Thank you for getting back so soon...
Ok, Here I go...
The first message I sent to the seller was done before I got your advise on how to handle this return situation... Initially I told her I wanted a refund but did not state I wanted shipping charges... She didn’t write back right away. This is when I submitted my pictures for your advise.
After I got your opinion and advise on how to handle the dispute/return, I launched a dispute with Paypal and wrote to her again and referenced the narrative I left at Paypal.
Here’s a copy of what I wrote:
Not as described dispute - #PP-709-957-183
Not as described:
* 270388777845 - Coach Key Chain - Dog, Bone, Paw, Fire Hydrant, Charms
Status
This dispute is closed.
Messages
From Buyer - Karen Valderrama
5/20/2009 21:59 PDT
The keychain has been verified as fake by one of Ebay's Coach experts and I want a full refund, including return shipping. The box alone (the one in the ebay item photo and received by buyer) shows that the keychain is fake. Refund for shipping, handling, shipping materials and insurance/delivery confirmation should be approximately $30.00
A Refund was issued.
5/21/2009 17:40 PDT
She finally wrote to me saying she "forgot" to get back to me (after receiving my initial message). She refunded my purchase price but didn’t address the s/h and such.
I may be getting petty now because of her perceived lack of concern for the whole situation.
Paypal automatically closed the dispute.
I wrote to her again referencing the s/h ect… and she wrote back:
“Please, send a copy of the shipping cost receipt. Thanks. Specialrain”
I sent a copy of the USPS website shipping estimate to her.
I feel she should have refunded the additional $$ when I requested it!
I’ve been extremely patient with her… I have not left negative feedback and I have not yet reported her item as counterfit to ebay (wanted advise on how to do this too).
I don’t feel I should ship the fob back until she reimburses this amount. I’m wondering why Paypal closed the dispute. She paid for s/h to send the item to me initially (as her auction stated it would be free).
I want to avoid negative feedback… What do you think?
I agree - don't return the item unless told to do so by Paypal. I'd hang on to it for a few months just to be on the safe side but once the dispute has been closed by Paypal they're usually done with the matter.
Did she refund the original shipping that you paid to have it sent to you? If so, that's probably all you can expect. If you didn't include the dollar amount of the original S&H in the Paypal dispute, there's not much you can do now to recover it. The amount you claim should always include the full price plus shipping.
And PLEASE leave a Negative! That's the only way that other buyers can be warned about people who are selling fakes. You can say something like "Coach keychain was cheap fake, seller forced to refund" but specify what kind of item it was to warn other buyers. Remember to keep it to 80 letters and spaces or less and keep it sounding calm and professional. You're not supposed to mention any Paypal claim or decision in Feedback but the "forced to refund" gets that point across very well.
And please be careful how you dispose of the keychain. Like a lot of toys and other things made in China by companies making them illegally, "on the cheap" and out of the eyesight of law-abiding corporate observers, those metal keychains are probably loaded with lead in both the paint and the metal itself, to lower the cost and to make the metals softer and easier to shape and stamp out. Please don't give them to anyone with pets or small children who might play with or even chew in the charms!
Also, DON'T report it as counterfeit or the Negative Feedback will disappear! Let it stay just the way it is, and file that Negative ASAP.
