Buyer claiming perfume does not smell right/doesn't last

[whatamisellingtoday]

The buyer messaged me this..

"Just returned from out of town. I had taken one box of the Josie with me. I wanted to wait til I returned home to see if the other boxes had the distinct Josie scent. Unfortunately, as I was also told by friends on the trip 😕, the Josie has a strong odor of the alcohol (?), and the slight scent that is there goes away quickly after spraying. I have bought Josie for many years thru the online method as it is no longer made...but it has never disappointed previously! I did not want to write a negative review as I'm thinking it might have been a bad "batch" (?) since I purchased 3 boxes at one time? Is there any way to check the quality of this particular distribution of Josie?
Thank you for your assistance on this matter."

I was kind of at a loss for what to do, because the bottles of perfume I sold to this buyer were full, with box. There isn't really a way for me to quantify a smell, is there? How can I guarantee a scent? especially on a bottle of perfume that people would prefer to purchase unused?

I did some googling and found one other person 5 years ago that seemed to have received the same kind of problem I am having. One person replied that the seller should just politely tell the buyer that they cannot guarantee everyone will be satisfied with a fragrance, and they can open a Request for Return if they would like to.

The whole thing feels kind of scammy to me, so I basically did just that and am just waiting for a reply now I guess. I'm new to eBay so I'm kind of unsure how to handle these kinds of things yet.

[bonjourami]

Wait and see if she opens a case, if she does, provide a return label, and refund after return.

[whatamisellingtoday]

If a case is opened, what case does the buyer have? Anyone could buy something use it up, say it "didn't smell right" and get their money back. That's like eating half a cake then returning the other half and asking for all your money back. There is no recourse for me on a situation like this?

[bonjourami]

She would open a not as described case, and Im sorry but she would win. Just the way it is here now.

[fab_finds4u]

MBG covers the buyer is they think it doesn't  smell like the scent it's supposed to smell like. I would never ship cologne in the summer because heat can change the scent.

[nanniestreasurechest]

Since this is a scent that is no longer made, the scent may have changed to smell more like the alcohol over time even if it hasn't been opened.  I've had perfume to set in my cabinet for a long period of time and the scent changed significantly.   Avon products seem to be the worse.  They just don't age well.  Josie was discontinued around or before 2011 so that makes any Josie you are selling at least 11 years old.   I don't think this is a scam since it's a fragrance that has been discontinued and is that old. 

[whatamisellingtoday]

The way I see it, that's a risk they're willing to take when they choose to buy something that's at least 11 years old. If a case is opened do I have any chance to argue against it? 

[nanniestreasurechest]

I agree with you!  I wouldn't buy a fragrance that had been discontinued 11 years ago.  But with the money back guarantee I'm not sure there is anything you can do except have them to return it and issue a refund if they open a case. 

[1tuna]

if a case is opened you should just say yes to the return and get them a return label

maybe this is not aging well like fine wine.

you can argue a case all you want but the outcome is still going to be the buyer gets to return it

[coolections]

---

@whatamisellingtoday wrote:

The way I see it, that's a risk they're willing to take when they choose to buy something that's at least 11 years old. 

---

At the same time are YOU willing to take a risk selling something that is at least 11 years old ? If you expect a buyer to take a chance on a purchase Ebay stopped that years ago.

[whatamisellingtoday]

Buncha defeatists up in here lol.. Obviously I will go through with a return if a case is opened and I have to. Doesn't hurt to ask  if I have the ability to dispute the case. Sheesh...

[chapeau-noir]

---

@whatamisellingtoday wrote:

Buncha defeatists up in here lol.. Obviously I will go through with a return if a case is opened and I have to. Doesn't hurt to ask  if I have the ability to dispute the case. Sheesh...

---

You did ask, and were answered whether or not you have the ability to dispute the case, and the answer was no based on the years of seller experience here.  You *do* have the ability to discuss it further with the buyer if you like, but eBay doesn't give a lot of options once a case is opened. 

I used to sell perfume and cosmetics here and have always been very wary of anything older - particularly volatile substances like perfume.  I once had to take back a lot of 52 lipsticks because some had become hardened and unusable, and they weren't even that old.

[slippinjimmy]

Besides the age issues perfumes are one of the most counterfeited items out there. Don't think that just because you acquired it from a reputable store it must be real because many investigations have found fake perfumes even in highly reputable retailers (unknown to the retailer).

[inhawaii]

I also sell perfume.  The same thing happened to me once.
Award winning perfume. Millions sold throughout the word.
The buyer didn't like the smell.
I think I ended up just refunding and took the loss.

[bonjourami]

No buyer should have to take a 'risk' on an item they buy on Ebay..they are always protected.Would you be happy thinking you are 'taking a risk' when you buy something here, and are not protected?