A Clever Scam...

[tr3ats]

    This is really small potatoes compared to the sellers that loose $100's on their transactions with dishonest buyers, but I need to vent somewhere...I put together a couple of real fun jigsaw puzzles and thought I would pass them along to the next puzzler. Both were complete and in excellent condition, carefully bagged and boxed and sold for cheap...A week later I hear back from the buyer, both puzzles missing a piece "so I am going to open a case". Not only did she enjoy both puzzles, but all she has to do is toss a few pieces away and viola! Free puzzles. 

   Yes I could make her send them back but obviously it would cost me the shipping and no doubt I would be returned incomplete puzzles. 

     Anyways, moral of the story. Don't bother selling opened Jigsaw Puzzles even if you just want to pass them along.  😞

[hurryagain]

Don't forget...BBL...

...Ugh... 🙄

[lamber9347]

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@tr3ats wrote:

    This is really small potatoes compared to the sellers that loose $100's on their transactions with dishonest buyers, but I need to vent somewhere...I put together a couple of real fun jigsaw puzzles and thought I would pass them along to the next puzzler. Both were complete and in excellent condition, carefully bagged and boxed and sold for cheap...A week later I hear back from the buyer, both puzzles missing a piece "so I am going to open a case". Not only did she enjoy both puzzles, but all she has to do is toss a few pieces away and viola! Free puzzles. 

   Yes I could make her send them back but obviously it would cost me the shipping and no doubt I would be returned incomplete puzzles. 

     Anyways, moral of the story. Don't bother selling opened Jigsaw Puzzles even if you just want to pass them along.  😞

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I agree with you but also I realized a long time ago that there are all sorts of people in our world. Of course there are bad ones such as this one and unfortunately you crossed paths. The good thing is this was minimal as you said. Don't let this one bad apple spoil the bunch for you. I am a puzzle person, I just bought one for myself last week. I would have gladly taken your used puzzles, depending on the subject matter of course. Keep on selling and focus on the good buyers out there, and there are plenty of good buyers out there. Best of luck to you.... 

[a_c_green]

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@tr3ats wrote:

Yes I could make her send them back but obviously it would cost me the shipping and no doubt I would be returned incomplete puzzles. 

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I know I'm spending your money by suggesting this, but I would wait for her to file the case, then send a label to have them returned. Yes, they may well be missing a piece or two when returned, but at least make her work for her refund(s) (in the event that she does actually pack them up and ship them back). She has a fixed window of time within which to do so. (5 days...? Maybe a bit more these days...)

Weld her into your Blocked Bidder List as well, of course...

[fashunu4eeuh]

”...but all she has to do is toss a few pieces away and viola! Free puzzles.”

She doesn't even have to toss them. All any buyer has to do is open a Not As Described case and the refund happens.

But I see you had free returns on the listing. What kind of case did she open? She didn't need to invoke the Money Back Guarantee in order to get a refund. Is that what happened?

[tr3ats]

She just opened a return...The return shipping was more than the puzzles cost. I caved in and refunded her. I can only think that Karma will catch up to her.

[portkoop-0]

The pieces could've got lost in shipping, did you per chance enclose them in a ziploc type bag?

Just curious...

[tr3ats]

Yes, put them in a zip lock right after I completed them.

[gwens*4saleitems*]

Just out of curiosity, how big were those puzzles. I love puzzles and even I can't put 2 - thousand piece puzzles together in less than a week.

FWIW .... even brand new, straight from the manufacturer, unopened boxes, can be missing pieces. I've had it happen.

[alcoforever]

You are not the first puzzle seller to have this happen to on ebay.

I just trade puzzles with others in my community.   Have put together over 50 since the covid thing began.   All of them were used.   Total missing parts so far:  one (1).

[tr3ats]

   Hindsite tells me you are correct. I just thought some people couldn't risk leaving the house and going to the thrift store for a new/used puzzle.

[luckythewinner]

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@tr3ats wrote:

Anyways, moral of the story. Don't bother selling opened Jigsaw Puzzles 

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IMHO you encountered a problem buyer, not a problem item. 

[redlmc]

I agree; wait for a claim and have the buyer send them back.  I figure the buyer has done this before too.  Block and good luck!

[chapeau-noir]

There's always one, but most people are honest.

I'd dump the free returns, at least on ephemera (media, puzzles). That minuscule 10% on FVFs that people save can be wiped out real fast - it's like $1 for every $100 sold.

Also, your pup is adorable!

[variety_nook · Accepted solution]

@tr3ats 

You could always take your puzzles and donate them to a charity, Hospital, Nursing home, Veterans home, etc.

They're always looking for puzzles and then write the donation off on your taxes.

Just a thought.