Items I sold were damaged prior to shipping

[onedollarnosense]

Hello All,

I recently sold six record albums to a single buyer, but they were damaged in my home when I had a water leak ruin the albums sold and others not listed. The buyer has not yet paid for the items. Can they leave negative feedback if I cancel the sale ?

[this*old*attic]

@gracieallen01 

The problem with the items is an innocent goof. Avoidable in a lock the barn door after the horse escapes kind of we way. We live and learn.

Ebay offers a way to cancel a sale in that case - item lost or damaged - seller gets a demerit. It’s no biggie, I had one for a year and there was no negative effect.

THE LIE is the advice some are giving the seller to play the system by telling the buyer “oh gee there’s a problem do you want to cancel?” and then filing as if buyer requested and avoiding the demerit.

Its dodgy and self serving and avoids personal responsibility. Sure it’s an accident. As judge Judy says, “They don’t call it an on purpose!” Buts it’s really a fake ploy to to get the buyer to demur so a seller can file buyer requested and avoid The demerit.

The seller initiated the cancellation not the buyer, and out of stock is the proper filing, not buyer requested.

[gracieallen01]

Thank you for your response.

I understand what you are saying, even though I am not highly inclined to agree. 

If communicating with a buyer, which is often mentioned to be a possible method of bettering the buyer experience, and coming to the mutual understanding that the buyer no longer wishes to have the item, the buyer claiming no foul or faux pas and could the seller please cancel the transaction, how is that not a buyer request to cancel, or any form of dishonesty?

Not wishing to initiate a dialogue, but wishing to express my thought on your reply.  Again, thank you for your opinion.

[mtgraves7984]

I said it earlier... A cheap Media Mail shipment of worthless product would be worth it's weight in gold.

I still say contact the buyer (who will want to cancel), but box them and ship them anyway... for FREE, of course. The buyer will think you've gone 'over and above'. At this point, it's the next right thing to do.

@this*old*attic 

I don't think it's wrong (a lie) to ask the buyer to start the cancellation, either. Both 'reasons' for the cancellation are true.

[this*old*attic]

Technically true, but not the proximate cause and not in line with labeling the cancellation responsibly or as the system intended.

 I ruined a purse a number of years ago trying to get an after sale stain out.

i forget whether I sent pics or literally shipped the item as proof, but the cancellation was rightly on me.

My mistake and not initiated by the buyer as free choice with no persuasive circumstances.

[inhawaii]

I once sold a MEDIUM shirt. I discovered that i screwed up and didn't have a MEDIUM in stock. I had a SMALL or a LARGE available. Totally my fault. I apologized to the buyer and explained the situation. The buyer was pretty cool about it. 

I asked the buyer if they could use a SMALL or a LARGE and they said no. So i asked the buyer to cancel the transaction.   I didn't lie and i wasn't out to cheat anyone. 

If the buyer didn't want to initiate a cancel or didn't know how, i would have gladly done it myself. 

About a week later i located the missing MEDIUM shirt. I sent it to the buyer FREE OF CHARGE.  The buyer was super happy.

[onedollarnosense]

So, many thanks again !

[inhawaii]

Welcome to the boards!  *group hug*

[coolections]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

If communicating with a buyer, which is often mentioned to be a possible method of bettering the buyer experience, and coming to the mutual understanding that the buyer no longer wishes to have the item, the buyer claiming no foul or faux pas and could the seller please cancel the transaction, how is that not a buyer request to cancel, or any form of dishonesty?

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It is dishonesty because they buyer DID NOT request to cancel the sale. The buyer wants what they paid for. The item was damaged so the SELLER need to own up and cancel the sale and cancel using the real reason which is the item was DAMAGED.

[onedollarnosense]

Haha....Thanks, I think.

No, honestly though; to everyone who could see the basics of my question and not add anything in that I was trying to be in any way dishonest to the buyer, I am grateful for your input and for being here with an open mind.

The albums were stored for many years in a very dry and safe place, a water heater ( 80 gallon size ) in another room failed and flooded across a large area during a cold spell, I was out of town on Christmas vacation, and the items were damaged from the water. It was a natural act I did not cause or want to ever have happen then or ever again. Pretty simple ….life for me goes on as being " real " for this real human who understands that accidents do happen even with the best of safeguards taken. 

[coolections]

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NO, it was a factual response on what is the right thing to do in the situation you described. So to answer your question, you need to cancel the sale and list the real reason why you cancelled the sale which is the item is damaged.

[gracieallen01]

Hmmmm.  Just because someone puts it in a UA that a seller is responsible for everything under the sun, and moon, doesn't necessarily make it true - nor, are all opinions fact. 

[ersatz_sobriquet]

Apparently to some posters whose motives I question, the seller and buyer in agreement on cancel the sale has them in an uproar, furious that the seller may not get a defect. Why they feel this need to get involved in somebody else's sale and declare: You are BAD and must be punished! reminds me of a very miserable third grade teacher. She looked unhappy in life no matter what was going on....

[pink.fish.rule]

Some offshore sellers consistently use this practice  to avoid OOS defects.

I think that's why it so disliked.

I've had myself where a seller has messaged to say their 'new order' won't come in until xxx and did I want to cancel or wait and when I said I'd prefer not to have to wait 3 months of course they cancel as buyer requested.

[luckythewinner]

@onedollarnosense wrote:

I recently sold six record albums to a single buyer, but they were damaged in my home when I had a water leak ruin the albums sold and others not listed. The buyer has not yet paid for the items. Can they leave negative feedback if I cancel the sale ?

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Is this a domestic sale?

If so, I would ship them to the buyer by media mail - it should cost less than $5.

I would then message the buyer and:

1) apologize

2) explain that they were damaged by a water leak but that you shipped them anyway. 

3) ask them to immediately file a "not as described" so they can get an immediate refund.

3) explain not to return them (in case vinyl has any value to them without the covers).

This should reduce the chance of the buyer penalizing you over suspicions of seller remorse.

[pink.fish.rule]

And hope the OP doesn't have a buyer who will get all xxxxy about being shipped a bunch of worthless stuff THEY have to dispose of.