posted on January 13, 2001 03:38:40 PM
Here's the deal: I sold a cell phone and accessories for it on Ebay. The seller sent payment and I shipped out the phone. I left her positive feedback stating that she was a a terrific buyer. Her feedback at the time was 0 and is now up to 3. Well today she emailed me saying that she got the phone and said that the battery is dead, and that it cannot be charged. She wants me to email her back to determine what adjustments will be made. To my knowledge, before selling the phone, I didn't experience problems with the battery. I listed everything in my auction being in very good condition and used very little (the truth). Yes it's a used battery, along with everything else in the auction. She also says that in my auction info the battery I listed was not the same one she got and that the one she got wasn't the same model. I got my battery info off the Nokia website and was only aware of this one type of battery. I checked on recent feedbacks and she also bought a similiar phone and I'm wondering if she didn't swipe batteries on them and now is trying to get something out of it.
Anyway, I'm really not sure what to do. I don't want to get my first negative (my feedback rating is 14 over the course of two years...I'm only an occassional seller). But then again, I really don't feel I should have to give her any money back. Is it a good/bad idea for me to let her return everything to me?? Everything was sold together, and it was all in working order. I never specifically said that it's all being sold 'as is' in my terms but I figured that since they are used items the buyer would understand.
Any advice from from those who use Ebay more frequently and have possibly dealt with a situation like this in the past would be GREATLY appreciated. I'd post her email and the item number but I think that's against the rules. Thank you!
posted on January 13, 2001 03:45:17 PM
I would definitely request a return of everything. And make it very clear that she has to return it with *every* piece/part intact and in the condition it was sent.
posted on January 13, 2001 04:18:28 PM
I would definitely ask for it back and let her know that as soon as you verify your mark (even if you didn't mark it)you'll send her a refund. I did that recently on something that I considered virtually indestructable that had supposedly arrived broken. Well guess what? he e-mailed me back that it was OK, that he didn't think he'd be able to get a refund and had already thrown it out???
posted on January 13, 2001 04:25:19 PM
mmmkay, sounds like offering her to option to return it all might be a good idea. I'm heavily considering it right now at least...and that was one of the first things that came to my mind also. Her definition of something in 'working' order is obviously not the same as mine!
posted on January 13, 2001 04:59:33 PM
The one time I sold a cell phone, I anticipated problems like this. So, as I was packing the box, I took a digital photo of the cell phone serial number.
Tell her to return everything to you and as soon as you verify the serial number to your photo, you'll be happy to refund.
posted on January 13, 2001 05:34:28 PM
Please post again and let us know how this turns out, I'm interested. I sold a brand new 188 page spiral bound soft covered book a month ago and received an email from the seller that 35 pages were missing. I knew this wasn't possible so I emailed her that I would refund purchase price + shipping both ways as soon as it was returned. I'm still waiting....
Regarding feedback, I think the seller should leave fb first, however I always wait until I hear from the buyer that they're happy and consider the transaction complete. You might want to consider this for future sales.
posted on January 13, 2001 05:46:00 PM
To avoid possible bad fb I would ask her to return the cell phone with everything that was sent with it, after you receive it, if you do, I would check the phone over very carefully and make sure she has not damaged it or has had the ativation changed, then I would refund her money, a person can really hurt you with bad fb, and an unhappy buyer can sure do that, even if they are a nonpaying bidder they can leave you bad feedback
posted on January 13, 2001 07:41:26 PM
Thanks for the helpful information. I will let you all know what happens. I plan to email her and tell her that I'll accept the return and I plan to go into detail on everything that must be included for me to refund so there is a complete understanding. As for my method of leaving feedback...well I just learned from my mistake!
posted on January 13, 2001 08:58:20 PM
I would agree with a previous reply and let him/her know that you would like the item returned to you and that as soon as you verify your "MARK" you will either issue a refund or send it back to her as not being yours.
Now, what is a mark? I use a ultra violet detectable marker that is not visable to the naked eye. I make sure I mark everything I sell as well as every piece if there are multiples in an auction. I usually use a certain # or combination of numbers on each item.
posted on January 14, 2001 06:51:08 PM
Update: I emailed the buyer back telling her that I would allow a return only if I received everything back the way I had sent it out. She emailed me back saying that she had already bought a new battery and that she liked everything she got and wasn't going to send anything back. She also said she would be leaving me a positive, too. PHEW.
posted on January 14, 2001 08:45:21 PM
I would suggest the next time you sell something you be more specific and research better. Especially used items.
How fast everyone here was to say that the buyer was pulling a fast one.
Yet from your first post you said you got the battery information from the Nokia site.
Did you actually look at the battery in this phone? Did your photo show this battery?
posted on January 14, 2001 09:17:02 PM
The battery I had sent her said Nokia on it, and was the original one that came with the phone. The details I had listed were directly from the Nokia website. I did learn from all this and will plan to be more thorough...even though I thought I was in the first place. I didn't know the battery was going to be such an issue when it was mainly the phone I was trying to sell. Oh well. She's happy now, doesn't want to return the phone, so I am too. I didn't think she had any kind of motive behind her emailing me to begin with, but I know there are some people who are like that.
Thank you for the reply and I apoligize for misunderstanding your first post. I read it as you just copied the battery info from the website and didn't check the battery in the phone itself.
I am gald it worked out well for you.
Selling used items is a pain. You say too much about it and you might not sell it very high. You don't say enough and the buyer may feel you misrepresented the item.
I always describe and photograph everything the best I can. I don't want any hostile buyers either. That only costs a seller in terms of returning, negative feedback and ultimately perhaps a few sales from other buyers.
Best of luck in future sellings, and once again I am gald it all worked out for you.
posted on January 15, 2001 08:35:25 PM
I have been in this situation many times. You know what? don't be the first one to leave feedback. I know I will probably start an uproar by saying this, but there is no way I am leaving positive feedback until they leave positive feedback for me. I was really forced to come to this decision. I used to immediately leave positive feedback as soon as I received payment. But I found that too many times, once they know you can't neg them, they will demand the ridiculous - not all, but some. I can't afford to take this chance. I realize now that the transaction is not complete just because they buyer has simply paid me. The transaction is not complete until they have received their merchandise and evaluated it. Feedback is my high card and I am not going to play it just because I got paid in a timely manner. A cell phone battery is somewhat expensive to replace. So, eventhough she has not come out and said so, she will hold you feedback hostage until you fork over the money to give her a new battery. You have no recourse if you don't want a neg.
