Ebay buyer wants to return an item which they received OVER 28 days ago... HELP?

GeorgeKnows

Hi all!

I sold a rug for £350.00 on Ebay last month and the buyer received the item on 13/10/20. On my listing I didn't offer any returns - but I think Ebay still allows returns if an item doesn't match a description. This is a rug which I purchased over a year ago, removed the packaging but never used the rug aside from laying it out for initial viewing and rolling it out for photos for the Ebay listing (it's been rolled up in a wardrobe in my dressing room since purchase). I listed the item as New (Other) and in the title of the listing I listed it as 'Basically New' and added supporting images to the listing. 

Anyway, after sending a payment reminder and having to send the buyer many messages to get their address - I eventually received payment - rolled the rug, wrapped it and sent it out 

Then out of courtesy I sent the buyer a message saying "Hi! Just making sure everything was received okay?" the buyer responded a day or so later saying:

"Hello, hope you’re well,
I have been planning to contact you but I would like to be honest the rug arrived with tears all over so it was damaged. I have pictures that I can show you, I wasn’t sure wether to open it to have a look but we decided to and it shows that it’s dirty on the inside of the rug, general dirt and also some animals hairs after opening.
We have been excited to receive the rug, unfortunately we aren’t happy with it’s condition as there’s obvious signs of usage whereas it was listed as brand new."

The buyer also opened a return with Ebay at this point.

To cut a long story short (because there was some back and forth on messages - all very polite), the buyer came back to me and said "I do not want to return the rug, but please could you provide me with a partial refund" (paraphrasing here) - to get this off of my desk I replied "I do not admit liability and maintain that the rug was as described but I will offer you a partial refund of £50.00 to close this matter" - this was a very generous offer especially as there wasn't anything wrong with the rug. I then heard nothing back from the buyer despite sending them a message out of courtesy seeing whether they had received my last message with offer. No reply. 

I then received an email from Ebay last week asking me to pay for the item to be returned. At which point I spoke with Ebay's customer service team and explained the above situation and also added that I would not be accepting any returns on this item - one of the reasons being that the buyer had stated that they did not want to return the rug. I also explained that I had offered them a partial refund but nobody had replied. The lady understood and said "wait for the case to close itself on 16th November".

Today I get a message from Ebay saying that the buye has asked Ebay to step in and help to review the case. Ebay will review the case, including any messages that you and the seller sent through eBay. We'll get back to you within 48 hours.

My issue here is that the buyer has Negative Feedback in the last 30 days "Worst Ebayer ever encountered." being the feedback. But also that I haven't had a reply to my offer or my messages. Under no circumstance do I wish to return the item and I feel the Ebayer is taking advantage of Ebay's returns policy. 

Can anybody advise me what to do here?

fwor

In those situations I just tell the buyer to return it (at my expense) and refund them in full. You can try to argue but generally with Ebay the seller won't win. I try to mentally factor in unexpected losses with Ebay sales of maybe 5%, simply because it doesn't matter how good a seller you are - you will always have to deal with people who want to mess you about.

At the very least you have the satisfaction of knowing that the buyer wanted to extort a discount out of you, and failed.

GeorgeKnows

fwor said:

In those situations I just tell the buyer to return it (at my expense) and refund them in full. You can try to argue but generally with Ebay the seller won't win. I try to mentally factor in unexpected losses with Ebay sales of maybe 5%, simply because it doesn't matter how good a seller you are - you will always have to deal with people who want to mess you about.

At the very least you have the satisfaction of knowing that the buyer wanted to extort a discount out of you, and failed.

Fair play. I do appreciate your reply.
I'll just do this. 

soolin

Do not allow the case to close, the offer of a part refund does not stop the clock. If eBay close the case then your buyer gets all their money back and you lose your FVFS, and may struggle to get the rug returned. 

Log into the case, allow eBay to send a pre paid label and wait for the item, if buyer doesn’t return then the label will be cancelled and the case closed without any impact on you. If rug is returned then you need to refund the buyer and then appeal the case if possible.

DO NOT allow case to be closed without issuing a return label. 

MalMonroe

Whether selling or buying on eBay I always do everything through eBay. That is, all correspondence and transactions. That way, the buyer or seller you're dealing with can't dispute anything you've said or done because eBay has a clear record of all the correspondence. (Well, they CAN dispute it if they want to but it doesn't get them anywhere.)

I don't understand why you had to send a payment reminder because every time I have 'won' anything on eBay I've had to pay immediately. I usually get an email telling me I have won, and to pay now or I'll lose the item.

I also don't understand why the buyer's address details didn't automatically pop up, either. Whenever I've sold anything on eBay the buyer's details have popped up in the form of a label which I've printed and stuck to the parcel. I've then taken that to the post office and obtained a proof of postage. 

Any time I have had any problems with anything I've bought or sold, I have contacted the seller/buyer via eBay and things have been sorted amicably. 

If your buyer had any problem or complaint with the rug they should have contacted you via eBay, long before now. They've done it now but it's a bit late.

The fact that you contacted them asking if everything was okay has prompted them to tell you that no, it's not okay and they want some of their money back. If the rug is so bad, why do they want to keep it instead of return it for a full refund? Has any of your correspondence gone through eBay at all?

I agree with the action soolin above advises, let eBay take over now and wait. But next time, if I were you, I'd check a buyer's profile very carefully and I'd also make sure that I corresponded with them via eBay at every single step. I've never lost out doing it that way - if you don't go through eBay, all chaos ensues.

Not boasting but I have 100% positive feedback on eBay. (Now I'm scared to buy or sell anything, just in case it's jinxed!)

martindow

It's never a good idea to contact buyers after a sale to ask for feedback, enquire about whether they are happy or for any other reason.  It always has the possibility of provoking an unwelcome response as the OP has received.  If you hear nothing from a buyer assume that they have received it and are content.

If they are unhappy with what they have ordered or it has not arrived let them make the first contact.  I would then deal with resolving the issue as graciously as possible (and occasionally through gritted teeth when I suspect I am being taken for a ride).

soolin

martindow said:

It's never a good idea to contact buyers after a sale to ask for feedback, enquire about whether they are happy or for any other reason.  It always has the possibility of provoking an unwelcome response as the OP has received.  If you hear nothing from a buyer assume that they have received it and are content.

If they are unhappy with what they have ordered or it has not arrived let them make the first contact.  I would then deal with resolving the issue as graciously as possible (and occasionally through gritted teeth when I suspect I am being taken for a ride).

I completely agree, this is the second thread in a week where sellers have had issues after contacting the buyer. Leave well alone. I always think if a seller asks me if everything was OK then it sort of implies they think there might be an issue, and perhaps in this case buyer was undecided as to whether or not to chance being cheeky and getting some money back, and being asked if it was OK pushed him into deciding to go for it.

Hopefully OP has now sorted out a return label and isn't risking losing everything by allowing the return to time out.

mimi1234

I used to ask people repeatedly for feedback when I first started, I don't even know why I did that.  I wouldn't dare do it now.  If people leave feedback, great.  If not, that's fine too.  

I find it strange that the buyer wasn't happy but never made contact.  I think SOOLIN is right and the buyer thought "oooh opportunity, let's take it".  

Good luck OP.  Hope you can sort it out. 

Brywalker

martindow said:

It's never a good idea to contact buyers after a sale to ask for feedback, enquire about whether they are happy or for any other reason.  It always has the possibility of provoking an unwelcome response as the OP has received.  If you hear nothing from a buyer assume that they have received it and are content.

If they are unhappy with what they have ordered or it has not arrived let them make the first contact. 

This. 100% this!

Buster_Danog

I agree with not contacting them. I just leave feedback. Also I find ebay gives buyers a 30 day period where they can return the product and they do not have to prove it arrived faulty. You can challenge this with ebay when you receive the return. I believe under seller settings you can stop ebayers with bad feedback from bidding on your items. Don't quote me on it but I believe there is a setting that lets you discriminate for some reasons.

soolin

Buster_Danog said:

I agree with not contacting them. I just leave feedback. Also I find ebay gives buyers a 30 day period where they can return the product and they do not have to prove it arrived faulty. You can challenge this with ebay when you receive the return. I believe under seller settings you can stop ebayers with bad feedback from bidding on your items. Don't quote me on it but I believe there is a setting that lets you discriminate for some reasons.

Business sellers have to take returns for any reason , but a change of mind can be restricted to 14 days if a business seller has their settings enabled to state that. A change of mind return means buyer pays for the return postage. If a buyer wants their return postage paid by seller then they Have to do a SNAD and provide a reason. 

Sellers can block all sorts of buyers using seller preferences, however a pure buying account can only have positives as a buyer can never receive a negative so it is not overly useful. However it is worth blocking buyers with 2 or more strikes in the past 12 months for non payment.