[lvsforme]

I don’t even know where to start… While I was driving home to visit my parents for the holiday weekend on 7/3/08, a buyer (who is also a tPFer), sent me a number of messages about a bag that she purchased from me. She was not satisfied with condition of the bag and was requesting for a refund. Anyway, the drive to my parents’ house took me 9 hours due to holiday traffic. I have never dealt with a dispute myself and not sure if the turnaround time for a seller to respond to the buyer has to be immediate. After I finally reached my parents’ house and found her emails around 11:32pm, I immediately replied her to offer full refund. I found that first email from the buyer was sent at 4:40pm, followed by another at 5:01pm and a 3rd one at 5:25pm. Then, the next morning, as I was checking my paypal account, I found a dispute was filed by this buyer at 6:00pm on 7/3/08, and her words used just broke my heart and I couldn’t stop my tears reading them. She assumed that because I had posts at the Purse Forum that I loved this particular bag when I first purchased it that I have used it A LOT, in her words. The bag is no way in used A LOT condition when I checked it before I mailed it out. I did remove the plastic covering on the hardware after I first received the bag and posed a number of times in front of the mirror at home. The hardware might have some scratches that I didn’t notice. This would be my fault if I have missed them and I truly apologize and will be more careful in the future. I am waiting for the bag to come home to me. I am hoping it is in the same condition as it was delivered on 6/27/08. The buyer said that she was on vacation and didn’t get home until 7/3/08 and that was when she found the bag was not in brand new condition.

I wasn’t going to post anything about this transaction, but I found a thread that might have been started by this buyer. Although I had asked the buyer about her user name at the Purse Forum, she didn’t reveal it to me, so I can’t be 100% sure if the thread about a used bag was sold by a PFer was started by the this lady. I am just going to put in my side of the story and hope to God that I am doing the right thing and not to start another round of emails attacks. I am hoping I am taking all the right steps to handle such dispute. I have offered full refund plus return shipping immediately after I received the emails. Is there anything else that I need to do? I am so new at selling on eBay. If I have done anything wrong, please kindly advise me.

Thank you all for listening.

[moi et mes sacs]

Its tricky for us at tPF when we get two sides of the story and sometimes we get different stories. I think if you offered a refund thats very decent of you especially as you state the bag was not so bad. I dont think you could have done any more and I am sorry this buyer was impatient and decided to dispute and claim. Good luck and I hope it doesnt put you off.

[bellabird]

I hope it works out for both of you. It is a good reminder about patience. Sometimes, I jump to conclusions and have to remind myself it is not always as it seems.

[Nyria]

I'm sorry that this is making you feel so bad. Looking back did you show all flaws in the pictures and make sure to say that it had been used a couple of times? If you were fully honest in your listing then she shouldn't have a problem - but sometimes there are things that we don't noticed about our bags because we look at them all the time - but somebody just buying it might notice these things a lot more - ya know??

I'm sorry the buyer didn't have more patience too - that drives me crazy.

[Cindi]

Condition is such a subjective thing. What is gently used to one person is worn to another. If you offered her a refund you have done all you can do. She should have waited an appropriate amount of time for you to respond, especially since it was a holiday weekend. Not everyone is glued to their computer 24/7. Don't feel bad, it happens. If you list the bag again make sure to show every flaw even if you think it is nothing. Better the buyer be surprised by how nice the purse looks than offended by how bad.

[neatfreak]

Obviously there was a miscommunication somewhere and we are in no way able to determine who is right and who is wrong.

It *appears* though that you advertised it as new or like new? And instead it was used? If that is the case, you can't blame her for wanting to return it. IMO you cannot say new or like new unless the bag has NEVER been carried. If it's been carried at all, then you need to disclose that information so the buyer doesn't expect a new bag. If you disclosed that/didn't advertise as new well then I'm not sure where the miscommunication occurred.

But yes, it does sound that if what you are saying is correct via timelines then yes she jumped the gun posting on here and getting upset. But none of us are sure what happened so all we can do is speculate.

[northerndancer]

Just my two cents worth........Time and again when I see tPF buyers start a thread when they are unhappy because an item is more worn than described, not the right colour, not the right size etc etc, they are advised by other well meaning tPFers to file a dispute. These situations can often be resolved by giving the seller a chance to address the problem before filing a dispute. Personally, I think there is a lot of gun jumping advice given.

[lvsforme]

Thank you ladies for all your advices. I realize that I could be more detail and careful when I listed this bag. I have always disclose all the flaws that I found on bags I sold or traded with others.

xxxxxxxxxx

I thought I had checked everywhere to make sure this bag was fine, but I might very well didn't see the flaws that the buyer saw. Like Nyria said, sometimes there are things that we don't noticed about our bags because we look at them all the time - but somebody just buying it might notice these things a lot more. I fully understand and will be super careful in the future! I feel so luckly to be part of the Purse Forum and be able to get educated advices which I will be sure to practice in the future.

Thank you ladies!!

[pamper-me-silly]

Well said northerndancer... considering it was a holiday weekend buyer should have given seller a few more days before jumping the gun. For all we know buyer could have had "buyers remorse". I can only advise seller to note every minute detail when placing an auction (I even use a magnifying glass). It will protect her in the future.

[Nyria]

Originally Posted by Cindi

Condition is such a subjective thing. What is gently used to one person is worn to another. If you offered her a refund you have done all you can do. She should have waited an appropriate amount of time for you to respond, especially since it was a holiday weekend. Not everyone is glued to their computer 24/7. Don't feel bad, it happens. If you list the bag again make sure to show every flaw even if you think it is nothing. Better the buyer be surprised by how nice the purse looks than offended by how bad.

This is so true.

[caannie]

Offering a full refund is all you can do, and you did the right thing.

[missisa07]

Originally Posted by moi et mes sacs

Its tricky for us at tPF when we get two sides of the story and sometimes we get different stories. I think if you offered a refund thats very decent of you especially as you state the bag was not so bad. I dont think you could have done any more and I am sorry this buyer was impatient and decided to dispute and claim. Good luck and I hope it doesnt put you off.

Yes, definitely. I do remember the other thread that I'm almost positive was posted by the buyer in this transaction. Now, hearing the seller's side of the story, my opinion has definitely shifted towards the seller.

[Bella]

I don't want to play the guessing game, but assuming I'm thinking of the correct thread, wasn't this bag described NWT, new with tag? That would mean not used at all so used A LOT or even a little shouldn't even come into play.

[moi et mes sacs]

Yes I think I have put the two stories together now. I think the golden rule is not to describe as new with tags unless it has never been carried. It has to be in store bought condition. It was an error clearly but I still think the buyer acted hastily. It is very upsetting when something goes wrong on both sides and I can see both points of view. I would panic if an item was not as described and expected, but I would also panic when a buyer was not happy with my item. If you both try to understand each other it will help. That said you have offered a refund so if you do this promptly then the issue will be resolved and all the worry will go away. Sorry you feel upset, hope it all gets sorted soon.

[Embratt]

Don't take the situation to heart. It sounds like you did all you could given the circumstances and that is all that can be expected.