Item doesn't work

[filemart]

I had an iPod shuffle 2nd gen listed. A buyer paid for it. It worked when I listed it, but when I tested it, it won't take a charge. I thought I could fix it, but have had no luck. It's my thought that the battery is dead. I want to be completely honest and above board as a seller and don't want anyone to have a bad experience. How should I handle it at this point? I could buy a battery and replace it, but I'm not an authorized technician, so I couldn't put much of a warranty on the item. I'm still working on it this evening, but feel I should be transparent withj the buyer about the condition of the item. AS I said, it did work when I listed it. I'm going to attempt to plug it in on an older windows computer that has itunes as a last ditch effort to get it to take a charge, but then I am going to have to let the seller know if it doesn't work. It's an old iPad and my Mac M1 doesn't have itunes. I want to do what's right without taking a negative hit on my store. I haven't been doing this for very long so I need positive feedback. Any advice is appreciated greatly! Thank you! -M- 

[reallynicestamps]

End the listing.

It costs nothing to end a listing.

If you ship it and the buyer complains, even if you say the thing doesn't work  and his complaint is that it doesn't work, you will pay shipping, then the  refund price plus shipping , and pay for return shipping.

End the listing,

Sell locally, as is, and the buyer can test it before paying ... cash.

End the listing.

[filemart]

So, since the buyer paid, is there a best way to go about getting the money refunded without having any negative effect on my store? I'm just wanting to be transparent about it because the last thing I want to do is rip somebody off. I test everything before I list but this one seems to have bit me. I'm glad I tested it again before sending it out. I'm honestly a noob and am trying to learn the ins and outs, the do's and don'ts and keep my mistakes to a bare minimum. Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it! -M-

[reallynicestamps]

I missed that the item has sold.

Sorry.

Explain the problem and ask if the buyer wants to cancel.

He will likely agree and then you cancel.

It is important to have the buyer's permission so that there is no blowback.

They will be able to leave feedback.

I hope this was listed at FixedPrice and was not a single bid Auction. Those are harder to handle successfully.

Don't list broken stuff. EBay allows it, but eBay does a lot of stupid stuff.

Those who successfully sell "as is" mostly seem to be specialists in their field and have built in the costs of failed transactions to their business plan.

[reallynicestamps]

BTW-- you pay a fee for the sub-title and it isn't Searchable.

If you put the same information into your Description, it is FREE and Searchable.

[filemart]

It was not an auction item and I did test it before I listed it and it worked fine. It sat on the shelf for a month or so and then it was purchased. Since it had sat for awhile, I re-tested it before I sent it off. I haven't purchased the label yet as I have until Tuesday to ship the item. My thought is that all I can really do is notify the buyer of the situation, refund his money, and hope he appreciates my honesty. If I were in that situation, I would rather know about the item, rather than receiving a malfunctioning piece of junk and having to go through the return hassle, plus, I don't want to pay the shipping twice. I have one more option with the older windows desktop that does have itunes. The iPod is from 06 so it might not even be compatible with the Macbook I use. Again, thank you for the advice. I'm thinking no more old electronics. I've just been trying to sell different items and settle into a niche. Old electronics might not be the best idea. Live and learn, right? I'm pretty good with a soldering iron, so I'm sure I'll get it fixed just so it doesn't get the best of me and then throw it in the trash. I'm a sore loser. Anyhow, I appreciate your time and insight! -M-