Buyer Claiming Item Not As Described, But It Is Described

[masteryankee]

So I'm still getting my feet wet selling on Ebay. I just hit 100 sales recently, and have 30+ positive reviews so far. No negatives. I do my best to describe items best I can and take clear and plentiful pictures, as well as respond quickly if there is any kind of issue. So, I listed an Xbox 360 console bundle. I clearly stated near the beginning of the description that the only issue with the console itself is the disc tray has trouble opening, and does require some assistance (just a small tug to open, was tested multiple times before listing and before sending). It was shown to work and read discs in pictures, including the game that was included in the bundle, and all of this was stated in the description.

Buyer opened a return request, saying item not as described, and that unit door does not open or close. They even uploaded a picture on the request showing they wrote on the shipping label saying "Xbox 360 Fail, Unit Door Does Not Open." I promptly messaged them about it and stated it was mentioned in the description that there was an issue with the disc tray getting caught. They have not responded. Am I just screwed here? Do I just accept the return and buy the shipping label? If I do, do I refund right away or wait until I get my item back? If the item is damaged in any way or anything from the bundle is missing, is there anything I can do about that? And what do I do if they don't actually return the item?

Thanks in advance.

[ittybitnot]

@masteryankee 

If the buyer filed an eBay claim for "not as described" then accept the return and send a label.   If they return nothing, you won't be charged.  If they return anything, you will be refunding regardless. 

It doesn't matter what your description says, only what the buyer picks from the dropdown.  Customer service will no longer intervene even if it matches your description exactly. 

[bonjourami]

You wont win this case, respond with a return label and refund after return. If you dont get the same item back, you can appeal, sorry.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Selling an item that is NOT 100% functional is the chance you take. Stating that it's Not NOT AS DESCRIBED is not correct. You sold a 'partially, sometimes working thingy'. That is all that matters. Accept the return and refund when received or ebay will push it down your throat, take your money AND ding you for the effort. 

Selling on most sites protects buyers over sellers (unless that site plans on going out of business in the next couple years). 

[susanb1872]

I agree with the other posts here. If this were sold at a garage sale, the buyer could try it out to see how it works or partially works and then make a decision. But here, the buyer could only make that decision when they received it. Also, buyers quite often don't read every single word. It's best not to sell anything that needs a tweak/pull/push/or shake to work.

[chapeau-noir]

Electronics is a tough market - I won't sell anything in it that is not completely functional, even with a clear and thorough description. I've even sometimes struggled with sales of completely functional, tested equipment because people can't figure out how to use it, even with tech assistance.

[fashunu4eeuh]

The time to determine one’s risk tolerance is prior to listing the item. Once a sale is made, your choices at mitigating your risk are limited. I stopped selling flawed items several years back. Some buyers do not bother to read the description.

However, that said, eBay defines a used item as showing some cosmetic wear but otherwise is “fully operational.” You took a gamble on listing a flawed item that was not quite fully operational. 

When a buyer opens a Money Back Guarantee case citing Not As Described, the seller’s best and safest course of action is to accept the return, send the label, and refund once the package arrives. There is no “fight the good fight” under these circumstances. You should note the Money Back Guarantee policy’s terms supersedes a seller’s no return policy.

Should the item be returned in an altered state, a seller could appeal the case to eBay but still must refund in full.

[annadryl]

*side note*

Could the tray (belt?) be repaired, maybe just cleaned? Sounds like a Youtube thing. I would re-think selling it online again unless it is fully functional. Some buyers quickly order stuff just by glancing at their phone, not even opening the description. Sorry this happened.

[culpar_de09]

At least my Buyer with zero purchase history was honest and said he just didn't want it anymore and eBay still opened a return case on me even though I said no returns. As Sellers there isn't anything we can do.

[stainlessenginecovers]

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@culpar_de09 wrote:

At least my Buyer with zero purchase history was honest and said he just didn't want it anymore and eBay still opened a return case on me even though I said no returns. As Sellers there isn't anything we can do.

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Yes, you can and sellers can EASILY NOT HAVE to accept or refund a 'remorse' return.

Buyer can still REQUEST a return, but if the Seller has 'no returns' and the 'reason' for the return is a remorse return, the Seller can STILL deny that request. This is typical and has been this way for years. 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@culpar_de09 wrote:

At least my Buyer with zero purchase history was honest and said he just didn't want it anymore and eBay still opened a return case on me even though I said no returns. As Sellers there isn't anything we can do.

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Your case was different. Any buyer can open a return request whether the seller offers a return policy or not.

If, as in the case of your buyer, it's a remorse return request, a seller with a no-return policy has the option of declining the request. 

The reason the request is allowed to go through is because many sellers appreciate buyers who are honest about remorse (wrong size, doesn't like the color, changed mind, etc.) and are willing to allow the buyer to return with the buyer paying return shipping. Sellers who charge separately for shipping can also deduct original shipping from the refund. 

[foamswordsman]

Everyone telling you to honor the fraudulent claim is wrong. Ebay will honor it. What you need to do is go to the Federal trade commission and the better Business bureau and immediately file a complaint against eBay detailing what's going on in the situation. The next day eBay will close the fraudulent request and release your money every time the problem people has is they're letting eBay be the mediator and this is not a situation where you should ever let eBay be the mediator

[foamswordsman]

Also remember if you ever choose to honor requests such as this. Remember since they're fraudulent you can charge the person a restocking fee and never refund the shipping because me giving you anything back on this is out of the kindness of my heart.  

[foamswordsman]

Yeah you'd think that but every time I go to the FTC and better Business bureau they make ebay they fix it. You need to stop misinforming people on how things actually work on eBay. I am an eBay seller and I deal with this. You should constantly and every time I get the fraudulent claim denied. every time. If you just go to eBay they will not read. They will not do anything. They will rule in the favor of the fraudulent claim. What you need to do is go to the proper authorities over their head and force them to do the right thing. It's what I do every time because I'm not losing money.

[foamswordsman]

I'm an eBay seller and I deal with cases like this all the time and I win every time so you need to stop lying to people. You need to go to the better Business bureau and force a bay to do the right thing. That's all. Never let eBay be the mediator.