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

[davidc4430]

sellers have to give a refund because a buyer is stupid? not i'm my world.

no refund in my books with this buyer.

my computer runs vista, runs fine.

will not having updates effect it in the future, dunno.

prolly time to begin thinking about a shinny new computer with new everything.

[gewens]

Hello, everyone. Remember to keep interpersonal dispute out of this forum and you can post whatever you want as long as it adheres to the board usage policy. Thanks.

[springyzone]

I don't believe the seller ripped the buyer off.

It seems there were other bidders and the winner outbid them.

I would have thought someone bidding on any computer item like this would know something about it but perhaps in the circumstances, the ad would have been better if it had included a line such as 'Updates available till April 2017'.

It could be that most bidders know the score & it wasn't an issue, but it would have covered this sort of problem.

Personally, I don't think the seller should be obliged to refund. A seller can't know exactly why anyone is bidding, they could be a collector.

If the ad was honest in the description and it sounds as if that is the case, then the lack of knowledge by the buyer is not the fault of the seller.

Personally, I would not have given the buyer any feedback at all, nor would i bother responding to the false positive. In fact I would have been gleeful. Hey, it was a positive. A lot of buyers don't bother to read down all the positives. They may click on a neg to see what was wrong but often only glance through the positives, so if the seller sells a fair bit, in no time at all it will be out of sight and no one much will even notice it.

If anything, the 'negative' feedback speaks for itself. Here is a buyer who is basically showing they didn't know much about what they were buying, then confirming they aren't all that cluey by showing they don't even know how to give a negative.

[springyzone]

PS I would keep a copy of the messages to show ebay because if the buyer does open a case for not as described, you could fight that in that the item was exactly as described, you did not make any claim about updates being available & the buyer is upset not because the ad was false but because she didn't properly understand what she was bidding on.

[curraone]

Sadly it is much too late to give any helpful advice.   The OP should not have left any feedback for the buyer - especially a false positive which is against ebay policy.

A note for future bad feedback:   never leave any response whatsoever until all avenues have been exhausted about getting it removed, and/or receiving advice from the more experienced posters on this discussion board forum.

[max-power-models]

You can follow up to their feedback, " Buyer changed  their mind and wanted refund".  Or BUyer sent threating harrasing emails.

[thecatspjs]

---

@curraone wrote:

Sadly it is much too late to give any helpful advice.   The OP should not have left any feedback for the buyer - especially a false positive which is against ebay policy.

A note for future bad feedback:   never leave any response whatsoever until all avenues have been exhausted about getting it removed, and/or receiving advice from the more experienced posters on this discussion board forum.

---

Leaving feedback for a buyer does not hinder getting seller feedback removed.  The two are not linked and are two seperate matters.

[itr224]

Thanks for everyone's input. Lesson learnt about refraining from leaving that kind of feedback.

So just to give an update of events, the member has started to make racist comments and personal character attacks towards me via message on eBay. I have since notified eBay and they are handling this matter now.

Buyer lodged a PayPal dispute against myself under the pretense of product not as described. I have decided to refund the buyer and not chase up return of this item.

I no longer want anything to do with this person given the harassment received via eBay messages from this member. Life is too short to waste, dealing with such people in my opinion.

Thanks again for the advice and recommendations.

[springyzone]

If someone sent me such rude messages, I am not sure if I would be so willing to refund, especially as you were not in the wrong.

I would be fighting them on their not as described-ringing ebay to explain and asking them to look at the messages so they could see it was buyer regret & not a case of not as described.

But I guess it is easy for me to say, I am not having to do it.

All the same, I hate to see a bully like that get away with it.

[lyndal1838]

I agree Springy.

The only lesson that the buyer has learned from all this is that if you bully, threaten and harrass a seller you will get what you want....and leave them free to keep doing it to other sellers.