Advice re dishonest buyer

[kittinkaboodle]

Hi,

New to selling and woudl appreciate advice form more experienced people out there.

Here's the story - I try to be honest and descriptive in my lisitngs  -  - have had good feedback from buyer re this.

Recently sold a designer label skirt for $7 , plus $8.25 post- real bargain for the buyer - that's fine, that's ebay.

 Buyer contacted me saying there were a number of defects - pulled threads - an iron mark - and she was contacting me before leaving neg feedback. My inital reaction was distress  that I had overlooked these things

Told her to return parcel  - (return to sender - so there is at least no return postage costs) and I woudl give full refund.

Item arrived today - in immaculate condition - no pulled threads - no iron mark.

I KNOW i will probably just have to give a refund if I dont' want neg feedback - I guess I'll just have to wear the cost - not that huge

I will block this buyer  from now on.

does anyone have any advice/ /suggestions?

Is there a way I can usefully  report her so if she is repeatedly trying this trick it will eventually catch up with her and help out other sellers?

Can't believe anyone wopudl be so scabby over such a low priced item - I'm assuming it just didn't fit or she didn't lilke the look of it

Thanks in advance

[*crikey*mate*]

hello, sorry that it seems you have a dishonest buyer.

The first thing I feel I must point out is that you cannot instruct someoine to use the Return To Sender service for a package that has been previously opened. The service is for unopened items for things including refual to accept and no longer at this address.

Now for your buyer - for next time, the first thing you may consider asking for is photographs of the damage. I'm in two minds on this as it may influence the buyer to willfully damage the item to supply the pictures, so you then get a damaged item back and cannot resell it.

Has the buyer specifically told you they will leave a negative if you don't refund? Now that you have the item back, and it is as described, I would try ringing eBay and telling them what has happened. They may be able to remove any negative feedback (depending on your return policy and if you can prove the item ios as dewscribed I guess)

IF you can get eBay to guarantee no negative (or remove one on their feedback extortion policy) you could (and run this by eBay first) contact the buyer and say there is no damage of the damage and as such you are refusing the refund and will resend the item back to them once they forward more postage.

However if you don't want the drama, ask for a mutual cancellation so that you at least get your fees back and relist the iterm.

As for the buyer and what to do? tell eBay, but that won't help you,

BUT do NOT be tempted to leave a negative comment in your feedgback as you cannot leave a negative comment with a positive comment, so best to leave none. IMO

[ajarnjenny]

And you know, if she was just honest and told you that it either did not fit her or she just didn't like it, you probably would have told her to send it back and you would refund her.

I don't know what makes people lie about this kind of thing rather than be honest. It is like they have, have, have to be in the right every time and want to feel that a wrong has been done to them.

Are they afraid that you won't take it back, or what?

I have bought a packet of dishclothes that cost almost as much as that!

[2011.narelle]

Hiya,just did an avanced search to see the skirt.i typed in kittnkaboodle,i accidentally left out 1 letter & that seller had the worst run of negs I've ever seen! I'm not saying it's you,that person was a U.S seller who sold charms & whatnot.I hope your user name isn't bad ju ju for you.Just saying..

[phorum_junkie*]

Even if the seller has a business account and a return to sender authority no buyer should use it as they would probably not be covered by Paypal.

I would never tell a buyer to return an item unless they provided a photo of any defects they found and if they did not I would tell them they could return it and if it was indeed not as described I would refund in full but if it was just a change of mind they would only get a refund of item cost less any and all fees.

In this instance I would tell them that the defects they mentioned are not there so if they would like it returned to them they can pay you $XX for postage or else you will refund them the sum of $YY which would be the item price less your fvfs and the postage you paid to send it in the first place which is probably zero.

I couldn't care less if they left me a neg, I would never give in to that kind of blackmail.

[digital*ghost]

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@kittinkaboodle wrote:

I KNOW i will probably just have to give a refund if I dont' want neg feedback - I guess I'll just have to wear the cost - not that huge

I will block this buyer  from now on.

does anyone have any advice/ /suggestions?

Is there a way I can usefully  report her so if she is repeatedly trying this trick it will eventually catch up with her and help out other sellers?

Can't believe anyone wopudl be so scabby over such a low priced item - I'm assuming it just didn't fit or she didn't lilke the look of it

Thanks in advance

---

First off, unless your listings stated you accept returns for change of mind, you would not have been obliged to refund. One of your current listings I looked at said 'no returns accepted', if this is consistent with all your listings, and you promised a refund to the buyer only on the fact that the item was damaged / faulty, you would technically be within your rights to refuse a refund and request they pay postage to have it sent back to them. 

Whether or not that's the way to go in this situation is debatable, but it is an option. I personally refuse to make any decisions under the threat of feedback, and will just do what I think is right regardless. If it were me, I would consider it a change of mind return and refund the item price less all associated fees, postage etc, so I'm guess that'd be a $5-something refund from me. 

This is the eBay help page for reporting problems with buyers: http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/report_problem.html