Am I in the wrong as a seller in this case?

[davixu_0]

So here is the situation. I am new to ebay and decided to sell a bunch of used books. One of them, I listed as "Like New" and the book did have some writings and underlines in the first couple of chapters.  But no visible tears and etc. In the listing description, I used bold out fonts to say that even though I listed it's like new but be warned that buyers should expect some writings and few wears.

Okay, then someone buys the book, leaves a negative feedback complaining that item does not match description and demands a return (item does not match description, money back guarantee) because they believe that since I put the book in "Like New" category then the book must have nothing written on there at all and no wears. I mean, I looked up the guidelines, and like new is defined as "An item that looks as if it was just taken out of shrink wrap. No visible wear, and all facets of the item are flawless and intact. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections." But I did state that there ARE writings in the book in the description though. Am I in the wrong? Right now I am trying to reach a middle ground with the buyer but I don't know if in this case, if I escalate it to Ebay would I be in the wrong or in the right?

[klhmdg]

Refund the buyer -

You are incorrect.

You can either refund 100% OR send a shipping label to the buyer to return the book.

Once you receive the item back you refund the buyer 100%

Here is where you are incorrect - No visible wear, and all facets of the item are flawless and intact. 

Underlines and writing do not make it flawless.

[davixu_0]

Wait but doesn't it say that "See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections" ? But what is the point of describing then if that is the case? I feel kind of bad cuz now I can't see anything cuz of the -1 feedback. Does refunding/returning remove it?

[rock.star]

No, you are stuck will a negative score.
You might as well close this account and start over.

[luckythewinner]

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@davixu_0 wrote:

 I listed as "Like New" and the book did have some writings and underlines in the first couple of chapters

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You called the book "like new", and then later in your description explained that it really wasn't "like new". It was in "good" condition at best. 

eBay policy does not permit you to choose a condition that does not match your item, and then try to "disclaim it away" in the description.

IMHO you are 100% in the wrong. 

Now, that aside ... 

Even if the item really was "like new", if the buyer claimed it wasn't you would still lose the case if you escalated to eBay and be forced to refund.  

The buyer almost always wins a case, whether or not the case is valid. 

[pburn]

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@davixu_0 wrote:

One of them, I listed as "Like New" and the book did have some writings and underlines in the first couple of chapters.

. . . would I be in the wrong or in the right?

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Unfortunately, you were wrong on this one. Based on the condition definitions for books, yours should've been considered "Acceptable." Maybe "Good" in a pinch. I would've filed a request for a return had I received a book designated as "Like New" that arrived the way you've described.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/item-conditions-category?id=47...

Books

• Brand New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. See the seller's listing for full details.
• Like New: A book that looks new but has been read. Cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket (if applicable) is included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May have very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
• Very Good: A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May have very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
• Good: A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. The dust jacket for hard covers may not be included. Binding has minimal wear. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing or tearing, minimal pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. No missing pages. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
• Acceptable: A book with obvious wear. May have some damage to the cover but integrity still intact. The binding may be slightly damaged but integrity is still intact. Possible writing in margins, possible underlining and highlighting of text, but no missing pages or anything that would compromise the legibility or understanding of the text. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.

[buyselljack2016]

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@davixu_0 wrote:
Wait but doesn't it say that "See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections" ? But what is the point of describing then if that is the case? I feel kind of bad cuz now I can't see anything cuz of the -1 feedback. Does refunding/returning remove it?

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Item must match the condition given.

this is extreme, but by your logic you could say several pages are missing, but they were cut out nice, and clean, so it does not detract from the appearance............................ 

[pburn]

(Almost didn't recognize you with the new moniker.)

[this*old*attic]

You’re wrong. When you buy a book from Barnes and Noble, does it have someone’s notes and writing in it? 

The flaws a “like new” book might have are super minor - such as some scuffs being on the shelf and that’s it. No writing, no dog eared pages, no bending of the binding, etc.

 I have to be honest, I’m not sure how you believed your book qualified.

[annadryl]

I price books with writing, stamps, markings etc. way down at "acceptable" even if the book is otherwise pristine. As an ebay seller you really have to cover your six, you were WIDE OPEN on this one! Good luck~

[buyselljack2016]

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@pburn wrote:
(Almost didn't recognize you with the new moniker.)

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Don't recognize myself when signing in:(

Can hardly wait for 30 days to pass so I can change back. Did not think it through before I tried to put in an upper case letter. Thought it was going to reject the try. It did not.

[upgradedendmills]

If you want to continue to sell books you should list them as being in worse condition than they actually are to avoid this sort of problem. If I found any marks at all in a book I wanted to list, I would donate it or throw it away. The only acceptable marks in a book in my opinion are inscriptions or signatures by the author.

[turquoisetulips]

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@davixu_0 wrote:

So here is the situation. I am new to ebay and decided to sell a bunch of used books. One of them, I listed as "Like New" and the book did have some writings and underlines in the first couple of chapters.  But no visible tears and etc. In the listing description, I used bold out fonts to say that even though I listed it's like new but be warned that buyers should expect some writings and few wears.

Okay, then someone buys the book, leaves a negative feedback complaining that item does not match description and demands a return (item does not match description, money back guarantee) because they believe that since I put the book in "Like New" category then the book must have nothing written on there at all and no wears. I mean, I looked up the guidelines, and like new is defined as "An item that looks as if it was just taken out of shrink wrap. No visible wear, and all facets of the item are flawless and intact. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections." But I did state that there ARE writings in the book in the description though. Am I in the wrong? Right now I am trying to reach a middle ground with the buyer but I don't know if in this case, if I escalate it to Ebay would I be in the wrong or in the right?

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Well,, your new here so its sort a right of passage to make a mistake .. Just send the buyer a return label and when the book comes back  give them a full refund with an apology .  You might wait a few days until they cool off  and  then ask them if they will revise their feedback , it's worth a try . Good luck  🙂  Tulips 

[chapeau-noir]

That's a fair or 'reader's copy' book - I'm sorry that your first sale kind of went um...pits up, but as Tulip says,  it's a learning experience.  Condition has to match in all respects because a lot of people will look at "condition" and that's about it - it's why your careful description got skipped over, in this case. Just make it right, relist the book as fair condition but stress that beyond the underlining the pages and book block are fine (as you mentioned).

If you have any questions about selling your books, stop in here - a number of us have sold a lot of books, collect books, etc., and can be of advice.

[ericlovescameras]

who cares if you're wrong or right. definitely don't escalate to ebay.

ebay is not on your side in a direct sense. they protect the customer to drive traffic, so you can overcharge the customer. it's not a bad system.

contact the customer and offer a return. then explain you are new to the game, made a mistake, and would appreciate the removal of negative feedback. that's the right way to handle this.

or just make another account and start clean. you only have one piece of feedback and it's negative. no value there.