Would you pay $23 to avoid a Negative?

[collectibles_in_canberra]

I sold a portable CD player - I actually had 3 of them , tested each for 1/2 hour & all worked fine.

Sold all 3 with 2 positive feedback but the 3rd apparently is not working.

I received an email & I quote 'The junk you sold me doesn't work You lied in your description'.

I politely asked what the problem was but no reply. I followed up with another email & was told it doesn't work & that it has been thrown in the bin.

After checking their feedback I can see they are most likely genuine & I do believe they couldn't manage to work the player but their people skills need a little work (as do mine at times).  They don't leave a lot of negatives & have left positive feedback in the past after getting a refund.

Now my dilemma is do I refund the total $23 (purchase & post) and avoid a Negative or just leave it & cop the Neg - Would you pay $23 to get a negative removed or in this case avoid one?

[collectibles_in_canberra]

I have just issued a refund to the buyer.

Hopefully just bought myself out of a Negative but will of course be hit with another defect because of the refund.

I know the item was working & have had buyers in the past return small electrical items such as walkmans as not working only to find they work perfectly. They put batteries in the wrong way, don't realise you need heaphones or plug the headphones in the wrong input.

I hate getting negative feedback because it is just not neccessary. I will always refund, send a replacement if possible & even pay return postage to keep the customer happy but sometimes the buyers would rather just leave bad feedback.

I guess it is the nature of selling 2nd hand items - one persons fair condition is another persons poor.

[collectibles_in_canberra]

I came across 2 examples where they left positive feedback after getting a refund.

I don't think it is a scam, I just think they have no idea how to operate the player (not that it is hard).

Not like the one I had last week where the last 6 feedbacks they left all stated positive for the sellers who had refunded after items missing or damaged in post. She claims the item I sent her is also missing - I might yet cop a negative for that one as well after I suggested she get a PO Box or pay for registered mail since the post in her street is not very good.

[cmcoins2000]

This one sounds as if it should be run by PayPal - numerous items gone 'missing' - numerous refunds - sounds like she is in 'business'.

[phorum_junkie*]

 I would not refund one cent based on what coloured dot would appear o my computer screen. I would have asked for either a condition report from a qualified third party or for the item to be returned and if I received neither would tell them to go through Paypal.

[digital*ghost]

Would you pay $23 to avoid a Negative?

Not no way, not no how. 

If I refund a buyer, it's because it's the right thing to do under the circumstances. Sometimes that does mean refunding without requiring return, sometimes it doesn't, but I don't make a single business decision based on what feedback a buyer may leave, or has left (for me), even. If I allowed someone else's actions (potential or actual) to be a motivating factor for my decisions, then I am giving up control of my business to the unknown whims of a stranger on the internet....and I just won't do that. 

[ajarnjenny]

DG, you always talk good sense. Calm and controlled.