Buyer unhappy with colours

[egglesdtp]

A buyer recently purchased a $10 shirt, listed as 'candy pink striped'. The listing was accompanied by three photos – front, back and close-up. A slice of the actual close-up photo used in the listing is shown. As can be seen there are many different colour stripes, with three shades of pink plus white, yellow, orange/red and a sort of pale olive green. From a distance the predominant colour is pink.

After receiving the shirt, the buyer emailed me to say:

I am most disappointed as it does not look like the photo at all. I was expecting pastel colours. The red, orange and green do not show in the photo at all and they are quite bright. I certainly would not describe it as 'pink'! It is horrible!

I replied:

I am sorry to learn that you are disappointed with the shirt, but I included three photos, including a close up (attached) in my listing, which clearly show the colours. However, different monitors can display differently and this may be the case here. I described the shirt as pink, as this is the predominant colour.

Her response was:

I have viewed the photos on 2 phones and 2 computers and it does not show any of the other colours. Had you described it including the stripe colours I would not have purchased it. I would like to return it.

I state in my listings that refunds will only be considered if item differs significantly from the description.

What are my obligations in this situation?

[egglesdtp]

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@clarry100 wrote:

At this point if the buyer has not opened a formal return case yet then I think best to wait and see what the buyer does next.

Assuming they do open a case and assuming you do not want the shirt back as you stated then...

When the case opens just issue the refund thru the case itself straight away.

The refund will happen automatically and your ebay/paypal fees will be credited. You dont need to do the refund via paypal.

The buyer will get to keep the item.

Case closed... end of story. No defect issued by ebay if you go this way.

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Sounds like the best way to go. Thanks Clarry.

[egglesdtp]

Forget to say at the end of the second last post - no-one has ever complainied about the colours of my items not matching their expectations, based on my photos.

[springyzone]

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@egglesdtp wrote:

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So - if you were selling an item of clothing that had any sort of pattern with multiple colours, you would list all the colours? I have never listed the colours in a multi-coloured item of clothing, as I think my close-up photos show these quite adequately.

And for the record - the photo I included in the first post is EXACTLY the image I inluded in the listing - to make it smaller and faster to load, I took a slice. The original image was 1500 x 1125 pixels - well and truly big enough to see the detail.

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In my opinion the buyer was not 100% honest in saying she could not see the stripes because in one of your 3 photos, they are clearly visible.

But in the other 2 photos, not so much. The top looks mainly pink & white.

I am on a computer, not a phone, and looking on a big monitor but even so, the contrasting colours don't show up well on 2 of the photos.

What would have been good was to have a 4th photo-the close up segment you included here in this thread. I know it is just a snip of part of a photo you did use, but it would alert buyers to the stripe colours.

You asked if you should mention colours when things have patterns.

The answer is yes.Or at least the main ones.

I am currently looking at a quilt cover. The photos are clear enough but I can't tell if one of the major stripes is dark grey, black or dark chocolate. And it matters.

And there's nothing in the description to say. Most frustrating. I have excellent colour sight by the way but I am aware photos can be deceptive.

[janeababe]

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@egglesdtp wrote:
Forget to say at the end of the second last post - no-one has ever complainied about the colours of my items not matching their expectations, based on my photos.

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Actually that's not entirely true is it, because we now all know of at least one buyer who has complained.

Look, at the end of the day, you've come here to ask for assistance and opinions on what to do with this buyer.... but you dont like it that a couple of us have sided with the buyer.

I stand by my statement that your descriptions are vague. You SHOULD list every colour. That's what a description is meant to be.

I'm sorry it's not what you want to hear, but it is what it is.