Oh, carp. How would you handle this?

[khatsvintagejewels]

I sold a limited edition collector's watch in December. I had taken it to a jeweler to have it checked and the battery changed. It was running and keeping time for the time I had it before it sold and I shipped it. It was an anniversary watch made in 1989, so almost 30 years old. Now, two months later, the buyer says it isn't running right, and some days keeps time, others does not. She wants to know how I "want to proceed".

Eh, it sold for $700 on best offer, but I revealed that it had survived a tornado, so one might surmise that it might have been knocked around, but like I said, it was working fine when I shipped it. It was, of course, insured, but waiting this long to file a claim is probably hopeless.

Has anybody ever dealt with something like this? I'm having a panic attack! Help!

[1940fc]

Oh my word! Every seller`s nitemare!  Gonna be even worse once those of us that want to maintain our discount have to extend refund times from 14 days to 30. 

Not sure what you`re gonna be up against..I do think last year Pay Pal instituted a 6 month return policy for those that paid thru them using a Credit Card.

But not sure what the time span is for buyer using PP funds. Hopefully those in the actual KNOW can help you or point you to the Ebay Rules on this.

Sorry ya have to deal with it. 

[khatsvintagejewels]

Well, it's LONG past 30 days - closer to 60. I wonder if I should try to contact eBay...

[1940fc]

It might not hurt to call..just to get a 'feel' from someone about the situation as this is a vintage item..& not brand new.  Course I`m sure they will ask if you have contacted buyer to work someting out. But at least they might point you in direction of  their Policy regarding such..I dunno. Sorry am not much help

[khatsvintagejewels]

Gotta love CS reps from India! Anyway, they said it was after 30 days, and the buyer should have asked to return it within the 30 days. Basically, I don't have to refund their money under eBay's rules. She couldn't tell me about PayPal, but didn't think PayPal would force a return on a used item like this.

Really! The buyer could have dropped the watch on the bathroom floor and now want money back. I wrote her and told her that she should try having the battery changed first, because the sporadic nature of the problem sounded like a bad battery to me. So now we will see what happens.

Ha, ha. She never posted feedback, and now she can't do that, either. At least I don't have to worry about bad feedback on top of everything else!

[gauntlettgems]

I hope this works out for you. I sold a golf ring that had never been worn. Buyer got it 9/23 and claimed to have put it in her jewelry box til mid December. When she went to put it on for a Christmas party the stone fell out. Imagine that. PayPal allowed her to tell this story, return the ring severely abused and get a full refund. The pearl/stone was set on a prong whch she snapped clear off The back of the ring looked like she drug it over asphalt. The ring was supposed to have been returned in the condition In which she got it. My auction pictures pics prove that it wasn't. They still sided with her. I asked PayPal what their reason was for believing that she would wait two plus months to report a SNAD item. They basically told me they had to believe the buyer.

I was so frustrated!!!!! It is totally unfair and unethical but sellers will have to deal with this from time to time if ebay is where you want to be. I'm only happy that this turns out to only be less than 1percent of my transactions. My fear is that the more they do this, the more others will catch on and ruin the sellers marketplace.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

[khatsvintagejewels]

Well, I certainly hope it doesn't come to that! And I DO have her message after Christmas saying it was beautiful and hubby loved it. So she can't return it broken and say it came like that. This isn't the marketplace it was in the 90s, that's for sure.

Actually, I don't have anything listed right now over here - it's all at Etsy. I'm getting sales, and hoping as time goes by, it will pick up. A lady I sold a parure to last month favorited another set, so she may buy that one too. Fingers crossed. I will be listing some lots over here in the next couple of months, mostly repair stuff. I have boxes of junk stuff, but need to sort it out a little. There may be a few things I want to work with.

But people don't leave feedback, they gripe about the prices, want everything for nothing, and do stuff like wait months to find problems. You know, if I bought something, wore it for two months, and it broke, I don't think I'd be telling the seller, unless it was a new item under warranty. I mean, it's USED. It isn't perfect and new! Sigh.

Gah. But I need to build up some kind of business - hubby wants to retire sometime. He'll be 70 next month, still driving full time.

[mforjan]

People are crazy!

My SIL routinely buys clothes, hangs them in the closet and months later when they go on sale takes them back and demands the price difference. She usually get it, I can't believe the stores gives in to that! I really can't believe she does it in the first place.

Needless to say we disagree about a few things - family 

[gauntlettgems]

I'd be too embarrassed to do that. Lol

[clearsphere]

I can go you one better: I used to know someone who would shop at Nordstrom's, wear the items for months, then return them all for a full refund. She was actually proud of it, so much so that she wanted to share that strategy with students. Having formerly worked in retail, and on commission in the past, and being a decent human being-I was appalled!

As for your high $ return, this type of thing seems to happen around this time of year-post holidays/during tax time.

[gauntlettgems]

Yikes!

[sagehelen]

You have no idea if this buyer dropped the watch, got it wet or otherwise mistreated it. It is well past the return window. If he tries to start a case, eBay will side with you.

[dins9187]

OK wild idea - I have a watch repair person that is so good and I'm sure you do to. Could always tell buyer to send it back so you could have your watch repair person look at it.  He would know if it got wet or somehow damaged.  Repair or new battery  may fix it and then send it back.  Will cost you a few dollars but watch is running.  I know sort of a strange way to solve problem but the buyer bought it and time is long gone to return it.  Bet buyer won't send it back.

[alexincal]

Have any of you seen this?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/judge-rules-class-action-suit-against-ebay-and-paypal-may-procee...