Dealing with claims that the item doesn't match the description

Question

I have had two recent incidents of buyers claiming that the item sent was not as described. I had a sale today for a buyer that doesn't have any feedback history. I'm concerned if I ship the item (yes, its paid for as have the others) that this is once again a scam and I will end up without the item or the sale proceeds. How do others handle these situations. I have friends who have stopped selling on eBay specifically for this reason.

inceptions · Answer

Hi @suzette639

Two recent returns doesn't mean today's sale is going to result in a return. There is no connection.

If you are going to sell online, you are going to take returns. If you have an unfriendly return policy, the only way an unhappy buyer can return the item for a refund is to claim it's not as described using the Money Back Guarantee.

Sellers who want happy buyers, do what needs to be done to make them happy. If you don't do it willingly, you will do it because you're forced to through an item not as described return.

Sellers establish a good reputation not by just dealing with the easy sales, but by handling all the aspects of selling including handling returns and customer issues. If you expect you'll be taking an occasion return, then you won't fear it.

Buyers don't buy items just to return them, they buy items because they want what they think they are seeing in the listing. When it doesn't meet expectations, they may want to return it. That's not unreasonable, and it certainly isn't a scam.

Whenever a buyer returns an item, good sellers will try to figure out if there is something they could do better in their listing so that the buyer will better be able to visualize the item before buying when it's relisted. (This could include better or more detailed photos, measurements, description details, any flaws prominently identified, etc.)

As for your friends who stopped seller on eBay because of returns...maybe selling just isn't for them. Not everyone is cut out for it.