Buyer manipulating a photo to invent a "fault".

[tazzieterror]

Anyone ever had to handle a buyer who's manipulated a photo to invent a "fault"?  I sold a frontlit e-reader a couple of weeks back to a buyer who is now claiming the display is faulty, and has supplied what looks like a manipulated photo as evidence.

Frontlit e-readers use a row of LEDs along one edge of the display as a light source.  On most models at some light settings these can show uneven lighting close to that particular, due to the gaps that exist between each LED.  The buyer seems to have set the frontlight to a level that shows this unevenness, then played with the exposure and cranked to contrast to grossly exaggerate how the display appears, and is claiming there are "burn" marks in the screen.

I've tried to explain that the shadowing between the LEDs is normal, and sent some example photos (though they look nothing like what they've sent me), but no, they're insisting it's a faulty display.  I've asked for more photos of the problem at different light levels and with the frontlight off, but again they don't want to send anything further.

eBay CS are useless as when I explained the sitatuation to them they seem to assume that anything the buyer claims is true and I should have disclosed any faults in the listing.

I posted the photo on the forum at mobileread.com to get oponions from people who use have used the same model, and pretty much everyone who's commended thinks it's been manipulated.

I've reluctantly offered to allow the buyer a change-of-mind return, and the following are the two replies I've received since making that offer:

Yesterday

"That’s better, could you please leave me feedback please as I have fulfilled my end of sale as per eBay policy. Thanks"

And now this morning

"Hello? I haven’t gotten any reply? Are you ok? I need to know how to turn on Bluetooth."

The e-reader they purchased doesn't even have bluetooth, so more fun and games!

To be clear, they haven't raised a dispute or requested a return in eBay yet - it's all just regular messages so far.  But it seems like they're continuing to use the reader despite signalling an intention to return it.  At what point do I retract the offer of a return, as despite their compaints they seem in no hurry to return it and seem to be using it?  I've been polite so far, but am nearly out of patience with all their BS.

[countessalmirena]

The request to have the item sent by express post would send an uneasy tremor through my mitochondria, were I a seller.

[tazzieterror]

It did, but an examination of their feedback revealed no red flags and I know what it's like to want a new toy sooner rather than later, so in this instance I was happy to give the benefit of the doubt.