Advice, please?

archygirl

Member
Dec 7, 2006
4,004
3
Hello ladies, sorry to post a long message here, but I am sitting here in tears and don't know what to do. I recently sold a handbag to a buyer, with an unconfirmed address. Not having much experience with eBay, I did not know this could be a problem. Well, after emailing the buyer after winning the the item, to ask them to confirm address, the buyer then began to question purchase (buyer's remorse?) and started questioning condition of bag. Mind you, I had posted photos of front, back, bottom and close up of serial tag. Buyer never asked for additional photos before bidding and winning.

Now that they have received bag, while I only charged $14.99 and shipping cost me $27.50 (sent Express Mail to have tracking number; insured package), they want a refund due to condition. Should I take bag bag, give refund, or, since I feel I accurately represented bag in description AND photos, and buyer did not ask for additional ones, am I right in refusing a refund? Please advise...I am so distressed about this and don't want to ever sell on eBay again after all the horror stories I have been reading. :yucky:
 
Have they filed a claim in PP??? Why did shipping COST YOU $27.50? It should have cost them? I would ask them to send the bag back in the same manner it was received (tracked) and you will grant a refund once received. You would also like them to complete a mutual agreement not to complete the transaction in Ebay - so you can get your fees back.
 
How long have they had the bag in there possesion? If it has been more than three days, I would tell them no refund, all sales final unless contact is made immediately upon receipt of bag. If they did make immediate contact, then I would ask for photos of their complaints and ask for details of how they believe you misrepresented. If their complaint seems legit, then honor their refund. If you're not 100% that you misrepresented then you can always insist that they pay all shipping costs. Once you receive the bag, refund the payment. If you select the refund option through paypal, you get your fees back. And then filing a nonpaying bidder by mutual agreement will get you your Ebay fees back, and you can relist the bag.
 
^ If the buyer has noticed flaws that the seller didn't notice, or describe and show, then putting a time-limit on refunds wouldn't help, as the buyer can file a dispute/claim with Paypal.

Seller-imposed time limits on refunds/no refunds are only valid for changes of mind; not for SNAD items.

Also, you can't suddenly change your terms/introduce new terms after the sale.

Personally, I would offer to take the bag back. :yes: It would probably be easier in the long-run, anyway. :smile:

It's a shame that you lost $12.51 on shipping, but TBH, it is your responsibility, as a seller, to do your research and charge the correct amount and if the buyer files a dispute and escalates to a claim and Paypal finds in their favour, you may have to refund the $14.99, too.
 
How long have they had the bag in there possesion? If it has been more than three days, I would tell them no refund, all sales final unless contact is made immediately upon receipt of bag. If they did make immediate contact, then I would ask for photos of their complaints and ask for details of how they believe you misrepresented. If their complaint seems legit, then honor their refund. If you're not 100% that you misrepresented then you can always insist that they pay all shipping costs. Once you receive the bag, refund the payment. If you select the refund option through paypal, you get your fees back. And then filing a nonpaying bidder by mutual agreement will get you your Ebay fees back, and you can relist the bag.

She received the bag and then emailed me a few hours later. My concern is this...she has been looking for this bag on ebay for a while, she says. Then I offer her a really good deal on an authentic bag that is discontinued, noting the condition (I took photos of the bag and the bottom), and I think honestly what she wants is a bag that is brand new, never worn, but costs her practically nothing. I am not going to give the bag away. At any rate, I will take your advice and go forward with this.
 
Have they filed a claim in PP??? Why did shipping COST YOU $27.50? It should have cost them? I would ask them to send the bag back in the same manner it was received (tracked) and you will grant a refund once received. You would also like them to complete a mutual agreement not to complete the transaction in Ebay - so you can get your fees back.

It cost me that much because I listed shipping costs at $14.99 (priority and packaging). I then sent the bag Express, because her address was unconfirmed and I did not know that was a problem until I read information here.
 
^^ when I first started ebaying, I always lost out on the shipping cost too. I always undercharged the buyer and ended up pouring out my own money on shipping that was double what I initially charged. I think that you could have actually saved some money by buying insurance plus signature confirmation on your package. That would have probably saved you at least $10. Isn't Express shipping overnight?
 
well, after contemplating options, I decided to simply refund her money once I receive the bag back in the same condition it was sent in. Is there a time limit to the second-chance offers, as there was a bidder that was outbid by this silly woman who may still want the bag?
 
After 8 years, I definitely have days where I am burnt out on eBay! But honestly: as long as you have all your ducks in a row as a seller, and do what's right, the vast majority of transactions actually DO go smoothly. It gets easier over time because your instincts and experience kick in.
Learning lessons like this one is never pleasant, but now you know! Shipping costs are more expensive than ya think they will be, and condition is everything when it comes to bags.
Good luck in the future! I hope you don't decide to just give up--you seem like a nice person and an honest seller, and God knows there's a shortage of those out there!
 
After 8 years, I definitely have days where I am burnt out on eBay! But honestly: as long as you have all your ducks in a row as a seller, and do what's right, the vast majority of transactions actually DO go smoothly. It gets easier over time because your instincts and experience kick in.
Learning lessons like this one is never pleasant, but now you know! Shipping costs are more expensive than ya think they will be, and condition is everything when it comes to bags.
Good luck in the future! I hope you don't decide to just give up--you seem like a nice person and an honest seller, and God knows there's a shortage of those out there!

Thanks CynthiaNYC! I certainly learned from this experience! But I appreciate the nice comments after feeling pretty low...:flowers:
 
Thanks CynthiaNYC, I found that I have 60 days, so all is not totally lost. Is anyone else totally burnt out on eBay? :tdown:

yeah :tdown:, please see post "someone i trying to sue me for $200" :smile:

basically my situation is the opposite of your except the seller i purchased from listed the item as new without tags when in actuality it appears used

at this point, having been on both ends of eBay disputes I think I'm done for awhile...this is just getting ridiculous for honest buyers and sellers

I'm sorry for your trouble....