Buyer reported shoe broke after one use. How should I respond?

[ha.kakha.wwdxkqch4]

Hi,  I sold a pair of sandals a few weeks ago, in good faith.  I had never worn them myself, and they had just been in the back of my wardrobe for years, so I decided to sell them.  This evening I get a blunt message saying they broke after one wear.  I'm not sure how to respond since they were in a perfect state when I posted them... I don't sell much on ebay at all, so I have no idea what to do for the best.  Any advice would be great.  Many thanks 

[stainlessenginecovers]

Because you don't sell much and don't have a 'business' that you do consistently, I would do nothing and ignore the email until/unless they open an 'official' return; then, accept the return and refund when you get them back. 

[house*of*paws]

Hi @ha.kakha.wwdxkqch4 

If the buyer opened a formal ‘return request’ claiming the item is not as described … then your best bet is to accept the return and provide a prepaid return shipping label IF you want the item returned before issuing a full refund.  [That would depend on how useable the sandals still are.]

Not all materials can withstand sitting around ‘for years’ without disintegrating.  That includes ‘stitching’, elastics and  rubber.  

Items that look ‘perfect’ can still BE imperfect.

[kensgiftshop]

I'd say sorry that happened and return for a refund.

[wastingtime101]

A lot of sellers learn the hard way @ha.kakha.wwdxkqch4 that just because shoes are unworn, does not mean they are still in good condition. Always do a flex test - bending the soles in both directions to see if they come apart. These days a lot of the glues used will not hold up, and that's not the only issue aging shoes face.

I'd probably ask the buyer for photos and if photos confirm the damage I'd go ahead and refund. If the buyer refuses to send photos I'd wait to see if they file a return request.

Edit: OK I see those are cork wedges which makes the flex test more difficult, but the glue can still be tested pretty easily. My advice stands.

FYI: this is the .com community forum. If you have later questions specific to the UK site you may want to ask them on community.ebay.co.uk

[ha.kakha.wwdxkqch4]

Thanks so much.. Yes, I never did a test of any kind but its a good point.  I will ask them for a photo.

[krazzykats]

Shoe blowout.

Old shoes have adhesives that deteriorate over time, regardless of whether they are worn or not and cause them to fall apart.

[albertabrightalberta]

It's fairly common for old shoes, even if they appear to be in good condition to have dry rot and can disintegrate upon use. It sounds like the item you sold had dry rot. 

Before purchasing or listing preowned shoes, it's a good idea to fold them to check for dry rot. The sole shouldn't crack if they're in good condition.