ljd wrote (red)
Hi, Just after a opinion on a message i received from a buyer who claims I sold her some dresses fit for a rag bag, and I know they were fine first message I recieved was:
"Hi,I received the dresses today.Disappointing 2 of the dresses are worn out.The black and white one is alright but the blue one has threads coming away and well well worn the green one is thread bare and stitching coming away.Only fit for the rag bag.Would you consider a partial refund?I wont leave neg feedback for you as I'm sure it was just an oversight.If you want them returned for full refund please add the return postage."
Are you absolutely sure the items were in excellent condition? Had any of the frocks in question in fact been worn a lot? Go back and re-read your ad and double check what you said. (I can't see the ad, so I am only making a suggestion, it is not based on any knowledge I have.) The reason i say this is because people's opinions of what is satisfactory can differ and to be honest, with second hand clothes, I would never, ever attempt to sell them on ebay unless they were in absolutely great condition, with very little wear.
For starters is this feedback extortion? I am not sure.
I am not sure either but it is verging on it, isn't it!!
She hasn't quite made the second step, which would be.. I won't leave neg FB if....
So I asked her to send me a photo of the damage to the dresses that I apparently missed so then I could resolve the situation, mind you this buyer is a seller also, so I thought photo's would not be a problem. After 2 days today I get this message from the buyer:
"Hi,I have tried to take some photo's for you but to no avail,I can show the wear and tare on them.I picked the threads out of the blue dress and restitched the joins back.Would you refund just the 2 dresses(Say $10) and I'll cop the postage,if not do you want me to post them back to you?"
What an odd message, in that she says she will 'cop the postage'. I am assuming she means she won't ask for postage costs back, but this gives an indication of what is in her mind. Was the postage a bit dearer because it was 3 items, or would it have been the same for one?
The message is also odd in that she claims to have already done repair work. As a seller, surely she would know & expect to have to provide evidence to a fellow seller?
What she is saying is she can't show loose threads or faulty seams.
I am pretty sure if you were to discuss this with an ebay rep in person, she would have trouble insisting on any refund as she has already altered the goods.
There is another factor. She says the items are only fit for the ragbag but she wants to keep them, doesn't she. She isn't insisting on everything back. She has (so she says) repaired an item and she wouldn't do that unless she planned to wear it, now would she!!
I'm guessing that she wants the black and white frock enough, but she may have found a thread or two on one of the others and so is trying to get some money back. Or else maybe the black and white dress was a better brand or newer or in some way- a real bargain- and the other two, though fine, weren't up to the same? Just guessing.
Total sale for the dresses was $15 plus postage, I had pretty clear pictures of the dresses with no damage. Just wondering what or where I should go from here as I am feeling like this is a bit of a con for a refund, I do like being reasonalbe but hmmmm.
I think it is a bit of a con. What she is asking for is a full refund on 2 of the frocks, yet she expects to keep them. She can't show you any photos to substantiate her claim because she claims to have already 'repaired' them.
You have a couple of choices here.
You can, for the sake of peace, agree to refund her $10. That way she will be very pleased with herself, she probably won't give neg FB but don't count on her not to trash your stars, especially for item as described. She won't want to look (even to herself) as a liar.
Or you can refuse, just state the dresses were fine, you have several other photos of them before they were posted to back up your claims & they were exactly as described. (which is why you need to double check what it is you wrote about them.) If you follow that, expect her to put in a dispute & you would need to get on a phone to defend yourself & show her messages to prove she can't supply evidence and has in fact said she altered the items.
I honestly don't know who would win. You may-as long as you have lots of photos and had a very clear, honest description in the original ad.
For the record, my sister and I have been in exactly the same sort of position as you are. With a buyer who claimed disappointment on a vintage item, yet could not show any real evidence, sent some blurry photo that didn't show a thing. Her aim was definitely extortion as she had been a NZ bidder who hadn't liked the postage charges from the very start, expected the lot shipped to her for $10 or under.
We didn't know what to do either. In the end she asked for a certain amount back, which amounted to the difference in postage. We ended up refunding her but we weren't happy about it.
Sometimes you just know it is a con but unless you can absolutely prove it, it is so frustrating & I know we took the path of least resistance. My sister then banned her from ever bidding again.
So it is up to you. If she takes the case to ebay and wins, you may be out the cost of postage both ways, your fees etc
On the other hand she may lose and you get to keep the lot.
Or you could refund her $10 and although it is a loss, not as bad a one as if you lose and pay two lots of postage.
It's like one of those chance games on TV shows, isn't it.
