topic Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem in Selling

Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

123angeleyes01 — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 13:43:36 GMT

A buyer bought and paid for an item from me, I posted the item next day, now weeks later the item has been

returned to me with a big refused sticker on it.

I sent the buyer an urgent message to please contact me thinking something may have been wrong with the parcel.

This is the reply from buyer

After looking at the picture closer, I did not want to take a change with this shrug.
I don't think it's what I was looking for.
Please refund me the entire purchase price(including shipping cost ).

Thank you

Any ideas what I should do

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

davewil1964 — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 13:48:24 GMT

Refund minus postage costs, eBay fees and Paypal fees.

It is a, very late, change of mind and you shouldn't be out of pocket.

Be sure to keep copies of all correspondence to prove the buyer is in the wrong in the case of the inevitable claim on the MBG.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

mistercrumps — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 14:13:18 GMT

Thank you so very much

I feel better now

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

elusiveeditions — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 22:21:54 GMT

Cheeky bugger. You've made me feel better about my current annoying buyer, at least she's not yet this bad.

I'd do what davewil said. And add to you BBL. Been doing a lot of that recently, am getting a bit trigger-happy with it!

Good luck with your nutter 🙂

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

toysandthings12 — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 22:45:56 GMT

Yep, can only hope that ebay's big business friends are coping a lot of this.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

springyzone — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 23:16:31 GMT

Very cheeky but also with an attitude i think is rampant these days-all rights but no responsibilities.

Dave is right, you should not be out of pocket with ebay fees, postage and what have you.

I suppose you will have to be polite and explain it as a handling fee to cover the fees you incurred.

What gets me in this whole encounter is your 'buyer' seems to think that your postal expenses, your fees, your time should all be free.

I would love to know how you eventually get on.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

springyzone — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 23:46:37 GMT

I did have one query-was it an overseas buyer?

The only reason i ask is because you say you posted it next day but have received it back weeks later.

I got the impression it had not been opened & not even accepted by the householder so the postale services had reurned it to you. Is this what happened?

If so, I am shocked the buyer had not been in touch with you well before now. Odd customer altogether!!

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

collect247 — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 00:04:57 GMT

Well I'm sorry but a change of mind is not a reason for a return so I wouldn't refund any fees or postage/handling involved,just the price of the item.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

digital*ghost — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 02:02:58 GMT

@springyzone wrote:
Very cheeky but also with an attitude i think is rampant these days-all rights but no responsibilities.

If the buyer is overseas, and in the EU, the Distance Selling Regulations give them a 'cooling off period', which is basically the right to change their mind, for any reason, and receive a full refund of the original payment (and what's more, not returning the item doesn't mean the seller doesn't have to issue the refund). Anyone who sells to buyers in the EU is technically obliged to honour the regulations, too - the minimum timeframe is 10 days, but can be up to 12 months if the seller doesn't outline their return policy. (Some scary stuff for sellers in those particular DSRs).

There are proper procedures, of course, for a start the buyer has to notify the seller, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people only concentrate on the notion they can get a full refund if they don't want the item anymore, no matter how they go about it.

That's just on the off-chance the buyer is OS and in the EU.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

the_great_she_elephant — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 03:19:35 GMT

If seller is in the Eastern States and buyer in WA (or vice versa) it could easily take three weeks or more for those AP camels to make the return trip across the Nullabor.

Also if the parcel was safe dropped it could have sat in the buyers house for days or even weeks before she made her mind up that she didn't want it. If it was unopened, I'm assuming she would only have to write "refused" on it and take it into her nearest post office.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

123angeleyes01 — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 05:08:04 GMT

Yes the item was being sent from Australia to USA

I just got of the phone to ebay and I cant believe it..........

eBay RULED in my favour because the item had been refused to be picked

Changing her mind when she has not physically opened the parcel and viewed the actual item is not a valid complaint

The tracking ID & Reg post also recorded that she had refused to pick up the item

So guess what....... STRIKE OUT BABY (yes I'm yelling I'm excited lol) sorry

I get to keep the whole amount, I don't even have to refund her a red cent or return the item

All feedback will be removed and there is no defect as there is no defect

Thank you to all for your advice ... Now Its Time For A Happy Dance

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

digital*ghost — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 05:21:18 GMT

I'm really glad to hear that eBay ruled in your favour, but personally I'd still refund the item cost, less any expenses incurred, such as the postage and eBay fees. I understand the buyer didn't act appropriately, but at the end of the day, keeping the item and full payment is - just in my personal opinion - not appropriate either.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

123angeleyes01 — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 05:41:03 GMT

Yes I totally agree with you.

I guess eBay has put in place some form of recourse on buyers like this lady

And left it up to the discretion of the seller what they would like to do.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

thecatspjs — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 09:13:32 GMT

What I would do on the basis of the buyers irresponsible behaviour and communication described by the OP would be to send them a message -

It would be along the lines of -

I am currently unclear of what you would like done with the goods you purchased from me.

I am happy to resend your goods to you - the actual cost of postage and packaging to do this will be $xxx. (what ever it is to resend)

Alternately if you did not wish to outlay additional funds towards this purchase I would be prepared to take the goods and donate to my nearest charity shop so that the proceeds might go towards a worthy cause.

Please let me know your preference by xxxx (day, date and time - personally I would give 14 days for O/S buyers in this context)

If I do not receive payment for reposting goods or other advice by this time (reiterate deadline) I will donate the goods to charity.

I would not refund any portion of the sale prices - it would serve to partially compensate an extremely thoughtless buyer that has taken no responsibility or care for their purchase, but I also would certainly not be comfortable keeping the goods or reselling the goods either.

I would not dispose of goods through donation or otherwise without at least offering the buyer a choice for the goods to be resent, just because they have no ethics, does not mean a seller needs to sink to their level. If there was no response from buyer I would donate after the deadline had passed.

If it was a domestic sale I would manage the process and deadlines a bit differently depending on the value of goods as per State abandoned goods legislation.

I think once upon a time when eBay was not protecting me from eBay I have espoused a different approach, but those days are long gone now

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

phorum_junkie* — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:39:30 GMT

A rare occurrence but I absolutely agree with thecatspjs

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

thecatspjs — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 13:12:09 GMT

@phorum_junkie* wrote:
A rare occurrence but I absolutely agree with thecatspjs

Nothing less than *faints dead away* is appropriate in these circumstances PJ

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

lyndal1838 — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 13:14:59 GMT

Oh Cats we are ganging up on you....I agree with you too. Can you stand it??

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

thecatspjs — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 13:38:16 GMT

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

springyzone — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 15:56:24 GMT

I'm really glad to hear that.

I would be inclined to do nothing. Not a thing. Wait and see if the buyer contacts you.

It's not that I disagree with the other posters here at all, I can see the ethical problem but in this case I think the buyer needs to learn a lesson-the lesson being that they can't just blithely buy then refuse to accept the item yet expect all costs incl postage back.

If you refund them the money now without any discussion, even if it is simply the money for the item, you will still be out of pocket with ebay/paypal fees but mainly you will have made things too easy. I would almost guarantee they will assume you refunded because you had to, ebay somehow made you, not out of the kindness of your heart.

On the other hand iff you get into some big message relay with them, I can't see it going well either. If you make an offer to re-send it if they pay more, or donate to charity, they might run to ebay with complaints and I wouldn't put it past another supervisor to review it and you don't want that.

I'd stick with the status quo for now & see what your buyer does.

Re: Advice needed Crazy Buyer Problem

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 01:17:35 GMT

i too would wait to see if the buyer contacts you. Afterall they were the ones who stuffed you around

If they do and want a refund then its item cost minus ebay/paypal/listing fees only.

If they dont contact you then so be it and move on