Buyer is saying I sprayed too much febreeze, I don't even own a fabric spray

[nnocturnes]

I sold a brand new with tags sweater which tracking shows was delivered just today. The buyer messaged me a couple hours after delivery saying the sweater smells like it was over saturated with something like Febreeze, claiming that as soon as the parcel was opened, two of their family members "who have asthma" have been in "respiratory distress". S/He is demanding to know what I used on the sweater so they can "contain the agent" and "protect the family".

This blew my mind for a few reasons. I've only had the item for a short period of time after purchasing from the store itself, which doesn't use fragrances. It's been in my closet in its own shopping bag. I don't own any fabric sprays and don't perfume my closet whatsoever. I used tissue and a plastic poly mailer bag, both unscented and odourless, to ship the sweater. No diffusers, scented candles or anything at my place. I always leave windows open for fresh air no matter the weather so even if it did have a smell it would have been aired out in that time period.

The buyer didn't open a case but I feel like s/he will and I'm fearful that I'm being scammed. I know eBay tends to side with Buyers.

What could I do to prepare if that's the scenario? 

[femmefan1946]

Send the buyer a Message like "I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a full refund."

If she demands a partial refund respond with, "I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a full refund."

If she opens a Dispute with eBay respond with "I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a full refund."

Basically, call her bluff.

She can't have the sweater and the money.

If it's good enough to keep, it's good enough to pay for.

I wouldn't address the Febreeze claim at all. There might be some residual chemical smell from the plastic packaging, but not enough to put anyone in 'respiratory distress'. If there was enough to cause any distress, that person should be under a doctor's care. And living in a bubble.

Don't offer to pay for the return. Just say you will refund on return.

If the scammer buyer opens a Dispute with eBay, tell them to return the sweater for a full refund. You may have to send a Return Shipping Label. For Canada, that's easy, but this is undoubtedly an American. 

However, little does the scammer buyer know that we can now send USPS shipping labels to the USA using Shippo.

If you send a Return Shipping Label and it is not used to return the sweater (with tags if that is how it was sent) then you win the case and do not need to refund. The label will (eventually) be credited to you.

When you get the sweater back (which is doubtful) you can relist it.

Don't Block the scammer buyer until the transaction is completed.

[momcqueen]

I’m one of the annoying fragrance-sensitive people although my issue is not asthma but immediate blackout-style migraines.

My triggers include perfume, hairspray, any scented cleaning product (all of them) commercial shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, laundry detergent, fabric softener et cetera. Chlorine, alcohol, toluene. So, basically, everything that everyone uses everywhere in their homes or offices or on their bodies.

Someone’s deodorant will knock me out. They don’t even smell it, but I’ll be holding my breath and running in the opposite direction. I once had to ask for my whole family to switch seats on a packed airplane because the woman in front of me two rows down was sitting in a cloud of perfume.

While the measures taken in many progressive public spaces to be scent-free do help, it’s the things that people just do without thinking that are the biggest problem for me. Like use fabric softener to the manufacturer’s instruction of a whole cup or whatever per load. That stink does NOT FADE and it transfers to other things around it. I can smell a kid whose winter coat has been washed with scented laundry detergent and fabric softener from 10 ft away for months. Literally months. Scented laundry products are designed specifically to not shed their aroma.

Did this article of clothing sit with others that have been washed with scented products? You will not smell the fragrance anymore, you’ve been desensitized to it by natural design but so some unfortunate soul such as me, it’s a killer stink.

I do, however, agree your buyer is being melodramatic and notwithstanding their fragrance issues may be finagling for a freebie. Tell them to return for refund and stand firm on that. No partials. No refunds without return. That is your absolute right as a seller.

[momcqueen]

Oh, and request return in original packaging.

If you do get it back and it reeks, check for signs that someone else’s parcel exploded and wrecked yours. Perfume is non-mailable material without a special permit but some senders are ignorant of that. It gets broken in transit and wrecks stuff. You can try to claim that with Canada Post if the box stinks too and it’s not a stink that originated with you.

[femmefan1946]

I was horrified when Gain detergent started advertising that their products retained their scent for 12 weeks.

And I actually like the scent of Gain.

I notice other detergents are started to copy those claims.

BTW I use pointy plastic balls in my dryer instead of fabric softener. They cost about $2 a pair at the supermarket and last for years.  No scent and my Aberdonian heritage appreciates the price.
I've also seen felted wool balls sold for the same purpose. More expensive but less plastic.  There was a poster who sold wool including these as well as her own handspun products.

[rose-dee]

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@nnocturnes wrote:

I sold a brand new with tags sweater which tracking shows was delivered just today. The buyer messaged me a couple hours after delivery saying the sweater smells like it was over saturated with something like Febreeze, claiming that as soon as the parcel was opened, two of their family members "who have asthma" have been in "respiratory distress". S/He is demanding to know what I used on the sweater so they can "contain the agent" and "protect the family".

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In terms of the sale itself, I think the best thing you can do is politely ask the buyer to return the sweater for a full refund.  Don't get into an argument over the smell issues. 

Was the sweater made of 100% wool, or a synthetic?  I have to point out, since many people are unaware, that some polyester clothing does off-gas badly, especially if sealed in a plastic bag or wrapper (which itself may off-gas).  Other synthetics -- nylon, orlon, acrylic, etc. -- are more stable than polyesters, but can also produce chemical off-gassing.  The gases are actually a byproduct of the breakdown of the many estrogenic compounds created in manufacturing these oil-based products.   Another possibility is that the sweater might have been treated at the factory with a sizing or freshening agent that only got released through exposure to heat -- this could have happened somewhere in transit.  

"Polyester" means "many esters" (estrogens), and yes, these hormones can disrupt some people's systems.  It's the sudden influx, even on a minute scale, that can cause things like headaches, nausea, difficulty breathing, etc.  Most people are oblivious, or at least unaffected, but some are extremely sensitive.   If the sweater you sent was a brand new polyester knit (likely straight from China) you may not have noticed anything if it was kept in a normally airy closet, but seal it in a plastic bag, inside a sealed envelop or box for a week, and it could well have developed a load of chemical gasses by the time it was opened.  This is rarely noticeable in stores, where items are kept on shelves or racks in the open, and gasses can disperse enough not to cause most people any problems.  

Potential hormonal disruption and other long-term health concerns are the reasons I haven't bought or worn a polyester garment since the 1970's (when nobody knew any better).  The information on estrogenic off-gassing is available these days, but most people don't care as long as the price is cheaper than a garment made from a natural fibre (i.e. cotton, wool and other animal hair, silk, linen, hemp, and to some extent bamboo and rayon, although a lot of chemicals are used to render bamboo and wood [rayons] into usable fibres).   Of course Chinese manufacturers of polyester textiles aren't going to advertise the possible issues.  By the way, these estrogenic compounds are also exuded by other petroleum-based items, including almost anything made from plastic, especially if heated.  Artificial "fresheners" and laundry scents are also implicated in health concerns for similar reasons.    

Long story short: it's possible your buyer is actually being honest about this.   I wouldn't necessarily judge them as scammers, but do give them the option of returning the item for a refund.  You may be able to sell it to someone who is less sensitive.   

[rose-dee]

As a follow-up, I see you're selling a cashmere sweater at the moment.  Was the sweater you sent the same as this one?  Some people can mistake the natural scent of animal fibres like wool or cashmere (goat hair) for artificial scents if they're not used to them.   

I once saw a buyer complain that a length of silk taffeta fabric "smelled like gasoline".   No, to an uninitiated nose, that may be the closest odour that comes to mind, but it isn't gasoline.  Many silks do have a strong scent, but it's the natural odour of the protein coating of the fibre (sericin).  

So when it comes to noses and scents, there is rarely much agreement anyway.  Which is the biggest reason the perfume industry does so well.  

One thing you can do -- if you get the sweater back -- is to seal it in a plastic bag for a few days and check it yourself.   If it's made of pure wool, what you'll get is that wonderful, strong woolly smell of the lanolin (the natural oil from sheep's wool).  Then you'll know.  Some woollens are more processed than others and have more of the lanolin removed, so less natural scent.  

If the item is made from polyester (or a blend), it won't be a pretty scent when you open the bag.  Unfortunately where polyester is concerned, no amount of washing will stop the off-gassing.  In fact, as the fibres break down over the years, the off-gassing can become worse.  There is also the problem of micro-fibres getting into water systems from machine-washing polyester garments, but that's a soapbox (forgive the pun) that I'll save for another day.   🙂

[zee-chan]

I learned so much about fabrics from this thread than I have the last decades!

[mcrlmn]

... and a lot about smells in general, and smelly washing, drying, deodorizing, and storage products.

Personally, I use Arm & Hammer from Costco.

Use Femmefan's advise from her 1st post.

[marnotom!]

Interesting how one person's laundry detergent is another's poison. I personally find most Arm and Hammer laundry liquids to be pretty noxious. Persil, too.

I recently discovered Cheer, which seems to be going the way of the dinosaur in Canada. It does a fine job of cleaning, brightening and whitening without leaving an overpowering, lingering scent.

Sorry to continue this thread on its off-topic journey.

[retroman_studios]

I did read somewhere that the ability of fragrances to hold so long on a garment was that some were bound with silicone. I've worked with silicone in different forms and can attest to its ability to really stick on fabrics in one form or another.

I've bought second hand items that the previous owner was a heavy user of fragrances. It took years before some of the items finally wear out odor wise. Some still smell.

Where I live there is a neighbor complex of townhomes and some of the chemicals that come out of the dryer vents are really harsh. When you breathe it in your lungs feel like they are on fire, same as the nose.

I am sensitive to smells to a degree, but I notice I am more sensitive to cheap stuff than nice things. I always like walking through The Bay and inhaling the aroma of the perfumes. But we are talking expensive perfumes that use quality oils and ingredients. Compare that to shops that tell you they have the "secret recipe" that Calvin Klein and others use. Sure it smells ok but who knows how it reacts with you.

I've seen folks who use cheap fragrance and it smells like industrial cleaning solution. I recall talking to someone who was familiar with the industry and they said not all fragrances agree with all people, and for some the fragrance breaks down due to a chemical reaction to sweat and other unique elements to that person, so a person may love a specific scent but it just doesn't work for them but are either oblivious to it or keep wearing it because they like it even though it smells horrible due to bad reaction.

And to the case in question, much like a customer I had last year.....there are some customers who simply should not buy certian items online as they are only setting themselves up for frustration.

[rose-dee]

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@zee-chan wrote:
I learned so much about fabrics from this thread than I have the last decades!

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Glad to have been of some service!  Working with textiles is my métier (including conservation of old textiles), and has been for quite a long time.  

[rose-dee]

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@retroman_studios wrote:

I've seen folks who use cheap fragrance and it smells like industrial cleaning solution. I recall talking to someone who was familiar with the industry and they said not all fragrances agree with all people, and for some the fragrance breaks down due to a chemical reaction to sweat and other unique elements to that person, so a person may love a specific scent but it just doesn't work for them but are either oblivious to it or keep wearing it because they like it even though it smells horrible due to bad reaction.

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The sense of smell is such a subjective and personal thing!   I was fortunate to have met a master perfumer once many years ago who told me that older perfumes whose formulae were concocted in the early to mid-20th century (and prior) contained only natural ingredients, such as floral essences, wood and spice extracts, etc.   Musk, if used as a counter-note, came from animal sources (civet cat).   He mentioned that a number of perfumes invented in the early part of the 20th century were still available commercially, since I'd told him I was "allergic" to most perfumes.  

He said that the artificial chemicals used in modern commercial perfumes had changed the industry and permitted far more production to take place, and that the cheaper the perfume, the more synthetic components it will have. 

I realized this explained why I'd found I could wear old varieties of perfumes that had been around since prior to the early 1950's (like a couple of the original Chanel fragrances), but reacted with a violent rash to almost all of the new products, no matter what their cost.   I haven't worn perfume since the 1980's, partly out of consideration for other people, and partly because I can't justify the cost anymore.  These days if I want a little scent to make me happy, I use a tiny smudge of attar of roses mixed with some hand cream.  

Well, now we're really off topic, sorry!   (LOL)