First free return, Item comes back damaged. What to do?

[performance_technology]

This is my first return where I offered free returns completely paid for by the seller (me).  The problem I'm having is the item I sold, a motherboard, was returned with damage to the point where it no longer functions.

There are multiple pins bent in the CPU socket and even one that is snaped off.  The pins aren't damaged in a way that would be indicative of shipping damage, which is usually all in one area of the socket.  The damaged is spread out accross about 8 pins.  In addition, there is thermal paste on a few of them from the buyer who returned the item.  Thermal paste is a compound applied on computer parts to transfer heat but if it gets into the CPU socket it can damage the motherboard.

I put a cover over the pins to protect them from shipping damage and could understand if a few pins were bent but not broken and especially not thermal paste which can short them.

Does anyone have any advice on how I should procede?  From what I've heard I should be able to deduct an amount from the refund total to cover damages but I don't want to get any defect on my account.

I'm contacting the buyer right now just to confirm their side of the story before I take any action.  Thank you all for your help!

[missjen831 · Accepted solution]

You can safely issue a partial refund up to 50% since you offer free returns. The buyer can ask eBay to step in and I THINK eBay will refund them the rest out of ebays pocket if it comes down to it. You won’t get a defect.

[performance_technology]

Thank you for the quick reply!  If that's the way it works that seems like a good option.  I contacted the buyer and will wait for them to reply before I take any action.  That's the least I can do is give everyone a chance to defend their position without jumping to action.  Will post back if anything strange happens, otherwise I'll mark your answer as the solution if everything goes smoothly.

[carlmarxx]

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@performance_technology wrote:

Thank you for the quick reply!  If that's the way it works that seems like a good option.  I contacted the buyer and will wait for them to reply before I take any action.  That's the least I can do is give everyone a chance to defend their position without jumping to action.  Will post back if anything strange happens, otherwise I'll mark your answer as the solution if everything goes smoothly.

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you have 2 days to refund buyers , the 6 day is gone  .  Just refund 50% back to that buyer  and move on .Before ebay jumps in to to refund the full amount.

[genv]

@performance_technology

You seem like an EXCELLENT Seller & a VERY kind person.

[sam9876]

I would try to get the buyer to say that they damaged the item.

[performance_technology]

Thank you, I really appreciate it.  Really one of the big reasons I like selling is the chance to help people.  That's why I always test the parts I get in to make sure they work and provide technical support whenever I can.  The biggest reward for me is when people send me pictures of their completed computer after they got stuck and overcame a challenge with a little help.

[missjen831]

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@performance_technology wrote:

Thank you, I really appreciate it.  Really one of the big reasons I like selling is the chance to help people.  That's why I always test the parts I get in to make sure they work and provide technical support whenever I can.  The biggest reward for me is when people send me pictures of their completed computer after they got stuck and overcame a challenge with a little help.

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I commend you for contacting the buyer and giving them a chance to explain! If they don’t respond by the end of the 2nd day, go ahead and refund whatever you feel is fair. You are well within your right to issue a partial. Good luck 🙂

[performance_technology]

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@sam9876 wrote:

I would try to get the buyer to say that they damaged the item.

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I'm not really a fan of tricking people.  Maybe he/she actually has a good explanation for what happened. 

[carlmarxx]

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@sam9876 wrote:

I would try to get the buyer to say that they damaged the item.

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Sam   far as know  the new  policy doesn't require getting the buyer to confess  they broke  it  . Griff didn't  on his  radio  show  did say it was need  on new  return damage  by the buyer.  I do agree  with you it can't hurt to get buyer on the record they broke it. 

[carlmarxx]

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@performance_technology wrote:

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@sam9876 wrote:

I would try to get the buyer to say that they damaged the item.

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I'm not really a fan of tricking people.  Maybe he/she actually has a good explanation for what happened. 

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I have seen number  of mod's on the powerseller boards  that  said seller needs to work the buyer into confessing   up  they broke the item and filed the phony snad . 

[sam9876]

If the buyer does say that they broke it, then the seller would be entitled to not issue a refund.

[performance_technology]

Alright so I just got a reply back from the buyer.  They state that the condition of the motherboard I got back is the condition they received it in.  The are two problem with that.

1. His original claim for returning the motherboard wasn't because it had broken pins or thermal paste in the socket.  He merely stated he had his friend, whom he claimed had 30 years experience with computers, tried everything to get it working but couldn't get it to boot into windows without crashing.  The first thing I thought was "How did such an experienced computer tech miss bent pins and thermal paste".  When you install the CPU into the motherboard, you have to look right at the pins when installing it to make sure it aligns correctly.  It would be pretty hard to miss.  Even if he missed it when installing the CPU, one of the basic troubleshooting steps is to take the CPU out and re-install it.  But let's assume that the computer tech missed that as well. He had to again take the CPU out all the while looking at the pins in order to ship the motherboard back to me.

2. None of that explains how thermal paste got into the socket.  I take really high detail pictures of the socket for my listings as it's very important that it be perfect.  I just double checked and there was certainly no thermal paste in there when I shipped.  The only explanation is that he applied it incorrectly (you would have to apply WAY too much for it to overflow into the socket) or mistakenly rubbed some against some of the pins.

I offered to help him get the system running back when he started the return but he outright refused to accept any help.

Looking at the CPU socket protector I put over the pins to protect them, there is no evidence that it was bent.  There would not only be visual bending if there was shipping damage but it would also be very easy to bend.  In addition, some of the bent pins are on the edge of the socket where there is a metal lip that blocks those pins from being damaged completely during shipping.

At this point I'm thinking he may not have a computer expert friend of 30 years and he accidentilly damaged the socket, which is honestly easy to do (which is why you put a cover over it for shipping).  I even did that when installing my first CPU over 18 years ago. 

I don't know, I'm definitely starting to lean towards damaged by user error but would like your guy's point of view before I make my final action.

[missjen831]

If I was the seller here.....I would definitely exercise my right to issue a partial refund. He isn’t being truthfull. 

[garmentvarmint2004]

JEN

Hmm....  This seems  to be  a  rule  I was not aware of.  You said the seller could safely offer a  refund of 50%???  And Ebay allows that to be  done?  
And then you said the buyer might get aa FULL  refund from  Ebay itself? 

Well  I did not know that Ebay would ever take the  seller's  word for it--in on  ANY  Snad case.    That seems  like a BIG change in Policy.  I am suprised I missed    conversations  about that change ---on the  Discussion Boards.  

hat