Buyer says item arrived broken, not sure I believe them

[a.arendt]

I received a message from a buyer today with a picture of an item (in pieces) that they bought from me. The message simply stated "As you can see, the item arrived broken." 

I am highly skeptical that the item arrived broken as I packed it extremely well, with extreme care, and it would take an extremely significant effort to break the item in the manner displayed in the photos. This buyer is also a specialized seller of the same item he bought from me, which also leads me to believe that he is capable of displaying an identical broken item in a picture to me. 

Anyways, what would be the best solution to this? It kind of sucks because it would seem the odds are against me. I could ignore it and risk receiving negative feedback and losing a SNAD case. I could offer a partial refund, or I could ask that the buyer return the item for a full refund, but then I am left with a broken item. 

I'm a little dismayed there seems to be no real verifiable way to ensure that the buyer is being honest with me. 

[slippinjimmy]

There is only one solution, tell them to open a return request and when (if) they do act upon it immediately by accepting the return and issuing a return label.

You might be skeptical but you understand there is no way for you to verify the buyers claim until the item is returned to you.

If you don't want to pay for the return of a useless item then don't require the buyer to return, issue a refund and ask politely that they provide a picture (if they haven't already) so you can file an insurance claim (even if you don't have insurance) AND keep the item and packaging on hand in case the shipper (USPS?) wishes to inspect and/or take possession of the item (usually if they pay out for a damaged claim you don't get to keep the damaged item AND collect the insurance money).

[dbfolks166mt]

Ask the buyer to hold onto the broken item along with the original packing. If this was insured open a claim with the shipper. If it is USPS most likely they will request the item be brought into the PO for inspection prior to processing the claim. Hopefully your buyer is willing to assist. 

     If the buyer opens a NAD request you should probably refund and have them keep the item while you work the case with USPS. If they return it USPS won't process the case. I just went through a drawn out process with USPS on a claim but fortunately I had a very cooperative buyer that I fully refunded the minute I received the NAD case he opened. 

[luckythewinner]

I am highly skeptical that the item arrived broken

Unfortunately, what you think does not matter to eBay.

which also leads me to believe that he is capable of displaying an identical broken item

He does not even need to show you anything.

Anyways, what would be the best solution to this? 

"Return for refund" if you want to pay to get it back, "refund" if you don't.

I could offer a partial refund

You could, But when a buyer knows he can get a full refund, a partial refund is not very appetizing. And even less so if he is the scammer you are assuming he is.

I'm a little dismayed there seems to be no real verifiable way to ensure that the buyer is being honest with me

Sellers do not know if buyers are lying, and buyers do not know if sellers are lying. That's the fundamental nature of e-commerce. 

[reallynicestamps]

Most people are honest.

No matter how well you packed, are you sure your package can withstand this?

[assortedcollectibles]

The pessimist in me leans towards scam.

Why? Sells the same items.. could probably have sourced it for cheaper elsewhere also the fact that being a seller you are very aware of how easy it is to get free items on this site. Probably needed it to swap parts. Packages that gets severely destroyed are usually marked by the postal service as well.

[southern*sweet*tea]

What was the item and how was it packaged?

A lot of sellers who think they package well don't - at least not well enough to withstand the rigors of shipping through the mail stream.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Horsey or Phone?

[doug_5857]

Your answer has been covered Very Well by the Other Great Sellers that I have not anything to add. Good Luck.

[a.arendt]

Thanks for the help everyone. He was most certainly keen to receive a partial refund, which I ended up giving him in the end. I did ask him to return the item for a full refund, which he started the process of doing. It was clear that he would have preferred the partial refund though. Not wanting to deal with re-listing a broken item just to try and stick it to a buyer who may or may not have been telling the truth, I sent him the partial refund. Who knows. Better to just be done with it. If he got away with a false claim so be it. If he was truthful, then I made him whole. 

[house*of*paws]

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@a.arendt wrote:

 If he was truthful, then I made him whole. 

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Hi @a.arendt 

How is a buyer 'made whole' with a partial refund and and an item 'in pieces'?  I think the buyer did you a favor.

[a.arendt · Accepted solution]

You'll have to ask the buyer that. I initially wanted him to return the item for a full refund but he absolutely preferred "a partial refund and and an item 'in pieces'".  "made whole" "got the resolution he desired" use whatever terms you feel comfortable with. 

[chapeau-noir]

@a.arendt  Was it by any chance old ceramic or very old plastic (i.e., a collectible of some sort)?  I quit selling glass and old plastic over the winter because no matter how well I packed it, it sometimes tended to shatter due to rapid changes in temperature (i.e., cargo hold and the like). 

[oneblindcat]

I think I see my missing hard drive from last year on the steps in that first photo.

Probably got kicked under the table and is still there.