Buyer claims item arrived damaged

Question

I sold a piece of antique glassware and the buyer said it arrived broken. I asked for a picture to verify but the buyer said they just threw it away and did not take any pictures. They are asking for a refund. I am new to eBay so have never dealt with this before. Any suggestions?

tenbigdogs · Answer

Hi @tulipcityresale "I am new to eBay...." That's why they think they can mess with you. If you're going to continue to sell, get your feedback score up as soon as you can. It doesn't matter if it's for selling or buying, it's the score that matters, not the underlying transactions. The easiest way to raise your score is to buy things on eBay that you were going to buy anyway and check the seller's feedback Left For Others to make sure they consistently leave feedback.

What a higher score shows is that you know how eBay works. You are far less likely to be taken as a mark. And now that you've found this answer board take the time to read other posts. You'll learn about potential problems and how to avoid them. You might also think about changing your user ID to something a little less generic and a little more intimidating. Good luck!

gosimus · Answer

@tulipcityresale < the buyer said they just threw it away and did not take any pictures > The buyer could be lying, to get a free antique. It has happened before. If I were you, I would insist that the buyer return the item before issuing a refund. If he's lying, this can stop him from cheating you, or at least make it more difficult and blatant; he would have to commit mail fraud. If the item really broke, he can't return the pieces because he threw them away . . . well, that's just too bad. It was his mistake, we can't bail everybody out. There's always the possibility of inadequate packing. Did that other vintage glass item arrive intact? If it was packed well, that would tend to make it probable that both items were packed well. If both of the items arrived broken, the responsibility swings back to yourself, in which case you should do the right thing.