UPDATE on Stinky bag from Ebay....

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luv my bags

Speedy LoVer
O.G.
Nov 17, 2006
1,400
0
#1
Ok, so here are the emails she sent me back.....what do I do now????? The bag wouldn't be that bad if there wasn't the awful SMOKE smell to it!!
This is the first one:
**Well babe - the bag was hardly ever used and no one smoke here - you got an authentic gorgeous bag for about 600 to 700 dollars less than if you bought it outright. I will adjust the price if you wish. Let me know. I have no idea how it smells of smoke nor how the handles are worn.
This is the second one:
**As a matter of fact - this bag was ALWAYS kept in it's dustbag and stored in a closet so I can't see how it would smell. I inspected the purse and also saw no wear. No one smokes and never has smoked in this household. If you have just changed your mind about the purchase - I'm sorry. But I am willing to give you a couple hundred dollars to make you happy. I will not take the bag back because it was represented accurately. Let me know. Betty

So, now it's her word against mine....what do I do? I didn't pay with a cc through Paypal, I had the funds in my account....is there anything I can do.....or should I try to get the smell out and take the few hundred dollars she's trying to give....oh and I didn't save 600-700, it was more like 5, but whatever!

Thanks for any advice!
 
#2
If she's willing to offer you a couple of hundred dollars refund, then she obviously knew there was a problem! :cursing:

But I think it's your word against hers, and you might lose the case because you can't prove it in a way that Paypal can see. There has been plenty of discussions here about buyers losing out on SNAD claims because they can't prove it...

Have you tried airing it out? Or using Fabreeze? Not sure how effective it will be though. Smoke is hard to get out.

Good luck!
 
#4
I think Febreze will probably mask the odor.

I've heard placing coffee pods inside the bag and letting it sit for awhile helps. Do a search- I'm sure there has to be a thread about getting odors out.
 
#5
If the handles are worn and that wasn't mentioned in the description, I don't think it is her word against yours.

Wear can only happen over time and you haven't had the bag for anywhere near the amount of time to cause wear, have you?

If it was damage (like the sort that happens if you drop a bag, or walk into something etc.) then I suppose she could claim that you caused it, when you didn't; but wear? :shrugs:

Also, don't eBay and Paypal (rightly or wrongly) normally find for the buyer in these instances, anyway?

If you do want to keep the bag, anyway, then I find that smoke from bars and restaurants etc. usually dissipates naturally, within a few days, if you leave the bag out, with the zip/clasp open and a piece of acid-free tissue paper loosely covering it (to protect it from dust etc.).

The smell from ingrained nicotine and tar etc., from a smoker's hand, may take much longer to go, though; if it ever does. :s

Personally, if I had any doubts, I'd ask for a refund, again and if she refused, I'd leave her a neg and file a SNAD.

Good luck and keep us posted on what happens! :D
 
#7
If you do decide to TAKE THE COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS (for sure!!) and keep the bag try this: put it in a plastic bag, use a garbage bag if it's large, and also put some coffee grounds in there. Leave the bag sealed as tightly as possible for a week or so. This usually helps to eliminate unwanted smells. Also, if you leave it sit out in the sun it will help to eliminate the smoke smell, too. I used to do these things all the time when my ex's grandmother would send us things in the mail. She smoked like a freight train and everything always stunk!! I have also done this will bags that smell like mildew.
 
#8
Also, if you happen to have a good fan (not a ceiling one, but one on a stand), you can put the bag in front of it and run the fan for a few hours and it gets most of the smoky smell out. I made the mistake of taking a nice bag to a smoky bar and freaked out the next day about the smell of my bag. My roommate suggested the fan idea and it worked marvelously!
 
#10
I've noticed some sellers will post that items are from their personal collection and properly stored in their household, but don't mention 90 percent of the bag's existence was at someone else's since it was purchased off of ebay or wherever else. If the handles are worn, you can take pictures of those and give a full description. I think the smell will eventually come out, but you still have the right for a refund. Some people are extra sensitive and can trigger allergies from smokey items, so it's can be a major issue.
 
#11
chloehandbags said:
Also, don't eBay and Paypal (rightly or wrongly) normally find for the buyer in these instances, anyway?
Click to expand...

Really? I thought if the item went missing then the buyer wins the case regardless of what proof the seller had of posting. Whereas SNAD and authenticity claims were harder to prove? Not sure where I read that... :s

(Rightly or wrongly indeed...!)
 
#12
Hi, I'm sorry this happened to you.
To be honest, I think she seems reasonably reasonable. I would take her up on her offer a a couple of hundred refund & the neither get the bag professionally cleaner, or try a few tips from here first.

Try baking soda. I don't know what sort of bag you bought, but if you get a big tub, fill it with baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda) & place that in the bag & lave it for a few days, you should notice a difference. Baking sodium acts like a sponge to absorb smells, so depending on how stinky the bag is, it might take a few days, or even a few tries but you should find it works.

of course, you can't use the baking soda for cooking afterwards though! :D

good luck with it!
 
#14
I remember reading once that putting the item in a bag with kitty litter (unused of course) and letting it sit for a while works great. But how bad are the handles worn? Is it worth it? If it's enough that you won't want to carry the bag, then you should pursue a refund.
 
#15
I guess the bottom line is whether you want this bag, with the effort of cleaning it and ridding it of the smell, or feel so disenchanted and misled that the smell coupled with the handle wear is going to ruin the bag for you - what are your thoughts?
 
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