How long can a buyer request a refund claiming item is now defective?
Hello,
I sold new e-bike battery to a buyer back on March 8th, 2023. Buyer received item, it worked fine and even left me positive feedback.
Now over five months later he is claiming the battery will no longer take a charge and has even hinted in his message to me that I sold him a refurbished battery not a new one as described in the listing. He wants either a full refund or another battery. Also threatened to leave negative feedback. Can he change the initial positive feedback?
My question is... how will Ebay handle this? How long does a person have to be able to claim the item I sold is (now) defective and be able to get a refund? We are talking about an almost $400 item.
I'm seeing all sorts of time frames regarding the buyer protection program.
I truly feel bad for the guy and even offered to help him diagnose his situation but in my experience, batteries simply don't fail without contributing external factors.
Thank you!
swankysaurus
·3 years agoFrom eBays point of view the transaction is over. Yes the buyer can try to file a chargeback with their credit card however from the cardholders point of view they don't have much of a case. Yes technically you can open a chargeback for like 2 years but that's usually for things like you didn't notice the charge right away and are disputing the validity of it altogether (fraud, unauthorized family member, wrong amount, subscriptions, etc.)
There are only a few reasons for chargebacks and this would fall under the "Item is Damaged/not as described" category. In which case the buyer is well outside the 30 day return window for raising awareness of any damage/defect. Unless you mentioned offering some kind of warranty or guarantee most sellers on eBay sell items AS IS so if something is defective outside the return window period that's a grievance with the brand/company and as a consumer their recourse is to contact the manufacturer and see if they stand behind their product and offer any kind of warranty or discounts (which they probably won't since it wasn't purchased through an authorized retailer/eBay is considered a 3rd party seller site) They could also leave negative feedback for the PRODUCT on retailer sites that sell that particular item and then make a decision to purchase from a different brand in the future.
If you still sell that model of battery you might consider offering a small discount if they'd like to purchase another one from you again (I wouldn't get into any argument about refurbished/quality/warranty etc.) Other than that there's nothing for you to do at this point. If they do open a chargeback it's going to be a headache, but the chances of them winning the case are pretty low.
As consumers we need reminders that we are NOT always guaranteed satisfaction. Some companies offer solutions as a COURTESY to gain our business - but the power we have is to not purchase from a brand again if we are not happy. We are not always entitled to compensation, you took a chance and didn't like it. It happens. Try something else next time.
mtgraves7984
·3 years agoNo... the buyer can't change a positive feedback to a negative feedback.
You're not required to react to the buyer, as his/her window has closed on eBay. Yes... if the seller paid with PayPal or a CC, I think they may be able to open claim(s) with those, so heads up.
chwa-1427
OP3 years agoCurious how that works... if paid thru PayPal or CC? Does eBay step in and demand refund on their (PayPal) part?
I can definitely see potential for abuse there, no? The fact that a person can buy an electronic item from a seller, use it for X amount of time and/or break it.. then still be able to get a refund boggles my mind.
If that's the case... I may need to really rethink selling on this platform because this leaves me wide open to fraud.
Thanks for you feedback! I truly appreciate it!
dryophelia
·3 years ago@chwa-1427
When PayPal or a CC process the refund for their client, the marketplace facilitator has no choice. It is out of their hands.
This situation happens on all platforms that allow PayPal or credit cards to be used for payment. This is not an issue exclusive to eBay, but an online retailer issue.