Cigarette smoke and or other odors

[debbyk1952]

I recently decided to change my listings to No Returns. (I know that's no 100% possible)

Anyway, I recently had items given to me by family members that I know smoke and have pets.

Would adding a disclaimer in my listings protect me as far a "items not as described?"

Also does all this info have to be put in the mobile listing as well as the regular listing?  (I use Auctiva)

I know most buyers don't bother to read everything but if it's there shouldn't that be enough?

I've seen listings where people say "Smoke free/Pet free home" Then in the pictures there was a little white dog  eating out of his dish in the background. Lol  Then I've also seen listings where the seller states items are coming from a home where people smoke and they do have pets! Then I noticed how much negative feedback they had gotten stating the items reeked of smoke.

Seems like a seller can't win for trying!

[jason_incognito]

---

@autopartspuller wrote:

Scent on a used item is not a valid reason for a snad and you can get the case closed.  (I have successfully done so)

That being said, if I notice ANY odor I note it.  It's better to save yourself the negative feedback.  I have another selling ID where I sell vintage items.  Some of which smell like smoke and perfumes, which is not that uncommon for an item from the 50's or 60's.  I rarely get a negative feedback (currently 100% knock on wood).  I believe it's because I note it in the ad.

Edit: I should note that my items that say they smell don't sell as fast as the others.  But they do sell and I would rather be honest than to deal with an angry customer

---

SO you get the case closed. Awesome for you. Then the buyer decides to never shop at eBay. Win the battle and lose the war.

[jason_incognito]

---

@escuintla wrote:

As a shoe clerk working for the fallen store Mervyn's, I had more than my fair share of the smell of tobacco. 

Not only the customers asked me to bring them a black shoe size 7, no, how about red? Hmmm....green? Oh, this other style looks better, bring me a red, no, it doesn't match my dress, how about a purple? 

But, the most despicable event was to open an old style shoe in its original box. As soon as you opened the box, that smell would, literally speaking, knock you out, but as a "professional" you had to hold your natural instincts. I am not lying to you, people with smocking habits, no offense, are oblivious to the fact there's a smell on them, and on everything they own or keep, and if they acknowledge it, they don't want, nor you dear to remind them of that situation.

It is a fact of life, those chemicals have a strong odors. But, that's their life, their health, their personal decisions, I am nobody to berate them. We all have some habits we feel insulted if they point them at us. Like sticking a finger in your nose, and....... 

So, when you list something, saying "it smells to cigarette" or "tobacco", it may trigger the undesired effect because smokers may find it insulting, or favorable because it may be cheaper. Others may find it cool, they don't want it for the same reason. It's a delicate issue that has to be dealt with professionalism.  

---

From years of working retail....

People will put something in their car with the intent to return it. Then they drive an hour each way to and from work, chain smoking the whole time. It's cold out so no window is ever opened. A month later they bring it in for the return and we have to toss it because it reaks.

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@carpo9752 wrote:

I know that I will get a lot of slack from posting my opinion!! I think people now days are pretty soft!! Growing up on a farm wow the odors there!! What is with people and odors these days? Most items can be washed if your that sensitive!! If buying a used item and you know that it is used you should expect it to not have a new smell to it!! 

---

Some people have asthma, COPD, and other health issues that make it crucial for them to not breath smoke.  Others may simply have sensitivities.  So while the item can be washed, the damage to the buyer may have already occurred.

Granted, these people might not want to buy online, because of these conditions, but if they do, they should be able to see that the items do not come from a smoke free household.

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@jason_incognito wrote:

---

@autopartspuller wrote:

Scent on a used item is not a valid reason for a snad and you can get the case closed.  (I have successfully done so)

That being said, if I notice ANY odor I note it.  It's better to save yourself the negative feedback.  I have another selling ID where I sell vintage items.  Some of which smell like smoke and perfumes, which is not that uncommon for an item from the 50's or 60's.  I rarely get a negative feedback (currently 100% knock on wood).  I believe it's because I note it in the ad.

Edit: I should note that my items that say they smell don't sell as fast as the others.  But they do sell and I would rather be honest than to deal with an angry customer

---

SO you get the case closed. Awesome for you. Then the buyer decides to never shop at eBay. Win the battle and lose the war.

******************************************************************************************

I  have said that for ages.  Sellers may have won the battle but lost the war.

---

[mikeystoyz]

Another way of thinking about it is it is the buyers responsibility to read the description.  I understand that buyers can return for any reason.  I have had a return because my item was to nice.  If the buyer is too lazy to read the description they are the type of person to return a Christmas tree to costco on January 1st because the needles have fallen off.

[autopartspuller]

---

@castlemagicmemories wrote:

---

@jason_incognito wrote:

---

@autopartspuller wrote:

Scent on a used item is not a valid reason for a snad and you can get the case closed.  (I have successfully done so)

That being said, if I notice ANY odor I note it.  It's better to save yourself the negative feedback.  I have another selling ID where I sell vintage items.  Some of which smell like smoke and perfumes, which is not that uncommon for an item from the 50's or 60's.  I rarely get a negative feedback (currently 100% knock on wood).  I believe it's because I note it in the ad.

Edit: I should note that my items that say they smell don't sell as fast as the others.  But they do sell and I would rather be honest than to deal with an angry customer

---

SO you get the case closed. Awesome for you. Then the buyer decides to never shop at eBay. Win the battle and lose the war.

******************************************************************************************

I  have said that for ages.  Sellers may have won the battle but lost the war.

---

---

I dont hide the scent.  I clearly mark the listing.  I honestly feel no sympathy for the buyer in this occasion.  I ALWAYS take responsibility when I forget to put something in a listing or make a mistake.  I actually just had someone in december buy an older quilt.  She sent me a message that it smelled musty.  I didnt notice it so I  hadnt made note.  I offered her a return at my cost.  However if I clearly note something I have no sympathy or remorse on getting the case closed. 

If they are going to have an issue with scents the buyer should buy new or READ the listing if they are buying used.  

[robot-hands]

Even though smells are not part of the MBG I doubt you'll find a CSR today that will follow ebay policy and close a return for that, even if you told the buyer in the listing it smelled.

If the item costs half as much or more to ship than the sale price, I wouldn't do it. Just one fake SNAD would ruin the profit on the next 3 sales of the same value.

[robot-hands]

---

@castlemagicmemories wrote:

---

---

SO you get the case closed. Awesome for you. Then the buyer decides to never shop at eBay. Win the battle and lose the war.

---

---

I don't think buyers willing to abuse the MBG and never buying on ebay again is something to dread.

It's something to feel good about.

[carpo9752]

You would not be breathing smoke even if it smelled like smoke or whatever. The actual smoke would be long gone! Except for mold now that would be a different story.

[yuzuha]

Whenever I sell anything that I've bought secondhand, I always put in a disclaimer saying that while my own home is smoke- and pet-free, this item was acquired secondhand and thus I don't know it's history, meaning that it may have been exposed to smoke or pets and that this needs to be kept in mind.  I haven't had a problem yet this way.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Same.

Heck, I can't even guarantee the NIB stuff hasn't sat in a warehouse etc where workers sit around on break smoking next to boxes.

[sharingtheland]

I truly almost always read every post before responding so maybe someone already noticed this but I'm on a very short break (why oh why did I buy all of those tiny widgets that need to be sorted and identified ??).  Please tell me this response from Trinton pertained to a buyer's protection, not a seller's protection:

Hey everyone, I just wanted to step in and clarify our stance on odors for items. While we typically are unable to cover smells as they are highly subjective, we do offer protection in a few situations:

1.  The item is listed as coming from a smoke free/pet free home and arrives smelling of smoke or pets.
2.  The smell is a core component of the item and the scent received is signficantly different (Ex. vanilla candle arrives smelling like cinnamon).
3.  The product smells strongly of chemicals, such as bleach or ammonia.

[darlazee]

I had two books that smelled of cigarette smoke which I was going to toss, they were worth a bit so I decided to take a chance and price them cheaply at 25 & 30 dollars, values were much higher, I put smoking home! below the title in the condition box and both sold in less than 48 hours, and no complaints from either buyer. I have asthma and do not like to have a product that smells of smoke but it does not trigger any type of reaction, but every individual's sensitivity level is different, now mold, asthma attack in a few minutes.  Also pet dander can cause reactions, and should be mentioned if you are not sure where the item came from.

[sg51]

A buyer who receives an item which smells of cigarette smoke is highly likely to be repulsed.  What they might do about that ranges from bad to nothing, but they're not going to like it.  Just don't go there.

If the item is valuable enough to still sell at a substantial discount, then indeed, list it as being from a smoking home.  Do not list it as "might have been subjected to smoke, pets, perfume, or bad vibes", because you'd be suggesting to not take that list seriously.

"Reeks of cigarette smoke and rat turds" would protect you much better, especially if you put that into the "condition" field.

[moondogblues]

I would love to add my 2 cents...got a blanket (very rare) years ago. REEKED of cigarette smoke. I wanted to cry because I had been looking for just that dang blanket for years. I washed it and it fell apart. Double whammy. I still feel bad about it.