eBay buyer wants to return goods, said no, what happens now?

jeremy.fisher_2

A buyer recently forced a refund on me for goods she had broken claiming. I had to pay for return postage, lost the case and lost my FVF, oh and got a defect on my account too.
Initially when I phoned Ebay the CS I spoke to advised me that I would probably not win the case but like you I felt strongly about it and tried to fight the buyer.
Eventually I got my FVF back as a goodwill gesture when I phoned again to complain.

pinkteapot

Thanks all for the advice and experience. Hubby is pondering whether to offer the buyer the choice of a partial refund or a return at the buyer's cost (while admitting no liability - stating that the listing was fair but sorry he's unhappy). Hoping that that would at least be looked on favourably by eBay if the buyer doesn't accept either offer and escalates it.

It's just infuriating. He sold one club from the same set separately (for golf reasons I don't understand!) and the buyer of that left feedback saying "better than described"!!

theonlywayisup

pinkteapot wrote: »

Thanks all for the advice and experience. Hubby is pondering whether to offer the buyer the choice of a partial refund or a return at the buyer's cost (while admitting no liability - stating that the listing was fair but sorry he's unhappy). Hoping that that would at least be looked on favourably by eBay if the buyer doesn't accept either offer and escalates it.

It's just infuriating. He sold one club from the same set separately (for golf reasons I don't understand!) and the buyer of that left feedback saying "better than described"!!

Without wishing to sound harsh, why offer something you cannot enforce? Ebay will invoice you the returns postage. The buyer will not have to pay it.

pinkteapot

theonlywayisup wrote: »

Without wishing to sound harsh, why offer something you cannot enforce? Ebay will invoice you the returns postage. The buyer will not have to pay it.

It's OK, I didn't realise that. I thought that at this stage it was still hubby and buyer negotiating between themselves and they could come to any agreement they wanted. The buyer can't escalate to eBay until the 15th.

The idea was to offer the buyer something at this stage. They may well say no, but then if they escalate the case would eBay like the fact we tried to come to an arrangement? Or would any offer just be taken as us saying that accept there was a problem with the item (which we don't)?

alykatz

pinkteapot wrote: »

It's OK, I didn't realise that. I thought that at this stage it was still hubby and buyer negotiating between themselves and they could come to any agreement they wanted. The buyer can't escalate to eBay until the 15th.

The idea was to offer the buyer something at this stage. They may well say no, but then if they escalate the case would eBay like the fact we tried to come to an arrangement? Or would any offer just be taken as us saying that accept there was a problem with the item (which we don't)?

You seem a little hung up on accepting liability. Which even if you did means nothing to ebay, the outcome will still be the same.

Ebay will rule in the buyers favour and tell them to return for a refund if the case is escalated .

If you come to some understanding and work it out between yourselves before the escalation date then ok, but there is a defect on your account already because a case has been opened.

ess0two

Make sure you get the same clubs back,and not a worn version of the same make / style.


Ebay has become too much like a catalogue now,ordered it don't like it,just dream up a problem and return.

pinkteapot

Yeah, we won't be selling on eBay again!

Hubby sold an old iPad in the Autumn and had three non-paying bidders before he finally sold it successfully.

Maybe we've just got lucky but we've never had any problems at all with it until the last few months.

I know his account has a defect now. Not that fussed - we don't sell stuff often and could just use mine for his items instead. We're only casual sellers, occasionally selling things we don't need any more. More of our eBay use is buying.

Thanks all - I've been reading the eBay help pages too and have learned more than I ever wanted to know about dispute resolution today!

pinkteapot

alykatz wrote: »

You seem a little hung up on accepting liability. Which even if you did means nothing to ebay, the outcome will still be the same.

Ebay will rule in the buyers favour and tell them to return for a refund if the case is escalated .

This is the bit I don't understand. When buyer first said they'd complain to eBay, we assumed that during that process, hubby would have a chance to explain his side and they'd review the listing to see whether they thought it was fair. But all the advice seems to be that they always rule in favour of the buyer in these cases, irrespective of what was on the listing.

Oh well, if that's the way they work then lesson learned.

alykatz

pinkteapot wrote: »

This is the bit I don't understand. When buyer first said they'd complain to eBay, we assumed that during that process, hubby would have a chance to explain his side and they'd review the listing to see whether they thought it was fair. But all the advice seems to be that they always rule in favour of the buyer in these cases, irrespective of what was on the listing.

Oh well, if that's the way they work then lesson learned.

Unfortunately ebay dont like to get involved as such so tend to take the opinion in cases of snad that the buyer isnt happy so should return for a refund.
To police all cases as you suggest would not be cost effective to ebay hence why they operate as they do.

Also just to point out if your hubbys account does ever get suspended ,then it wont be long before your account will go the same way as they will be linked accounts.

pinkteapot

How much risk are we currently at of hubby's account being suspended?

He's responded to the buyer and hasn't ignored them (though not with the answer the buyer wanted). If eBay insist he refund, he'll do so of course. Would they suspend him for any of this?