Do I have to take a return for an item the buyer falsely states is not as advertised?

[mister-moo]

I started selling and buying fairly big ticket items after a long hiatus and now I'm regretting coming back. It seems like a different place. Lots more scammers and dishonesty. 

Anyway, I have a buyer who claims an item is "not as advertised" because Bluetooth doesn't work. I know that Bluetooth works on this item. I tested it right before I put the item in the box. 

I've politely sent two emails with tips on how to get Bluetooth to work, one with a drawing from the manual (which I also included with the item, but lots of people don't read manuals). The buyer hasn't responded. I'm guessing she knows Bluetooth works. She just has buyer's remorse and wants her money back.

The language from eBay's web site says I must take back the item and pay return shipping. Is there anyway to get eBay to accept a seller's dispute and not enforce this draconian policy? Also, if and when I get back this item and can show it works just fine what, if anything, can I do to get my shipping costs back and report the buyer for a false return request?

I note that I have bought or sold 10 big ticket items over the last two months. Five of those transactions have not gone smoothly. On the buying end, I've had vendors try to sell me a used items as new, a stolen item, and a computer from an older model year than advertised. These are vendors with >99% ratings. On the selling end, I've now had two buyers make false claims in order to get a return. I never had anything close to this happen when I was actively involved with eBay years ago. The eBay community has changed and not for the better.

[retrose1]

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@mister-moo wrote:

Be that as it may, I decided to follow through on my hunch that the item I sold worked perfectly well and the buyer just had remorse. I offered the buyer a 15% refund, the amount I'd have to pay in shipping to get it back, if she kept the item. She accepted this offer. I consider that a big win for me relative to the alternative. Thanks again.

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Unfortunately what you have done is reward the buyer for their scamming and your refund will encourage them to do it again and again, probably for bigger and better items.

So on behalf of all ebay sellers - thanks.  (where is that sarcasm font)

By the way, if the buyer leaves you a feedback that mentions anything about refund or problem solver, or works with - you can count on it happening to you again and again.

[buyselljack2016]

@mister-moo

You made a decision that was good for you. I applaud that . 

I don't sell any big ticket items, but still have a bit of apprehension once it goes over $50.

[mistwomandancing]

Do I have to take a return for an item the buyer falsely states is not as advertised?

You do not have to accept returns.  If you don't want items returned, that is up to you.

You do have to give refunds, though... if a buyer files the item-not-as-described case against you, Ebay will want you to issue a return label for the buyer, yada, yada, yada...  don't comply, and take a smack.  It's up to you.  Not the smart decision though.

Most of us who do sales here understand that the occasional return request is going to become a pretty natural and normal part of sales.  It was in the brick & mortar stores, and it's continuing in online e-commerce.  It seems to me that the expectation of being able to return an item that turns out not to be what the buyer hoped and expected, is somewhat more common now than in the early years on online selling, but if you don't want to face this facet in sales, I think you're going to have to do the moving flea market thing, where you move from town to town and the buyers can never find you or catch up to you to get their money back.   

On eBay, you don't have to take your merchandise back, but those refunds are gonna' come out of your accounts when a buyer wins his case against you, and.. they usually do. 

[buyselljack2016]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

@mister-moo

You made a decision that was good for you. I applaud that . 

I don't sell any big ticket items, but still have a bit of apprehension once it goes over $50.

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@mister-moo

And to add to this.

Your buyer knew exactly what they were doing.  If they accepted the partial refund that would pretty much indicate the item was functional.

Without going back to read if anyone has suggested that you report this buyers actions, I would recommend that you do report them with the facts that you have. It won't get any money back for you, but if they get reported enough eBay will stop them from opening cases seeking refunds.

[mister-moo]

Just to note, she didn't seek the partial refund. I offered it on a hunch that she'd accept it. Recently another buyer on another item came back with a request for a partial refund two days before her ability to give a rating would expire. It was clear then what was happening, discount fishing. I just don't have the ability to deal with this kind of stuff without getting heartburn, am not built for retail sales on eBay. But for those who do it and do it honestly, I tip my hat. This is clearly a tough environment to make money.

[mistwomandancing]

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mister-moo wrote:

I realized that eBay is long ways away from its days of ordinary people like me selling and buying stuff they have lying around the house. It's now a big business

You know... you have grasped a fact that many here simply can't seem to understand and wrap their minds around.  You summed it up in just these few words!

Ebay now isn't the little auction site of eBay 1995.  It isn't the eBay of the year 2000 or the year 2010, or even of 2016.  Ebay has morphed from that little old-fashioned early site into the modern e-commerce multi-billion-dollar business it is today. 

There are still some here from the early days who wish eBay was still that small simple early site in fact and function.  I'm not sure it would still exist if it had remained like that though.  And those who wish it was still like that... don't have much of anywhere else to go to find that old-time way of selling online now.  There doesn't seem to be much demand for it anymore and everything has burst fully open into the present e-commerce world.

[dixiegran]

We as sellers have the option on returns of the buyer paying for returns. Is Ebay over riding this choice and always taking it from the seller's account no matter what we mark? Also I'm noticing my fees going up and up. I have the minimum store charge and the minimum for Auctiva and my total is running around 20% of my total sales. Anyone else have these problems?

[afl-coolstuff]

eBay is plain arrogant and one-sided when it comes to return.  we ill not seel anymore items that involve expensive shipping.  I don't agree in spreading the loss of some idiotic buyers among the honest ones as suggested in the reply.  Why a nice buyer whos trustworthy and willing to resolve a problem reassonably should opay for some scammer?  Let ebay loose biz and maybe new sites will raise with more fairness in their DNA.  ebay is becoming a market place for made in china products and knock-offs, it's becoming tto risky for legittimate small business.  And no US-based supervising team.... why? it's an American company, why can't we talk to somebody from the US when problem escalates?  the decision are taken by people completely disconnected from US reality that are only hired because they work at a fraction of minimum wage...

[reallynicestamps]

On the buying end, I've had vendors try to sell me a used items as new, a stolen item, and a computer from an older model year than advertised.

All of which are NotAs Described disputes, if you had cared enough to open them.

Your buyer does not want the gizmo.

Send her the Return Shipping Label.

If she does not use it , you don't have to pay for it and her Dispute dies on the vine.

When you get the gizmo back, refund her.

You wont' be able to leave feedback, which is a blessing because the only ones likely to read it are your future customers.

Relist the gizmo.

Move on.

Not every transaction will go perfectly. I've been around since 1998 and ,yes, there were all kinds of scammers then too.

We have Paypal because of the 'WesternUnion' scammers.

We have Held funds because of the scammers who never send anything.

We pay FVF on shipping because of the '99cent item/$99 shipping' scammers.

It's business not personal.

[carlmarxx]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

On the buying end, I've had vendors try to sell me a used items as new, a stolen item, and a computer from an older model year than advertised.

All of which are NotAs Described disputes, if you had cared enough to open them.

Your buyer does not want the gizmo.

Send her the Return Shipping Label.

If she does not use it , you don't have to pay for it and her Dispute dies on the vine.

When you get the gizmo back, refund her.

You wont' be able to leave feedback, which is a blessing because the only ones likely to read it are your future customers.

Relist the gizmo.

Move on.

Not every transaction will go perfectly. I've been around since 1998 and ,yes, there were all kinds of scammers then too.

We have Paypal because of the 'WesternUnion' scammers.

We have Held funds because of the scammers who never send anything.

We pay FVF on shipping because of the '99cent item/$99 shipping' scammers.

It's business not personal.

---

Based FBI  reports   stated  buyer fraud  for online has gone up past seller online  fraud  which has dropped  except for china still has problems of not fully controll sellers sell pirated  copyed name branded items , all though the chinese goverment has claim to start a  crack down on those chinese sellers .  Ad thing is ebays former ceo JD opened the gates to more retail return buyer fraud  . 

[sidemouse]

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@mister-moo wrote:

I started selling and buying fairly big ticket items after a long hiatus and now I'm regretting coming back. It seems like a different place. Lots more scammers and dishonesty. 

Anyway, I have a buyer who claims an item is "not as advertised" because Bluetooth doesn't work. I know that Bluetooth works on this item. I tested it right before I put the item in the box. 

I've politely sent two emails with tips on how to get Bluetooth to work, one with a drawing from the manual (which I also included with the item, but lots of people don't read manuals). The buyer hasn't responded. I'm guessing she knows Bluetooth works. She just has buyer's remorse and wants her money back.

---

I hate to tell you but on our selling account we get complaints of the technical nature a LOT and much like in your case it ALWAYS works once we inspect the return.  Not true, out of the last 5 returns of this nature FOUR worked and one didn't.

Which is still a pretty high ratio but let me cut a long story short:

We just got used to it, nowadays we're happy if we get an item back that we can easily resell.

Matter of fact we set our returns to "auto accept" since that's the way it's going to go anyhow.

That alone saves me a bit of heartburn now that I don't have to face a choice that isn't a choice to begin with.  Just auto-accept all returns, don't really care for the fact that ebay even plays it off like there's some sort of a choice. Best to operate in this environment with a certain mindset, I have learned.

[*help_no_brakes*]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

On the buying end, I've had vendors try to sell me a used items as new, a stolen item, and a computer from an older model year than advertised.

All of which are NotAs Described disputes, if you had cared enough to open them.

Your buyer does not want the gizmo.

Send her the Return Shipping Label.

If she does not use it , you don't have to pay for it and her Dispute dies on the vine.

When you get the gizmo back, refund her.

You wont' be able to leave feedback, which is a blessing because the only ones likely to read it are your future customers.

Relist the gizmo.

Move on.

Not every transaction will go perfectly. I've been around since 1998 and ,yes, there were all kinds of scammers then too.

We have Paypal because of the 'WesternUnion' scammers.

We have Held funds because of the scammers who never send anything.

We pay FVF on shipping because of the '99cent item/$99 shipping' scammers.

It's business not personal.

---

OP offered & the buyer accepted a partial refund back in June. 

It would appear that the partial refund performed a miracle & restored the item to full working order...just another partial scammer success story. 

[jad.past]

There is a "secret" place that you have to click for no returns. I have no returns. I called ebay and had them walk me thru it. NOT just in the listing. it is somewhere in account setting.. "CLICK no returns.. if there is an item you don't mind getting returned, you can always click "returns accepted" in the listing, but still have "no returns" in the account settings.. call ebay during daytime hours only , they are the most knowledgeable.

[Anonymous]

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@retrose1 wrote:

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@mister-moo wrote:

Be that as it may, I decided to follow through on my hunch that the item I sold worked perfectly well and the buyer just had remorse. I offered the buyer a 15% refund, the amount I'd have to pay in shipping to get it back, if she kept the item. She accepted this offer. I consider that a big win for me relative to the alternative. Thanks again.

---

Unfortunately what you have done is reward the buyer for their scamming and your refund will encourage them to do it again and again, probably for bigger and better items.

So on behalf of all ebay sellers - thanks.  (where is that sarcasm font)

By the way, if the buyer leaves you a feedback that mentions anything about refund or problem solver, or works with - you can count on it happening to you again and again.

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And another scammer makes a home run.....

[siayan]

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@mister-moo wrote:

Thanks for the comments. Very helpful. And quick! After reading these comments, I realized that eBay is long ways away from its days of ordinary people like me selling and buying stuff they have lying around the house. It's now a big business and the customer is always right. That big business is filled with a strange mix of perfectly decent vendors and buyers and shady buyers and sellers. There is no way to filter out the shady element. So I best just stay away from eBay in the future for buying anything other than 20 dollar and less stuff. The risk versus the reward for bigger ticket items is just too great. And I'm done with selling. I don't have the patience and stomach for retail sales in this environment. You are stronger than I am! I'm hanging up my seller badge.

Be that as it may, I decided to follow through on my hunch that the item I sold worked perfectly well and the buyer just had remorse. I offered the buyer a 15% refund, the amount I'd have to pay in shipping to get it back, if she kept the item. She accepted this offer. I consider that a big win for me relative to the alternative. Thanks again.

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Interesting to see someones perception that sold long ago and returned. We who have been here all along have been slow boiled to accept whatever comes down the pike. But we also have learned what to keep away from and one of those is electronics and phones. I think there are boards out there just like this one only the theme is how to scam an eBay seller. 

When I sit back and look at the big picture nothing has really changed for me. My sales go off smooth with very few exceptions but if I see all the problems here I could get heartburn worrying about it. Your category is a recipe for heartburn.