Another eBay Clown - Help

Stoke

I promised myself I would never ever sell on eBay again. This is the first time since about 2010..... I put 5 items on, three of which sell, and already, we have an absolute clown trying to screw me out of money (barely a few pence too) Why do I do this to myself?

Anyway, I listed five old (to very old) mobile phones on eBay. I was quite happy to throw these old bits of junk in the skip tbh and I'm starting to wish I had, but I figured with them being near enough worthless, they might be useful for someone with an old grandparent or something who perhaps likes this model and doesn't want to switch.

So, the one in question is an old Samsung. It is pre-Android or any of that. The phone sold for £9. A day after posting it, I received a 'Return Request' with demands that I pay the postage because the device is defective. eBay have offered me no option to argue this.

His reason the device is defective, is because there is a PIN code on it when he turns it on. Turns out I accidentally forgot to remove the old SIM that was in it. All he needs to do is, is remove the SIM (which isn't his SIM anyway???), and the PIN code will be removed, a fact not lost considering it's in the !!!!ing instruction manual!

I've messaged the buyer twice with no reply, he clearly wants me to either refund him or more likely, he wants me to tell him he can keep it because it's not worth returning. What an absolute joker. Let's see how this one plays out before I dox the clowns user ID on here and people can block this goon. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt by thinking he will maybe turn round and say "whoops, I forgot to remove the SIM" but the reality is, I think he's playing me.

mrcol1000

I think you are completely in the right and the buyer is being awful. I mean imagine buying a mobile phone and then actually expecting to be able to use it. What a muppet.

Accept the return. Refund them. Try and check things actually work before you sell them in future.

Also unless you take action then Ebay will step in and he will get to keep the phone and money.

Stoke

mrcol1000 wrote: »

I think you are completely in the right and the buyer is being awful. I mean imagine buying a mobile phone and then actually expecting to be able to use it. What a muppet.

Accept the return. Refund them. Try and check things actually work before you sell them in future.

Also unless you take action then Ebay will step in and he will get to keep the phone and money.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

The phone works fine. The SIM card doesn't. I never listed the SIM to work. If he puts a SIM card in, it works fine. Pretty sure you're not supposed to sell second hand SIM's anyway.

Ah well, I know I will have to refund him, because that's how eBay works. Just a shame we have buyers like yourself continuing to use it.... always looking for a free lunch people like yourself.... amiryt?

soolin

Stoke, I can understand your frustration but just selling things and hoping for the best no longer works on ebay. Look at it a different way, you sold an old phone, you admit it is probably likely to go to someone who doesn't like technology, then they find it is locked and they panic. If they happen to be on sites like this then they know fiddling about with the phone to try things is likely to make a seller irate, so instead they tell you it is pin protected and ask for a refund.

Perhaps if this had been a state of the art phone you would expect someone who knew exactly what they were doing , but you didn't.

Sorry that isn't what you wanted to hear. If there is a case open use that to send buyer a label, it I soften cheaper than providing your own, if there isn't a case open get buyer to open one as that records the claim on ebay and gives you a chance to call their bluff just in case they are trying it on. Although for a £9 phone it seems unlikely.

Stoke

soolin wrote: »

Stoke, I can understand your frustration but just selling things and hoping for the best no longer works on ebay. Look at it a different way, you sold an old phone, you admit it is probably likely to go to someone who doesn't like technology, then they find it is locked and they panic. If they happen to be on sites like this then they know fiddling about with the phone to try things is likely to make a seller irate, so instead they tell you it is pin protected and ask for a refund.

Perhaps if this had been a state of the art phone you would expect someone who knew exactly what they were doing , but you didn't.

Sorry that isn't what you wanted to hear. If there is a case open use that to send buyer a label, it I soften cheaper than providing your own, if there isn't a case open get buyer to open one as that records the claim on ebay and gives you a chance to call their bluff just in case they are trying it on. Although for a £9 phone it seems unlikely.

He's not opened a case per se, he's Requested a Refund for Defective Goods.

soolin

Stoke wrote: »

He's not opened a case per se, he's Requested a Refund for Defective Goods.

Get him to open a case, it doesn't reflect on you, but it does put some people of if they are chancing their arm. be polite, so polite it hurts, apologise profusely for their inconvenience but tell buyer you need a case open so that the full payment can be refunded once you have the item safely back. Once it is open, wait a couple of days, there is no point trying to fight it with ebay, then issue a label and wait for item to be returned.

Play the broken record, 'no case/ no return means no refund'

Stoke

soolin wrote: »

Get him to open a case, it doesn't reflect on you, but it does put some people of if they are chancing their arm. be polite, so polite it hurts, apologise profusely for their inconvenience but tell buyer you need a case open so that the full payment can be refunded once you have the item safely back. Once it is open, wait a couple of days, there is no point trying to fight it with ebay, then issue a label and wait for item to be returned.

Play the broken record, 'no case/ no return means no refund'

Thanks soolin. I'll do that. The guys an utter clown evidently. I appreciate your point about him being perhaps 'technically illiterate' but this age is in his username. He's 33. Come on.... surely a 33 year old would know how to work a mobile phone.

Mickey_Nine

Remember a lot of ebay users don't have a firm grasp of the English language. The buyer might not understand what they need to do. Perhaps send them an image showing them to remove the SIM card and insert their own one.

Stoke

Mickey_Nine wrote: »

Remember a lot of ebay users don't have a firm grasp of the English language. The buyer might not understand what they need to do. Perhaps send them an image showing them to remove the SIM card and insert their own one.

True, although his name is Neil, so I would imagine English is his first language.

Mickey_Nine

Ah. Back to being a clown then heh.

Stoke

I've asked him to open a case. Let's see how this goes.