Is proof of damage required?

[melissad2825]

Hi there

Really appreciate some advice on this one. A buyer emailed me and asked for a full refund because the item I sent was broken in transit. I responded with 'no worries, apologies, please send me a photo of the damaged item and I will supply a full refund'.

Buyer refuses to supply photo, sends another longer email saying doesn't have time for messing around with photos and has the item (smashed to pieces) in his drawer.

I again ask for a photo and offer to fully refund him upon receipt of photo.

Buyer opens a return request and says item was wrapped in "flimsy" bubble wrap and "thin padded envelope". Again, no photo. 

Does the buyer have to prove the item is broken or will eBay just refund them on the basis of their word? I want to do the right thing but there's something really off about this guy...aggressive and uncooperative.

Thanks

[melbourneclearance]

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@janeababe wrote:

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I'm wondering if your buyer was telling the truth, and perhaps so annoyed at the lack of safe packaging that he decided to not give you the satisfaction of a photograph.  (just a thought)  

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Your Honour, I accuse this man of murder, but I am so angry with him that I will not present any evidence at all!

[imastawka]

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@melissad2825 wrote:

All I can say in response to you is that I thought about what I thought would be the best packaging and I didn't think it was a box. There are certainly things I will learn from this encounter. It's a judgement call. (I love diversional questions.) 

BTW, it wasn't the fragile porcelain object he describes; much more robust.

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Would it survive a 20kg weight dropped on it from waist height?

That's AP's requirements for safe packaging.

If not, then it should have been securely wrapped and posted in a box!

I'm not at all surprised he's pist.

[padi*0409]

Off topic, good to see ya back Stalks.

[digital*ghost]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

Why is he saying it's a fragile porcelain item if it's not?

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I post glass items in satchels, and sometimes even thin, lightweight padded mailers. 

I've posted literally hundreds of packages of these glass items this way, and not a single one has ever arrived broken or damaged, because being made of glass (or porcelain) doesn't automatically = too fragile for these kinds of packaging methods.

I don't know what the item in question was, obviously, just wanted to mention that as there is no one rule that applies to everything.

As a general comment - If the item arrived damaged, the buyer has a right to submit a complaint etc, but the buyer's lack of access to a camera is not the seller's problem or doing, and the buyer's attitude (which boils down to "all I should have to do is say something is broken and the seller needs to do everything I expect of them", is exemplary of many things wrong with ebay and shouldn't be condoned even if a fragile item was packaged less than perfectly.

[justkidzbiz]

And report the buyer for feedback extortion.

email the buyer and advise that you need photo evidence to lodge a claim with a Australia Post including the packaging. (You don't have to actually do this but it might prompt them into providing photo evidence. I would also ask eBay to request photo evidence.

sounds to me too that he's trying it on for a freebie. If he has time to write aggressive emails he has time to take a simple photo!

[brerrabbit585]

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@melissad2825 wrote:

Needless to say, the item was well packaged and 2 other buyers around the same time included specific positive feedback about my packaging in their feedback. I do not accuse people of dishonesty lightly but, of course, you're welcome to draw your own conclusion about him.

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I don't like to accuse people of dishonesty lightly either, but in my experience of buying HUNDREDS of china and crystal items on ebay, I'd say less than 20% of the sellers packed the items adequately. 

I've bought several sets of crystal glasses in Australia and in almost every case they were packed in one layer of bubblewrap with no other padding to fill the box and stop them moving them around.  It's a tribute to AP that they arrived in one piece.  Those sellers all thought they packed well, and some even thought they went 'above and beyond'.  

All the china I bought (cups, saucers, plates, etc) came from overseas and the number of broken items I received was heartbreaking.  Full teasets ended up as partial teasets and in one case only one cup survived out of six.  What a waste!  All they needed to do was use a slightly bigger box and fill it with scrunched up newspaper.

One seller I bought a cup and saucer from got feedback for the same item from other buyers saying wonderful packaging, but mine was woefully inadequately packed.  It was exactly the same item as mine (I only won one of the three they auctioned) so either they packed theirs better or the other buyers didn't know how lucky they were that their items arrived intact - and too many buyers don't like to say anything negative in feedback to warn others.  

I don't see why a buyer should go through hoops when they received damaged goods if the seller couldn't be bothered to make any effort when packing.  The onus is on the seller to make sure all items are packed properly in the first place and if they can't be bothered they should be the one who loses out, not the buyer.  Prevention is better than cure, and good packaging is the best form of insurance there is.  Lying to say they need photos to make a claim through AP would make me less inclined to bother.

[melissad2825]

I understand that people have had inadequately packaged goods sent to them. I just recieved one yesterday via Etsy. That said, none of you have witnessed my packaging, so not sure why a post about requesting a photo of damage (hardly going through hoops) has descended into a judgement on my packaging. Not one of you has seen it. It certainly wasn't one piece of bubble wrap in a box (but if others were to be believed a box solves everything).

I don't think (and eBay agreed) that a photo of reported damage is unreasonable in order to receive a full refund. That's all I was asking for.

And that's the story.

[digital*ghost]

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@brerrabbit585 wrote:

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I don't see why a buyer should go through hoops when they received damaged goods if the seller couldn't be bothered to make any effort when packing.  

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Substantiating a claim should never be considered a hoop, IMO, regardless of the circumstances. And it would only feel like a hoop to those who don't have any provisions in place to actually substantiate their claim. For everyone else it's just standard procedure.