To refund or not

I sold an item a month ago. I accepted an offer from the buyer for around $40.00 less than the original asking price. The buyer received the item and gave me very positive feedback saying the item was received as described in his remarks. Now, a couple of weeks later, he tells me that there is a chip on the item that he discovered while cleaning it. I'm sure there was none when I sent the item and the buyer even said so in his feedback. Now he wants a refund or to return the item. What should I do ? Is he still protected by PAYPAL even after saying in his ratings that everything was perfect ? It is a $140.00 item by the way

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To refund or not

Ask him to take a picture of the damage. If it is there offer a partial refund. I think if he complains to PayPal they will refund him.

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To refund or not

 

Hello 'thevillage1955',

This dilemma comes up from time to time and ultimately the choice must be yours.

 

One of the reasons (the strongest, in my opinion!) for sellers refunding or making partial refunds

is to avoid negative feedback.  You don't have that problem this time. Smiley Happy

Ordinarily when a buyer wants to return an item, he is required to do so at his own expense using

a Delivery Confirmed service.  You've probably seen this link about it:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/shipping-returns.html

 

Some sellers may offer a partial refund to keep good relations, or if they think the item may have

indeed sustained damage in transit, or even prior to shipping.  But this late in the day, after the

buyer has left contented feedback waxing on about how happy he is, -- well, the cynic in me would

cause me to be sickeningly sweet when I explained that I noticed no damage when I packed it but

that I would cheerfully refund him once he returns it in the same condition.

But that's me.

 

I know there are other sellers who will suggest refunding, - perhaps the buyer will return and buy

more one day and all that.  You don't say when exactly you sold it or what it is, -- is there any chance

the 'chip' could have happened at his house?  It the item something that would get 'used', or is it

strictly a display-type thing?

 

Anyway, yes he is still protected by paypal even though he left great feedback, largely because he

could have (in theory, at least) left that by mistake.  There have been times when someone has left

a neg for the wrong seller, so it happens.  He has 45 days in which to open a claim.  Did you get the

feeling he might do that? 

Whether you yourself feel it is better to just offer a refund to avoid an open claim, or to insist he return

it and if he opens a claim you simply say 'return for full refund' in the case, - you must decide to do

what you will find easiest to live with (and easiest on your selling record).

 

Good luck.

 

 

Message 3 of 5
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To refund or not

he wants a refund or to return the item. What should I do ?

 

 

As someone stated , you can offer a partial refund. Which is fine. Personally I would just ask him to return the item for a refund.

 

In many cases the buyer may just say, the heck with it. Its too much of a bother to return it.

 

The other option would be to fight this in a claim where you will lose unfortunately. Ebay tends to side with buyers in these cases, where then they would suspend the funds from your account till the buyer returns the item. Plus now you have a unhappy customer.

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To refund or not

If you have good photos of your item when listed, ask for a picture of the chipped area and compare.  If there was none when listed, send your photo and indicate that it was sent to him wthout it and after this amount of time with the item in his hands you don't have a basis to refund or take a 100% return.    If the item has some value with the chip, you could offer a partial refund. 

 

If there is a case that the item may have been sent with the chip, ask for the return as suggested and refund when it gets there if you could have shipped with the chip.

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