posted on March 2, 2008 11:47:46 AM new
I list, bidder buys cassette deck. Deck is in pristine condition. Bidder emails me upon its arrival stating that one of the cassette doors will not open. Everything worked perfectly and there was no damage to the deck when it was shipped. Since the bidder didn't describe the problem very well, I asked them to return the item so that I could inspect it. Upon its arrival, the first thing I notice is that the corner of the front of the deck is damaged where the eject button is for the other door that actually works. I also notice that it appears someone jammed a screwdriver or other object into where the eject button is on the other side of the deck. I went back to compare it with the photos just to make sure, and sure enough, there is damage that wasn't there beforehand.
The bidder has great feedback with a 190 rating, 1 neg and not in the last year. Their last feedback was left in January 06, over 2 years ago.
I'm quite perplexed as to what happened and have this erie feeling that the damage was done on their end... perhaps buyers remorse or they dropped it, but cannot prove it. What I do know is that the deck's door no longer opens and it appears that both eject buttons have been tampered with. I haven't contacted the bidder yet, but plan to do so after I get some feedback.
posted on March 2, 2008 12:53:18 PM new
that was my first thought when he emailed me, but I have gone through everything and know for sure that it is the same one... at least from the outside.
i would love to think everyone was honest, especially bidders that have good feedback... but there is obviously damage that wasn't on the deck when i packed it.
when i originally responded to the bidder after he informed me of the problem, i asked about damage to the package. he said there was no damage, and everything was packed properly... i use packing peanuts and gave plenty of room, minimum 3 inches on each side. after i suggested that the package may have been dropped or thrown in transit, he responded that it was very likely and confirmed there was no signs of physical/cosmetic damage to the unit when it arrived. he also mentioned that he had noticed in other auctions for similar units that many sellers noted problems with the doors being stuck. what i see is different however... i see obvious physical damage where both eject buttons are located, yet no where else on the unit is there damage.
posted on March 2, 2008 01:30:45 PM new
Ebay has some creepy buyers. Go with your gut, send the item back, and tell him he bought it, the damage was not there. Let him scream and make threats, that OK. Don't let the buyer screw you out of the deal. If he used Paypal you just screwed yourself, I do not understand why sellers use paypal.
posted on March 2, 2008 01:49:58 PM new
RETURN/EXCHANGE POLICY: Because items we sell are considered collectibles we do not accept returns or exchanges. We take great pride in our auctions and professional packing and make every effort to properly represent the condition of each item we sell (as evident by our feedback rating).
Bidder paid with a check. Didn't buy insurance.
Generally, when I request the bidder to return the item so I can inspect it (mostly to call their bluff)... I never hear back from them. I've sold hundreds of high end pieces of equipment, packed and shipped each one with care to ensure it arrived safely.
What I see is an item that wasn't returned in the same condition as it was shipped, and these were things that weren't mentioned by the bidder... which to me is odd b/c my description is listed as in perfect condition, clean, completely inspected and free of damage. If I had received an item that had a ding in the corner, and obviously had been tampered with a tool or something, I would have brought that to the sellers attention... but this wasn't the case at all.
I emailed him the following message: "Hello. I received the deck back yesterday and inspected it.
The first thing I noticed when I looked at it was that the lower left corner of the plastic trim on the front of the deck is damaged, as if it had been dropped. It is located directly under to the left of the eject button for door B. Additionally, it appears there is also some damage to the plastic trim that surrounds the other eject button that is now broken. In both instances, these problems were not present before shipping the item to you, as seen in auction photos. Did you attempt to pry the eject button for door A with anything, as this seems to be the most likely culprit of this type of damage?"
posted on March 2, 2008 04:33:35 PM new
I think you handled it very well - since he didn't pay with Paypal, you don't need to worry about a claim on his end - I would return it to him, it wasn't damaged when shipped - I assume you have the photos still from the auction to prove that - hopefully they show enough detail in the area to see it was undamaged - unfortunately, you're going to be out the shipping - not sure how much money your in to this for...
Could something have happened during shipping to cause the issue? Is it worth a shipping claim if so?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on March 2, 2008 05:54:04 PM new
He did not buy insurance and if it is shipped USPS,the clerk will say outside box is not damaged,so no deal.
Plus how do you explain the screwdriver marks?
*
Lets all stop whining !
posted on March 3, 2008 10:44:07 AM new
This is a good reason to require insurance on any item over $25.
It's very fortunate for you that he didn't pay with paypal or you would be completely out of luck.
Send it back to him, wait for your negative and hope it doesn't come.
Next time ask for a photo of the item, including close ups of the non-working area. This would have saved you both the return shipping cost.
posted on March 4, 2008 07:49:22 AM new
I finally got a response. He claimed he did nothing to the item and that was how it arrived.
I'm going to take photographs of it and email it to him and show him the difference between before and after and tell him my decision. In the original photos, the area of damage around the button that is broken isn't clearly visible. I am going to try and take a photo from the same angle and see if it shows. The other damage on the corner of the unit is obvious from the photos that it was a perfect right angle... now it is dinged in about 1/8th of an inch. There is no hiding that from the photos.
posted on March 5, 2008 11:47:44 AM new
USPS... bidder didn't purchase insurance. I don't know why bidders choose USPS. Ebay doesn't offer Fed Ex as an option on their shipping. Any ideas why that is?
posted on March 5, 2008 04:09:14 PM new
You have to remember the insurance is to cover you, not the buyer. It is your responsibility to deliver the item to the customer intact, undamaged. Until it is physically in the customers hands, it is your responsibility. That means, when you ship and give it to the shipping company, you are still responsible.
What you do in this case is up to you, but if this guy is persistant and it goes to court, you will lose.
posted on March 5, 2008 04:34:50 PM new
I doubt the bidder will take her to court.
Just take the photos and tell him he must have mistaken you for another seller as this one is not yours.
If he wants his refund,then return the one you sent him.
Be firm and polite and avoid haggling back and forth.
The worst he can do is NEG you.
*
Lets all stop whining !
posted on March 5, 2008 04:50:18 PM new
Stone's right on this one. If a seller charges the customer S+H and then prepays shipping to the customer, shipping insurance is at the seller's discretion, not the buyer's. The package belongs to the seller until it is delivered to and accepted by the buyer.
posted on March 5, 2008 05:51:27 PM new
I'd suspect a swapped return if you weren't 100% sure it was the same one you sent out. In the few attempted "Buy, swap and returns" I received, I managed to detect them all by different serials, original photos or lack of UV pen marks.
I got wise after my first attempt to upgrade at my expense. Fortunately it was in the early days of eBay so it wasn't paid for via PayPal and I sent them back their piece of junk. Also made sure that their feedback mentioned it...
Caroline