posted on July 1, 2002 07:56:50 AM
My auction ended 6/18/02, the buyer paid immediately with paypal. I shipped 6/19/02, and he left me positive feedback on 6/21/02. Last night, I received a message on my home answering machine, stating that the item wasn't as described, could he return it. My question is this, do I have to refund his money, if he already left me positive feedback? He must have been pleased with the item--it was an expensive toothpick holder--now decided he doesn't want it? He is a relatively newbie, 40+ positives. Any ideas? I don't say anything about refunds or returns in my tos. Thanks!
posted on July 1, 2002 10:05:49 AM
If you don't have a satisfaction guarantee in your auctions, you don't have to allow him to return it. It's up to you. The worst that could happen is he could leave a follow up comment to his positive feedback and you would lose him as a customer.
posted on July 1, 2002 10:10:28 AM
Buyer obviously liked it when he received it. If there were no hidden surprises, sounds like he found one for less or lost interest in it. Not YOUR problem.
posted on July 1, 2002 11:23:34 AM
Since you didn't state a return policy, you don't have to accept it. If I were in your position, I'd at least try to clarify why the item is not "as described." If he has a legitimate argument, I'd offer a refund in exchange for the returned item. Although I would not consider him to be a newbie - a feedback of 40+ means he's probably been engaged in at least 60+ auctions, which is enough to be quite familiar with the process and to have experienced a wide variety of sellers and their policies.
posted on July 1, 2002 12:16:04 PM
Kyms, nope, but he is starting to stink like a dead one.
I think I will just refund his money, he did not come up with a legimate reason why he wants to return it, other then he has "concerns" with it. Whatever that means.
posted on July 1, 2002 01:03:35 PM
his concern is that he paid more than he wanted to with it--it's the 1st of the month and his mortgage or rent is due.
posted on July 1, 2002 02:37:39 PM
The only legitimate "concern" he might have is if there's some damage that wasn't listed in the auction, or if it was listed as an antique and he now believes it's a reproduction. If he came out and claimed either of these two, then I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. But an unspecified "concern" is not enough to allow him to return it.
posted on July 1, 2002 02:57:11 PM
In these situations, I usually take the item back, but only if the buyer agrees to pay for INSURED shipping, the item can't be copied, and they pay the relisting fees. All of this is more than reasonable - especially since we're not stores, we're just individuals trading on an auction service.
Most of the time the buyer understands and keeps the item after I explain all this - I also let them know that they can repost the item themselves and will often get their money back, if not more!
In my worst case, I sold a horse blanket to a buyer who contacted me three MONTHS after receiving the item asking for a refund. The buyer was adamant that I take the blanket back for a refund, but after explaining my viewpoint and perspective, she walked away.
posted on July 1, 2002 09:34:36 PM
I would be concerned that I was getting the same item back after so much time. And that it was in the same condition as sent. He might have broken it, or chipped it or whatever. We have a tos requiring notification of intent to return when the item is received by customer. It seems to be a good idea to keep pics around for a while and compare them with whatever is sent to you. My favorite was the one who wanted to send back 80 year old silverware because it had been used.
posted on July 2, 2002 05:20:47 AM
BUYER LEAVES POSITIVE. GREAT! RETURN THE FAVOR. (BUYER PAYS SUPER FAST) BLOCK HIM FROM ANY FUTURE BIDDING. END OF STORY.
posted on July 2, 2002 06:40:33 AM
You know, there are shopping addicts.
I've been casually talking to retail store clerks about this lately. They all have great stories to tell.
We were stuck in line this weekend at Linens and Things behind two men carrying large bags of merchandise. They wanted to return all of it. Nothing wrong...they just wanted their money back. Once they left, I asked the clerk if this was something unusual.
"Oh no, not at all," she said. "I see the same people in here every day, literally the exact same people who load up with purchases one day and bring it all back the next."
B&M stores factor in returns as a cost of doing business. Their prices reflect that. Many things are available cheaper now on eBay, so the feebs get to "spend" more and get a bigger rush out of shopping, then bedevil sellers by sending it all back.
posted on July 2, 2002 07:04:46 AM
Shopping addiction is one possibility. Another is the guy bought it for resale, only to have their sale fall through. I've known antique dealers who have done this - they have a customer looking for a specific item, so they locate it on ebay, purchase it, then try to mark it up and sell it to their customer for a profit. Of course if their customer has already purchased one, or if it's not quite the right item, or any number of other things that can go wrong, then they're left holding the bag - unless they can return it to recoup their investment.
posted on July 2, 2002 09:48:09 AM
holdenrex: Yep, that's an old tactic of antique dealers that predates the Internet. Used to be the Antique Trader Weekly ads were *the* marketplace for buying/selling...and many ads said "Returns accepted with our stickers intact."
posted on July 2, 2002 10:53:06 AM Except the return and give the guy his money back quit being so greedy.
If you receive it back in the condition you sent it give him a glowing pos. feedback.
You will feel much better about yourself and make another person happy in the process.
( LOVE ONE ANOTHER )
posted on July 2, 2002 01:14:37 PMExcept the return and give the guy his money back quit being so greedy. If you receive it back in the condition you sent it give him a glowing pos. feedback. You will feel much better about yourself and make another person happy in the process.
That's not the way people do things on this planet.
posted on July 2, 2002 01:37:21 PM
Fluffy: when I sold in an antique mall, we had a seller who would borrow other sellers items (without their knowledge) to show to prospective customers, claiming them to be his own. If the customer purchased it from him at his marked up price, he would record the sale for the other dealer at the original price, pocketing the "finder's fee" for himself. If his sale fell through, he'd return the item to the original booth, usually putting it in an unusual place so that the other dealer thought that it had simply gotten misplaced.
Eventually he got greedy and decided to cut out the unwitting middleman altogether, turning a rather shady sales practice into outright shoplifting. He tried to sell me some rather unique merchandise, which I soon discovered matched the description of another seller's missing merchandise. The mall owners had had suspicions about this guy for awhile, but this incident was enough to get him booted out and taken to small claims court.
Of course this was in the pre-ebay days, so I can only imagine that ebay has made this practice that much more common.
Except the return and give the guy his money back quit being so greedy.
