Hi. Could some-one give me some advice on this item I sold.

[daffodilau]

Hello.

This is the first time I have posted a question so if I say something wrong please forgive me. I sold a large number of 44 woolworths dominoes item number is 161643065546 and it finished on the 28th March. They were posted with only $4.50 postage to the buyer I paid the extra for the postage so I could have tracking and hopefully not have another item go missing. They were packed safely in a bubble mailer and were perfectly sealed as I do not have anyone interested in collecting them and there was also an extra one I put in for the buyer. I have just received a message from the buyer telling me that half of them have been opened and there was a lot doubles as well. I would suggest that the buyer opened them and decided he did not want to keep them so now he wants to have his money back. Does any-one have any idea how I should approach the buyer in my message to him and how I should resolve it . He is obviously going to be difficult to deal with judging by his abrupt message to me. Thankyou for any-one who can give me some advise.

[daffodilau]

Hi.

Thankyou for your help. I gathered from the email they sent me that there was a lot of them cut through just on the corner of each one. The way I packed them in the bubble mailer it  would have meant they would have to tip them out to open more than a couple, otherwise if it was just when they cut the top off with scissors it would have been just been a few that were damaged. I am led   to believe more are open than are not open.  I hope I have said this  the right way.  He has not clarified how many are still sealed.

[kopenhagen5]

As stawks points out, "too many doubles" is the proof that you need they have been opened.

Keep all messages in ebay in case you need them later.

[daffodilau]

Hi.

Thankyou. I actually said :wow" to myself. Now I understand why the corners were cut. I di not know you could see anything. I actually thought I had no choice but to return all his money as well as having a defect put on my account and a negative too. But I am having a bit of hope that maybe I will not with everyones help that you have given me.

You are all brilliant. Thankyou

[sparrow2207]

Sounds more like buyer has snipped the corners to see the number and opened the ones they wanted and swapped out with their own double ups.  Just how it sounds to me but I may be wrong.

[daffodilau]

Thankyou for your help. I wanted to give you an update. I have just sent a message through ebay messages to the buyer and have sent the message with very much of what you suggested.  Here is a copy

Hello (name deleted),
I am sorry you were disappointed the numbers of the dominoes were not all what you were hoping for...
As the dominoes have now been opened , I am sure you understand the items cannot be resold as unopened.
Just to explain the ebay process, ebay does not require a seller to refund for change of mind as the items when sent to you were as described in the
listing, and all were sent safely in a bubble mailer with the extra postage cost born by me so we could both benefit for a tracking number in the condition
shown in the photos completely sealed...
Had the dominoes not been opened I would have been glad to refund upon their return.
Seeing as you are a collector of these, I suggest keeping the ones you don't have and sell or swap the doubles for others.
And I would be happy to guide you to listing on ebay if you haven't sold here before.
Happy Easter, kind regards,

I hope that is alright with you and I shall keep you updated with the outcome. I am sure I cannot be the first person this has happened to with these type of listings.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter

[thecatspjs]

I think the message is great.

However, if you don't have a photo showing the 44 individual items laid out in one photo with all the corners showing they have not been cut, you may not be in the best position to win a eBay or paypal claim.

[lane-ends]

If buyer argues then a photo of corner cut open is warranted. Maybe should have asked for this first before sending a defensive response. Your photos are clear and it should be possible to compare. Once you get defensive you are almost guaranteed a neutral at leastg.

If they were snipped then he should not have then fully opened them, but requested return then.

Is there any chance there could have been tiny cuts and you missed it, as it wouldn't have occured to you.  Dont know where you sourced these, but is it possible you picked them up cheap as they were rejects for this reason.

If buyer file return as not as described, he wil have to return them, be refunded and you will get a defect simply because he raised the question. Then you have the arduous task of fighting it with Ebay.

A single defect is not the end of the world. Good PR can save a neg though sometimes.

[thecatspjs]

The photos do not clearly show 44 individual packets with the ends showing.

To the contrary, they all show less than this number with many of the ends not showing due to overlapping of the packet.

[daffodilau]

Hello. Thnkyou for your email. Happy Good Friday to everyone. I received an email from the buyer this morning telling me half of them were damaged and he is going to email ebay that I sent them this way and that the item sent was not as described..

I actually received them from Wollworths for buying groceries and having no-one interested in them in my home thought I would  sell them on ebay. They were perfect when I received them and I double checked them again when I put them up on ebay for sale as I did not want to happen exactly what has happened.

The buyer has never offered any photots and I did not ask as it would have been to easy for him to cut the corners and then take a photo to send me. One of the reasons I posted on here was also to help other sellers to be aware of what is happening so hopefully they can protect themselves.

I have never treated any-one like this and have only started to sell on ebay as a way to sell on items that I and my family have decided to part with as we are all downsizing and I have been the lucky one that has been left to be the seller. I know a lot of sellers are in my catergory. What I am haing trouble with is trying to be honest with every-one on an item I sell but in that honesty I seem to be leaving myself open to being treated like this. It is very hard to balance.

Thankyou for your suggestions. They are all appreciated.

[kopenhagen5]

Stay honest like you have been.

There are simply always going to be the odd dishonest ones out there.

Ask them to send photos of the damage as it appeared on arrival and you will need to contact Aust Post and the Police as the package must have been tampered with during transit.

Instruct them Aust Post may email them and need them to sign a statutory declaration to investigate the fraud that has occured within Aust Post.

Keep it polite and professional, you may not hear from them again. 

And if you do, we will deal with it together when the time comes.