Made a mistake in listing and buyer doesn't respond to emails, do I cancel the order?

[springhouseturtle1]

I listed an item for $20. It sold, but when I was packing it I noticed a couple of small flaws. I immediately emailed the buyer and asked if he still wanted the item. I got no response. I waited another day, emailed again, no response, waited to more days, and emailed a third time. Still, no response.

I need to ship the item tomorrow. If I don't ship it, I'll get dinged for late shipping. But if I send the flawed item to the buyer, he may open a case because it's not exactly as described.

What should I do? I'm thinking I'll cancel the order, relist it describing the flaws, and email the buyer (for a 4th tiime!) that I'm re-listing it, so he can buy it again.

Does this make sense? Or is there another option?

Thanks!

[findersltd]

If you cancel the order you will get a worse ding and that's a defect on your selling account. A few of those and you can loose your selling privileges. 

It's the holidays and there's a good chance that the buyer is out of town or just busy. I would wait until you hear back from the buyer. Once you explain the flaws if HE  wants to cancel the transaction, you will be able to use cancel by buyers request and should avoid the defect.

[emerald40]

In order to meet your shipping requirements, I would just send it out.

He can always file SNAD and return it.

Cancelling it without seller requested could result in the dreaded defect, so not a good idea.

In the future check all items periodically to catch recently occurring damage.

[a*river*runs*through*it]

@springhouseturtle1

I've had this happen a few times myself. I pulled buyer contact info, called the buyer, explained the problem and got an answer from the buyer.

[lintbrush*]

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@findersltd wrote:

If you cancel the order you will get a worse ding and that's a defect on your selling account. A few of those and you can loose your selling privileges. 

It's the holidays and there's a good chance that the buyer is out of town or just busy. I would wait until you hear back from the buyer. Once you explain the flaws if HE  wants to cancel the transaction, you will be able to use cancel by buyers request and should avoid the defect.

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That's deceptive no matter how you try to present it.  The reason the buyer would want to cancel is because the seller could not provide the item they purchased (condition-wise).   Sellers can survive a defect.  I have and all it did was annoy me when I saw it on the dashboard.  It fell off a year later.

I'd inform the buyer of the flaw(s) and offer a partial refund if they still wanted it.  If I didn't hear back from them and the flaws were acceptable in my opinion, I'd send it and likely issue a decent partial anyway and let them know why.

[stuff4divas]

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@springhouseturtle1 wrote:

I listed an item for $20. It sold, but when I was packing it I noticed a couple of small flaws. I immediately emailed the buyer and asked if he still wanted the item. I got no response. I waited another day, emailed again, no response, waited to more days, and emailed a third time. Still, no response.

I need to ship the item tomorrow. If I don't ship it, I'll get dinged for late shipping. But if I send the flawed item to the buyer, he may open a case because it's not exactly as described.

What should I do? I'm thinking I'll cancel the order, relist it describing the flaws, and email the buyer (for a 4th tiime!) that I'm re-listing it, so he can buy it again.

Does this make sense? Or is there another option?

Thanks!

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Did u message to their personal email for them to check their ebay messages? That email address is on the paypal transaction. People are more likely to periodically check their personal emails as opposed to their eBay emails.

[*eponymous*]

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@emerald40 wrote:

In order to meet your shipping requirements, I would just send it out.

He can always file SNAD and return it.

Cancelling it without seller requested could result in the dreaded defect, so not a good idea.

In the future check all items periodically to catch recently occurring damage.

---

Sending a SNAD to avoid a defect is cheating, and it is a loophole in the opened cases policy that ebay needs to close...now!

Maybe consider the buyer, not just how the seller could avoid consequences.

@springhouseturtle1 Cancel and take the defect, which is the only honest option available.

@Anonymous brian@ebay

[emerald40]

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@*eponymous* wrote:

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@emerald40 wrote:

In order to meet your shipping requirements, I would just send it out.

He can always file SNAD and return it.

Cancelling it without seller requested could result in the dreaded defect, so not a good idea.

In the future check all items periodically to catch recently occurring damage.

---

Sending a SNAD to avoid a defect is cheating, and it is a loophole in the opened cases policy that ebay needs to close...now!

Maybe consider the buyer, not just how the seller could avoid consequences.

@springhouseturtle1 Cancel and take the defect, which is the only honest option available.

@Anonymous brian@ebay

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Seller has tried to contact buyer numerous times to no avail.  What more can he do?

Seller now has to act in his own best interest.  That would be to send it within the allotted shipping time.

Cheating would have been to send it anyway without contact or refusing to accept a return.

[lex-talon]

I would just ship the item tomorrow. The buyer is probably away for the Holidays. They will let you know later if there's a problem with the item. 

[findersltd]

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@lintbrush* wrote:

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@findersltd wrote:

If you cancel the order you will get a worse ding and that's a defect on your selling account. A few of those and you can loose your selling privileges. 

It's the holidays and there's a good chance that the buyer is out of town or just busy. I would wait until you hear back from the buyer. Once you explain the flaws if HE  wants to cancel the transaction, you will be able to use cancel by buyers request and should avoid the defect.

---

That's deceptive no matter how you try to present it.  The reason the buyer would want to cancel is because the seller could not provide the item they purchased (condition-wise).   Sellers can survive a defect.  I have and all it did was annoy me when I saw it on the dashboard.  It fell off a year later.

I'd inform the buyer of the flaw(s) and offer a partial refund if they still wanted it.  If I didn't hear back from them and the flaws were acceptable in my opinion, I'd send it and likely issue a decent partial anyway and let them know why.

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I totally respect what your saying. I guess I should have put "could" instead of "should". The op originally said he was thinking of canceling and then relisting and letting the buyer know he did because of flaws. I was thinking more to give the buyer the option.  The buyer could then decide himself if it is acceptable, acceptable with a partial refund or forget it I want my money back. To just cancel and refund or to just send it as is in my opinion is not fair to buyer. I guess I'm looking as I would rather the seller give me my options. Some flaws you can live with some you can't. (I have a exhusband as proof)

[newnewnewmann]

Whatever you do, you'll probably hear back from the buyer just after you do it.

I think that's the Ebay Murphy Law.

I'm no help.

[springhouseturtle1]

Thanks for the suggestions. Buyer got back to me and asked to cancel. I am glad I didn’t have to send a flawed item, which might have upset the buyer. He is not happy that he didn’t get the item he wanted, but he would have been unhappier if it arrived and wasn’t as described. I’ll try harder not to miss any flaws, but I’m human and mistakes happen. 

[ed8108]

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emerald40 wrote:

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Seller has tried to contact buyer numerous times to no avail.  What more can he do?

Seller now has to act in his own best interest.  That would be to send it within the allotted shipping time.

Cheating would have been to send it anyway without contact or refusing to accept a return.

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In my opinion:   Unfortunately  too manny people place acting in their own best interest in first place, and prefer not to conduct themselves in the manner they would wish to be treated.

[jaaron7]

Since it's only a $20 item and the buyer hasn't responded, I'd ship it and refund his monies paid.  I'd then send another message through ebay letting him know that since you didn't here from him/her, you were cheerfully refunding his monies paid and still shipping the item.