PayPal dispute: Buyer claimed faulty item, returned. Tested and works fine??

[mugget4130]

Just had a massive drama with a bluetooth headset I sold on eBay, buyer claimed that when he tried to place a call the person on the receiveing end couldn't hear anything. Somehow the PayPal dispute went in his favour even though he hadn't even properly troubleshooted (updating firmware, checking software settings etc.) and didn't even try to make it look like he had. 

Well he sent everything back to me, PayPal yanked the money. First thing I did when I got it back was test it out - first call, wouldn't you know I was able to have a conversation. Person on the receiving end could hear me fine. What is going on with PayPal's processes??? The whole thing really makes me doubt the safety and validity of "PayPal protection". 

I am still in the process of lodging a counter-dispute now as the item was returned in filthy condition, packaged in a snaplock back with foodstuffs (small crumbs and pieces of chocolate), the actual headset body is loose and the earpiece looks like it's been eaten by mice. Either the buyer had a complete inability to correctly operate the headset (not my fault) or they outright lied (definitely not my fault). Buyer also sent a "haha I win" type of message that was completely unnecessary. Now I have to go and get a 3rd party independant evaluation of the item, see what happens I guess. 

Doesn't a seller have any protection when a buyer has outright lied to get a refund???

[clarry100]

Basically ebay and paypal will take the word of the buyer, not the seller.

It will be very difficult to have this changed and probably not worth the time and effort considering the low value of the item.

It sounds a bit like the buyer wanted to replace an older not so good looking one so have sent you back their old one.

Do these things have a serial number? If so did you record it or have a pic on the listing that shows the serial number?

[phorum_junkie*]

Call Paypal and tell them they should never have found in the buyer's favour and when the item was returned it not only worked perfectly but it was not in the same condition as sent.  If you get nowhere with that person ask to speak to a supervisor. Keep the conversation polite in fact be positively servile, you want them to help you. If you still get nowhere ask to speak to a higher level person. As a final resort tell them that as the itm cannot be resold because of the condition it was sent in you will hav no option but to put in a claim with the FSO if you are not refunded within 48 hours.

I have only used these tactics twice but it worked both times 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

Cerise to all you old timers

[countessalmirena]

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@phorum_junkie* wrote:

[...] in fact be positively servile [...]

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[davewil1964]

Isn't a servile a wild cat?

[countessalmirena]

... and you said that you weren't a cat lover.

Who but an ardent secret cat lover would be familiar with the serval? (Well, apart from wildlife documentary narrators, or African vets, or people casually leafing through the OED under this week's letter, "S"...)

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[padi*0409]

..............but does it produce wickedly expensive coffee like the Civet countess ??????

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Thankfully this is not a Civet.

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[countessalmirena]

Padi, you can investigate its poo... I'm steering clear! (And drinking Ipanema Gourmet Rainforest Alliance coffee, guaranteed not to have been excreted by any creature, civet or otherwise.)

[padi*0409]

If it smells anything like roast Paccie-Poo (from when I'm burning off in the paddock) then I'm with you and will steer clear of it.  

[*tippy*toes*]

Paccie poo coffee, cat poo coffee, what's the difference? It's still poo coffee and is going to taste like shet. All coffee tastes like poo to me! Ghastly stuff it is, absolutely ghastly. Yucko!