Sealed Nintendo Game, Buyer claiming Game wasn't in case?!

hollymarierose · 15 January 2014 at 1:30PM

I sold a sealed Nintendo 3DS game (with all the official Nintendo security seals intact) on Amazon Marketplace.
The buyer received the item yesterday and sent me a message saying 'Opened the box, no game inside want to return' I asked him if the packaging had been tamped with and he said no and claims he opened the seal to find the game wasn't inside and he wants a refund?!
I have contacted Nintendo who have told me it's extremely rare that a game isn't in a Nintendo case with the security seal.
When I told this to the buyer he sent me a message saying 'I can provide an eye witness who can say the game wasn't in the box, my girlfriend!'
This all seems very odd! everyone is telling me that he has probably opened the box and kept the game for himself and is claiming the box is empty just to get a refund, what do you think?.....

[Deleted User] · 15 January 2014 at 1:35PM

You are probably right, and they are trying it on.

However, you can't prove it, and the admission that this can happen with games, would blow any defense you may have had.

Refund, and move on.

Sorry, that this is probably not what you want to hear.

hollymarierose · 15 January 2014 at 2:07PM

ilikethesimpsons wrote: »

You are probably right, and they are trying it on.

However, you can't prove it, and the admission that this can happen with games, would blow any defense you may have had.

Refund, and move on.

Sorry, that this is probably not what you want to hear.

To be honest that's what I needed to hear, all my friends and family are telling me to start and case and fight my corner but to be honest I don't need the hassle, I'm upset I'm down £20 but I'd rather be down £20 than be stressed for weeks dealing with this matter.

Thank you.

eaglesrjh · 15 January 2014 at 2:14PM

1 thing to gently ask the buyer is if they have checked in the pouch that contains the instructions and health and safety booklet. Often with new games the cartridge is not in the slot but is in this pouch.

marking_bad · 15 January 2014 at 2:17PM

Yes, it could be tucked in with the manual, but that's usually second hand that come like that.

Certainly a strange one, as a buyer, the only time something similar has happened to me is when I bought a xbox live card and after opening there was no card inside. On further inspection, there was a cut on the packaging that I hadn't made.

Do you have the weight (from the PO)? You could compare with the exact same packaging maybe, with and without a game inside. Probably a lot of trouble if you don't have new/open games to hand and some scales, and it wouldn't necessarily give you a good defense.

It all comes down to the usual that your business model has to be able to cope with scammers or possible scammers, you never really know if they are, that's the whole reason scams work.

eaglesrjh · 15 January 2014 at 2:28PM

marking_bad wrote: »

Yes, it could be tucked in with the manual, but that's usually second hand that come like that.

.

The last half dozen or so New 3ds games that I've bought had the cartridge in with the instructions.

marking_bad · 15 January 2014 at 2:39PM

Certainly worth pursuing then OP

hollymarierose · 15 January 2014 at 3:29PM

eaglesrjh wrote: »

The last half dozen or so New 3ds games that I've bought had the cartridge in with the instructions.

I will ask him to check if he hasn't already sent it back, hopefully it is in there.

Thank you

preable · 16 January 2014 at 1:41PM

Does it tell you the weight on the recipt because you can compare it with the weight when they return it and then you will know.

hollymarierose · 16 January 2014 at 5:16PM

UPDATE -

I received the game case back today with no game inside and I am sure it's not the one I sent him, the instruction manual appears used and even has a tear in it also the case has marks on it.

I refunded him to save the hassle, my husband is angry as £20 is a lot of money to us, he also wasn't happy that in most of the communication the buyer called me 'Hun' 'Babe' and added kisses on the end of e-mails.

Strange.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head · 16 January 2014 at 5:54PM

Worth reporting to Amazon for buyer abuse, won't hurt they are on the level but will help if they have a history of it as it doesn't take much abuse before Amazon advise a bad buyer they are no longer welcome as their customer.