What happens if I "Open a Case" and decide "I still want the item from the seller"???

[Hatfield1313]

The reason I ask is that I'm wondering whether the pictures showed the mark. Although it should have been disclosed, if you didn't notice it, that's on you.

While I do agree with this, I think it should be pointed out though (as with my recent experience) something can look one way in a photo and that not be the case. In my case with the Gucci bag (posted in the Gucci forum), in the photo it looked like there was a spot or blur on the seller's camera lens, yet when I received the bag in person it actually did have a significant defect on the fabric. Whether it was manufacturer defect or not has never been determined but regardless, when the bag has the tags still on it and is listed as new, you don't expect these kinds of things. Of course I opened a case and the seller claimed what you also stated in your post, that I had caused a stain and therefore was not happy and wanted my money back, but totally not the case, it was just a simple "hey this wasn't described correctly so I shouldn't have to pay what I did for it because had I known, I wouldn't have paid that price for it." Mistakes do happen but with how conniving people have become on eBay, no one knows who's telling the truth in a case like that. I had the same issue though, I tried to contact my seller and never got a response, which made me feel like she knew what was up and was trying to get away with it. In this case I wonder if the spot was covered on purpose or if the seller is just dense. Now, I just received an MK Hamilton, brand new with tags, and while it wasn't disclosed in the listing I did see in the photos a couple imperfections on the leather, but because I saw them I knew what I was buying and it didn't bother me and I wouldn't dare think of asking for a partial refund or anything.

Smells need to be taken with a grain of salt I think. My bag may not have a scent at all as far as I'm concerned, but someone else may be able to smell my perfume or whatever on it. Can't really do a whole lot about that if it wasn't described.

Now, my question is, was the bag stated as new or used? If it was stated as used, you HAVE to accept the fact that there will be imperfections (and I'm only referring to minor imperfections here) whether they are stated in the auction or not, it's just common sense, however I wouldn't accept a major flaw that wasn't described.

 

[love4mom]

And very often we have sellers who don't "disclose" smells which certainly
can be subjective, stains, pen marks, worn corners etc.

In this case the link would be helpful to see if the watermark can
be seen..

But if the watermark was indeed covered, the OP does have a valid
concern..

Whether the bag was at a good price or not, OP may have chosen not
to purchase it if she had seen (watermark) or it was disclosed in the description.

Again, its all about full disclosure by a seller, IMO....

Absolutely. But then the buyer should return for a full refund.

 

[Love Of My Life]

Absolutely. But then the buyer should return for a full refund.

If it was me I would return the bag..

I would consider paying more and having the bag in better condition.

But that is up to the OP, not me....

 

[Love Of My Life]

While I do agree with this, I think it should be pointed out though (as with my recent experience) something can look one way in a photo and that not be the case. In my case with the Gucci bag (posted in the Gucci forum), in the photo it looked like there was a spot or blur on the seller's camera lens, yet when I received the bag in person it actually did have a significant defect on the fabric. Whether it was manufacturer defect or not has never been determined but regardless, when the bag has the tags still on it and is listed as new, you don't expect these kinds of things. Of course I opened a case and the seller claimed what you also stated in your post, that I had caused a stain and therefore was not happy and wanted my money back, but totally not the case, it was just a simple "hey this wasn't described correctly so I shouldn't have to pay what I did for it because had I known, I wouldn't have paid that price for it." Mistakes do happen but with how conniving people have become on eBay, no one knows who's telling the truth in a case like that. I had the same issue though, I tried to contact my seller and never got a response, which made me feel like she knew what was up and was trying to get away with it. In this case I wonder if the spot was covered on purpose or if the seller is just dense. Now, I just received an MK Hamilton, brand new with tags, and while it wasn't disclosed in the listing I did see in the photos a couple imperfections on the leather, but because I saw them I knew what I was buying and it didn't bother me and I wouldn't dare think of asking for a partial refund or anything.

Smells need to be taken with a grain of salt I think. My bag may not have a scent at all as far as I'm concerned, but someone else may be able to smell my perfume or whatever on it. Can't really do a whole lot about that if it wasn't described.

Now, my question is, was the bag stated as new or used? If it was stated as used, you HAVE to accept the fact that there will be imperfections (and I'm only referring to minor imperfections here) whether they are stated in the auction or not, it's just common sense, however I wouldn't accept a major flaw that wasn't described.

A used bag to me & price would also be a determining factor,means
showing minor amount of wear... perhaps worn corners, a discolored
handle, surface scratches..

Watermark is a whole other ball of wax.. that I would consider a damage
or flaw...as I would think the same about ink marks..

Unfortunately, many sellers do misrepresent the true condition of a
bag & buyers nowadays have to ask more questions.

 

[northerndancer]

I bought a purse and it has a watermark and cigarette smell that was not at all described in the listing. I contacted the seller twice and have no heard back about it. I'm seeking a partial refund so that I can invest that $ into getting the bag cleaned.

In the eBay "Open a Case" form there are options at the very end that asks "How Can Ebay Help You?" The options are 1. Full Refund 2. I still want the item from the seller and 3. Other.

I'm not sure which one to choose. I still want to keep the item, but I'd like a partial refund. Which option to choose? If I choose "I still want the item", will I not receive any kind of refund?

As others have mentioned, ebay does not have provision for requiring a seller to make a partial refund. So you would need to specify 1. Full Refund.

With an undisclosed watermark, you should have no difficulty winning the claim. However, many sellers would prefer to negotiate a partial refund rather than accept the return and provide a full refund. But this happens through negotiation between the buyer and seller either and can be negotiated after the claim is filed. If the seller doesn't want to negotiate, you can't force it.

 

[brainstorm]

The reason I ask is that I'm wondering whether the pictures showed the mark. Although it should have been disclosed, if you didn't notice it, that's on you.

If I were the seller, I would request the bag back, issue a refund and relist with the disclosure.

Although I'm not assuming or accusing you of doing it, a very common tactic among buyers is to "find" issues as a way to get a lower price via a partial refund for their purchase without having to return it.

One of the risks we assume when buying preowned items online is that in exchange for a better price than you'd pay at a B&M store, is that the item might not be perfect.

I'm assuming you considered it a bargain or you wouldn't have purchased. IMO, you need to decide whether you would rather return for a full refund or fix the watermark you say you think can be fixed.

pictures would be helpful to see how bad it looks. Or a link to the listing can be shown.

I understand what you're saying about buyers who might buy and look for defects to receive refunds. I'm not one of those folks, I'd rather pay a little more and buy something without defects.

I think I was confusing in my earlier comment about how the the watermark is clearly there, I didn't mean that it's in the photo, I mean it's on the purse. The watermark was obstructed in the images and was not mentioned.

I've bought my share of bags where there were small discolorations or spots that I didn't notice in the pics, and I never contacted sellers in those cases because I know it's my own fault.

I'd just like the seller to take responsibility for not mentioning obvious issues.

 

[Love Of My Life]

The seller should assume responsibility for a misrepresentation of the description.,
especially the watermark. That is a damage that should have been disclosed
but either the seller intentionally overlooked it or just didn't see it??
Since it was obvious to you, I can't image that the seller didn't notice it.

 

[IrisCole]

I understand what you're saying about buyers who might buy and look for defects to receive refunds. I'm not one of those folks, I'd rather pay a little more and buy something without defects.

I think I was confusing in my earlier comment about how the the watermark is clearly there, I didn't mean that it's in the photo, I mean it's on the purse. The watermark was obstructed in the images and was not mentioned.

I've bought my share of bags where there were small discolorations or spots that I didn't notice in the pics, and I never contacted sellers in those cases because I know it's my own fault.

I'd just like the seller to take responsibility for not mentioning obvious issues.

I'd just tell the seller that you'd like to send the bag back for a full refund in that case. It's possible that the seller will be more responsive to this as well.

 

[Ceeyahd]

The seller should assume responsibility for a misrepresentation of the description.,
especially the watermark. That is a damage that should have been disclosed
but either the seller intentionally overlooked it or just didn't see it??
Since it was obvious to you, I can't image that the seller didn't notice it.

I'm a very novice ebayer, but own a fair amount of pre owned bags, all of which are older styles that I sought. Until my last purchase I always assumed the details would be disclosed in a listing description and/or the details of any faults would for sure be mentioned and that mint condition equaled excellent condition which equals to me a bag with no damages oe scratches or stain or rub marks. I say send the bag back due to what you describe as an obvious stain/water mark, not disclosed in description or photos. I wouldn't want a bag with any of the above mentioned faults and certainly not any issues not disclosed to me. Going forward, no matter what the description says or photos show I will ask detailed questions. see about returning the bag.

 

[northerndancer]

I'm a very novice ebayer, but own a fair amount of pre owned bags, all of which are older styles that I sought. Until my last purchase I always assumed the details would be disclosed in a listing description and/or the details of any faults would for sure be mentioned and that mint condition equaled excellent condition which equals to me a bag with no damages oe scratches or stain or rub marks. I say send the bag back due to what you describe as an obvious stain/water mark, not disclosed in description or photos. I wouldn't want a bag with any of the above mentioned faults and certainly not any issues not disclosed to me. Going forward, no matter what the description says or photos show I will ask detailed questions. see about returning the bag.

This is how it should be but sadly it is not always this way. There are some shabby sellers out there who intentionally misrepresent the quality because they know that they will sometimes get away with it - some buyers don't know their rights and others couldn't be bothered with the appeal/claim process. This would be the main reason why ebay makes it easy for buyers to return items.

 

[Love Of My Life]

This is how it should be but sadly it is not always this way. There are some shabby sellers out there who intentionally misrepresent the quality because they know that they will sometimes get away with it - some buyers don't know their rights and others couldn't be bothered with the appeal/claim process. This would be the main reason why ebay makes it easy for buyers to return items.

Sellers should disclose all imperfections... what is minor to one
could be major to another & yes there is no question that
many sellers will try to get away with as much as they can because
sadly there are many inexperienced buyers on ebay who may be
intimidated or not comfortable dealing with a seller who has
misrepresented an item.

Many buyers don't even have a clue that they can SNAD a purchase
they have made. So they keep an item that may have cost some
money & get stuck with an item that is not what they thought
they were buying.

And many buyers are now learning to "ask the questions" & if sellers
don't respond, they make their own decision whether to buy or not.

Its not the same in many ways of buying & selling on ebay...sad

 

[uadjit]

Either the bag is worth what you paid for it minus return shipping (which you will be have to pay even if PP decides in your favor) or it isn't. I understand it's frustrating to get a bag in worse condition than you expected but in the adversarial atmosphere of eBay the only real options are to return for a full refund or keep the bag and accept the defects.

 

[GlamGirly]

I may be a minority in here, but I'm not opposed to justifiable partial refunds (either giving them or getting them). If you buy an item and you like it and it has actual issues that were undisclosed but can be fixed--like cleaning, mending, etc.--a partial refund to offset the cost of that fix makes sense to me. I purchased a pair of pants that had undisclosed water stains and the seller was nice enough to refund the cost of the cleaning to remove them. That made the pants worth keeping to me. I don't feel things are either worth full price/cost or not. Even major retailers discount a percentage (usually 10%) for issues such as marks, signs of wear, runs, holes, etc. That's just me. Keep in mind a seller is not REQUIRED to give you a partial no matter how much you like the item and the issue should be significant if you seek one (which sounds like your is). If she was not willing to work with you on a partial through private emails, just return the bag to her if you can or are told you can. No sense in pushing something she was not receptive to. Good luck!

 

[northerndancer]

I may be a minority in here, but I'm not opposed to justifiable partial refunds (either giving them or getting them). If you buy an item and you like it and it has actual issues that were undisclosed but can be fixed--like cleaning, mending, etc.--a partial refund to offset the cost of that fix makes sense to me. I purchased a pair of pants that had undisclosed water stains and the seller was nice enough to refund the cost of the cleaning to remove them. That made the pants worth keeping to me. I don't feel things are either worth full price/cost or not. Even major retailers discount a percentage (usually 10%) for issues such as marks, signs of wear, runs, holes, etc. That's just me. Keep in mind a seller is not REQUIRED to give you a partial no matter how much you like the item and the issue should be significant if you seek one (which sounds like your is). If she was not willing to work with you on a partial through private emails, just return the bag to her if you can or are told you can. No sense in pushing something she was not receptive to. Good luck!

I agree that partial refunds are often the most practical solution. I settled on a partial once for an item which was SNAD (described as new but clearly worn). I would have preferred a return/refund but the return shipping would have been very costly. As is the case with pretty much every concept though, it can be abused. Buyers can ask for partials for minor reasons hoping the seller will refund a bit rather than going through a SNAD. That is why many sellers (particularly those who accurately describe an item in the first place) are opposed to partials.

 

[GlamGirly]

I agree that partial refunds are often the most practical solution. I settled on a partial once for an item which was SNAD (described as new but clearly worn). I would have preferred a return/refund but the return shipping would have been very costly. As is the case with pretty much every concept though, it can be abused. Buyers can ask for partials for minor reasons hoping the seller will refund a bit rather than going through a SNAD. That is why many sellers (particularly those who accurately describe an item in the first place) are opposed to partials.

That's the main problem with partial refunds--dishonest/unrealistic buyers. I actually went in an edited out the part of my original comment which touched on how it gets abused and why some seller's frown upon partials because it eventually became a rant, but yes, you are correct. It's the buyers who fabricate problems or make a huge issue about the most insignificant little thing who ruin the practical function of a partial refund. Some time in 2011, I had a buyer send me a short note that she wanted a 25% partial refund on the item she bought due to "manufacturing defects" but she did not specify what the defects where. When I inquired, she responded: "The tags are worn on the edges and I like to keep the tags as they are part of the purchase." She was talking about the retail tags, not even the garment tags, but the paper retails tags that showed the price, bar code, etc., lol.