Buyer gets nod to return obviously damaged item

[mark.wooba]

I sold a pesticide Dust Blower in mid-December with a "no returns accepted" condition. I'd bought it new myself (on eBay from another seller who has sold hundreds of them and is still selling them) and used it a few times. I had no further use for it, so listed it on eBay.

A few days ago the buyer asked for a return, giving a garbled reason that it "does not work as well as the other blowers I'd sold to him". But I've never sold anything else to him.

I went to dispute the return request, clicked to send a comment, then decided to re-read what he'd said and pressed  the browser's Back button. The eBay system immediately went to the "You have agreed to a return" panel! What the hell? I called eBay and complained, but they said they could not do anything. The only thing I can think may have caused this glitch is the uBlock browser add-on I am using, but whatever the reason, eBay was very inflexible about it and even though I called them IMMEDIATELY this happened, they refused to reverse it. But the agent reassured me that when the case was reviewed, the fact that the Buyer had lied about me selling him other items would decide the case in my favour. He then wrote to the buyer asking for proof that I had sold other items to him (I was copied on the email).

The buyer never responded to that message.

Instead, he uploaded pictures of the item that showed he had severely damaged the item. I responded in the case with my own image (attached), showing the item as it was sold and comparing to his photo, clearly showing the damage.

 

I called eBay again and they agreed with me that it looked fraudulent, and that I should not be concerned.

Then today I got an email from eBay that states

We reviewed this case and decided to ask the buyer to return the item to you. Once tracking information confirms that the item has been delivered to you, the buyer will be issued a refund. The refund includes the purchase price plus original postage. This amount will be debited from the payment method on your eBay account

I called eBay and the agent stated that this decision was made by a robot, and that I need to wait for the item to arrive back, then issue a refund, and then appeal the case. At that stage a HUMAN will get involved and decide the case in my favour, if my photos show the damage.

Does this not seem to be a tortuously roundabout way of deciding an issue, when the damage is clearly visible?

[lyndal1838]

Most post offices have a JP.

I am lucky....my daughter is a JP so I have no trouble getting things witnessed.

Here in NSW there are a number of people who can witness a Stat Dec.   Google it for your state.

[*tippy*toes*]

The cop station usually has a JP, as does the council chambers. Often you can find one at the post office too.

Snap Lyndal. I had the page open for a bit before replying, so didn't see your message.

[mark.wooba]

It's getting worse. I was checking this Buyer's feedback history, and it looks to me like he is using negative feedback as a weapon on every seller who sells anything to him. This is what eBay has done with their return policies: create monsters.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

I think I would be ensuring that eBay become aware of that buyer’s feedback left for others.  That is a shocking history of neuts and negs since mid 2014.

[mark.wooba]

I have called them and reported him. They are investigating.

[springyzone]

That was really interesting as it looks as if that ebayer only got so picky over the last year or so. Things were not so bad till then.

He is also a seller & i can see at least 3 positive feedbacks (green dot anyway) where I think the buyers actually weren't 100% happy so they gave him more mercy than he gives others.

I think if I had so many bad experiences, I would look at buying elsewhere. 

[countessalmirena]

---

@springyzone wrote:

[...] I think the buyers actually weren't 100% happy so they gave him more mercy than he gives others.

---

And that is a surprisingly difficult concept sometimes...

[mark.wooba]

---

@springyzone wrote:

I think if I had so many bad experiences, I would look at buying elsewhere. 

---

To me, it appears he is using negative feedback and possibly the Return process as a way of:

Getting discounts (some sellers offer discounts to keep the Buyer happy)

Getting to return items that he uses then has no use for

Getting refunds (some sellers will refund you without a return, especially on low cost items ex China).

In my case, he seems to have smashed the item and now wants to be rid of it, with refund. He has an Indian name and his English is poor, so I suspect a recent migrant. He may not understand yet that we don't do things this way in Australia. His emails to me were childish, boastful, and insulting. One of them actually said: 

ooops
i accicedentaly deleted your message before reading
can u resend again please
thanks buddy

[springyzone]

Yes, mercy is not an exact thing, I know. Hard to measure.

But one of his positive feedbacks says he sent the wrong product, another mentions a mark on their item. Whether those buyers were in the right or not, I can't tell but in any case, they obviously weren't feeling it was 100& positive. Some buyers in their place would have launched into a neg. I suspect the seller himself would have given a neg had the positions been reversed.

When someone has purchase after purchase after purchase on ebay & they give negs for almost every one, I start to wonder what they are doing wrong-buying too much from China or sellers with poor ratings, expecting too much for what they pay?

Or just after a discount?

So many bad experiences, you'd think the person would turn to a bricks & mortar store next time.

[countessalmirena]

Mm-hmmm. (I'm nodding in agreement.) Whatever the buyer's strengths as a seller (and it's clear from most of the feedback that he/she is fine as a seller, probably as long as there's no problem to be resolved), his/her selling practices are not perfect - yet the buyers have apparently given this member some leeway/mercy.

Spoiler

⇦ green mercy dot.   Was supposed to get the Ant Advion. 😞    Buyer: j***o ( 429)

  4 x 30g Genuine Advion Syngenta Cockroach Control Bait Gel + 1 Plunger + 2 Tip    AU $105.50

⇦ grey semi-mercy dot.   I just want to let you know that the product you send, there is a mark of it bei    Buyer: t***n ( 34)

  4 x 30g Genuine Advion Syngenta Cockroach Control Bait Gel + 1 Plunger + 2 Tip    AU $95.50

⇦ green mercy dot.   Doenst seem to work with our aussie ants    Buyer: -***r ( 441)

  ADVION ANT GEL BAIT       FREE DELIVERY            4 tubes x 30 gram    AU $76.49

⇦ green mercy dot.   Seller took 5 days to post, 8 days to receive after purchase. Good product tho    Buyer: e***1 ( 196)

  ADVION ANT GEL BAIT       FREE DELIVERY            4 tubes x 30 gram    AU $79.50

⇦ green mercy dot.   We got off to a bad start but the seller worked very hard to make things right.    Buyer: a***a ( 35)

  lounge set    AU $0.99

With his buyer hat on, this member would have been unlikely to show the same mercy. Indeed, this is the colour of the buyer's mercy:

Spoiler

ALL MY 60 BUDGIES HAVE NOT EVEN GONE NEAR THIS ??ITEM     Seller: Member id [***] ()

misleading . quality sound average i wanted to sing along on the screen not si     Seller: Member id [***] ()

Took over a month to deliver item and did not receive my free promised dog food     Seller: Member id [***] ()

rusted out and burnt the eggs??     Seller: Member id [***] ()

I have to admit that I want desperately to know what the buyer was forced to do in lieu of singing along on the screen, and it's killing me not to have the low-down on the 60 budgies! And what, what, what was rusted out? Who burnt the eggs? How? Why?