple of things from ebay which have come up too small, but if the label says age 4 and thats what I wanted theres nothing I could - or would even try, to do about it. same as adult clothes, depening on the make I vary over 3 sizes. I wouldn't refund in this instance.

The problem is the label doesn't say 3 it says 116 which is a Turkish size. My daughter got a jacket the next size up and she uses a size 4 so I took it that it would be a size 3.

Sponge

Someone with a child, e.g. the buyer, should be well aware of the difference in sizes of clothes. Something sold as 3-4 yrs from one shop, can be dramatically different to something from another. If professional retailers can't get it right, how is an individual using ebay?

It sounds like you advertised it as accurately as possible and if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't entertain the idea of a refund in any way, shape, or form.

hjb123

Stick to your guns. Dont refund her all the money. Let her go through a dispute - if she then won that she would have to return it via a trackable means and wouldnt get refunded for that.

I agree with the other posters it is difficult buying clothes on ebay and if they dont fit properly then tough. I had this happen to me, bought some Next clothes on ebay, my normal size of my normal jeans, advertised as brand new with ticket - thought cant go wrong - well it did they were far too small - must have been a problem at manufacture or something. I still left positive feedback for the seller and then I advertised them on ebay myself!

mishkanorman

Did you state in the listing that the jacket was "abelled size 116 which is approximately a size 3 yrs old " ?

This reminds me of when I sold a pair of 'linen' trousers, ended in a complaint as they were a 50/50 mix and not 100% linen. (i bought them as linen trousers so just went ahead and listed them as such)

Technically as you sold a jacket for age 3 years it should fit that age, the variations on european sizing is quite a lot and actually for a size 116 both the Next cataloque and la redoute seem to think that this is age 5-6 years !!

I think that your listing could have been clearer if you didnt explain about the ACTUAL size stated on the item, or stated "it fits my daughter who is 3" perhaps you could try offering a partial refund and she keeps the item ??


mishka