Return request from buyer-shoes smell of cigarettes

marlena18

I sold a pair of shoes and payment to paypal was received promptly after. The shoes were posted the next day "signed for".
As Royal Mail does not always update track and trace, I emailed the buyer if she received the shoes. She said yes and they were in a very good condition as stated, but they smelled strongly of cigarette smoke and she had a job of getting rid of the smell. I said I was surprised about the cigarette smell as the shoes were stored in a box and in the store room and I apologised for the inconvenience.
Today, 12 days after the shoes were received, I got an email from ebay saying:
"Return Request from buyer-comments:Unable to remove very strong smell of cigarette smoke. Unable to wear as very unpleasant".
I was actually quite shocked that after 12 days having the shoes, she wants to return them for that reason.
What are my options?
Thank you.

KRDmum

Just a one question, do you or anybody in your household smokes?

Flyonthewall

Accept the return and refund once you've got them back.

They mentioned it before, they probably hoped the smell would have gone after 12 days or they'd find a way to get rid of it. It obviously hasn't so she now wishes to return them.

Btw, in future you're best off not asking if someone has the item. They'll contact you if the haven't. All it does is make it obvious you don't know which opens you up to scams for item not received.

marlena18

I have the occasionally cigarette, and the shoes were stored away and wrapped inside the shoe box till I posted them.

Feral_Moon

If anyone in your household smokes then she has a valid claim. You might think that by keeping the shoes in a box in the spare room they wouldn't become contaminated, but I can guarantee the smoke will permeate every crevice of your home and a non-smoker will immediately be able to detect items which come from a smoker's home.

KRDmum

I've purchased a few items from a carboot sale before, and as a non-smoker, i can smell the minute i get home whether items come from a smoking household or not. Usually it takes well over 2-3 weeks of airing and at times a bit of vinigar/water solution and febreeze for a smell to disappear, so as mentioned above, maybe your buyer was hoping for a smell to go away.

soolin

Same here with the smoking. I couldn't have anything in the house that came from a smoker, even an occasional one.

The buyer has probably tried all the usual tricks about airing the shoes and has now given up hence the return. Unfortunately you will need to accept the return and refund and when you resell it might be worth mentioning that they come from a smoking household.

I'm also unsure why you would contact a buyer and ask whether item had arrived ?

marlena18

soolin wrote: »

Same here with the smoking. I couldn't have anything in the house that came from a smoker, even an occasional one.

The buyer has probably tried all the usual tricks about airing the shoes and has now given up hence the return. Unfortunately you will need to accept the return and refund and when you resell it might be worth mentioning that they come from a smoking household.

I'm also unsure why you would contact a buyer and ask whether item had arrived ?

I contacted the buyer because after 5 working days Royal Mail did still not update the Track and Trace. Thinking that the package might have been lost, I asked the buyer.
And yes, I will give her a refund after receiving the shoes.

soolin

marlena18 wrote: »

I contacted the buyer because after 5 working days Royal Mail did still not update the Track and Trace. Thinking that the package might have been lost, I asked the buyer.
And yes, I will give her a refund after receiving the shoes.

One tip as stated above, never ask a buyer if they have their item, you are inviting issues.

Always best to assume everything arrives unless you hear otherwise. I don't even use tracking on most of my items so just post and assume all is well.

marlena18

The buyer has now agreed to pay for the return postage after we exchanged a few messages through the refund request.
She said: "I think you can now send a message which automatically charges me for postage (via Paypal)".
I am not sure at all how it works. I thought that she will pay for the return postage and once I receive the shoes back, then I will refund her including the original postage. And when will the refund request be closed? I thought that ebay would have sent another option to me to click on that the buyer pays for the postage.
Thank you.

Moogles44

Me too, I've resold stuff on and had to list as previously owned by smoker as for a non smoker it's awful , you just can't get rid of it sometimes .

You always have to return. They could take up to 30 days and ebay would still refund them so you have to just do it. I have had returns still refunded after 30 days thanks to lovely ebay.