eBay

kassitac0 · ‎01-14-2019

So over a month ago, Dec. 8th, I sold my laptop for $500. Now following my friends advice, I shipped it without a hard drive as there was a security risk with it. It took the buyer 2 weeks to finally check the laptop and find the issue. I apologized several times, I knew I messed up but wanted to fix it so out of my own money, I sent him a new hard drive as well as a flash drive that had windows 10 on it for him to install. Problem was, he couldn’t figure out how to do it, regardless of the instructions I gave him as well as plenty of online resources to find. This was last week and he then opened a return case under the basis of missing components but said he’d keep it if he got it to work which is why I tried to help him with the installation. He ended up taking it to a tech shop and claimed he got it working. The next day he says it’s not working anymore and wants to continue with the refund. Over 36 days after buying it. The laptop was in perfect working condition when I sold it and I tried to fix my mistake but that apparently doesn’t help as the advice a customer service person said was to talk to the buyer and if he doesn’t change his mind accept the refund and appeal the case to get him to pay for the shipping. Problem is, I don’t have the money anymore especially not after eBay took $70 for the fees. I waited almost a whole month before spending it as I’m trying to build my own pc here. So even though he broke the laptop and the basis that he’s trying to return it should be invalid, the seller still gets the short end of the stick? Should I try to contact him and talk it over? I don’t think I can get him to change his mind. I can offer the money he spent taking it to a tech shop but I’m not sure if that’d be enough for him and I don’t want to make things worse by waiting it out. Still kind of a new user her so any advice would help. Thanks.

snowic_49 · ‎01-14-2019

@jennzet-0 wrote:
All I can say is that the OP sent a new hard drive and the buyer accepted it.

Buyer should have returned everything for a refund.

Buyer should not have brought it to a repair shop.

I am only citing ebay rules for return and this negates buyer protection based on it.

DLP sent the laptop without a hard drive. they then chose to send the new hard drive and a flash drive rather than asking the buyer to return it. That's on them that's all on them.

And the buyer taking it to attack that's on them as well because the buyer receive a broken laptop.

I'm still amazed that you're trying to tell the seller how to wiggle out of this when it's all their fault.

Sometimes in life, you just have to put your big boy pants up suck it up and do the right thing.

lilbama911 · ‎01-14-2019

RE: I shipped it without a hard drive as there was a security risk with it.

The internet is a wealth of information. If you were concerned about data on your hard drive, you could have erased or wiped the hard drive cleaned rather than sell the lap top without the hard drive.

Your options would be to sell something urgently or add money to your Paypal account.

ferretofparis1922 · ‎01-14-2019

@jennzet-0 wrote:
All I can say is that the OP sent a new hard drive and the buyer accepted it.

Buyer should have returned everything for a refund.

Buyer should not have brought it to a repair shop.

I am only citing ebay rules for return and this negates buyer protection based on it.

The seller asked the buyer to do the altering so that defense is now useless and unethical.

snowic_49 · ‎01-14-2019

Honestly with the solution the op shows I have to wonder if the title of this thread should have "read help I try to scam somebody and it backfired", because the solution chosen is basically the scammiest possible solution to the problem

jennzet-0 · ‎01-14-2019

I believe you are referring to my response.

As I said, the seller did mess up. So the buyer should have filed snad and returned everything back. He should not have accepted the second package from the seller. And he should not have brought it to be fixed, thinking if it worked fine and if it did not I will just return it. Kind of like hedging your bet.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-14-2019

It seems that here was an inexperienced seller and an inexperienced buyer, with neither being aware of procedure.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-14-2019

@ferretofparis1922 wrote:
@jennzet-0 wrote:
All I can say is that the OP sent a new hard drive and the buyer accepted it.

Buyer should have returned everything for a refund.

Buyer should not have brought it to a repair shop.

I am only citing ebay rules for return and this negates buyer protection based on it.
The seller asked the buyer to do the altering so that defense is now useless and unethical.

Correct. Buyer tried to comply.

OP could have stated, Return for refund.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-14-2019

Buyer tried to work with seller. Buyer may not have known to file a case, anymore than the seller knew to not send the laptop without the hard drive.

tunicaslot · ‎01-15-2019

@snowic_49 wrote:
Honestly with the solution the op shows I have to wonder if the title of this thread should have "read help I try to scam somebody and it backfired", because the solution chosen is basically the scammiest possible solution to the problem

This is why as I tried to tell Brian - the solution checks are a joke. Wrong information being checked as a solution can lead another with the same problem down the wrong path. Even with Ebay messages - as of April 2018 - CS has been told that if a return request is opened - the seller must accept it and argue within the appeal once the item is returned and the case closed in the buyer's favor. The seller may receive his return shipping back - anything more is questionable.

In this case - the item was definitely SNAD without the hard drive - that being said - Ebay knows there are some who scam sellers here but they don't want to lose customers even on obvious scams so they would refund the buyers out of their own pocket which was costing too much $$ and loss. They instituted this new policy wherein they are only losing return shipping cost f the seller fights within the appeal and the seller absorbs the rest.

A seller can not trust that a buyer can correct the problem with instructions or new parts given after the fact. I'm tech challenged and even with all the videos in the world would not have attempted it. Yes the buyer should have immediately filed an SNAD but some sellers are convincing and some buyers do want to work with their sellers to correct the situation. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be in this case.