Buyer demanding refund for item after posted, due to change of mind

[itr224]

Hi All.

I have sold a genuine retail version of windows vista to a fellow ebayer. Transaction went smoothly, payment received via paypal, item posted and received by buyer.

Three days after delivery, the buyer messages me asking for a refund for the item as Windows will no longer be supporting vista with updates etc in April 2017.

This is her message to me:

'Hi. I didn't know when I bought this that it would be useless in April and most certainly wouldn't have paid what I did had I known. I would therefore like to return the software as it is useless.
Sorry for the inconvenience but I think I have a right to a refund under the circumstances.

It won't be supported by Microsoft. I contacted the Microsoft community about another issue and was advised to use Windows 7 minimum because there won't be any updates, I won't be able to use chrome and basically there will be a lot of security issues. I don't understand the technical details but this is what the Microsoft community told me. I had no idea.I can't explain beyond that. Sorry.'

I have politely declined a refund to buyer as there is actually nothing wrong with the copy of windows vista ultimate that was sold.

My reasoning:

1) Windows Vista was released in 2006, it is common knowledge that this is not the latest software, any ebayer bidding on an item is responsible to research the product they are bidding on and ensuring it is suitable for their needs. There was nothing wrong with this copy of windows vista that was sold to warrant a refund.

2) From my persepctive it is common knowledge that Microsoft eventually will stop support for older operating systems, this would have been apparent should the buyer have done the adequate research before bidding.

2) There is nothing wrong with this genuine retail copy of windows vista, it has a genuine product key, functions as an operating system and will continue to do so regardless of Microsoft support cut off.

Since declining a refund due to a change of mine and lack of research on the buyers part, the buyer has become agressive to myself, this is the latest message she has left.

'The software is not worth what I paid. I can get windows for just a few dollars more. I am just about to leave feedback.
Cheers '

Since this message she has left POSITIVE feeback on my account with the following comment:

'Cannot recommend this seller. He tried to rip me off. Paypal claim opened.'

I still fail to understand how i tried to rip this buyer off, when the listing was set at $10 no reserve and the buyer herself was bidding up to the winning price on her own accord.

I have contacted ebay about this feedback comment and they advised nothing can be done as it was a positive rating.

Would like to hear the communities thoughts on this situation about who is in the right/wrong and any advice going forward.

Thanks

[thecatspjs]

I understand you don't wabt the hassle, but such a shame you are letting this go. 

JMO but I think it makes you complicit in supporting this type of buying behaviour.

[imastawka]

It's certainly not behaviour that should be rewarded.

I hope the OP reconsiders refunding.

[itr224]

Thanks for your input guys it has all be well received.

Just a few factors that have weighed in on my decision to let this one go (these are my personal beliefs and I'm not expecting everyone to agree with my reasoning), however I do feel that they are valid:


1) Throughout the recent harassing messages sent, the member has made it apparent that she is an invalid pensioner and to "have a heart" in relation to the refund.

Although I don't believe this is an excuse for her behaviour and mentioned this to her in message also, she refuses to listen to any reasoning.
All messages sent to this person highlighting points to consider for resolution of this transaction were completely ignored, the focus of her messages were in relation to personal character attacks and racist remarks.

2) I continued to receive messages from this member which were not warranted by any messages that I had sent to her. She continued to spam my inbox unnecessarily highlighting racist comments and her beliefs whilst also making personal attacks to my character as being heartless and cruel.

This was reported to ebay immediately, however my personal opinion as to her current state of mind and reasoning was that it was a waste of my time to encourage her to listen. She is stuck in her own ways and refuses to listen to anything I have to say.

3) I received numerous phone calls from unknown numbers that same day it was reported.

Although I cannot confirm that it was this member calling me, it is my opinion that she will not stop the harassment until she has received what she wants.

Given my assumption to her current state of mind and irrational behaviour, I do not want this buyer to have any more of my contact details, especially a mailing address to return the package to.

I feel this is a waste of my time, it was never about the money but the principles in relations to the rights of sellers and buyers. When it became apparent that this member will learn nothing from this situation, I believed it was best for me to cut my losses and focus my attentions on more productive things.

[davewil1964]

If you sent the item with your address on the back (as most people would normally do) she already has your mailing address.

If she opened the dispute with Paypal, Paypal will normally require her to return the item, by trackable means at her expense, before refunding.

[itr224]

No return address on package only name and mobile number.

I advised PayPal to refund the amount, no return postage was mentioned by the dispute officer (they didn't seem interested in the details at all).

[lyndal1838]

"Invalid pensioner"........oldest con in the book.

If you fall for that one you will fall for the other reasons....child bought it, cat bought it...even the goldfish bought it.

Take it from an elderly partially disabled buyer.....if they play the age card, or the disabled card or the pensioner card then they are probably not any of those things.

And none of those things are a good reason to not take responsibility for your own actions, or be abusive.

Did you give the buyer your phone number?   If not, then she must have requested it from ebay and you should have received her contact details....check your emails.  If none of these then the mystery calls were probably just a coincidence.

As for harrassment....you can report her emails to her ISP and block her email address.   The ebay ones will take a bit more perseverance as you have had a transaction with her.  Just keep reporting them to ebay without reading them and eventually ebay will put a stop to it.

[imastawka]

Lyndal, the OP put their mobile no. on the parcel

[lyndal1838]

Yes, Stawks, I noticed that post after I posted the advice.

Easy fix to that.....answer the phone and do not hang up.   It will stop the caller from calling you again and keep their line open, thus costing them money.

[*tippy*toes*]

Don't fall for the invalid pensioner con, it's the oldest trick in the book. Another beauty is "you're discriminating against me because I have a child "on the spectrum"". Like we know these things. As soon as someone throws the disability card at me, all bets are off. If I was even considering refunding or whatever, I make them fight for whatever it is they want (and they usually lose).

I did have a buyer contact me once as my blocks stopped him from buying. He had too many unpaid strikes. He said he'd been taken to hospital after having a mild heart attack and eBay was the last thing on his mind, so racked up a heap of unpaids. That is another old excuse, so I thought, whatever. He sent me a photo of his discharge papers and his avatar was a photo of him in a hospital bed. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and unblocked him and he has since become a regular buyer.

Moral of the story is, sometimes people are telling the truth, but most of the time it's just a pish poor excuse to get what they want.

[typhoon4u]

To the op. Do not add a follow up response to their fb. Another 6 feedbacks and no one will even read it or know it's there but if you put in a follow up response it will stand out and everyone will read it.