Item not as described false claim. Do I report the buyer first or refund first? Does it matter? 😑
Had a buyer submit an item not as described return without contacting me first, just straight to the NAD return. I don't think they are malicious but just rude. They had a compatibility issue with the item and claimed that me, as the seller should have listed all compatibility issues known and unknown with the item in my description. When I got the item back I tested it against my own equipment and sure enough it works fine. I sent the buyer a polite message saying that the compatibility issue is with their specific equipment and as a private seller I should not be responsible for doing what amounts to buyer research. Am I wrong for saying that? As a private seller I don't have the means to test my items against every possible use case concerning another piece of equipment. For example if a PS5 doesn't work with xyz model TV I should not have to put that into my item description right??
Anyway I haven't heard back from the buyer yet and its been 36hours. I'm going to issue the refund regardless. I was waiting for a response in order to gauge wether I should report the buyer or not. Should I do the return first or report the buyer first? Does it matter?
ms.rodriguez*
·3 years agoReporting the buyer is a total waste of time. If you call customer service, they will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you off the phone. Nothing is going to happen. The item did NOT work on their system. You got it back, relist it at a higher price to recover your losses. Nothing else can be done. Just block the buyer so that they do not re-buy again from you.
house*of*paws
·3 years agoHi @shaocaholica
I’m so very sorry this happened. I would be extremely upset if it happened to me. [That’s why I’m not a seller. I lack the temperament for sales.]
That said, it really doesn’t matter when or if you report the buyer, as I don’t think eBay can/will take any action, since the item was returned in the same condition as sold. [The absolute most you could achieve is a courtesy refund of the return shipping … and only if you protest enough to reach a sympathetic CS rep who is authorized to give one.]
BTW, it’s been many years since it was considered ‘rude’ for a buyer to take a formal action in lieu of contacting the seller. The change occurred when a ‘return request’ replaced an ‘item significantly not as described dispute’.
[I still contact a seller first … since I realize many still feel as you do … but I know that I’m simply wasting time, because I’ll still have to open a request down the line to get a refund.]
kensgiftshop
·3 years agoJust refund and move on.
You're lucky you got your item back in working condition.
They could have shipped a dog turd and you would still have to refund, then you could report the buyer.
calhounmonster
·3 years agoIt's not "rude" that a buyer opens a return first, that's the way the eBay system works. When you hit "contact seller" eBay gives you several options including: "I didn't receive my item", "I need to return my item", "I received an item that wasn't as described", etc. Buyer chooses the most appropriate topic. If it's "I need to return my item" then eBay automatically opens the claims process.
Just approve the return and move on. Don't waste valuable energy arguing with buyers over stuff like this. I avoid all of this by offering Free Returns on all my items. By offering they buyer the confidence that you offer Free Returns for any reason without any hassles or arguments, you get more sales and you spend less time bickering with buyers over returns. Since I started offering Free Returns, my returns rate has not changed in any significant way, and my peace of mind has improved.
1786davycrockett
·3 years ago@shaocaholica
"I don't think they are malicious but just rude."
You said it yourself, in your opening statement.
So don't you think that it's possible that you may be going into "overkill" mode, by considering reporting the buyer for misuse of the NAD claim?
You received your item back -- just go ahead and refund the buyer, without reporting the buyer for misuse.
Many of us have previously been in your shoes; but we've just taken a few deep breaths, re-listed the returned items, and moved along.
Life is far too short to hold on to so much anger over one sale gone wrong.
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoYou have NO PROOF (and your word is NOT proof) that the item worked etc.
Therefore, you have 2 choices.
a.) Refund the buyer and do it quickly as you only have 48 hrs once delivered
b.) Do nothing, report, whatever...and if the 48hrs passes and ebay has to refund for you, you'll get a 'ding' for not taking care of your customer (and you are only allowed a couple of those and then you could be paying more fees or banned from selling)
shaocaholica
OP3 years agoI provided video proof to the buyer after receiving the item back. I took a short video showing the serial number of the item so as to confirm it's the same item and not another copy and showing that it worked as intended with the equipment that I have on hand specifically with regards to the issue they claimed in the NAD.
Also my original question was not about refusing the refund. Since I got the item back undamaged of course I will issue the refund within the allotted time window. That's only fair. The original question was whether I should ALSO file a buyer claim and if the order of operations on that matters.
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoVideos and Photos are inadmissible as any evidence to anybody. They can easily be of 'something similar' and 'edited/photoshopped' etc.
Regarding whether you can file a report on the buyer, yes and doesn't matter if you do it before or after refunding.
shaocaholica
OP3 years agoI'm out shipping costs and over 2 weeks of time without money in pocket. Reporting the buyer for abusing the NAD claim seems reasonable given the circumstances and communication silence no?
mtgraves7984
·3 years ago@shaocaholica
Yes, that's why I suggested to 'price-adjust' before relisting. 'Reasonable' is subjective... do what feels right for you.
Unavailable member
·3 years agoAgain where did the buyer abuse a return? You said the buyers equipment was not compatible therefore it didn’t work for them. They returned the item stating it was not as described. You received the item back.
You came in here to ask our opinion on whether or not you should report. The consensus was not to report the buyer. But hey, it’s your buyer your item so go ahead and report the buyer if that’s what you want to do.
shaocaholica
OP3 years agoHow does compatibility become 'not as described'? There are lots of software bugs and seemingly non sensical incompatibility issues with modern electronics. That doesn't mean an item is 'not as described' if it doesn't work with some random other piece of equipment especially if its not explicitly stated in the listing.
For example if a Playstation5 is listed as fully functional and it somehow just doesn't work with a very specific older generation Toshiba TV due to a combination of factory design and software. All PS5s are incompatible with this TV not just the specific one sold. Would that qualify for a NAD claim if a specific buyer just so happened to have that TV? And of course the listing does not say anything about which TVs are supported and which aren't as I think that is beyond the scope of what a reasonable listing should contain.
Unavailable member
·3 years agoSo in essence we agree to disagree.
mtgraves7984
·3 years ago"I sent the buyer a polite message saying that the compatibility issue is with their specific equipment and as a private seller I should not be responsible for doing what amounts to buyer research. Am I wrong for saying that?"
@shaocaholica
I wouldn't have said that (it doesn't sound that 'polite'... and a little demeaning)... but who's to say that you're wrong? Also don't see rudeness in opening a Return before contacting you, but I digress...
The meat and potatoes is that you got an item back that you can price-adjust and resell. Do you really need gravy?
soh.maryl
·3 years agoAs has been shown here numerous times, once a buyer opens an NAD case, your only option is to send a prepaid return label and refund upon receiving item back or allow the buyer to keep it and refund. Whether or not the NAD claim is legit makes no difference.
What would you report the buyer for? Opening the claim? He's allowed to do that. Not contacting you first? Also allowed.
Have you read the Money Back Guarantee for buyers?
shaocaholica
OP3 years agoeBay allows you to report a buyer for making a false NAD claim.
kitschy*loot
·3 years ago@shaocaholica This is just my opinion, and I am a buyer only. I would not report in this situation... but I don't think the buyer qualifies for a NAD return because you never said it would work with whatever they were using with it. In my opinion to be NAD it would have to be where you said it would work and it didn't.
When I'm looking for things that need to be compatible with my car for example, if it doesn't say it will work with what I have that falls on me as the buyer to find out if it will. If I get something that turns out to be incompatible I don't blame the seller unless they specifically said it would.
Since you got the item back in good condition I would just refund and move on this time.
Unavailable member
·3 years agoIf you received the item you sold back I would just refund. There isn’t any reason to report the buyer. IMO
istlr
·2 years agoWrong. You always report the buyer, then block them. I offer free shipping and free returns and nothing makes me madder than when a buyer checks "not as described" instead of "just didn't like it". So many times the buyers do not bother to read the description and I will get an opinion like "shirt runs small" when I literally put in the description that the shirt runs small with the measurements that I take the time to record and list. If the shirt is marked medium then I list it as medium. I think buyers just don't want to risk having to pay return postage so they just check ISNAD. Ebay is supposed to track these buyers and stop them from abusing the system, and the only way to do that is by reporting them.