Unhappy buyer

[pretty_prettys]

I purchased a camera from an Australian Camera Supplier in Western Australia.  I was referred to him via Whirlpool forums and he had the best price I could find.  The supplier covers the camera under their warranty for 12 months. 

I had to sell the camera and some storage disks as I had some expensive dental work to pay for unfortunately. 

I started the bid from $1 and it ended up selling for $1000. 

Now the buyer is complaining that I misled him saying that the camera I purchased was from a grey importer and not an australian supplier.   The company I purchased the camera from is a registered company in Australia.  He sells photographic equipment to professionals and on his website is very transparent about his warranties etc etc. . 

The buyer is nasty and complaining that the warranty isn't good enough.  I had in my listing that it was from an Australian Supplier and was under 12 months warranty.  Nothing I have said has been a lie or misleading.  There were lots of people bidding for the camera. 

Now he is saying he is going to lodge a complaint with paypal.  I'm very upset about this and I don't know what to do.  I've done nothing wrong and I wish I had the camera back and hadn't had to sell it becasue it was a lovely camera. .

Anyway, any feedback form anyone would be really appreciated. 

Cheers

[digital*ghost]

I would think-hope that any neg stands a very good chance of being removed because no buyer is entitled to partial refunds even when their complaint is legitimate (how it is resolved is entirely at the discretion of the seller, and while partial refunds can be considered standard practice due to making some things easier when selling online, officially there is no entitlement), therefore the comment "if you do not agree I will leave a neg" is feedback extortion. 😉

I am still curious about how/why they feel this affects the camera's value, but likewise I would not let them bully me into anything. 

[thecatspjs]

Blow ebay policy, I view that someone who is threatening to take action such as opening a paypal claim unless a monetary amount is received from a seller is extortion.

IMO getting a neg removed by eBay in this type of situation is much more a given if you win a Paypal dispute. 

Edit - The buyer is also unclear about what they mean about "Australian Stock" - aren't Nikons manufactured in Asia ? do they mean they were after a model manufactured for Australia.  Is that the case with the OPs camera ???  Just more angles to think about to cover if it comes to paypal dispute.

[digital*ghost]

Well, I wasn't saying it isn't, just that there's more than one way to skin a cat get feedback removed in this situation. 

[digital*ghost]

OP, it might be worth your while to report that message with the threat to eBay now. 

[*crikey*mate*]

If the story we have here is the whole story, I can't see what the OP has done wrong.

I cannot see why the seller should refund anything.

Plus, that PM fits the criteria for Feedback extortion - (if you don't look at his words literally - so get advice from eBay on this, i.e he hasn't specifically said he will leave neg or neutral or trash your stars - but the implication is certainly there.

"Threatening to leave negative or neutral feedback for another member unless the other member provides goods or services not included in the original listing is not permitted.

Buyers are not allowed to threaten sellers with negative Feedback, neutral Feedback or low Detailed Seller Ratings in order to obtain goods or services not included in the original listing."

........................................

The buyer's concerns are with the warranty, and with the location of the supplier.

1) If the OP can prove via her receipt or other menas that the Camera was from an Australian Camera Supplier

 - what does the Australian mean? That the supplier was Australian by nationality, that they are/ do supply cameras to Australia (which they obviously do - note there is nothing saying whether he does this legitimately - in theory, Santa clause is an Australian Supplier as is every person who supplies anything to a person residing in Australia or of Australian Heritage)

 - or does it mean a supplier who supplies australian made cameras........

2) The seller says the camera is under warranty, she makes no claims that it is transferrable or to whom the warranty applies.

............................................................

The fact this guy is now happy to have the camera for $150 less, so a cost of $850, suggests, he doesn't really have any issues, just realizes he assumed what he shouldn't, didn't ask the right questions and is now trying to force a discount.

He probably wouldn't have bid if his interpretations matched his expectations, but that isn't the seller's fault.

I wouldn't have bought my last keyboard if I had have known it didn't have some of the features I "assumed" it had - but that fault is mine., not the person who sold it.

Nor would I have bought my previous car if I had have realized that "seats five people" didn't mean "in comfort" or legally or if 2 of the passengers were over 6 ft tall..... however, it does have 5 seats and 5 seatbelts and is legally allowed to carry 5 people, they just have to be smallish LOL

The point - it's all stuff I could have checked. But I didn't. I assumed things to suit my expectations, doesn't mean the other person did anything wroing.

.......................

If this were me, I'd stand my ground, I can't see why the buyer is entitled to anything. (other than the camera that he won)

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

"As I said I would not have bid at all if I had been told it was not Australian stock" sounds exactly like a change-of-mind to me. 

I would message the buyer and say something like:

"I am so sorry that you have changed your mind about wanting this camera.  Return it to me and I will happily refund your payment in full"

The reason for this wording is to try and get a reply from them acknowledging that they have changed their mind about wanting the camera.  Then, if they lodge a PayPal dispute for SNAD then you can forward the messages to show they have changed their mind.  If they return it you refund them and offer to an underbidder.  I hope you kept a copy of the serial number of the camera in case they return a dodgy one of the same model with a much higher shutter count (has been known to happen on eBay).

[*crikey*mate*]

Sir Sales, IF it goes legal, (and I have to "assume" that PayPal considers this) that message shows that the seller is prepared to refund for "change of mind"......

I'm not sure if that matters, the brain synapses aren't connecting LOL, but OTTOMH, that seems important - but that might be cos of the eBay policy about feedback and threatening negs if the seller doesn't offer a service that they never said they would....

The swap and change thing concerns me and I believe a risk.

Also, the more this camera is transferred back and forth, the more chance of damage in transit, so where does the seller stand if she tries to sell it again?

*thinking*

*gets more coffee*

[digital*ghost]

Legalities aside, I do know that if a PayPal dispute is opened and it is subsequently found in the seller's favour, they are automatically granted seller protection if a credit card chargeback is later initiated (with no need to provide further supporting documentation etc), but only if they honoured any agreements made with the buyer (so do be mindful about what you offer, if anything). 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@my*mum wrote:

Sir Sales, IF it goes legal, (and I have to "assume" that PayPal considers this) that message shows that the seller is prepared to refund for "change of mind"......

The swap and change thing concerns me and I believe a risk.

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Yep, nothing wrong with change-of-mind refund in this case.

The underlying message from the change-of-mind message suggested is that you would not consider the partial refund, but will do a full refund.  I would think they will choose to keep the camera.  If they didn't want it any more they would have asked for a full refund upon return.

It is more about calling their bluff than anything else.  And IF they return it you would end up with more money by offering to an underbidder.

The old switch-er-oo can be avoided to some extent by including the serial number in the listing, as well as having plenty of high resolution photos of the camera that show even the most minor of scratches on the camera body.  This doesn't stop someone from swapping the baseplates (where most serial numbers are put) but it would help if the swicth was made.

[thecatspjs]

I think when a buyer requests a partial refund for goods purchased on grounds that are not based on what a sellers knows to be true then negotiating out of the situation only has limited value, unless you are prepared to give the partial refund.

I just think there is a time in transactions such as these that a seller needs to move from "make the buyer happy, even if I am out of pocket" into "protect my trading reputation and minimise the fallout" mode.