Buyer says item is broken a week after receiving it (?), seems suspicious - timeline below

[ciwh_7888]

A $300 item was bought and paid for on on 2/18.

I shipped 2/20

Item received by buyer 2/24

Buyer messaged me on 3/3, claims some of items arrived broken

I asked for pictures - as of today 3/7, no pictures

So, the buyer had the item for a week before notifying me - how do I know that she didn't break it?  (She may be able to send me a picture now, but this just seems so weird/suspicious that NOW it is broken.  Especially because it was china and she may have dropped the box or items after opening.

[coolections]

Regardless of how long it took the buyer to notice, or if the buyer did actually break it, if they file a claim you will have to refund. On a side note, China breaks easily if not packed professionally.

[pburn]

Just adding to the previous post (which is 100% correct, BTW), buyers are not required to honor your request for photos.

[m60driver]

Nothing suspicious about a buyer waiting a week from delivery to notify seller of breakage.  And you sold a very fragile item that takes considerable practice and skill to ship without breakage.  Also, it is not a type of item high on the scam list.  And as the buyer has no obligation to send you photos you have no obligation to respond to the message.  But when buyer does submit a formal claim then you will have to refund.

[dentalsales4u]

The buyer notifying you of a problem a week or so after receiving happens all the time.

I received a pair of shoes at work, didn't have time to open and stuck the box under my desk.

I promptly forgot about it.  A couple weeks later, I realized I hadn't opened the package.

Once I opened, I saw that the seller shipped the wrong shoes.

It happens

[stainlessenginecovers]

Many people are busy and don't get to 'open' things for a while

[bonjourami]

Did you double box those fragile items? If not, they could be easily broken by one hard jolt. If you did have insurance, and they were not double boxed, you are probably not covered due to inadequate packing.

[buyselljack2016]

Happens. I pull my hair out.

Wife orders things she does not need at the moment.

She knows what she ordered. When it arrives she sets it aside, unopened, until she needs it.

Days, weeks, months.

[chowpit36iw]

This one is kind of tricky because it's china. I always request the item be returned however, returning this could lead to more breakage. 

I give the buyer the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. I had a buyer "threaten" me with neutral feedback because the item wouldn't fit. I told them to return it and I got it back with pieces missing and as a result I deducted the 50% maximum off the refund....and then they got blocked.

When asking for photos be sure to include "so I can file a claim with the carrier." It sounds less accusatory. If you didn't insure it, shame on you.

There could be many reasons why your buyer is slow to respond, you don't know what is going on in their life.

FWIW, I open packages the day they're received.