Buyer open refund claim defective item and buyer used n broke it HELP

[Anonymous]

A kitchen item was sold to a buyer that was in mint and more than mint condition and also appraised by an estate appraiser. It was absolutely beautiful and in full functioning working order. Buyer was sent messages from the time it was packed and shipped and throughout the duration they had the item (numerous messages) without any response whatsoever. I do this with all my buyers as I am a new seller. Two and a half weeks later the buyer sends a message it's beautiful but we're returning it. I stated no returns. Then I started receiving nasty aggressive messages and I offered a small refund for now they're saying it doesn't work in a certain position. After I come down fully being upset from the messages and knowing what I sent them was in more than excellent to brand new condition and appraised they filed a claim with eBay saying it was damaged and didn't work in a certain position. When they first contacted me after several weeks like I said above I called eBay and eBay told me that they did not have a case and will not succeed. With no fears unfortunately they filed a claim for full refund. I just received the item back and it looks like they dropped it. There are scratch marks all over it also black scratch marks and they left food product all over it as well and none of the gears on the item work at all. This is not what I say now and completely opposite of the pictures that I posted. I sent an appeal out to eBay. I am highly highly upset as I've lost out money for the shipping that I paid out of pocket which was quite expensive for the item weighs a lot and eBay took their selling fees out of my bank account. What do I do now I am actually in tears over the fact that I received my item back that is now completely and utterly broken you can see that it's damaged as if somebody dropped it and there's food all over. When they told me not in the beginning but when they were returning it that it was for someone as a gift. If that's the case then why did they use it it's not Christmas yet and it's completely damaged it is no longer functional and I cannot resell it. What do I do you can't get anybody on eBay on the phone I click the button for appeal and send them pictures. Can anyone help me I am in total distress and mortified over this is this the wrong to my mother and it was a state of praise property. Also I lost money approximately $75 as it is for shipping and eBay's fees. Can someone please help me?

[gemarakop_trading]

This sounds like return fraud where they return their old item. Speak to an ebay representative and say you were defrauded. 

[reallynicestamps]

Buyer was sent messages from the time it was packed and shipped and throughout the duration they had the item (numerous messages) without any response whatsoever.

Don't do that. It has no useful function.

It may have led to the rest of this mess.

buyer sends a message it's beautiful but we're returning it. I stated no returns.

No returns does NOT mean no refunds.

I stated no returns.... I started receiving nasty aggressive messages

Which is why you should accept returns as gracefully as possible.

and I offered a small refund ...

they filed a claim with eBay saying it was damaged ....

And eBay told you to send return shipping?

Also I lost money approximately $75 as it is for shipping and eBay's fees.

If eBay charged you fees, then I would assume you did not send the Return Shipping Label and eBay did and then you did not refund voluntarily so eBay did.

When you cooperate with a Claim, you are not charged fees.

I just received the item back and it looks like they dropped it.

Which is why you should accept returns as gracefully as possible.

you can't get anybody on eBay on the phone

The phone reps don't work for eBay but for a subcontractor in Utah.

The eBay employees cover social media.


https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.
https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.

Your error was in not allowing the return when the buyer indicated she was not happy.

She was unethical to damage the item, but that doesn't excuse your original error.

Two wrongs and all that.

I am in total distress and mortified over this is this the wrong to my mother and it was a state of praise property.

It's business, not personal.

Selling online is a real job with a steep learning curve. I'm sorry you ran into this so early in your selling career.

Some of your expenses with this failed transaction would not have been charged if you had cooperated. It is also possible that the customer would not have damaged the item if you have cooperated from the beginning.

I have had some success with telling unhappy customers to ship the item back for a refund, without mentioning that eBay would force me to pay for return shipping. Sometimes the buyer pays sometimes not,  and sometimes the complaint disappears.



[duncanvr · Accepted solution]

Stating no returns does not help in cases like this. I think they returned their old item to you and kept the new one. And now want it for free. There is always some level of fraud with some buyers and as a seller you'll have to accept it as ebay will side with the buyer every time. There is not much you can do here except block the buyer take the loss and move on. Some will say file a police report for online fraud but weather you get anymore out of doing that who knows? If your going to sell expensive items as a new seller you'll be getting a certain amount of scams targeting you. I've always advised newer sellers to list less expensive items first and build their feedback. You need a returns policy like 30 day returns buyer pays return shipping. No returns don't mean zip in the real world. I checked your items you have several pricey ones up and are at risk of scammers taking advantage of you on those items.

[mtgraves7984]

It didn't work in a certain position? All I see are two countertop appliances... in what 'position' were they using it? Dang...

As bad as it sounds, you'd have had to refund in full anyway. Maybe you can recoup on appeal, but that's a long shot, too.

[Anonymous]

eBay just sent me an email I have to file an affidavit along with digital photos to them and do a bunch of other stuff for the appeal. I don't have a digital camera and only have a cheap cell phone I did send photos with the appeal. The person dropped my product you can see that it is completely scratched and black you can't even wipe it off and they left food all over it. In one message from them they said it was for a gift for the holiday but yet they used it for several weeks I guess until they dropped it. Now they want their money back after they broke it. My photos on eBay show how immaculate and pristine my product was and it did work a matter of fact better than my own brand new one and this one was my mother's unfortunately she passed away and this is a state property. It was so clean you could lick that and eat off of it. But now it's a white product that has black scratch marks all on the top and the side of it and none of the gears work at all and there's food product all over the right side. So you're right they are committing fraud and I had a funny feeling someone was going to use this in return it but I had no idea that someone would be so awful as to leaving food all over it and dropping it with complete destruction in sending it back to somebody it was a $400 product I spent my last $40 in my bank account to ship that off so I could pay my mortgage and eat for the month and this is what ended up happening to me

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your response I appreciate it lot of things you said were helpful. So you know eBay didn't keep my eBay fees because of them asking eBay to resolve the problem eBay told me they kept the fees because it's their policy for you selling an item. But it is my understanding if the item was returned eBay will give you your fees back for the first time should you ask if it was your first return. And secondly I did offer the buyer a discount when they said that one gear was not working or it sounded like it wasn't working but that's not true because I know that it was working so I offered a minimum amount back and they wanted the entire thing back they were telling me how beautiful it was and no marks or anything but when I got it back in the mail today it had black scratch marks all over the top and side and food all over the side of it so I know that they used it and they must adjust drop it from a truck or something because you can't even wipe off the scratch marks it says if you got hit. I offered the person a little bit more than half back and they would not accept it but when the person started getting belligerent and vulgar and abusive I asked the person to stop all communication with me and this is what they sent me back something that is completely destroyed I'm telling you I'm in tears I can't believe that people would sent you something back and break it and have food product all over when that's not what you sent them and now I'm out all this money and I was depending on that money and then eBay took their fees and then I lost my shipping fees as well it's very disheartening very disheartening

[Anonymous]

They took my item that they purchased kept it for several weeks and used it and must have broke it. It looks like they dropped it and dropped it hard. They also left food product all over it now I completely does not work at all and there are scratch marks etc all over it. They are committing frog because they broke it and now they want their money back and they got it from eBay eBay automatically took it from me because they had my money on hold as a new buyer so they can do what they want I had no recourse

[Anonymous]

My product worked it was in excellent condition as if the day you took it out of the box. The product I'd never been used but one time. It was a $539 item that I sold or way less than the price it was so immaculate and clean and in working order you would have put the new product back and kept mine. I don't sell junk and everything has already been tested and looked at by an appraiser and tested and double checked and triple check by me as well and someone else. You can clearly see what I got back was a broken item there's so much damage on it it would bring you to tears and food product. If eBay had even read their messages they can see that none of their messages are the same one minute they say one thing and another minute they say another but not once did they ever say that there was anything wrong with it and when they did respond to me they said how beautiful it is but the way I got it back today it's not so pretty and it is completely different from the pictures I got posted up from my kitchen counter. I told my brother as well and he is beside himself I sent him pictures and said how could they possibly destroy that and send it back like that to you and still have a conscience and sleep at night

[Anonymous]

I will take heed to what you said in your message and reference to other people as well for what you said really did happen to me but in this way I had people saying they were going to buy it but never paid and it was held up on my eBay for over a week and a half before I can relist it. Or they messaged me asking me for my PayPal account number and my address. I blocked those individuals. They were looking for my jewelry and my high-end kitchen items. As for this product I'm talking about in particularly I wholeheartedly believe that the person either dropped my product well used it first in a manner it shouldn't have been used in and dropped it but now that it simply does not work at all I believe the person took it and smashed it on the ground and send it back. Because it is completely broken and it wasn't when it was shipped to them it was as if you just purchased it and it was beautiful. Now it looks like it was in a car accident. Thank you and everyone else for their assistance I deeply appreciate it.

[reallynicestamps]

So you know eBay didn't keep my eBay fees because of them asking eBay to resolve the problem eBay told me they kept the fees because it's their policy for you selling an item. But it is my understanding if the item was returned eBay will give you your fees back for the first time should you ask if it was your first return.

No.

If the buyer made a Not As Described claim-- the buyer not you-- and you do not send the return shipping (RSL)and /or you do not refund promptly on receiving the return,  eBay keeps your fees.

If you sent the RSL and refunded promptly, eBay would return your fees.

they kept the fees because it's their policy for you selling an item.

EBay charges fees for sales.

This is not related to the Claim.

eBay will give you your fees back for the first time

Nope. They don't.

Sometimes eBay will make a courtesy refund to the buyer without taking the refund from the seller's account.  This does not appear to have happened in this case.

[allen1853]

Welcome to eBay where buyer fraud is not policed. I am guessing this was a nice mixer. Such items are best sold hand to hand for cash, unless you are a big box department store selling on-line and can absorb the rampant buyer fraud. You just cannot sell such items with confidence on eBay because eBay will never back you up in the event of buyer fraud. Videos of packaging di not help. Appraisals and 24 pictures do not help. Lengthy detailed descriptions do not help. There ARE good reasons to have a "Does Not Accept Returns" policy but nothing will prevent buyer fraud which is condoned by eBay. Even when you accept returns, "buyer pays return shipping", they can just lie and open a Not as Described return and seller pays shipping. The other problem with selling and shipping such items is the USPS. No matter how well you package and label "Fragile", some disgruntled employee will toss it across the room or drop it from a truck. You can, and should, buy insurance but they will make you jump through hoops and wait while you have to front a refund to buyer immediately. Good luck going forward. Try to sell non breakables that are smaller than a bread box.