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.

[rugerskick]

I guess one now needs to put in the listing, "Cannot guarantee the scent in vintage perfumes, as it may change after years or decades.  Please be aware of this before purchasing."

[bonjourami]

And who would be willing to buy it with that disclaimer..nobody..so that will never happen.

[whatamisellingtoday]

I think this is actually a good solution, and I will do this from now on if I decide to list anymore vintage perfumes. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. It's all a learning experience, now I know. Funnily enough right after making this thread I had someone buy another one of those vintage perfumes, I'm so scared now to ship it I might just cancel it I guess...

[simply-the-best-for-you]

It's got nothing to do with being "defeatists".  We know how the MBG works (and you should too if you're going to sell here).  If they open an MBG case you lose, period.  You can report the buyer after the fact if they lied, but it will not change the case outcome.   You *can* escalate the case, as well, which is a phenomenally bad idea, as you will not only lose, but also get a Defect on your account.  A couple of those & you won't be allowed to sell at all.  You, being a new seller, especially cannot afford a Defect. 

No one is saying it's fair but you asked & were correctly told the answer. 

[whatamisellingtoday]

That's not how MBG reads though. It makes no sense that someone should just be able to go open a case and win automatically lol... Now if every big seller on eBay just bends the knee to this pseudo-policy and let's eBay get away with it, then of course that is the case. Ah, now but we're arguing philosophies, sorry. Anyway don't worry giants, I'll be bending the knee. 😉

[mybigsale]

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@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. If a case is opened do I have any chance to argue against it? 

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No. (Well you can argue against it - eBay will then decide in the buyer's favor) 

Once the case is decided in the buyer's favor, you can contest the decision and present your information.  eBay will look at your information and then decide in the buyers favor again.  Under certain circumstances seller are allowed to deduct up to 50% of the buyer's refund (explained in eBay help below).

How to handle a return request as a seller | eBay

[whatamisellingtoday]

I wonder then why do they offer any chance to dispute? Why isn't it just a button that says "give me a refund because I said so and I'm a buyer". Does no one complain, does no one protest this sort of thing, as a seller?

[bonjourami]

Pick your battles,Ebay figures if a seller doesnt like their buyer protection criteria, they can leave, with thousands more joining every week..its really not a problem for them.

[mybigsale]

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@whatamisellingtoday wrote:

I wonder then why do they offer any chance to dispute? Why isn't it just a button that says "give me a refund because I said so and I'm a buyer". Does no one complain, does no one protest this sort of thing, as a seller?

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eBay will look at your argument to a not as described dispute.  If you can disprove the buyers claim, you will win. Any photos, videos, documents, statements will be considered with the assumption that any information the seller provides might have been faked or staged. eBay then decides in the buyer's favor as eBay will claim they cannot (will not) verify the information you provided.

Many complaints are made. If they are made here, they stay here. The user board seems to be eBay's way to provide free/low-cost buyer-seller support. eBay does not appear to use the valuable feedback provided here in the development of the eBay platform or in deciding their policies.

[dbfolks166mt]

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?

     Because the buyer is covered under the MBG there is little recourse. Do nothing until the officially ask for a return through the eBay process or opens a NAD case. They may just be phishing for a discount of the purchase price outside of an official process hoping you will give in to keep them happy. Giving in to those unofficial requests sets a bad precedence. Simply wait to see what official action, if any, your buyer takes. 

     As a side note I took a look at your original posting. Just a caution the only legal way to ship perfume containing alcohol is through ground transport. You cannot use priority mail and obviously shipments are limited to domestic only. 

[chapeau-noir]

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@whatamisellingtoday wrote:

I wonder then why do they offer any chance to dispute? Why isn't it just a button that says "give me a refund because I said so and I'm a buyer". Does no one complain, does no one protest this sort of thing, as a seller?

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You're a new user asking this question of people who have been doing this, some of us, for decades.  You don't think there hasn't been controversy over this? That somehow no one has complained before?  That no one has asked questions?  That no one has fought these cases?  That you somehow are the only one carrying the banner of dissent while the rest of us just knuckle under without question?  Really?

[rugerskick]

Its simply being honest about what potentially happens to perfumes that are older.  

Its also about informing buyers about what can happen with a new old stock product.

I didnt really think about it occurring until I saw this thread.  Makes sense to mention in a listing for older perfumes.

[rugerskick]

You left.  You decided not to sell on here anymore.

[chapeau-noir]

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@rugerskick wrote:

Its simply being honest about what potentially happens to perfumes that are older.  

Its also about informing buyers about what can happen with a new old stock product.

I didnt really think about it occurring until I saw this thread.  Makes sense to mention in a listing for older perfumes.

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I actually think a disclaimer makes sense - not all perfumes go off, and a lot of people with a favourite perfume/cologne know their own product and how it stands up, others do not, but appreciate honesty in disclosure.  Back in the day when we could sell partially used perfumes (a while ago, I realise), we could test them, or they were ours.

[sancar55]

I bought Calvin Klein Be and it smells totally different and lasts one minute and the seller won't credit me my $26.00