Dear EBayers,
I have been EBaying for years in a small way, buying and selling, but this one has me stumped. Here is what I wrote to the Buyer:
"Let’s takethe perspective of the EBay Customer Service Department and review theinformation as they might see it, should we not resolve this between us.
The Seller offered a vintage sewing machine for Pick Up Only at Auction.
The Buyer requested a change to the terms of sale including a Buy Now price and Postage. This means that the Buyer choose to forgo the opportunity to inspect the machine and the Seller lost the opportunity to demonstrate the item prior to sale.
The Seller agreed to those terms and shipped the item to the Buyer after receiving payment for the item (but not the postage) and posted a Positive Feedback.
Upon receiving the item the Buyer claims that a part is missing from the item he received.
The Buyer sends photographs showing the part in place and another photo showing the part missing. The Buyer claims that the machine with the part in place is his wife's machine and the machine with the part missing is the one he received from the Seller.
The Seller claims that she saw the machine operating recently, and that no part has been broken or removed from the machine.
What do you think EBay’s CustomerService Department would consider a fair resolution?"
How do I know that the buyer didn't just remove the part from my machine? There are about 20+ functions on the machine, I didn't test them all before selling.
The buyer is offering:
"1. You, as the seller, provide a full refund of the item. I, the buyer, will then pay for the associated cost to return the machine back to you in the exact same condition in which is was received and the level of packaging that was included in the parcel.
2. You, as the seller, provide a partial refund to the value of which it would cost to have the machine assessed and repaired by an independent 3rd party sewing machine repairer based in Sydney. If there is a particular shop/store within Sydney that you would prefer, I would be happy to take it to them to satisfy that the price is fair and repaired to a standard of which you and I would both be satisfied with. Payment of the repairs, by you as the seller, would be made directly to the sewing machine repairer upon quote and prior to the repairs being carried out.
If the above steps are not to your satisfaction, and that you are unable to nominate a fair resolution to both parties, I will investigate other methods within eBay's resolution center to have the matter resolved."
Of course Item 1 means without the part, so I have a less than perfect machine. I have since learned that the buyer has a business buying, fixing and reselling sewing machines.
My only thought is to tell the buyer to go through the resolution process. What do you think?
Thanks,
Roxanne
