Seller says she can't partially refund until I close the dispute?

[chloehandbags]

So, I received some SNAD condition Chloe shoes (multiple, large, light-coloured, rub marks on the backs and the sides of the brown leather heels, which will have to be re-dyed).

The seller agreed to my request of a 20% partial refund (which I very much doubt will even half cover the professional redying cost; but as the shoes weren't very expensive, I wanted to be reasonable) and said she was going to issue it the next day (which was last Tuesday).

By Saturday, she still hadn't issued the refund and she also hadn't replied to my email asking when she intended to, so I launched a dispute.

Immediately after I launched it (and I mean within seconds!), she emailed me saying that she had finally managed to check her emails and how disappointed she was that I had launched a dispute when she thought we had come to an agreement and how she hadn't issued the refund, yet, as she was away and didn't want to issue it on a public computer (why that prevented her from emailing me to let me know what was going on, I can't imagine. :blink: ) and could I please outline why I had launched the dispute.

So, I emailed her back and told her it was good to hear from her so promptly(!) and explained why I had felt forced to launch the dispute and assured her that as soon as I had received the agreed partial refund, I would be more than happy to close the dispute.

She has now replied with this:


Hey x,
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
I understand your disappointment about my negligence. i did tell you I was going to do it on Tuesday, but it slipped my mind. I have a lot of things running around in my life at the moment. Anyway, I can't send you the money because the dispute has to be lifted. The dispute actually states that you want a full refund (stated as a negative balance on my account) not the 20% or $20.60 we agreed on. I know you said you will lift the dispute after the refund, but my transactions are locked until the dispute is lifted.

Let me know when you have done this and I will refund you the $20.16 as soon as I get a confirmation.

Thanks a lot,
y[/FONT]


So, my question is - is this possible? Is it possible that she can't partially refund me until the dispute is closed?

If so, I am very loathed to close it, as I feel she has been dishonest in not mentioning the many, very obvious, large, light-coloured marks in both the auction description and in her reply to my email asking, in detail, about condition (she now claims she didn't see the marks when she was photographing the shoes!) and then, also, in disappearing without partially refunding me (although I fully appreciate that life can happen, it is still very strange, IMO, if she is/was indeed away, that she just happened to be, completely coincidentally, at a public computer, just as the dispute was launched!).

Thanks very much in advance for your opinions.

 

[RowdyAndPete]

Having a dispute filed against you does not in any way lock your ability to send money. Don't close the dispute until she partially refunds you! Once the dispute is closed you can never open it again.

 

[Lvbabydoll]

^Agree fully.
Even Paypal tells you NEVER to close the dispute until you get your refund and it clears. Who's to say that the seller won't just ignore you and never send your money back after you close it?
You can still refund money even when you're involved in a dispute otherwise, what would the point be of even filing?
Don't close it!

This is what it says about partial refunds, also:

My buyer opened a dispute. Can I offer a partial or full refund to settle the dispute?


Question : Answer :

PayPal's Dispute Resolution gives you the ability to issue a full refund. To offer a partial refund to the buyer, you'll need to escalate the dispute to a claim by following these steps:

1. Log in to your PayPal account at https://www.paypal.com.
2. Select the Resolution Center subtab.
3. Click Claim with PayPal option.
4. Click Continue.
5. Complete the End Communication and Escalate to a Claim with PayPal form.
6. Click Escalate to a Claim.

Once the claim has been escalated, you may offer a partial refund by following these steps:

1. In the Open Cases box, click the Resolve button next to the claim in question.
2. On the Claim Details page, click Resolve Complaint.
3. On the Resolve Complaint page, click Offer the buyer a partial refund in an attempt to close this claim.
4. Click Continue.
5. Enter the amount you would like to refund and click Issue Refund.

The buyer will have the option to Accept or Deny the partial refund.

 

[chloehandbags]

^ Thanks so much, both of you!

That's great info, Lv - I'll send her a copy of that and see what she says.

 

[lvgodiva]

I guess she's no other fund in her PP acc so when you open dispute, PP hold her fund from you or make she has minus balance and she need you close the dispute so PP can release her fund and she send you partial refund but beware...

 

[Lee]

Having a dispute filed against you does not in any way lock your ability to send money. Don't close the dispute until she partially refunds you! Once the dispute is closed you can never open it again.

ITA. Whatever excuses she give, don't close the dispute until she refunds you.

 

[starryeyedjenn]

i agree with everybody else here. do not close the dispute. you do have good claims to open a dispute, otherwise there would be no issues. its quite possible that she might not have sent the partial refund and could've just been waiting it out -- if she were a really mean seller.

if i were you, i would ask for more than a 20% partial refund or ask for a full refund instead. of course that means sending the item back but that all just depends on you. with the dispute open, you do have that option.

 

[moi et mes sacs]

A seller tried this with me once after sending me a fake bag. She asked to close the dispute and pay me monthly instalments!! I refused and when paypal ruled in my favour and I got a full refund. The problem is once you close the dispute you cant reopen again. These sellers think they are one step ahead of us. Once you close the dispute they can say goodbye and there is nothing you can do.

 

[madaddie]

Babe, my heart goes out to you!

Gah, I dun understand what dishonesty nets for people but trouble and another person's unhappiness.

Do let me know when the seller has refunded, I will be going for a full refund in my case seeing as how I do not like items that are not brand new. Good luck!

 

[chloehandbags]

I guess she's no other fund in her PP acc so when you open dispute, PP hold her fund from you or make she has minus balance and she need you close the dispute so PP can release her fund and she send you partial refund but beware...

Yes, I think that could be the case.

ITA. Whatever excuses she give, don't close the dispute until she refunds you.

i agree with everybody else here. do not close the dispute. you do have good claims to open a dispute, otherwise there would be no issues. its quite possible that she might not have sent the partial refund and could've just been waiting it out -- if she were a really mean seller.

if i were you, i would ask for more than a 20% partial refund or ask for a full refund instead. of course that means sending the item back but that all just depends on you. with the dispute open, you do have that option.

Yes, I know exactly what you mean and normally, I'd agree, but I only paid $103.88 for them (although, my maximum bid was considerably more), so I feel a bit bad asking for too high a partial refund, as they probably retailed for at least 4x that...

I realise that she may well have paid much less for them, though (at Last Call, or something), but still.

Actually, I've just noticed that she has said $20.16, rather than $20.60 (the latter of which would be 20% of $103 [I didn't add on the $0.88, as I didn't want to seem petty!]); but I'm sure that's just a mistake.

Honestly, all this seems ricidulous over $20, but I just don't think she should be allowed to get away, scot-free, with not mentioning these major flaws.

A seller tried this with me once after sending me a fake bag. She asked to close the dispute and pay me monthly instalments!! I refused and when paypal ruled in my favour and I got a full refund. The problem is once you close the dispute you cant reopen again. These sellers think they are one step ahead of us. Once you close the dispute they can say goodbye and there is nothing you can do.

Yes, I know.

I'm not sure whether she's, intentionally, trying to scam me, or not?

I really don't believe that she didn't notice the marks, though.

Babe, my heart goes out to you!

Gah, I dun understand what dishonesty nets for people but trouble and another person's unhappiness.

Do let me know when the seller has refunded, I will be going for a full refund in my case seeing as how I do not like items that are not brand new. Good luck!

Ahhh, thanks madaddie!

Unfortunately, this isn't the only eBay problem I'm having, at the moment; I've also got a problem with a SNAD condition suede Chloe bag (which was sold as NWOT, but is missing a zip-pull and is covered in shiny marks and strange white stains... :s ), from the same season.

BTW, here are some pics of the shoes:

 

[chloehandbags]

More pics...

 

[chloehandbags]

Still more pics (the last one shows the side of the shoes that she showed in the auction [further away and less well focussed, though, of course] and she expects me to believe that she just, accidentally, placed them in that position and didn't notice any marks)...

 

[moi et mes sacs]

I dont believe she didnt notice the marks either unless she has an eyesight problem..

 

[chloehandbags]

^ LOL!

Quite!

 

[nataliam1976]

this is ridiculous, I wouldnt care how much of a bargain I got, this is so grossly misrepresented I would bite her head off. She should be happy she is getting away with refunding only 20 bucks, you`re too good, hun.