Ebay Gives Incompetent Buyer Full Refund Including Postage

[norm2500]

I sold a working bare motherboard to a buyer with only one previous Ebay purchase at the time. About a week after delivery he said it wasn't booting and claimed a full Ebay refund of  purchase price and postage.

The buyer returned the motherboard, and on inspection I found the "CMOS Clear" jumper had been moved from its normal Pins 1-2 position, where it was when I posted it, to Pins 2-3, which all manuals say will damage the motherboard if booting is attempted while in this position.

I showed my partner, photoed the  changed jumper and some bent IDE pins, put  the jumper back in its normal position, and retested the motherboard. It wouldn't boot. 

Then I emailed Ebay pointing out the changes and damage and included photos.

Today Ebay have told me they are ordering a full refund to the buyer (including the postage I've already spent to send the motherboard to the buyer) and PayPal will enforce this with a charge on my account.

What can I do?

[clarry100]

IMHO there is very little you can do.

Ebay notoriously side with the buyer on these kind of claims and will refund no matter what you present.

I think its very risky selling this kind of item on ebay where some technical nouse is required by the buyer. Especially if getting it wrong can cause permanent damage. Even if its obvious that they caused the damage (which seems so in this case) you are very likely to lose out badly.

[snowbunnies2016]

You can appeal the decision.

let eBay know that their own policy states the item must be sent back in its original condition and the buyer has damaged the item.

inwould go to help and contact and request a call back - you more likely to get somewhere if they call you.

[phorum_junkie*]

I would message the buyer and tell them unless they inform ebay they were wrong to find in their favour and that they did indeed inadvertently damage the item before returning it you will be reporting them to the police through the ACORN site or reporting on-line auction fraud.

If they did not comply within 48 hours I would send a report, I presume although they will not pursue such a minor transgression they may give you a crime number in which case you can contact ebay using the call me back option and tell them you now have a crime number and are having the buyer investigated for fraud so you should not have to be out of pocket until and if the buyer is cleared of any criminal activity.

Of course it is mostly smoke and mirrors but it may very well work and any buyer who isn't a seasoned scammer should be frightened into complying.

[nutz4dolls]

I have recently stopped selling because Ebay and Paypal are making all sellers and stores ( theft free shops) that spelling again is THEFT FREE

We have buyers demanding refunds!!!!  Ebay demanding 10 percent plus 10 percent postage lets not forget PAYPAL FEES and as Sellers we are scared that if we do not bend to their demands we will have NEG feedback and our buyers dashboard at negative

I had a small little Ebay shop and I would always give more than I should , my buyers always got a small free gift ,

I could not put tracking on my items as NO ONE WILL PAY $7.45 for postage they want free postage so I was posting my stationary at  $3 a book the books being worth fifteen dollars and I was selling them at $9 to compete against the giant wholesales.

Then it happened everyone is happy and this one lady who seemed a proffesional con artist wanted 3 books and I do not know why I did it ?  I sent them to her for FREE POSTAGE, I had a feeling she was a player, she had only a new account but seemed to know all the rules she emailed me and said her items had not arrived I had paid five dollars postage plus for some reason I had put one new 50 cent stamp on her parcel so she would get her items quicker, but also because these new 50 cent stamps look like a tracking number , I sent her back an email saying that her tracking number said her item had arrived ?? I WAS NOW playing her as I did not known if the books had  arrived because I didnt send tracking!!  WOW she then the next day left me feedback saying How delightful the books where but late  , my point was if I had said I did not know where her books where .she was going to claim a no item arrived file

BUT this darling buyer left me feedback  my items arrived late and that then reflects on my store, I am so Upset I sent them to her for FREE and my point AS SELLERS WE CAN NOT WIN EBAY HAS SET IT UP FOR US TO FAIL??? WHY IS THERE NO RESTRICTION ON BUYERS!!! WHY ARE THE STEALING OUR PRODUCTS AND NOTHING BEING DONE

[clarry100]

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@nutz4dolls wrote:

...look like a tracking number...

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This has to tell you something.

Ever thought about putting fake tracking labels on your envelopes.

Perception is everything.

[lyndal1838]

What this tell me is that your buyer's parcel DID arrive late.

You have no proof that of when the parcel arrived so why say the buyer was trying to scam you just because it arrived the day after she contacted you about it.

[springyzone]

I agree with clarry here.

What is striking me is the buyer of the motherboard may not be a scammer at all, just someone who isn't as cluey with tech things as they think they are. He may even genuinely believe he was sent a dud.

Or else he may have woken up to the fact, after the act, that he had damaged the unit.

I'd be upset as a seller too, to have damaged goods of any description sent back & to add insult to injury, being hit with all costs and fees. It is one of the factors I think of before I sell anything and basically, I think some items are very high risk to list on ebay.

As clarry said, this is one of them.

Better to try gumtree or a computer tech mart/swap & sell.

[norm2500]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've put in the appeal, and we'll see what happens next!

[norm2500]

I'm inclined to agree that he may just be a twerp, not a fraudster. If he knew, or realized later, that moving the jumper could damage the motherboard, he would have put it back on Pins 1-2 before returning the board to me.