Selling on Amazon - HELP!!!

lucy_p_2

Hi all, I hope this is the right place to post this

I recently sold a used DVD on amazon, I clearly described it as used and made sure it was exactly as described

Anyway, about a week later, I got a returns request e-mail from the buyer saying that the film was not suitable and was poor performance.

At first I thought that the buyer was saying the DVD was defective, which it shouldn't have been as I made sure it was in excellent condition, so I asked them to clarify what they meant, I got another e-mail saying that they had returned it because the film was rubbish!

To me, this isn't a valid reason to be returning a DVD, it's not my fault that the film wasn't to their liking. If I bought a DVD from any high street shop, I wouldn't be allowed to watch it, decide I didn't like it and then return it - that's a rental service!

Also, the buyer didn't ask me whether or not I would accept the return and has already sent the DVD back to me although as yet I haven't received it.

Any advice on what I should do? Any at all would be gratefully received.

Thank you in advance

7roland8

What does Amazon policy say?

Personally I would just ignore it.

Crowqueen

Amazon have a policy where the buyer can return for any reason. Not sure how long that lasts but it will be on the site in the policies section which you should have read before you started selling.

I would not ignore it since the buyer can still raise a claim and that will come down on you far harder than the equivalent eBay situation.

Read their policies thoroughly; they are revamping their return policies and making them a lot stricter so you need to refer to them first.

Although sealed media does not strictly speaking come under the DSRs, Amazon's return policies are gold-plated and probably apply to used and unsealed media items.

I know it's a ridiculous request in reality but in practice you need to take Amazon returns seriously, they don't give you much room for manoeuvre.

Irn-Bru-Kid

You have no option but to accept the return. Its really not worth a case being opened against you as Amazon take no prisoners I'm afraid.

Amazon ask that items be returned tracked over a certain value, but your DVD will fall far short of that. So even if you don't receive it back and the buyers opens a case claiming it was returned, Amazon will refund them. Its unfair, but that's the case.

If you value your Amazon account, just take it on the chin. Respond to the email from the buyer saying you are sorry to hear they are disappointed with the DVD and you will refund on its safe return. Refund and relist.

I know its not what you want to hear, but trust me, you will lose out if you don't heed my advice.

soolin

I think as sellers we forget just how protective of buyers rights Amazon are- I agree with the above and would accept the return.

lucy_p_2

Thank you for all your responses, sorry its been a while

I took on board what everyone was saying, but was so irritated that I decided to refuse to accept the return.

The buyer escalated a complaint with amazon and I was asked for my side of the story. This was over a week ago and I had heard nothing until I logged into my seller account tonight and found that amazon had ruled in favour of the buyer, but had found that I wasn't at fault so they had paid out the refund themselves.

I've never heard of this happening before and amazon didn't contact me at all to say what was happening.

I would be curious to know if anyone else has ever had this experience

Crowqueen

Well, you stuck your toe in the water of Amazon. You were probably lucky they didn't make you take it back, but we did say they would expect you to accept change-of-mind returns. You would be expected to as a secondhand DVD trader (of unsealed media; sealed media are exempt from the distance selling laws) and Amazon hold people to business rules far more strictly than eBay.

Just tread VERY carefully. I've sold quite a bit of stuff on Amazon over the summer, including unsealed DVDs. I haven't had a problem as yet but I'd usually take returns on change-of-mind - I wouldn't want to rock the boat on what is quite a lucrative site for me, totally eclipsing eBay at the moment.