Ebay advice buyer saying collected item has broken with use by someone else

mark25810

Hi there i hope someone can help, i sold a dogs pushchair on ebay which was only used by me twice and for max 30 mins as i had to have my dog put to sleep

it looked brand new etc zero issues. it was collection only, the buy came and checked it etc. messages on ebay before saying they are buying it for a homeless man and his dog which i thought was nice to do.

anyway they have messaged saying… "

had a phone call from one off the door staff saying the front wheel has come off and cant be fixed"

and that they only gave him it the night before….also they sent me a photo of the homeless man with it and the dog inside and it all ok.

now i sold this to the buyer not someone who the buyer does not even know and shes not even using it and has no idea what hes done or how hes treated the pushchair to break it when it had nothing wrong with it. was basically new and cost me over 120 not long ago and they got it for way less than half that.

does anyone have any idea what i should do, i replied with oh no…wonder what he could have done to break the wheel off

because he clearly must have done something.

fwor

If the photo that they sent shows it intact and undamaged, probably the next step would be to ask the buyer to provide a photo of the damage. How you progress it after that depends a bit on whether you care about getting negative feedback or not.

On the few occasions that something like this has happened to me, I have said that I will refund, in accordance with Ebay rules, when I receive the item back (of course you have to be willing to pay the return postage). In all but one case, I never heard from the buyer again.

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6662838/ebay-advice-buyer-saying-collected-item-has-broken-with-use-by-someone-else

You sold the item as a private individual so the purchaser has few rights.

Any rights the purchaser does have do not extend to an unconnected third party.

You have no way of knowing what type of load the trolley was used for.

soolin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81951518#Comment_81951518

Whilst of course ebay do offer buyer rights over and above those required for private sales, the third party involvement here might be the saving factor.

There used to be a clause in ebay, which was actually designed to protect the overseas third party shippers, the one where sellers had to ship to a shipping company at Heathrow or similar and it was then carried overseas on behalf of buyer. I don't recall the actual wording and don't have time to search the (non) helpful 'help' facility in ebay, but it might be worth the OP spending time looking for that. basically it used to say that if the item was received then any damage after passing or shipping to a third party was not covered by the ebay buyer guaranteed. I don't recall if it required 'shipping' or not though and how it affects collected items.

Also as a collected item even if ebay allowed the return it could be argued by the seller that as it was a collected item then it needs to be returned by them as no shipping was involved.

I would definitely be standing my ground on this one.

Grumpy_chap

It is possible that the individual using the trolley actually loaded it up with all their worldly goods and wheeled stuff about over possibly uneven ground. All stuff a dog trolley was never intended for.

soolin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952309#Comment_81952309

That's a good point, apparently they have a weight limit - I only know that as I had a friend with an elderly disabled dog whose weight meant they couldn't buy a run of the mill dog pushchair.

This one for instance is just 15kg

Sunny Sonny Pet Stroller for S/M Dogs & Cats up to 15kg, Kid Stroller，Foldable Portable Travel Carrier with Swivel Wheels, Rain Cover, Large Storage Basket, Zipper Entry & Safety Design (Black) : Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

Spikeygran

The problem is ebay has a rigid system. If its within the 30 days and buyer opens an item not as described case, it will automatically go against the seller, the only options being refund on return or refund. If the seller refuses the return the buyer will usually be refunded and told they dont need to return the item.

The seller will then have to try and appeal, using the buyers messages hopefully making it clear that some third party broke it. Speaking to customer services (its a call back system) is best first thing monday - friday. You stand the best chance of getting the irish call centre and speaking to someone sensible.

I really wouldn't advise selling anything for collection on ebay, now that the buyer has to pay at ebay checkout (no cash allowed). It makes it very unsafe for the seller, especially if its a heavy item, and the buyer has travelled a distance to collect, as the system is set up to demand postal return. Sellers often end up having to just refund as getting the item back is too expensive.

To make it worse the refund is taken from the sellers bank account, not the money on hold, which should release once the case is closed.

Spikeygran

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81951518#Comment_81951518

Unfortunately to be able to use ebay, you have to agree to their terms and conditions. So the seller has agreed to let ebay operate its moneyback guarantee.

soolin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952683#Comment_81952683

Not necessarly , collection allows the seller some protection.

I knew if I looked I'd eventually find it:

eBay Customer Service

This also implies that buyer sends it back- and it doesn't show the usual caveat that seller needs to provide a label - so it might be worth arguing this point:

eBay Customer Service

If a buyer returns a local collection item, here is what you can do:

• If the buyer returns the item used or damaged, you may deduct an amount from the refund to cover the loss in value.
• Once you accept the return, the buyer should send the item back as soon as possible. If the item is not sent back within 15 business days, the return may be closed and you will be protected from negative feedback.