Advice on dealing with a clever scammer

[cgillingwater]

Here's the situation: I sold a Dooney & Burke handbag with a small paint stain inside of it for a very cheap price. The buyer filed a return stating that I had misrepresented the handbag and it wasn't real leather. 

I strongly believed what happened here is that the buyer did not read the listing until after seeing the stain. She couldn't make me pay for return shipping if she returned it based on the paint stain, so she chose something that was nearly impossible for me to prove. 

I called Dooney & Burke and they assured me that all of their handbags are leather (except of course, for the canvas ones) and that they have never used synthetic materials. I have a photo of a registration card saying the same. The website states that they use leather and the purse itself says it is real leather on the logo. 

So how on earth do I prove this to ebay? I tried to get Dooney & Burke to send me something in writing, but so far that's a no-go.  Will the customer service rep go to the website and look? I really don't want to let this woman scam me. I know the bag is real leather, I just don't know the best way to prove it. Any advice from experienced sellers would be greatly appreciated. 

[chrysylys]

Yiou don't try to prove anything to anyone.  You simply say 'return for refund'.

[bremontoy0]

Honestly, youre better off just accepting the return.

[mistwomandancing]

Send your buyer a return label and tell them to return for full refund.  (Yes, it will be on your nickel, but that's how online selling is turning out more and more these days....)

You won't win by trying to hold out and 'prove' leather or not, etc. etc.

If the price was cheap enough, you may find the buyer won't want to return after all, and this will simply go away. 

[chrysylys]

On the other hand, it sold for $17 + $7 shipping.  What's it worth to you to be rid of the whole issue?  That's a question only you can answer.  Is it worth it to deal with return shipping and relisting?

[jonathankirkland]

As all the other posters have said above, trying to refuse the return is a no go.

Even if you have a no returns policy, buyers here on ebay have learned they can abuse the SNAD and make up any reason they want in order to have it returned it get out of paying shipping.

All that will happen is here is that the buyer will open a case (if they have not already), and you will have 4 days to respond to it and if you don't, ebay will not only let the buyer keep the item and refund them all their money, but your account will get a serious defect for closeing with resolution from you.

Sorry, but the sad truth is if a buyer on here really wants to return something they can do it and a seller has no recourse in the matter.

[jonathankirkland]

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@chrysylys wrote:

On the other hand, it sold for $17 + $7 shipping.  What's it worth to you to be rid of the whole issue?  That's a question only you can answer.  Is it worth it to deal with return shipping and relisting?

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True, but I would never let someone just keep an item for free. I'd rather pay for return shipping, get it back and throw it out then let someone basically scam something off me for free.

[tunicaslot]

Everyone has differnet ways of looking at it. If I'm going to go into a hole or only make a couple of dollars relisting something - I just issue a refund and let the buyer keep it. Others are like you and will take the return even if it costs you in the end. No one is right and no one is wrong - people do what they feel is best for them.

OP the purse was a steal - if she hasn't opened a case - just say return for refund and see what she says - if she opens a case accept the reutrn as you have a 14 day return policy and that means you take returns for any reason - you could sell the purse for more than you got.

[missjen831]

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@jonathankirkland wrote:

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@chrysylys wrote:

On the other hand, it sold for $17 + $7 shipping.  What's it worth to you to be rid of the whole issue?  That's a question only you can answer.  Is it worth it to deal with return shipping and relisting?

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True, but I would never let someone just keep an item for free. I'd rather pay for return shipping, get it back and throw it out then let someone basically scam something off me for free.

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Its so much easier when its someone else money right?

And adding to what you said, why be an enabler? All this does is encourage the buyer to go after more freebies. Even if that's not what the buyer wants, it also sets a precedent and I've seen too many buyers expect other sellers to simply issue a refund no questions asked. Most notably, a book buyer who had complained to one of the mega book sellers that the condition of the books he received wasn't what he expected. And he continued to buy more used books from that seller and then complain about the conditions and balked when the seller started telling him to return for a refund. The buyer came to the boards expressing his displeasure over not getting an instant refund and he wanted to know what he could do to get one!

[tunicaslot]

But the blame there jen is on the mega seller for not putting that buyer on his BBL. I agree that when there is a problem and a seller offers a partial - the buyers begin to think this is the norm - especially newbies - many don't know any better - but again - it's what a seller feels is right for that situation.

I look at the cost of the item - if I charged shipping or it was free shipping - my cost to purchase the item - can I recoup the shipping cost if it's returned - the buyer's feedback left - is this a buyer who does this on a regular basis - then I make my decision.

[retrose1]

Nothing new to see here - Return for refund - Move along - buyer just lying to get free return shipping so they don't have to take responsibility for their own bad decision.

[mistwomandancing]

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jen_proudleowife wrote:..........I've seen too many buyers expect other sellers to simply issue a refund no questions asked. Most notably, a book buyer who had complained to one of the mega book sellers that the condition of the books he received wasn't what he expected. And he continued to buy more used books from that seller and then complain about the conditions and balked when the seller started telling him to return for a refund. The buyer came to the boards expressing his displeasure over not getting an instant refund and he wanted to know what he could do to get one!

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We are seeing this behavior from eBay buyers far more frequently these days.  They're being trained to expect refunds and especially partials.. and how to go about manipulating for them!  Thinking just recently of the buyer who came right out and told her seller, "All the other sellers just give me a partial refund....

[vintagecraze50]

The seller has at their discretion whether they will say "return for refund", or "refund and keep the item". Let me just say this. Outside of a goodwill, or other thrift shop like this with goods for charity, maybe not even them, would feed into a customer who habitually comes to their store stating they feel something is wrong and get the item free. I agree that doing this for buyers here sets up an expectation that all they have to do is cry wolf and voila!! FREE!. Let's have Ebay set up an new rule that anyone who complains gets the item FREE. I don't think that would be very popular here.

[jonathankirkland]

Another sad fact is that these fishing for partials exploit is being abused so much that honest buyers are being punished by honest sellers, too.

An example of this:

I bought a Logitech keyboard attachment for a tablet and it arrived with one of the keys broken off. I emailed the seller with pictures to show this, and asked what they'd like to do. They told me to file for a return request, which I did, but they just refunded me without requiring a return, then blocked me from buying from them anymore.

It really kind of irks me since I'm an honest person, but I feel like this is what sellers have to come to expect here: anyone wanting a return or complaining about an item just HAS to be some kind of scammer or cheap skate. It makes me very sad.

[chrysylys]

While none of us can, YOU can review the buyer's FB and see if there are hints of any similar things in their past.  Look at the FB they leave for sellers.  Do you see comments like 'easy to work with', 'very cooperative' or similar?  They can be seen to indicate the buyer has been able to get post sale discounts by making dubious claims.

Again, only YOU can decide what's best for YOU based on the costs you have into this deal and whether you feel you might be able to sell it for more later.