eBay

scott_stuff · ‎09-01-2021

Hello all,

I'll keep it brief as I don't want to type scads and scads of tl;dr.

In a nutshell, I sold a customer a rare 45rpm vinyl record with the following caveats: 'extremely dirty, many scuffs and scratches'. I also placed a grade upon this record, as I'm required to do so. All of my listings have the following verbiage: 'VISUAL GRADING ONLY'.

Additionally, I do have a no-return policy, unless the 3 conditions of the eBay Money Guarantee are not met, namely 1. 'Arrived damaged'. 2. 'Is defective.' 3. 'Item not as described'.

The customer now wants to return the disc based on the audio output of the disc. I specifically bulwarked against that with the information this is is a visual-only grade. I know for a fact that it did not arrive damaged (as the customer had accepted the delivery and opened the package). Additionally, I was crystal-clear about all of the issues that I could see with the record. I cannot play test all of the records that I sell; that's all I'd be doing instead of selling.

So, the customer is basing his return on something that was not part of the listing. Is this correct or fair? The case is currently in eBay Customer Service's hands and they are looking at it, but I also wanted to get input from people that are selling and buying to see if I'm justified in not issuing a refund or if I'm just being a whiny jerk.

And yes, before I get flamed...let's please stick to answers that will help. This is a $300 record that had everything documented to a 'T'.

Anonymous · ‎09-01-2021

ON ebay as a seller you have absolutely no rights when someone wants to return an item because its not listed as described. There are absolutely zero seller protections on this website, it's just like the constitution in America, seller protections are there to make you feel good but they do nothing for you.

You have two options and two options only

A. Accept the return, pay for the shipping, and hope the buyer doesn't return a used condom to you.

B. Refuse the return, ebay will step in, rule against you automatically, so you'll lose both the money and the item.

Oh and if you win the dispute by some stroke of luck, you'll more than likely get a chargeback about a month from now, which you will instantly lose, and it'll cost you an additional $20 from ebay. Good luck.

Never sell something on ebay that you're not comfortable giving away for free, it has the worst seller protection of any website in history.

scott_stuff · ‎09-01-2021

Jeebus...

buyselljack2016 · ‎09-01-2021

Pre-owned constituted an item is in working condition, So, the customer is NOT basing his return on something that was not part of the listing.

Do you seriously expect to be able to sell an item in the $300 range without testing?

alcoforever · ‎09-01-2021

@scott_stuff
Jeebus...

Yep, that's how it is. @Anonymous gave you good & correct advice.

scott_stuff · ‎09-01-2021

Perhaps not. But I do expect a prospective buyer to read the listing and make their decision before buying an item. Or ask questions. Or not buy at all.

I'm not really interested in a flame war; evidently you think I'm misguided. Well and good. Thank you.

alcoforever · ‎09-01-2021

@scott_stuff wrote:
Perhaps not. But I do expect a prospective buyer to read the listing and make their decision before buying an item. Or ask questions. Or not buy at all.

I'm not really interested in a flame war; evidently you think I'm misguided. Well and good. Thank you.

The anecdotal evidence in the community is that buyers overwhelmingly do not read descriptions, seldom read titles and don't look at pictures. It's just another hurdle for sellers to overcome.

kensgiftshop · ‎09-01-2021

@scott_stuff wrote:
I cannot play test all of the records that I sell; that's all I'd be doing instead of selling.

If you didn't test it, you don't know how it sounded and if the buyer is complaining about the audio output, you'll have to refund.

If you got Ebay involved in the case, you might not like the outcome.

Have a great day.

scott_stuff · ‎09-01-2021

However, I do have one question, and this is sincere. What if someone had a broken record and was selling it as a collectible or museum piece or what not...the item would specifically be stated as in NON-working condition. If there's something in eBay's T&C that specifically addresses the definition that 'Pre-owned constituted an item is in working condition", I'd love to see it.

Or, what about the guy that sold a cornflake that resembled some US state? Under what aegis would that fall?

Please understand that these questions are definitely based in sincerity; I am NOT trying to be an idiot or whatnot. I just want to find out what is correct and fair.

scott_stuff · ‎09-01-2021

Thank you hybridpusheen. It's a bitter pill, I guess. However, I very much value your input. Thank you for your time.

alcoforever · ‎09-01-2021

@scott_stuff wrote:
However, I do have one question, and this is sincere. What if someone had a broken record and was selling it as a collectible or museum piece or what not...the item would specifically be stated as in NON-working condition. If there's something in eBay's T&C that specifically addresses the definition that 'Pre-owned constituted an item is in working condition", I'd love to see it.

Or, what about the guy that sold a cornflake that resembled some US state? Under what aegis would that fall?

Please understand that these questions are definitely based in sincerity; I am NOT trying to be an idiot or whatnot. I just want to find out what is correct and fair.

The short answer is that any buyer can return any item for any reason. There is no amount of description, photos, affidavits, COA's, etc. that will protect a seller.