What to do? Return requested

[allmyfaves]

Hello. I sold a very expensive shirt, brand new with tags and authentication code.  The buyer received the shirt on 10/29 and waited until 11/2 to request a refund for not as described - strong smell. They sent a picture of the shirt with no tags and obvious signs of use on the front. Likely deodorant marks it looks like. When I said that when it was sent it was brand new, had no smell and had never even been tried on, they went off on a tirade about how I am selling fake goods and she is going to get me banned from selling on Ebay. I explained I welcomed the input from Ebay because you can clearly see from my photos that the item is authentic with tags. They just kept going on and on calling me a liar and a scammer etc. I stopped responding and reported the buyer to Ebay but what do I do here? If I accept a return there is no way I will be able to sell it, it is no longer new and from what I see is stained and has no tags. I am just a small seller, this is a big hit to me. Do I have any protection at all? Thank you in advance

[stainlessenginecovers]

Receiving on 10/29 and reporting it back to you 3/4 days later is NOT unusual; many people are busy, throw packages and mail in the corner until they can get to it, or they were sick in the hospital, or they were gone for a couple days etc etc.

Anyway,

Sellers have no protection (unless you are Top Rated (which with 21 by your name, I don't believe you are), allow refunds, you can deduct up to 50% of the item price upon it's return ONLY if it is different than what you sent). This is a he said/she said scenario and the buyer always wins. There is no proof that you sent what your listing stated, even if you took a picture and full video of you packing it and taking it to the post office, that can all be of something else, all be altered etc so that is NEVER proof of anything. 

Buyers have a 30 day Money Back Guarantee. So, you must allow the return (if they open return as 'not as described') or you can disallow the return if you a.) don't allow returns and b.) the return reason chosen by the buyer is something other than 'not as described'.  If the item is returned, you must refund when tracking shows it's arrived or ebay will take it from you, refund the buyer, and 'ding' you for not taking care of their/your customer. 

[mtgraves7984]

Well, that's a shame, but the short answer is that you need to approve the 'Not as Described' Return request.
You won't have to refund in full until you get it back, though. Once it's approved, the system will issue a return mailing label for your buyer to use. After it's return, you can always wash and hopefully relist it (not as New)... but I find that if an item sells once, it probably will again. Approving it without eBay getting involved will keep your selling account from taking a 'ding'... and that's your best defense moving forward. You'll be refunding... your seller metrics are all you have to save.

One thought comes to mind... you say the buyer complained of a smell, but later accused you of selling 'fake goods'. I can see the tag that shows you how the tee can be authenticated... did you (or the buyer) do that? Only thinking that moving forward, you might want to check the authenticity before you relist.

We sellers empathize and I'm hoping that you'll be able to move past this. Good luck going forward.

[kensgiftshop]

@allmyfaves 

Did you read the replies to your other post, you'll get the same answers here.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Ask-a-Mentor/Scam-buyer/td-p/33332739

[soh.maryl]

Have you read the replies you received when you asked about this previously? 

[bonjourami]

Wash the shirt and sell it as preowned.

[allmyfaves]

Thank you, it just seems incredibly unfair that I am out a good chunk of change when a buyer is clearly misusing the not as described in order to wear an expensive shirt 😞

[allmyfaves]

Hi, no because for the life of me I could not even find the post so I assumed it went into the interwebs ethers... Thank you, I will see if I can find it now! 

[allmyfaves]

Thank you, yes that is an option but as crazy as it is the shirt is a Versace shirt which sells for quite a bit ( mine sold for $250) as new, as preowned I will be lucky to get what I paid. Seems quite unfair