Can I Request Compensation via eBay for Damages Incurred During an In-Person Transaction?

[andreinpele0]

Hey everyone,

I recently encountered a situation the buyer has broken a cable rail during the process of moving a sofa that I gave almost for free (GBP 1), resulting in the need for repairs. As the responsible party for any damages incurred during the move, I'm exploring options for seeking compensation via Ebay.  The buyer is pushing it for me to fix it but we don't have tools neither the time, plus this will require to invest money.

I'm curious if anyone has experience or insights into whether it's possible to request compensation through eBay for damages that happened during an in-person transaction?

I've read through eBay's policies regarding buyer protection, but I'm unsure how they apply to situations like this. It seems they can only block the buyers acct. Any advice or guidance on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help.

[andreinpele0]

Thanks, everyone. I guess I didn't explain properly about the cable "rail". It's called "electrical trunking".

The buyer collected the sofa in LONDON, and on her way out of the building, she ripped out and broke the electrical trunking in the communal areas of the building. The cable and part of the plastic electrical trunking are hanging from the ceiling. The handyman is charging £60 to repair it. I only received £1 for the sale, and the buyer is refusing to come back and fix it. By the way, the sofa is in good condition, and even though my account is a German acct, the sofa and collection were made in London. My question will be..

Will eBay help me in reinforce the payment from the buyer to cover the handyman charges? 

[jameshen1]

No.  eBay will not help you.  They did not cause the damage and are not responsible for the damage.

[golfingaddict]

No, eBay is not going to help with this.

You need to reach out to your insurance company or file a legal complaint with the buyer.  (or both)

I'm not familiar with laws in London.  We have small claims court here. You might have something similar.

We can take a person to small claims court without a lawyer.  Collecting the damages if you win is a separate issue. *winning does not mean you get paid.

[luckythewinner]

Will eBay help me in reinforce the payment from the buyer to cover the handyman charges? 

No.

There is nothing in eBay policy that even remotely suggests that eBay provides liability property insurance for sellers who freely choose to allow unsupervised buyers inside their building.

[ebooksdiva]

Whoever was moving the sofa is responsible for damage. eBay doesn't get involved with moving mishaps. 
You will need to figure this out between you and the buyer.

[dhbookds]

My worthless 2c...........I think your handyman may be trying to rip you off.......presuming the buyer didn't do it deliberately.  It should be his job to ensure than obstacles are not in the way "in a communal area" through which furniture is moved.......

[brightlightbookseller]

The buyer, not eBay, is responsible for that damage.

[toysaver]

If it was in good condition the buyer is likely selling it for 200 on another venue.

[candd205]

The buyer damaged your building? Then the buyer should pay for her actions. Agree with the suggestion to take them to court if there is something similar to small claims court in England.

[stainlessenginecovers]

It does NOT matter what country this happened in- if a 'person' damaged an item, the 'place you advertised' the item will NOT pay anything.

It's like you have a car for sale in the local newspaper and as the person drove off, ran over your fence, your tree, the neighbors mailbox etc.

YOU would have to sue the PERSON that did it- and you would have to PROVE they did it (as they could simply say 'I didn't do that', so you would need witnesses that saw it happen)

[kalyoth]

No - contact a solicitor. The building costs right now are assigned to you. Until you can get them reassigned to the correct party, they are all yours alone. ebay has zero participation in the physical movement of your physical goods or the labor used in said movement.

[jerseyboymusic]

@andreinpele0 I think your building management should send the bill to the buyer. I don't think you need to be involved...