posted on December 18, 2000 11:01:31 PM new
Well believe it or not, in over 2 years (heck maybe 3? I don't know) selling on eBay I've had my VERY FIRST person request a refund.
First of all let me say that my TOS *clearly* states that I only give refunds when I've misrepresented an item. Once or twice I've amended the TOS of an individual auction because the item was a vintage, weird sized garment or a very hard-to-figure size (like a plus size swimsuit I sold once that had some funky european sizing and was so stretchy that measuring it was useless)... so anyway, all my other auctions are "no returns" for the most part. I measure every clothing item every which way I can, in addition to listing the size on the label, and if it was a personal garment of mine I list my own size as well to give an even BETTER idea.
So, today I get my first request ever for a return, from a high feedback seller/buyer (FB at least 2 times my 150+ FB rating, and this one mostly as a seller) because the item doesn't fit.
I politely wrote back to reiterate my return policy and to ask her if she felt I had in some way misrepresented the size, but if not, then the answer is no. So why do I all of a sudden feel like a rat for saying no? I should mention she was VERY cordial in her request. I still can't help but worry that this will turn in to a problem, or that I'll even take a neg for it in the end.
posted on December 19, 2000 01:52:53 AM new
Just a thought here. Since she is a seller, could you offer to let her use your pictures, etc, to resell the item?
posted on December 19, 2000 04:36:58 AM new
Why should you feel like a "rat"? Because you clearly stated your refund policy in your TOS, or because this bidder has higher FB than yours, or because she asked "cordially"?
Piffle. Refund if YOU think it's worth YOUR trouble, which it probably isn't.
posted on December 19, 2000 04:38:45 AM new
Yup, after 3 years, my first request for a refund too. A very nasty e-mail that the $2 elvis mug he bought was dirty black inside and all scratched up. I said send it back but be sure you send back the one I sent you.I didn't say anything about the postage.
Got it back yesterday. The "black dirt" was a tiny film of shelf and packaging "dust" that we neglected to wash out and the "scratches" were the decal that the Post Office put on there which was not perfect.(nothing the P.O. does is perfect but that's another story). Still had the new bar code on the bottom.
But,the worst part was his lousy and deprecatating and threatening e-mail that got me so mad. Him with his lousy 43 or whatever feedback is going to write all me buyers (yeah,over 600 feedback that he can check out) and see if I am in the habit of selling such used items for new.
All this over a $2 item? Now I'm waiting to cool off before I decide if I'm going to send just his $2 back or include the postage one way. This will probably end up being my first neg, but from idiots like this I can take it. Jeez, get real, turn on the faucet and rinse it out.
End of vent--sorry AW seems the only place I can vent!
posted on December 19, 2000 12:45:23 PM new
I would refund the money. The only time I would not refund is if I'd characterized my auction as a "clearance/going out of business sale".
