Buyer wants to return after attempt to clean - how to handle?

[vintageista]

I recently sold a pair of vintage shoes, stated that there were some "marks" on the lighter-color suede portion of the shoes, but no other flaws, buyer has ask for a full refund including shipping, which would mean me paying over $20 postage for a $17.99 purchase. This is the exact communication that she sent:

"I overlooked the dark areas in your photos, because the shoes are so cute and because you said there were no flaws. The shoes arrived so soiled that I tried to clean them. When I did, I realized that some of the darkness that appeared in your photos looked like smudges that result from cleaning attempts. My attempts to clean the suede hurt rather than helped. The shoes are not usable."

What is the best way to handle this situation? Keep in mind these are vintage shoes, the shoes were very wearable if you did not have the expectation that they would look like brand new, although stated otherwise. After her attempts to clean however, they may very well be unusable. Should I ask for pictures? Call eBay? Opinions please, thanks! 

[chrysylys]

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@tweetystwades wrote:

I wanted to take a peek at the listing, but I can't find them in your sold listings. The only suede shoes I see are the brown boots, are those the ones you are talking about? 

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The ones I found were a horrid multi-colored mess with clear plastic heels.  Personally, I'd just be glad to be rid of them.

But to each their own.

[609babydoll]

I had something happen once.  It was a item that my husband was selling due to delivery was too long Not my fault was usps item was sent on time and totally matched the descripton in my case we feel he found the similar item cheaper, anyway when he filed a case w/ebay because we advise they were a non returnable item and nothing was wrong with them.  Ebay said no. then he issued a case with pay pay.  (stupid buyer protection policy) anyway pay pal froze my funds and said they we going to allow the return no matter what I did to prove my case.  I had to refund the money.  But keep in mind the buyer always pays for the cost of the return of item and you never refund money until you rec. them back in the same condition they were sent. As others have stated let ebay know.   Most times Sellers don't have a leg to stand on.  Sadly a majority of ebay sellers do it to make a few bucks, but Pay Pal seems to thing we are retail stores Good Luck.  But you should contact ebay regarding this

[tweetystwades]

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@chrysylys wrote:

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@tweetystwades wrote:

I wanted to take a peek at the listing, but I can't find them in your sold listings. The only suede shoes I see are the brown boots, are those the ones you are talking about? 

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The ones I found were a horrid multi-colored mess with clear plastic heels.  Personally, I'd just be glad to be rid of them.

But to each their own.

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Thanks, at first glance I didn't realize those straps were suede. When you said clear plastic heel, I knew that was them. 

[tweetystwades]

Now this is my opinion, cute shoes. Not a bad price for Charles Jourdan, even pre-owned. You can clearly look at the picture and see the suede straps show wear, and maybe a little dirty.  She admitted that she saw that but ignored because she wanted them, that's her problem. The only thing I see wrong is that you used the word " Flawless", I would never say that word for preowned shoes. Now having said that, if she would have asked for a return right away, no problem. She had admitted that she tried to clean them, therefor altering the shoes forever. That is on her, not you. I would refuse the return for this reason. Tell her if she would have contacted you first, it would be a different story. Now you probably can't even resell.      

[tunicaslot]

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@vintageista wrote:

Thank you all for your input to this matter! It is always interesting to see the various ideas that other sellers offer, some very positive & others bordering on the offensive! Mostly, I chalk up the later to not being knowledgeable about selling vintage items, which are a different kind of animal (so to speak) and sometimes not well understood.

You've been doing this a long time - as well as contributing to the boards. I was surprised that you even came here to ask that question as you've always been very customer conscious. You will win the case and I'm sorry if I upset you with pointing out what I feel is the obvious. 

Describing an item as if there are no pictures and highlighting any flaws the item has always been our motto here since the old days before cameras. Pictures can be deceiving - colors can be skewed - and areas may appear to have problems when it's just an issue with the lighting and shadows - so the description is just as important now than ever. Don't oversell an item - undersell it and the buyer will be pleased when the item is in a condition better than described. 

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[retrose1]

OP, I have been shipping shoes in the padded FR envelope.  Stuff the vamp and if they are average heel, ladies 9 or smaller, most will fit and ship for $7.  Unless I am getting over $50 for a pair of shoes, or they are large, that is the way I am shipping them.

Your problem is a fine example of the reason I don't list vintage anymore on ebay, the buyers are mall shoppers and do not understand the potential differences between items made 20 years ago and now.  A vintage buyer just won't clean a suede pair of shoes with anything but a brush.

BUT, your listing has some confusing information - like no flaws and one pic shows a major dirt spot.  I usually use minor wear and no problems to note in a condition description, because many ebay buyers now believe they are getting new condition items.   But also, you list them as a 7M in the title and say in the listing they are 8 M, that is a huge red flag that a buyer can cash in on.  Personally, would not have listed them because they had a problem. 

Also, not to pile on, but just a warning, you might want to do some editing of your listings, I scrolled past a couple that had pictures that were in direct contradiction to the title, like a short sleeved dress that the title says sleeveless.  Sometimes I overlook something or forget to delete a sentence when I am making a listing.  I just found that I had the wrong information in the condition box on a listing that had been listed off and on for a year now.  That is the kind of stuff scammers love to cash in on.

Tell the buyer to return for refund.  Most won't because they are just fishing for a freebie and nothing is really wrong with the item.  If they do return, then use the lost of the shipping costs as a learning lesson to be more aware of what and  how you are listing items.

I would not count on ebay having your back with the buyer altering the item by attempting to clean it.  Hidden policies have to be considered about any ebay policy now and what they might do to you.