have I been harsh?

Valli

received an item I bid for and won for 99p - printer ink. Seller used a stock photo of a recent package but the ink that arrived was old packaging and way out of date - 5 years!
So I left a neg because it was not listed as OOD.
Didn't contact buyer for a refund because of cost to return post.

Seller been in touch and said he would have refunded me. But I really think the seller should have paid more attention to his listing and not used a photo that, IMO, didn't represent the item sold fairly.

Have I been harsh?

(Have blocked the seller BTW)

vicshippers

A little harsh yeah, I would have contacted the seller to make them aware first just to see how they dealt with it. People make mistakes...

vicx

Valli wrote: »

received an item I bid for and won for 99p - printer ink. Seller used a stock photo of a recent package but the ink that arrived was old packaging and way out of date - 5 years!
So I left a neg because it was not listed as OOD.
Didn't contact buyer for a refund because of cost to return post.

Seller been in touch and said he would have refunded me. But I really think the seller should have paid more attention to his listing and not used a photo that, IMO, didn't represent the item sold fairly.

Have I been harsh?

(Have blocked the seller BTW)

I agree the seller should have been more careful when listing, making sure the photo was of the correct item and checking use by dates. I like to see the exact item I am buying, not stock photos.

Did the seller state a use by date on the listing? If not, it could be that he was unaware that ink goes out of date or does he sell a lot of ink cartridges?

Had you contacted the seller prior to leaving feedback, he might have accepted he was at fault and been more than happy to refund you without return of the item since it was no use (out of date).

McKneff

aahh, yes, I think you've been a little harsh too. Not into Ebay so can you reverse it.

The buyer would probably have refunded you and told you to keep the ink to either try or bin.

hermum

I think leaving neg FB without first contacting the seller is very harsh.

techspec

I have no time for people who don't contact the seller first. Lots of people use stock photos - ebay encourage it.

I once sent an ink out of date. At the time i did not know ink had a date on (many don't). Glad it was someone reasonable - and not you!!!

Full refund - and the buyer said the ink worked a treat. Positive feedback left.

Trashing someones feedback for 99p because "return postage would be too much" - no seller in their right mind would expect the item back. But you will never know, because you could not be bothered asking.

Valli

I sell too - and I have had three negs, all for low cost items and none of those buyers contacted me prior to leaving negative feedback.

Gleeful

Valli wrote: »

I sell too - and I have had three negs, all for low cost items and none of those buyers contacted me prior to leaving negative feedback.

'Do as you would be done by' I suppose.

I do find that people with a few negs will be more likely to neg others without a second thought!

quietheart

Valli wrote: »

I sell too - and I have had three negs, all for low cost items and none of those buyers contacted me prior to leaving negative feedback.

Having had that experience I'm surprised you didn't contact the buyer. I would only neg if the buyer was unco-operative or rude not if the item wasn't as listed. If I got negs every time I made a mistake I'd have about 5, instead I apologised and refunded items, didn't get them to be returned and everyone was satisfied.
Would you change it to a neutral?

Valli

Have asked seller to request a feedback revision.

ohblimey

vicx wrote: »

I agree the seller should have been more careful when listing, making sure the photo was of the correct item and checking use by dates. I like to see the exact item I am buying, not stock photos.

So what happens if the seller had a job lot of inks all the same make, are you saying they should have photographed each and every one of them and then listed them individually so they could attach the "correct" photo to each one?

Me thinks not, me thinks a multiple listing would be the better option, but then again someone is bound to get the scruffy one, but at least for 99p they would still be happy...oh no I forgot it's ebay