Difficult Buyer

[samilalove]

(Please note - the listing in question won't be found on my account since this is my private account, and the item was sold on my father's shop).

Hi everyone, I'm experiencing a bit of trouble with a buyer.. and am scared of losing $430 because of it.

I sold a gently used, adult-owned camera bundle last week. The seller first started out asking for faster shipping but it wasn't needed because they live very close to here and the item arrived in two days with normal shipping. This went smoothly (but I should've gone with my gut that they'd be a difficult buyer since they bought the item THEN requested fast shipping.. but I needed the sale. There was also one horrible review left for them, but the seller marked it as a positive review for some reason so I did not see it when I checked initially.)

Essentially, the item was a HUGE camera bundle and everything was photographed. The problem is coming in with the buyer doesn't understand how to use the items and is acting as if it is my fault. I am 100% positive that everything in this bundle is functional. They're claiming that a piece doesn't attach to the camera. I've explained multiple times that they need to get the adapter, attach the adapter to the other part of the lens, and then attach the lens add-on to the base camera lens. They're clearly growing frustrated, stating it's not working (using capslock, saying they've 'tried everything'), sending multiple messages if I don't reply immediately, but as stated I'm also 100% positive that the needed parts were included and that everything does fit properly. I've used every part of this camera before, everything is fully functional - I was also very careful with shipping not to forget anything. Everything is as described and photographed. The problem is the buyer. For the record, it has been a week of nonstop questions of how to use the item, despite everything having manuals and all the items necessary for function being included. They just can't figure it out.

As someone who buys very frequently on ebay and has needed a number of items returned/refunded, I know that ebay pretty much always sides with the buyer. Often without even looking into the case. The main issue is my father's shop has a no return policy (I know that this can be bad, and I wish I would've checked if he had this in place now before listing). If the buyer can't figure out the item despite me basically holding his hand through figuring out how to get this piece on the camera I'm extremely worried about losing $430 and the camera due to the no return policy that I can't afford to lose since they could try to pull a "not as described" card. They're a frustrating, difficult to deal with buyer and I can't even touch that money right now even though I need it because I'm worried about it just being yanked from my account at any moment.

Any advice at all?

[mr_lincoln]

@samilalove   First of all, there is no such thing as a "no return policy", Buyers have ways around that.  It sounds like  you may simply have to ask the Buyer what do they want to do ... or be proactive and simply advise them that if they are not satisfied to process a return request in the Resolution Center for a full refund.

Short of you getting on the phone with them or maybe even a Skype session to see what they are doing wrong it does not sound like this Buyer will not be happy ...

Around Christmas I sold an item on Auction that bid up nicely ... only to have the winning bidder simply not like the piece ... I ate the cost to have the item shipped back ( 9 pounds) since they made up a lie about an issue with the item at first ... I did not hesitate, just wanted to get it out of their hands and back in to mine.

[samilalove]

Thanks for the reply. I took your advice and reached out via text because they had their phone number in shipping info (which makes me nervous since it's no longer documented on ebay but we have finally gotten somewhere), they finally understood that they need to take the adapter off of one thing and put it onto the thing they're trying to attach (after about 3 different tries at explaining it even though it's as simple as putting one piece on another piece). Now, however, they're claiming that they can't get it to work which is impossible because I confirmed that they both say the same size. I can't fathom what they're doing wrong now but it took hours just to figure out the first part.

Just.. oy vey. They apparently wanted this piece of the camera to photograph New Years stuff, yet waited until 4 PM today to ask questions about this specific piece. Regardless.. all the information is in the manuals. I won't risk blocking them from further contact and therefore I suppose I have no other options besides to keep helping them.. but it'd be nice to enjoy new years festivities.

Cheers, thanks for the reply again.

[eclectic-miscellany]

Yeah, I'm very new to eBay selling and tried to school myself as much as possible via forums and youtube videos.

Your current dilema reminds me of (already) a couple of inquiries I've had that made me uneasy and being new I felt strongly that I needed those sales. But, I trusted my gut and either discouraged those customers in some polite way or just added them to buyer block list. Apparently there's a reason they allow 5,000 buyers to be blocked....lol!

I also had a buyer purchase and then immediately message me with a long reason I needed to send the order to an alternate address. I explained, for reasons of fraud, that I had to protect my customers by not shipping to any address other than the one provided. So, I left the ball in his court by giving him the option of shipping to address provied or cancelling the order.... he chose the latter.

But the lesson I would take from your current situation is that No Sale is a MUST have sale. Your good standing as a seller and your sanity is worth MUCH more than any one sale. IMHO

Tom

[cashvaluerecovery2011]

Just a heads up. Sellers cant leave any feedback but positive. So seeing someone describe something bad about a buyer but positive feedback means the seller was mad enough to risk getting in trouble to say something negative. A buyer can flat out scam you and you still cant leave an unflattering comment about them.

[femmefan1946]

horrible review left for them, but the seller marked it as a positive review for some reason

Sellers can only leave positive feedback or no feedback. Remember almost the only ones who read feedback are future customers, who are not going to like a seller who bad mouths customers.

This has been true for about a decade.

my father's shop has a no return policy

If you plan to sell for him, he must understand that while eBay accepts No Returns, that does not mean No Refunds.

If he has a B&M shop and takes credit cards, he probably already knows that merchants can have a chargeback from an unhappy customer, and the credit card company may not require a return.

Personally I would tell the customer to return the entire lot for a full refund.

they live very close to here

Perhaps you could drive there and either show the customer where he's going wrong,or pick up the lot?

Would that be cheaper than a Return Shipping Label?

And even if the customer is as honest as he is ham-handed, you are not going to get back everything you sent. At least one small but important part rolled under the chesterfield and the cat has been playing with it for days. This is life.