Buyer didn't read descrip and wants refund - am I wrong to just say no?

[johnkfisher]

Item is https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eaglemoss-LARGE-Enterprise-NX-01-8-5-inch-XL-Model-Star-Trek/174055499247

First, I mention it does not have a stand right in the item specifics.

Second, I mention it does not have a stand in the very first line of the listing (and its the only thing in bold in the entire listing.) 

Third, I mention it does not have a stand towards the end of the listing where I break down height and weight.

And of course, no picture shows a stand.

And yet, the buyer wonders where the stand is and wants a refund. - I put it in the ad THREE TIMES. Am I REALLY supposed to give a refund and lose money from listing fees and my own time in listing it and shipping it out because the buyer missed it?

[moo*cow*corner · Accepted solution]

I'd tell them to send it back, even though it was listed as No Returns.

Your mistake was to list it as New condition. New items MUST have all parts that originally came in the box when purchased.

[7606dennis]

If the buyer opens a return request using a not as described reason, accept it an d send them a return shipping label.  This will save you plenty of headaches.

[mam98031]

If your buyer opens a Return Request with a INAD reason, even though you have a no return policy, you will be expected to accept the return.  All seller's return policies must meet or exceed the MBG.  To try and dispute or deny an INAD is to pretty much guarantee Ebay will step in and force the refund.  They could do that and not require the buyer to return it if you were telling them you would not accept the return.

On top of that, if Ebay forces the issue, you will not get your FVFs refunded and you will get a defect on your selling account.

[2015mhfashions]

I'd also ask them to send it back.

I think you insult the seller by telling them they made a mistake.

How much more obvious do they need to make it as stand not included ?

100% obvious case of Stupidity beyond belief.

[judydu2]

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@johnkfisher wrote:

Item is https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eaglemoss-LARGE-Enterprise-NX-01-8-5-inch-XL-Model-Star-Trek/174055499247

First, I mention it does not have a stand right in the item specifics.

Second, I mention it does not have a stand in the very first line of the listing (and its the only thing in bold in the entire listing.) 

Third, I mention it does not have a stand towards the end of the listing where I break down height and weight.

And of course, no picture shows a stand.

And yet, the buyer wonders where the stand is and wants a refund. - I put it in the ad THREE TIMES. Am I REALLY supposed to give a refund and lose money from listing fees and my own time in listing it and shipping it out because the buyer missed it?

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Although you do state that the stand is not included, you also state that the item is new in original box, never displayed. The photo of the box shows a stand with the ship.  Therein lies the problem.

[clearsphere]

If I list something with missing parts or for repair, I put it in the title. No guarantee it'll be seen even then, but helps.

[laurabeardsley]

You basically have no choice but to have them return the item for a refund. I had a similar experience where I described a doll's issue exactly on the listing and the buyer wanted to return it for that reason and when I said it was described in the listing she just changed the reason. By calling it not as described she could get free return shipping even though my listing says buyer pays return shipping.Unfortunately there are many buyers that will lie like that to get free return shipping. The sad part is that Ebay will always side with the buyer no matter how much proof you have.

[scratch*post]

I don't think that was insulting, it was meant to be helpful so they don't make the same mistake in future listings. It should not have been listed as "New: A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item" because it is missing the stand that would be in a brand new item and it doesn't matter how many times you say the stand is missing. 

As a seller I list like a paranoid ninja because I know ebay is buyer-centric and has more loopholes than a Bernat craft project. 

[mark1svc]

You can say no, but ebay says yes, send 2nd chance offer, if you get payment, pdf shipping label to 1st buyer and shortcut return directly to them, That way you have the 2nd buyer paying the return shipping! 

Should have sold as used and not have displayed the box.

[yng1998]

I completely understand the the seller's point of view.   It is for reason's like this that I don't offer free shipping.  I don't know if this was shipped free but if it wasn't shipped free let the customer know that you would be happy to take the return and happy to refund the purchase price. (note purchase price)   Not taking the return just opens you up to bigger problems.  Losing some fees and time is minor compared to your shipping costs.  A well worded polite response can save you your shipping.  If you did ship free, a well worded response could save you those return shipping costs.  Your item was described properly so if this is escalated describe your position and offer a partial refund or return without shipping included.  

[klickonline]

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@yng1998 wrote:

I completely understand the the seller's point of view.   It is for reason's like this that I don't offer free shipping.  I don't know if this was shipped free but if it wasn't shipped free let the customer know that you would be happy to take the return and happy to refund the purchase price. (note purchase price)   Not taking the return just opens you up to bigger problems.  Losing some fees and time is minor compared to your shipping costs.  A well worded polite response can save you your shipping.  If you did ship free, a well worded response could save you those return shipping costs.  Your item was described properly so if this is escalated describe your position and offer a partial refund or return without shipping included.  

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Horrible advice, and lack of understanding of common sense rules.    The seller listed this as NEW - you can't then say something is missing.   Then it's not new - period.    Buyers, when buying NEW items, don't necessarily have to read the listings.    They are looking for something, they see that it's new, and they buy it - expecting it to be new.    The same as any other store.    If I'm buying something new on Amazon, I don't need to read all the item specifics to make sure nothing is missing from the package - you expect it to be new.   Same here.   Seller's mistake, and seller needs to do whatever they need to do to fix it.  No "partial refunds" or "return without shipping included".

[treasuresfromtanya]

I just don't understand how any seller these days can expect "No Returns" to actually work...it blows my mind that people still think they can say no to a return, any return...especially when they are wrong to begin with.  You listed an item as new, yet something is missing and you expect the customer to be happy about this?  I would offer to pay for the return shipping on the return too, just to make sure the person doesn't get really **bleep** and keep ebay out of my account, because this will do damage...fees, standing, feedback and not to mention karma.

[city*satins]

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@2015mhfashions wrote:

I'd also ask them to send it back.

I think you insult the seller by telling them they made a mistake.

How much more obvious do they need to make it as stand not included ?

100% obvious case of Stupidity beyond belief.

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If something normally comes with an item or element when brand new, and is pictured with that item or element in the listing, the picture is considered part of the listing, and if the item is not truly new as in perfect/complete etc, then the seller has indeed made a mistake by posting conflicting information in the listing.

If the buyer is confused or misled by the listing, that is not 100% stupidity on the part of the buyer, in my opinion.

In this case, the item is missing 2 elements:  the stand and a magazine.  That means it does not qualify as NEW, whose definition in this category is available in the Item Specifics as :   New: A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item (including handmade items). See the seller's listing for full details

When eBay says to see the seller's listing for full details, the intent of that is not to allow the seller to override the details and say that the item isn't actually complete or unopened or undamaged or brand-new.

The only other condition available in this category is USED and that's what the seller should have selected.

There are some people who have argued on these boards over the years that if anything in a listing is in conflict with anything else, the onus is on the buyer to notice this and ask the seller.  A similar argument was used recently by a seller who listed a $300 item as size 46 in the title and 56 in the item specifics and showed the picture of the label with the size 56 in the gallery of pic.  The buyer purchased it based on the title, thinking it was size 46.  The seller's and some readers' position was that the blame for this unsatisfactory purchase was should be shared by the buyer who failed to notice what he himself had failed to notice.

It doesn't really fly.

[city*satins]

If the buyer opens a Return Request - not as described/missing parts or similar you will need to respond in the return request.  You can either offer a partial refund which the buyer can accept or decline (you can not negotiate within the Return Request itself, you get one chance to offer and you can not submit a second offer)  or you can accept the return in which case you're responsible to pay for return shipping and to to refund (upon receipt of the returned item) in full, including the s/h the buyer paid.

Since your item sold for $29 and shipping was $12.80 for a medium flat rate box, you are likely going to be just under $26 in the red by the time you get it back. You can relist it (correctly this time) and probably it will sell the second time round for the same amount, but you'll still be out that $26.   So you might want to offer the buyer a partial refund instead and cut your losses to significantly less than $26.