Buyer is a pain!!!!!!!

ramenkid

Hi,

I sold a 100% authentic branded item on ebay, the buyer from Isreal has been accusing me selling her a fake product. I stood on my ground my item is genuine and I got a lot of hassle via messages from this person. She always mentions 'ebay rule' this and that, so I contacted ebay informing the seller has falsely accusing me selling fakes plus threatening on giving me a bad feedback if I do not refund her. So, following the advice from the ebay advisor I spoke to on the phone, I offeredher refund plus postage she paid me if she posts the item back but she has to pay her return postage.

The seller was agressive and threatened to report me to eBay and Paypal etc. I was talking to the advisor on ebay and he raised that she could easily open a dispute on payal of 'item not as described' but she hasn't done so. It seems to me she wants to keep the item and refund! I think it's only fair if I refund her upon receipt providing the item is in original condition, even though I insist I have done my best morally on my part as I have done nothing wrong and didn't sell a fake item.

And yesterday, I got an reply:

Unfortunately I can't send you the coat back. There is a very astringent rule of paypal and ebay which prohibits that. I got a preliminary expert decision and there is no debt that coat is a Levis fake. So according to the rules I should send pictures of the item and an expert mention to papayl and they will refund me. After then I must destroy the item. This is a procedure of dealing with fakes. Sorry, but it seems the only way to solve this sad situation. Do you have some other sudations?

She's a time waster and I have made my peace offered her refund following the ebay advice (as she throws me lots of 'ebay rules' this and that' I thought I'd do the same!).

Please can anyone verify any truth of what she said? And I should I do?

Thanks. x

Here's the previous thread about the same issue if you'r interested.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3909893

hermum

Can you prove it is authentic?
If she opens a case, I think it's this way round, Paypal would ask her to prove in writing that it is fake.
Ebay would expect you to prove it's authentic.
If the case goes against you, the buyer is generally told to destroy the item & you have to refund.
You need to try & get the item back for a full refund unless you can prove it's not a fake
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/replica-counterfeit.html
I can't find the bit where it says that generally items are not returned to seller if fake.
Does it look as though the buyer does this a lot from her FB & FB left for others?

ramenkid

I know it's authentic though I can't prove it. It's a branded item and it was a present from that brand's designer (she's my relative and I had few samples from her every year while she was working for them). I don't want to ask my relative for a authenticity proof though as it may offend her if I sell her one of her presents.

I have offered the buyer to post it back for refund but she said she CAN'T as it's a fake. If she doesn't want to sent it, what does she expect me to do? It just sounds like she wants to keep the item and refund!! And how she can she prove it's fake? It's right from the brand's designer office and it simply can't be a counterfeit. I have to say it could be a sample though but still that's not counted a fake?! (I didn't tell the buyer where I got it from)

Thanks.

hermum

I don't know what the rules are about selling samples. If it's allowed then I would have put that in the listing.
If she opens a case & wins, then you almost certainly won't get the coat back & will have to refund.
Apart from upsetting your relative, she may not have been allowed to give the items away.
Proof needs to be on headed paper.
It sounds as though your buyer's well aware of her rights, probably done it lots of times.

F&L

Does the sample differ slightly from a shop bought product? The buyer clearly thinks it does. I agree that I'd have stated in the listing that it was a sample as it sounds as though the buyer has picked up on differences? How much did the item sell for? Have you seen pics of a shop sold item anywhere that you can compare your item to?

Googlewhacker

I would call the buyers bluff and tell her to go ahead because the coat was designed by your cousin and she is more than happy to authenticate it.

ramenkid

The buyer has more than 100 feedback from buying. As sellers can't leave negative feedback these days hence her feedback is all 'positive'. There is a recent one saying 'avoid at all costs, buyer is problematic'.

As much as I can ensure my item is genuine, I got that few years ago and my relative worked for that company is based abroad and now has since changed job. If it was a sample it might be a one-off and not have been made into mass production. For the few years she worked there, I always got free samples every year I saw her. Sometimes, she had many and I only picked what I thought I would wear.

The thing is, I sell often (usually my excess clothes etc plus presents I don't want) but I would never sell things that I wouldn't want to receive myself as a buyer (like really old/worn/fake items).

I can't see why she couldn't post the item back to me for refund. The item only sold for £16, though it may cost the buyer about the same to post back. Sounds like she wants to keep the item and the refund more like. I can't see her 'destroying the item as it's fake' as she said!

bris

The last couple of posters on here, not that long ago, posted about how both ebay and paypal asked for the item to be sent back before getting the refund. This may be the case here too. There is also the chance that ebay will do a no fault refund, so the buyer gets refunded but the seller doesn't lose out.

I would just let the buyer open a case and let it play out. The problem I have with the no return policy is it opens buyers up to claim fake, knowing they wouldn't have to send it back.

F&L

The buyer could have easily claimed non-delivery to have got a quick refund but clearly believes the item is a fake and as such is not prepared to return it. It really sounds as though this sample has got things wrong with it that a true Levi fan (the buyer) has spotted. Many buyers of branded products wouldn't dream of wearing a fake and your buyer sounds like one of them.

I personally would refund the buyer as the item should have been described as a sample in the listing. Whilst you've offered a full refund if they return the item, there are buyers that genuinely believe it is wrong to return a "fake" and will not budge from that belief.

Justicia

ramenkid wrote: »

There is a recent one saying 'avoid at all costs, buyer is problematic'.

Is it possible for you to contact the user that left that feedback, to get a better idea of who/what you are dealing with?

ramenkid

Thanks everyone.
I still haven't replied her message from yesterday as I want to gather some advice first. This afternoon, she has sent me another message:


I spent much time on the subject and prepared evidence that the product is 100% counterfeit - There are pictures and expert report.

I will give a negative feedback and open DISPUTE.

But it's may be only mistake.
True that the company has a lot of fakes.

You have excellent feedback and I think it's a mistake not willfully.

I just want a refund and not want to cause you damage.


As she did before to threaten me with a neg feedback if I do not refund, she's now doing it again. However, I have offered her refund with postage (not her return postage though) but now she said she couldn't send it back.

And it was only Tues 17th I informed her to post back, then now she's obtained 'expert report' already in Israel?

It seems to me she's waiting for me to offer the money back without the item being posted back. I stand on my ground that the item is 100% from the brand even it's an sample. It's certainly not a counterfeit.

What would you other sellers do? (Too late now to put 'sample' in the listing)

Many thanks in advance.