what would you do?

[newnuseddvdbookscds]

Ok not sure much I can do but here goes.

Had a buyer purchase an item ( best offer acccepted) buyer has messaged me saying they have the item BUT are not happy with the condition as it has scratches on it. (a second hand game with Good condition as description)  So i send off an apology letter  and ask what would be best way to make them a happy customer.

Reply comes back they don't want the item as its scratched  so I need give them there money back. No problems I ask them to open a case and I will issue a return label. What about a swap? do you have one that is in better condition? I offer to pay for the buffing if that would suit them at their local DVD store.

Yes I have one but it also has scratches. Reply no best to just refund them their money and they will get it buffed??

Well thats it in a nutshell alot more time and emails than I have said here but thats the gist of it In otherwords this guys seems to think the ONLY way he is going to be happy is with a $25 game and his money back? Im thinking I may be getting a "defect" for this one but yea what else can I do? What would YOU do?

[*tippy*toes*]

What would I do? Insist on a return for full refund, or a partial refund and they get to keep it. No way would I allow a full refund and they get to keep it. Too much shoplifting on eBay as it is already.

[black*poppy]

He's fishing.  The defect thing is over now so don't worry about that.  Stand firm that he has to return it for a refund through the system and make it as easy as possible so ebay can see you've done everything possible as a seller.  Stay professional - sounds like you're doing a steller job so far! 🙂

At worst you will get a neg but that could happen anyway - better to have the item in your hands, no way shoull the buyer have the money and the item.

If you're lucky he might word the neg in a way that is grounds for removal.

[digital*ghost]

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@newnuseddvdbookscds wrote:

What would YOU do?

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Not this...:p 

"So i send off an apology letter  and ask what would be best way to make them a happy customer."

That's basically giving someone license to ask for whatever they want, reasonable or not, and if they ask for something you're not prepared to give, it makes it harder to turn it down without making them more upset. (I don't mean this to come across as personal criticism, just that it's better to have defined boundaries that will help you and your buyers reach a mutually agreeable solution). 

The best thing you can do for yourself is to devise some firm, but fair, policies that cover as much of these kinds of situations as possible. They don't have to be explicitly stated on your listings (mine aren't), and can be flexible on a case-by-case basis, but when you have a customer that is demanding something above and beyond what is fair, you can refer to them and let them guide your replies.

I like to provide buyers with (limited) choices, so I'm in control of what or how much is offered, and they're in control over which option they choose, as a way to hopefully keep everyone happy. So, for example, if I got a message like this, I would have replied straight away with option A) return for full refund, or option B) partial refund of X amount, and keep. 

[bakeandfry]

I thought the new selling standards (if thats what its called) did not start untill the 20th, i could be wrong though.

[bettyboopsadaisy]

Yeah, new Seller perf standards begin with the next evaluation on the 20th of this month.

[black*poppy]

Technucally true, but seriously how can a defect now really matter. My dashboard is only showing the new system, who could care less about a defect that's only around for 10 days. The hair hath been un-splitteth

[mbselections00]

Not really an answer to your dilemma and also not what I would recommend, but from a buyers perspective.  My daughter (who is a casual buyer - but hears my eBay stories) recently bought a 2nd hand DVD game and when it arrived it was lose in the case, covered in scratches and would't play.  Needless to say she was very disappointed, and she also felt bad as she noticed when the parcel arrived it had been sent Registered Post and she had only been charged $1.50 for postage. 

She took photos of it beside a good DVD which clearly showed the scratches, but as she said, they could have been any 2 CD's (of course they weren't).

So she sent off a message to the Seller with the photos seeking a remedy - the Seller immediately responded offering a full refund, daughter was amazed - her words were 'WOW - that was easier than I expected'.    BUT, and of course there is one , by offering a full refund and NOT requesting the item be returned (given the nature of the item), my daughter then concluded - the seller probably knew it was scratched in the first place !

Which really supports the advice, in this instance - only refund once the item has been returned !

[springyzone]

What would I do?

First off, I would not have listed a DVD with such a generic description. If you are selling  DVD with scratches, your ad should mention it. If you are selling a bulk lot of DVDs and have not inspected them, then the ad needs to mention that too. Buyers need to know the state of play. I would never list a second hand item as 'good condition' if it had some faults. Something along the line of 'good working condition but with some surface scratches....' would cover your bases better.

But what is done is done.

In the present situation, I would do as others have suggested, give the buyer a couple of options only & let them pick.

Full refund when the item is returned (which is probably going to mean you have to supply the postage label & so you will be out of pocket)

Or partial refund & they keep the item. I would be the one suggesting the partial refund amount too.

All this talk about buffing etc is off track to some extent. Don't go there.

If they choose the option of partial refund, they can decide what to do with the money but you don't want to go down the path of offering to pay for repairs as you could have buyers coming back & saying hey, that partial refund doesn't cover it all, I want more etc

Keep it simple. Refund with return or partial refund of X amount.

But nope, keeping the game plus a full refund-I wouldn't be offering that.