help with rude seller

[chatmen4]

Help!  Mom in a difficult spot.  I buy and sell on ebay and have dealt with customers and sellers, but never quite like the seller my young adult son has encountered.  He made a purchase of a vintage electronic, described as "checked over in perfect working order", but when he got it, there was a very obvious broken, non-working part.  I told my son, whom wants to keep the purchase, to work with the seller and make an offer which reflected the chance he was taking at making a repair.  We aren't talking replacement part - out and back in-  we are talking super glue.  My son being the teenager he is told the seller he would settle for 50% of his money back.  The seller jumped on the naive offer and in addition offered up rude, lame excuses and never an apology.  He also offered to take the item back, inspection at his discression as to whether he would give a refund.  Insisting he can get every penny he sold this broken down thing to my son for.  That just says to me - more lying and deception - different buyer.  I want my son the keep this and take the chance if it's what he wants, but I'm not sure it's worth the risk.  After ignoring Mom's advice and accepting the 50% refund does he have any way of getting ebay to help out?  So far, he has listen and not attempted any repair, the item is still in "received as" condition.   

[chrysylys]

The type of request you made is often seen as the mark of someone trying to get a discount after the fact and is highly frowned upon.

The seller appears to have done what is usually recommended, request the item be returned for a refund.

[*madison]

A not as described case could have been filed and the item returned at the sellers expense for a full refund.

You advised your son to work with the seller because he wanted to keep the item, and the seller agreed to your sons settlement of a 50% refund.

But, now you are saying your son ignored your advice ? 

What are you talking about ?

[felifoll]

50% partial refund and keep the item is pretty generous. Most sellers would not do that. Your son, the buyer, agreed to it so it's a done deal. I don't condone the rudeness, but buyers asking for a partial refund while refusing to return the item is not going to be well received on ebay.

I don't know if you are asking a hypothetical, like if he tries to glue it and it doesn't work, can he still get a full refund. If that is what you are asking the answer is no. The item would be considered altered and cannot be returned.

If you need advice on how to deal with a headstrong teenager, can't help you there. Mine turned 18 ten years ago and I still haven't recovered. 😃

[kattinsanity]

You called your son a "young adult" and then said he is a teenager?  You should be aware it is against ebay regulations for your "teenage" son to even be buying anything on ebay.  You MUST be 18 or older to buy on ebay. 

Did he buy this thing using your account or does he have his own account?  If he's under 18 and handles any transaction causing problems on  whatever account he is using  your whole household can end up suspended for life from using ebay. 

I would give him the super glue and tell him to fix it~~if it works it works.  If not throw it away and forget it.  The seller has already refunded 50% of the $$ WITH the understanding the kid is  going to try to fix it.  He accepted the 50% refund so raise him right and make him do as he promised the seller.

If he is 18 or over with his own account he should be making his own decisions~~not relying on moms advice.  Let him do what he wants~~right or wrong.

[felifoll]

A young adult of 18 or 19 is a teenager. And I assume that if the OP was looking for parenting advice, she would not have come to the ebay discussion board.

[missjen831]

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@kattinsanity wrote:

You called your son a "young adult" and then said he is a teenager?  You should be aware it is against ebay regulations for your "teenage" son to even be buying anything on ebay.  You MUST be 18 or older to buy on ebay. 

Did he buy this thing using your account or does he have his own account?  If he's under 18 and handles any transaction causing problems on  whatever account he is using  your whole household can end up suspended for life from using ebay. 

I would give him the super glue and tell him to fix it~~if it works it works.  If not throw it away and forget it.  The seller has already refunded 50% of the $$ WITH the understanding the kid is  going to try to fix it.  He accepted the 50% refund so raise him right and make him do as he promised the seller.

If he is 18 or over with his own account he should be making his own decisions~~not relying on moms advice.  Let him do what he wants~~right or wrong.

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@kattinsanity actually its NOT against the rules. Might want to read the policy before you tell the OP her entire household is at risk here! Her son can use her account with her permission.

"A person under 18 can use an adult's account with the permission of the account holder. However, the account holder is responsible for everything done with that account."

[7606dennis]

If I understand correctly, your son purchased the item and it arrived SNAD, but your son wants to keep the item so no SNAD claim was filed.

You advised your son to work with seller to find a satisfactory resolution to the issue.

The seller and your son came to an agreement and your son accepted a 50% partial refund.

Now you think that the seller took advantage of your son and want eBay to step in.

The fact that your son accepted the 50% partial refund should have ended the matter so I see nothing for eBay to step into. The issue is closed.

Personally, if I were the seller, I'd have just kept replying with "return for refund." Sorry, but I don't see anything eBay could or should do. 

Oh! By the way, where does the "rude" part come in?

[partial*eclipse]

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@chatmen4 wrote:

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 ...  My son being the teenager he is told the seller he would settle for 50% of his money back.  The seller jumped on the naive offer ...  He also offered to take the item back, inspection at his discression as to whether he would give a refund.....  After ignoring Mom's advice and accepting the 50% refund does he have any way of getting ebay to help out?  ....   

I think your son handled the situation well and there's no reason to involve ebay.

[d-k_treasures]

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@felifoll wrote:

A young adult of 18 or 19 is a teenager. And I assume that if the OP was looking for parenting advice, she would not have come to the ebay discussion board.

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I was in the military at 17. I can guarantee you that I was NOT treated as a teenager.

[felifoll]

I'm sure you weren't but that isn't the point. Posters should not be attacking an OP's parenting skills or suggest that they will face serious consequences for doing absolutely nothing wrong.

[kattinsanity]

I was a mother at 17~~mother of 3 before 21.  I wasn't considered a teenager~~I was considered an adult and had the responsibilities of an adult.  My husband was a Marine In Nam at 17~~died of agent orange at 55.  WAY back when we were responsible for our actions and for ourselves by 18.  My parents wanted me out by 18~~I was out at 17.  Maybe that's what's wrong in the world today. 

[lintbrush*]

I'm failing to see the rude part.  You told your son to handle it.  They agreed on a 50% partial refund with the intention of your son fixing it.  If your son made a naive arrangement, that's on him.   He'll either be able to superglue it and have an awesome deal or he'll be stuck with the loss because it was his choice.

Seller also agreed to take it back for a full refund.

In my youth I made some poor decisions that cost me some money.  Those mistakes helped to create a very savvy consumer today.

[kattinsanity]

I think the son handled it well UNTIL mom stepped in and is looking for a way out of the agreement the son made with the seller~~50% refund and he can fix it.  The 50% refund has already changed hands. 

Mom is a seller and a buyer~~she should know that if she offers a partial refund to a buyer and they accept the $$ that is the end of it BUT she thinks the seller took advantage of the "teenager".  If she didn't trust his judgement she should have never allowed him to buy from her account or even log into her account to make a "deal" with the seller.

Yes, if the "teenager" using her account screws up it is on HER account and if it happens even a few times everyone in her household will be banned from ebay.  Never allow a "teenager" to mess with your account~~if you do you suffer the consequences.  That kid shouldn't even be on ebay on her account without her supervision~~if he isn't old enough or have any income to handle his own account mom should be handling his purchases and investigating his "purchases" before paying.

[*eponymous*]

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@missjen316 wrote:

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@kattinsanity wrote:

You called your son a "young adult" and then said he is a teenager?  You should be aware it is against ebay regulations for your "teenage" son to even be buying anything on ebay.  You MUST be 18 or older to buy on ebay. 

Did he buy this thing using your account or does he have his own account?  If he's under 18 and handles any transaction causing problems on  whatever account he is using  your whole household can end up suspended for life from using ebay. 

I would give him the super glue and tell him to fix it~~if it works it works.  If not throw it away and forget it.  The seller has already refunded 50% of the $$ WITH the understanding the kid is  going to try to fix it.  He accepted the 50% refund so raise him right and make him do as he promised the seller.

If he is 18 or over with his own account he should be making his own decisions~~not relying on moms advice.  Let him do what he wants~~right or wrong.

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@kattinsanity actually its NOT against the rules. Might want to read the policy before you tell the OP her entire household is at risk here! Her son can use her account with her permission.

"A person under 18 can use an adult's account with the permission of the account holder. However, the account holder is responsible for everything done with that account."

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I completely agree that was over the top and doesn't apply to the OP's post, anyway.

It is always true that parents are, by law, responsible for what their kids do, but eBay contradicts itself in that "uniquely eBay way" on this, too.  From the UA:

In connection with using or accessing the Services you will not use our Services if you are not able to form legally binding contracts (for example, if you are under 18 years old) http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/user-agreement.html