Buyer wants return after wearing runners for one week!

[minimikimusic]

I sold an item 6 weeks ago and they buyer has just opened a return dispute stating that they wore the runners for a week (they were brand new) and now they want a refund as the mesh on the runners is already breaking. Am I really obliged to issue a return for these runners if they are now pre-owned. On top of this the buyer has not sent any photos!

Any suggestions? 

[davidc4430]

i dunno.

but if i went into a sports store and bought a pair of runner shoes and with a weeks worth of wearing they started falling apart i'd be taking them back and complaining.

i buy genuine asics walking shoes, they usually last me almost a year before i buy a new pair. i wear them everyday. they cost over $100 per pair so if they started falling apart after 6 weeks id be very miffed.

i dont know what kind of runners you sold so cant say if 6 weeks is a good or bad time line on them.

i guess you must ask yourself, "would i be happy if i bought these shoes and they fell apart after 6 weeks?"

[pennyforum14]

Looking at one of your current listings, your return policy seems to state 7 day returns.  As it has been six weeks, even under the eBay 30 day moneyback guarantee it is too late. I would politely explain that the time frame for returning the items has passed and that returning them is no longer an option.  The buyer may try lodging an INAD with Paypal, they have 180 days for that, but if you respond to the case and say that the customer has had the shoes for six weeks and has only now decided they are faulty, you may have a chance.

[minimikimusic]

How come they are able to open an Item Not As Described dispute if it's over the 30 days?

Thanks,

[springyzone]

I'm with penny on this one.

I had a quick look at some of your listings. I can't see runners but I can see boots etc and if their price is any guide, the runners probably were not expensive.

Given that you sold them 6 weeks ago, we really don't know how long the buyer has been wearing them for or under what conditions.

If I paid a lot at a shop and something happened after a few days, yes, I would march back with them.

A cheap pair-I would only take them back if the damage showed up within a day or so. I wouldn't be trying to return them 6 weeks later.

I do understand not everyone uses things when they buy them. But that's a risk a buyer takes, isn't it. Warranties don't get extended just because you haven't tested it.

I would do as penny suggested and reply that the timeframe for returns has passed. I would not ask for photos.

But.. can I just add, your buyer is probably telling the truth and the mesh probably is showing signs of wear. You say the shoes were new, but were they old stock, had they been stored a while, do you know?

Sometimes although items such as shoes are technically new, never worn etc, they can still deteriorate a little with age. Probably something to steer clear of selling.

Or if they really are new new, then maybe they are just cheaply made. The trouble with that is customers often still have high expectations.

[digital*ghost]

6 weeks is right on the cusp of expiry for eBay's MBG for a lot of sellers. I have a 2 day handling time, use standard post, which is 1-6 days, so eBay uses the longest ETA - i.e. 2 + 6 business days, add at least 1 weekend = 10 days, plus 30 days so you're at 40 days there (42 if there were two weekends in between handling time & ETA, which is 6 weeks exactly).

I've had requests opened on the 6 week mark a couple of times, and just speaking in my own cases, both were highly suspicious (one was more than highly suspicious, and I in fact got them to admit they did indeed receive the item, and even repaid ), but it's like they're waiting for the last day a claim can be submitted or something.

That in no way is intended to cast doubt on your buyer, just that meant to illustrate that 6 weeks (or even longer) is more than possible for eBay's MBG, and that I always ask a few extra questions when it's happened to me...

I would just give them the benefit of the doubt to start with, and ask to see photos so that you can provide the fastest and most appropriate resolution (i.e. to determine if the buyer's claim seems genuine [which you don't need to mention 😄 ] , and whether or not it's worth paying for the return). 

[*tippy*toes* · Accepted solution]

It's too late for the buyer to open up an eBay dispute, but if they try to open a PayPal dispute you stand a good chance of winning it because the shoes were as described when they arrived. As already mentioned, you don't know what they've done with them in that time. They could have competed in 6 triathalons in that time.

I work with a person who is a national champion triathlete and she spends a lot on good quality shoes. She gets new shoes for each event because they get wrecked during the stiff competition and the conditions.

I'd be telling them that you are sorry, but it's too late. If there was an issue with them when they arrived, they should have contacted you when they opened them on arrival.

[pennyforum14]

Paypal disputes can be opened any time within 180 days.  However Paypal are less inclined than eBay to blindly refund the customer, so you probably have a better chance with them than you would have with eBay had the buyer acted in time to claim through the MBG.  At the very least, Paypal will require the buyer to return the item before any refund is issued, and given six weeks has passed, the buyer's statement that they only wore them for a week can probably be disputed and Paypal should see room for doubt.

[heihachi_73]

Same story here. The last two pairs I bought were New Balance and Spalding, both lasted well over a year and the NB ones were only thrown out because the sole had worn through and the heel was rubbing, which made my socks disintegrate since they were hitting the plastic backing all the time. I've had my Spalding ones for around the same time and they are just starting to do the same thing. Buy a $35 generic Kmart or shoe store "special" however and I'm lucky to get three to six months out of them before the glue loses grip and the shoe comes apart, or the sole itself cracks in half. Still, I doubt I would get far if I tried to return a shoe two months after I had been wearing it, even if it was a cheap pair.

[typhoon4u · Accepted solution]

I think it depends on what they are, intended use, and how much money is involved.

If they are a cheap set of chinese sneakers or something and they have run a marathon then obviously they won't last.

An expensive pair of nikes or whatever, worn around the house and they fail, well.... I wouldn't be happy either.

If you stand to lose $20 then it may be easiest to refund, block and move on.

You could also refund on return. You can get a look at them and the buyer at least doesn't get the saisfaction of keeping them.

Then there's the partial refund and they keep them.