Buyer Demanding Partial Refund

[mbjacket81]

So I sold a used MacBook Pro in which I took a loss on it based on what it was worth and shipped it with the original charger (the original charger which had tape on the outside because the cord was frayed).  I then proceed to get a message from the buyer:

"Charger is cut on the cord and all ugly and badly taped up.
This is not acceptable. I dont expect do get this kind of thing when I buy a $800 computer
please provide a replacement charger or a partial refund so I can get one asap. thank you"

Next, I actually had 2 generic MagSafe 2 generic chargers that I had bought to keep at my office (working condition) and in my bag, so I proceeded to send one of my chargers to the buyer then I received this message:

"the charger i got as a replacement was a cheap one and it does not work correctly.
for a while it did not work, light did not come on, and then it melted on the outside and almost fried my macbook
just send over a $30 refund and I can order one. thank you."

Next, I sent the buyer my only other charger that I had to keep the buyer happy and I received this:

"Just got 2nd replacement charger and it looks the exact same!
Cheap, and is not charging my computer
I just called and left a message
I will settle for a $30 partial refund and I can buy a genuine apple one, these cheap knock offs are often bad and sometimes even overheat the mac's
call me back if need be"

I am being harassed over this sale and not to mention, I lost money on it, so I'm not sending an additional $30 refund to this buyer after all of this...  What should I do?

Original listing:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/162882540961

[dtexley3 · Accepted solution]

Your choices are:

Send him the $30.

Tell him to return for a FULL refund (I expect return shipping will likely cost you at least $30).

You don't have much to stand on here.

[*eponymous*]

In a perfect world, the buyer would have taken a good look at the ugly and badly taped up cord and bypassed the listing.  For $890 + $30 s/h, I'm sure most buyers would expect to get a safe and fully functional Mac cord that would be suitable for use.

Agree with the other poster about your options.

[kensgiftshop]

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@mbjacket81wrote:

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Since the damage to the charger wasn't mentioned in your listing, I would tell them to open an INAD and return it and refund once the item is returned.

[jason_incognito]

Your buyer isn't being unreasonable. You didn't mention the messed up cord, so you can either replace it with a real cord or take the hit with a forced return.

[a_c_green]

Under these circumstances, I think you should definitely pony up the $30 refund, unless you want to take it back for a full refund and relist at a price that won't be a loss for you.

Your listing makes no mention at all about a frayed and taped-up power cord. You shipped him an off-brand replacement that apparently threatened to overheat, and when he complained about that, you then shipped him yet another example of the same off-brand unit that overheated the first time. I can't blame him for being unhappy after that amount of frustration and waiting around for a replacement that turned out to be a bit less than expected... twice. Sorry.

[classic_luxe]

Unfortunately, you did not mention or show a photo of the damaged cord, I would have provided both if it were my listing. You have to be completely transparent and describe any flaw whatsoever in every listing to avoid the situation that you are now in. If I am selling something that even has a hairline or microscratch that you can only see when held at a certain angle under direct light, I include it in my description to avoid issues with that very particular buyer that comes along more and more often these days. If I were you, in this case I would gladly send the $30 and apologize to the buyer to avoid further complications.

[mbjacket81]

Thank you for the comments. I sent the buyer the partial refund because I didn’t mention the frayed power adapter in the listing. Now he’s asking for $40 instead of $30.

[a_c_green]

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@mbjacket81 wrote: 
Now he’s asking for $40 instead of $30.

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Yes, that can happen. At this point, it's time to dig in your heels: 

"We're sorry that this is not working out. Please return the laptop and accessories for a full refund." 

That's all. Repeat with the same message if he persists. Don't go off on tangents. If or when you receive the laptop back, let him have the full remainder of the refund due.

He made an initial partial refund request which you honored, but there is no slippery slope to this that requires you to agree to further partial refunds. At this point you're justified in offering to pull the plug on the whole transaction without simultaneously having any obligation to haggle another partial refund.

[knotaroundyourneck]

Did you have a photo of the charger and a description saying it was frayed? If you did then you have nothing left to do. If you did not then like everyone has said refund $30 or full refund. 

You keep saying you took a loss, but if you step into the shoes of your buyer they paid $800 and got a bad charger. 

Dean

[nowthatsjustducky]

Condition: Used : Seller Notes: “Used condition, brand new battery with only 1 cycle, one small scratch to the left of the keyboard (not on the screen) and one tiny dot on the screen...otherwise it's in great shape. Comes with a used Speck clamshell case and power adapter with extension (power adapter is wrapped in duct tape only because it gets so hot...it's in fair condition).”

Looks like that was covered in the condition description box, which is something a buyer would be more likely to see and actually read than the main description.

And the 4th picture is just the power supply in question.  The only aspect of the listing that is giving the buyer any leverage at all is the fact that it wasn't mentioned in the main description.

[blueberryjellyfish]

Yeah, that cord was in awful shape but it was clearly pictured in the listing.