Best option for return and refund of £1,000 Hifi?

Vitor

As title, I buyer I don't entirely trust has kicked off and messaged me a £1,000 Hifi "smells of burning". There is a possibility it was damaged in transit by Parcelforce - sent insured up to £1,500, and it's not just buyer's remorse.

What's the best option of organising a return and refund once the item has been checked?

Should I ask buyer to raise a SNAD to 'formalise' the return, then I can send him a return label (again insured with Parcelforce) or get Parcelforce to collect with a label?

martindow

How far away is the hifi from you?  I would be inclined to pick it up in person, if this is feasible, as you are very reliant on them packing it adequately for the return with a carrier.  There is quite a risk that you could end up with something valueless and any insurance cover would not pay out if they consider it to be insufficiently well packed.

TripleH

I agree with @martindow, collecting it yourself may be the best option.

This could be buyer's remorse, but regardless, you are at the mercy of them packaging it up properly to return, but they have no incentive to do so. If it gets smashed in transit, you have little to no comeback off of them as they would say that 'it was in the same condition when I received it' besides the delivery company will also argue the other delivery company were at fault (even if it was the same company).

Vitor

Unfortunately collection in person isn't possible due to distance.

My one hope is that buyer is also selling some expensive loudspeakers on Ebay so appears to be an amateur dealer; however his emails are written like a teenager.

swingaloo

Vitor said:

Unfortunately collection in person isn't possible due to distance.

My one hope is that buyer is also selling some expensive loudspeakers on Ebay so appears to be an amateur dealer; however his emails are written like a teenager.

The fact that he is an amateur dealer would be the worry for me. Spending over a thousand pounds but writing like a teenager. Has he got a lot of feedback, good, bad?

Spoonie_Turtle

Vitor said:

Unfortunately collection in person isn't possible due to distance.

My one hope is that buyer is also selling some expensive loudspeakers on Ebay so appears to be an amateur dealer; however his emails are written like a teenager.

Doesn't that make it more likely he's sending back a broken item and keeping the intact one he got from you?

Vitor

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Vitor said:

Unfortunately collection in person isn't possible due to distance.

My one hope is that buyer is also selling some expensive loudspeakers on Ebay so appears to be an amateur dealer; however his emails are written like a teenager.

Doesn't that make it more likely he's sending back a broken item and keeping the intact one he got from you?

That thought crossed my mind but the listing has a close-up pic of the Serial #. Not infallible of course.

Spoonie_Turtle

Vitor said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Vitor said:

Unfortunately collection in person isn't possible due to distance.

My one hope is that buyer is also selling some expensive loudspeakers on Ebay so appears to be an amateur dealer; however his emails are written like a teenager.

Doesn't that make it more likely he's sending back a broken item and keeping the intact one he got from you?

That thought crossed my mind but the listing has a close-up pic of the Serial #. Not infallible of course.

Ah that's helpful should anything go wrong.


Edit: I would say regarding the e-mails sounding like a teen wrote them, quite a lot of successful self-employed people I know are dyslexic and really struggle to get words out into written form, including typing.  (And struggle to understand written words and wordy instructions, especially multi-step processes such as trying to co-ordinate postage or collection, for instance.)  You'd never know it from interacting with them in person so their writing comes as a surprise upon first seeing it.  So unless they're being outright rude like calling you names or making unreasonable demands, I wouldn't necessarily be worried by it.  I know it doesn't help in situations like this where you're not sure if they're trustworthy, but *by itself* it's not necessarily a bad sign.

RedImp_2

swingaloo said:

Vitor said:

Unfortunately collection in person isn't possible due to distance.

My one hope is that buyer is also selling some expensive loudspeakers on Ebay so appears to be an amateur dealer; however his emails are written like a teenager.

The fact that he is an amateur dealer would be the worry for me. Spending over a thousand pounds but writing like a teenager. Has he got a lot of feedback, good, bad?

I hope the speaker doesn’t get bad feedback…..

Vitor

So the buyer did return the original item and it was well secured. I had sent him the Parcelforce label to apply.

Now I need to determine if the item was indeed damaged in transit based on the buyers return reason of 'smell through the vents before turning on'.

NB as an aside I'm taking electronic stuff to Cex to sell, Ebay is now too risky for mobis etc.

TripleH

@Vitor thanks for the update.