Scam return once again

[tahoe-sports]

This is a beauty.  The buyer requested a return because a white jersey isn't white and it has a gasoline or possibly a mothball smell the buyer did not notice for a week.  Took a photo of the same white jersey against a white sheet of paper to prove that, yes, the jersey is white.  It wasn't blue, or red, or green, or pink.  It was white, exactly as described.  Not only was it white, it was really white because it had been cleaned by the team equipment managers.  

So the story changes.  Now, yes, the jersey is white.  But now it has an odor, possibly gasoline or possibly mothballs.  The jersey was stored and shipped in a sealed plastic bag.  The team did not dip the jersey in gasoline and neither did I.  Nor the the buyer mention when he opened the bag that the garment smelled like anything.  It didn't smell the first day, the second day, the third day, etc.  How many people would not know immediately if gasline was spilled on a garment?  

I looked up solutions to the odor.  The ranged from airing out the garment, to using cedar chips to absorb the order, to using charcoal to absorb the ordor, to washing the garment in a vinegar solution to get rid of the odor, to just plain putting the garment in the washing machine to eliminate the odor.  The buyer refused to accept any of these easy remedies and insisted on returning the garment.

I was told by CS that they had to accept the buyer's word, even though nothing in their actions suggests there was any actual problem with the garment.  I was told by CS that if I did not accept the return, despite my stated return policy explicitly saying there are no returns, they would close the return in the buyer's favor and give me a strike.

This is absolute madness.

What would they do with someone wishing to return a car because it had a new car smell?  Return it, of course, because the smell was too strong, or not strong enough, or the wrong smell, or the wanted a better smell.

Get your **bleep** together, Ebay.

[hurryagain]

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@tahoe-sports wrote:

This is absolute madness.

What would they do with someone wishing to return a car because it had a new car smell?  Return it, of course, because the smell was too strong, or not strong enough, or the wrong smell, or the wanted a better smell.

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...or the seller had a cold that week so he couldn't smell the smell...we can go on forever...

The clothing sellers in particular are plagued with this kind of buyer's remorse returns.

...sigh...

[femmefan1946]

I f a refund is demanded.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a refund"

 If a partial refund is demanded.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a refund"

If the buyer threatens to leave negative feedback.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a refund"

If return shipping is demanded.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please open an eBay Dispute to generate a shipping label and return it for a refund"

Note that real scammers do NOT want to be on record.

If she opens the Dispute, send the return shipping label.

Get the sweater back in saleable condition, not dipped in gasoline or cut to shreds, refund, relist, resell.

This is business not personal.

And having been doing some painting recently, there are literally dozens if not hundreds of "whites". Pearl, oyster, cream, frost, arctic, architect, pure, cloud.....

And dry cleaning can leave a smell, as can detergents * and fabric softeners.

The customer might actually be right, for a change.

Time is money. How much have you spent on this minor inconvenience?

*Gain laundry detergent actually advertises that it retains its perfume for weeks.

[jaad_6732]

By selecting no returns you are just keeping yourself from being eligible for top seller status. Regardless of what you select any buyer who says a item is damaged or not as described will be eligible to return it. Ebay pushes for you to select free shipping option and to add the shipping into the sale price but i prefer to set my price and use the shipping calculator to determine shipping separate. I do this because if a buyer just doesn't  like the item they bought or changed their mind it will make them responsible for the return shipping. Given it was as described. If you gave free shipping you would be responsible for the return shipping since its free and also have to return the original shipping cost. I steer clear of selling clothing and complex electronics because their is to many factors to go wrong that would cost me money. Its easy to say a shirt is the wrong size or a computer does not work properly but hard to say a coffee mug doesn't work lol.

[hurryagain]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

Time is money. How much have you spent on this minor inconvenience?

*Gain laundry detergent actually advertises that it retains its perfume for weeks.

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Sometimes one just needs to vent...I get it...nobody likes to lose money (I think).

And oh...how I WISH some of the clothing that I have bought from some sellers would smell like Gain...even reek of Gain...that would be so much preferable to what odors I have come across 😵

I have learned to expect some order...especially in regards to used clothing.  Thank God for the invention of the washing machine. 😁

[earlyant-77]

On the plus side, a CS agent actually gave the OP the correct advice.

[gracieallen01]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

I f a refund is demanded.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a refund"

 If a partial refund is demanded.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a refund"

If the buyer threatens to leave negative feedback.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for a refund"

If return shipping is demanded.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please open an eBay Dispute to generate a shipping label and return it for a refund"

Note that real scammers do NOT want to be on record.

If she opens the Dispute, send the return shipping label.

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What she said!  ^^^^^^  There are some places, and some things, where you are NOT going to win.  Give yourself the best chance of cutting your losses, though.

[cashvaluerecovery2011]

How is "do whatever the buyer wants" any different than what they always say? Lol

[tahoe-sports]

I checked every jersey I bought from the team.  All the white jerseys are clean and white.  None of the jerseys have any odors.  I checked them against jerseys that have been washed.  Zero difference.  No previous buyer has ever complained about a gasoline or chemical smell before.

When is Ebay going to just say no to scammers.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

Never. 

Ebay making money is more important than punishing dishonest buyers.

Hard cold fact of selling here. I hate it but we have no choice. 

[debsm-6771]

Or you're so used to the odor you've gone nose blind.

Odor is pretty subjective. My cousin wears a coconut body spray, she thinks it smells good, I think it smells like piña colada vomit

[trustedbasset]

Car sales are a little different. I haven’t sold one but the policies are different when selling a vehicle and returns are harder.

[coffeebean832]

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@tahoe-sports wrote:

When is Ebay going to just say no to scammers.

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As long as the financial burden falls to sellers, eBay's not going to take any big steps to get rid of scammers.

[tahoe-sports]

So the jersey came back, but not the Letter of Authenticity that proves it came from the team.  Buyer says he never received it.  The jersey came back in perfect condition-clean and white.  Zero odors. 

Contacted the buyer with pics of a white sheet of paper against the white jersey to show that no, it wasn't yellowed.  Then the story changed.  Yes, it was white and no, it did not smell.  Just the logo had a odor and the smell was so slight that he had to check with his wife to make sure he wasn't going crazy.

Called Ebay CS.  Are they going to screw me despite the evidence that the item was exactly as described?  You bet!  If I didn't give him a full refund, they would take it from me and give me the strike.  CS said to report the buyer and if there was a pattern of bad behavior, they would act.  I asked the agent if someone they knew stole their car and your stolen car was sitting in their driveway, would they be satisfied with the police saying that they would not make and get your car back, just watch to see if the thief went on to have a pattern of robberies.

Seller Protection is a fraud.  Ebay is a disgrace.  It makes money by exploiting its sellers.  If sellers don't want to offer returns, Ebay will help the buyer rob you.  If you do offer returns, Ebay will say it's your fault when buyers rob you.

[tahoe-sports]

Guy comes up to the return counter of any home improvement store-

"Hi, I'd like to return this air freshener, house paint, new carpeting, bleach, and pool chlorine.  They have a strange chemical smell."

Clerk at home improvement store.

"Sir, those odors are called lemon, new paint, new carpeting, bleach, and chlorine.  They're supposed to smell that way. "  

(Clerk when guy walks away) "What an idiot!"

Same guy returns items to ebay under not as described.

Ebay CS- "Sorry you're disapponted in our seller's performance.  Don't worry, your covered under our Buyer Protection Program.  We'll make sure you get all your money refunded including shipping even if we have to steal if from the seller.  New paint, new carpeting, air freshener, bleach, and chlorine shouldn't have odors even though everyone on the planet knows they do."