Sold a laptop on ebay...

lily-bea · 5 July 2011 at 5:19PM

Hi everyone

Hope your all well!

I really need some help, because i'm so scared!
I sold my old laptop on ebay back in May and about a week after it i sent is, the buyer said that it didn't work properly.
I got my manager at work to check it over for me before i even listed it on ebay, as i'm rubbish with computers and he is brilliant.
The buyer started a item not as described through paypal, which eventually timed out as the buyer didn't reply in time.
Today i received a very nasty email from the buyer saying i had 72 hours to refund them or they will claim the money back by their credit card! They also mention that they have video evidence of when someone took the laptop apart to look inside, and will be happy to take me to court.
I'm so scared i don't know what to do!
I know for a fact that it worked fine when i sent it, and i dread to think what condition it will be in if they send it back to me.
They money they paid for it is a lot of money to me and i just can't afford to refund after 2 months! I needed the money to pay bills!
I'm so scared please help me!
Thank you!

go_cat · 5 July 2011 at 5:32PM

Has the SNAD been closed by paypal / ebay then in your favour ....if so there is nothing they can do.

Are you absolutely sure it couldn't have been damaged before it went or in the post - is yur manager qualified at computing ?????

lily-bea · 5 July 2011 at 5:43PM

Hi
The dispute timed out...i think they stay open for 1 month or something, then if the buyer doesn't escalate the dispute to paypal, then the dispute closes.
He's not qualified, he's just brilliant with computers. The buyer says the mouse and the full stop doesn't work. I checked it when i got it back from my manager and the mouse worked fine and the full stop! I put about a 2 inch layer of bubble wrap around the laptop it's self, so i'm guessing it couldn't have been, they didn't mention the box was damaged or anything.
What will happen if they claim back their money via their credit card company? I don't know how it works!
Thank you

Crowqueen · 5 July 2011 at 5:47PM

It might have been damaged in the post (laptops are pretty delicate things when in the hands of a postal service not noted for its sensitivity to fragile objects), in which case you are still responsible for it, but they shouldn't have taken it apart - they should just have asked to return it for a refund (which you should have agreed to in my opinion). It may be the case that this meant that the dispute timed out. It's a risky business selling online and this is part of what you sign up to when you use eBay, I'm afraid.

A credit card payment might insure them though, so . The problem with this is that unless the buyer is satisfied with the item, it's rash to assume that the money should not be returnable to them - particularly in the case of items like electronics, which can be close to the end of their life when someone sells them (I've bought more than my fair share of s/h duds and now only ever buy new, even if I have to save for months beforehand). If the money means a lot to you, then it also possibly means a lot to the buyer as well, who doesn't have a working item to show for it.

They may have let the dispute time out because they didn't want to or couldn't return the item, and I don't know enough about credit card reversals or insurance on payments to advise you further.

Crowqueen · 5 July 2011 at 5:48PM

lily-bea wrote: »

Hi
The dispute timed out...i think they stay open for 1 month or something, then if the buyer doesn't escalate the dispute to paypal, then the dispute closes.
He's not qualified, he's just brilliant with computers. The buyer says the mouse and the full stop doesn't work. I checked it when i got it back from my manager and the mouse worked fine and the full stop! I put about a 2 inch layer of bubble wrap around the laptop it's self, so i'm guessing it couldn't have been, they didn't mention the box was damaged or anything.
What will happen if they claim back their money via their credit card company? I don't know how it works!
Thank you

Bubble-wrap doesn't always protect items that well - you may need to have wrapped it substantially better. Plus no damage to the box means nothing - electronics components, such as keys or chips, can come loose with jolts in transit and not work properly on arrival.

lily-bea · 5 July 2011 at 5:55PM

So what should i do?
Tell them to send it back to me and then refund? Can i do this if the paypal dispute it closed? What happens if i refund then they try and claim the money back again or something?
What happens with a credit card claim?
I'm so confused!
How can i claim through the post office if this was the issue? As its 2 months now can i do that?

newbie1980 · 5 July 2011 at 6:02PM

lily-bea wrote: »

So what should i do?
Tell them to send it back to me and then refund? Can i do this if the paypal dispute it closed? What happens if i refund then they try and claim the money back again or something?
What happens with a credit card claim?
I'm so confused!
How can i claim through the post office if this was the issue? As its 2 months now can i do that?

dont know what the law says but surely if they have not been in contact and let the paypal dipute lapse then i see that they have no leg to stand on and them taking it apart is totally wrong and they should have sent it straight back.I believe as the fact that they have left it 2 months will not help there case if they take you to court

hermum · 5 July 2011 at 6:02PM

There obviously was not a problem with the laptop if there was then they buyer would have done something more about it, not open a dispute & fail to respond.
They are trying to scare you, who the hell would open up a laptop to fix it & video themselves doing so, when all they had to do was respond to the case they had opened & pay a few quid to get the item returned & they would then have got a refund.
I'm sorry I can't help with the chargeback, hopefully you have the COP still to prove they received the item, so they won't be able to claim non receipt at least.

lily-bea · 5 July 2011 at 6:15PM

If they are trying to scare me then it's working!
I'm not sure who opened the laptop, if it was the buyer or someone in a shop.
I still have proof of posting thank goodness!
Does anyone know about credit card charge backs? Also if i refund the buyer, can they claiming the money back again through their credit card?
What if i get the laptop back and its in a state? Then where do i stand?
Help!
Thank you everyone by the way!