Need HELP with handling a return request - abusive buyer or scam?

[stalco01]

I sold an MSRP $1600 camera used for $950 to a (0) rating buyer. Eighteen days later, he opens an "item not as described" return request.

In the listing, I described the item saying, " I bought it new at a store in August 2019". He is taking the position I implied the camera was manufactured in 2019. I don't know when the camera was manufactured. The camera was originally released in 2015, and it is still being sold "new" in stores today. The manual has a 2014 copyright registration mark, which made him go ballistic. The registration of the copyright has nothing to do with manufacturing date. The camera has only 4000 shutter clicks; it is rated for 500,000; it is basically new.

We went through 31 emails of him asking all kinds of questions and me patiently and timely answering. It got to the point where he started swearing at me. I kept my calm, and his last email was, in short, "It's ok. I apologize. You took good care of me. The camera takes great pictures." Eight days later, he files a return request because I supposedly lied in the listing. It's getting kind of abusive. Crazy.

I would love to decline the return request, but that option is not available. I had a no return policy in my listing. Here is what I am afraid of: I accept the return, and the buyer sends me a broken camera back. He also said he used it. Do I have to deal with this madness? What do I do?

[ljmgoods]

they don't  you  lose  you have to refund  and  if they don't send  back ....e  bay  don't care  were sellers

[dippitydoo]

Sorry to hear you are going through this grief!  It's an unfortunate side effect of selling, but we all have returns, and having a "no return" policy really doesn't do anything for you..., as you've now seen, it does not deter buyers from filing return cases.  

Had you implied the camera was "practically new" like you mentioned?  4000 shutter clicks is aprox. 110 rolls of film use, I certainly wouldn't consider that kind of use as being practically new.   At any rate, it is odd that the buyer did say it took nice photos, so not sure why he isn't happy with his camera!  Best of luck!

-Dippity

[ljmgoods]

e bay don't care  if you say 30days  free refund  5 days free  refund  even if you say no refunds  e bay don't care buyer is  always right 

[ljmgoods]

yea then you get dinged on account  for  no response do that a few times  and you  will  end up like  me top rated seller to below average . 

[ljmgoods]

for 10 years seller  is on the back burner  buyer always right .........say if every seller  that sales  on  e bay  quits ...and there are  no  items  for  buyers  to  buy .............e bay  who 

[ljmgoods]

i worked  for  sears  for  25 years . they got greedy  just  like e bay  is . all  about  the  mighty dollar ....i get that .but  now they  bite  the hands  that fed  them all  these  years ..

[kensgiftshop]

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@stalco01 wrote:

How does eBay protect sellers, to make sure they get back what they shipped?

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They don't.

Buyer can send back a box of dog poo and they still get their refund.

[ljmgoods]

right on  i agree

[releasethekraken_1]

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@dippitydoo wrote:

Had you implied the camera was "practically new" like you mentioned?  4000 shutter clicks is aprox. 110 rolls of film use, I certainly wouldn't consider that kind of use as being practically new.

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OP listed it as "Used", and said it "basically LOOKS new", so I don't think they went out of bounds.

Is 4,000 actuations on a shutter rated for 500,000 "practically new"? That's a gray area, but since the OP didn't claim that the mechanisms were "practically new", it's a moot point.

[azh-71]

Unfortunately, buying an expensive-ish camera for an event and then returning it for a whatever reason is a common occurrence.  Which is how I learned to avoid selling cameras during the holiday and graduation seasons.  Also, I'd never list it as a kit.

[tutwa-20]

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@stalco01 wrote:

It seems that I have no choice, but to accept a return, despite the no return policy.

How does eBay protect sellers, to make sure they get back what they shipped?

Half of the emails were during the listing, the other half after the auction closed.  I should have blocked the bidder., but thought everybody starts with (0) history.

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This is what we call gaining experience, none of us came here knowing what to do, we all had to learn somehow.  It's not particularly pretty at each turn but now you know, what to do in the future... We could've told you but I'm not sure it would've changed much, but this community has a lot of good, helpful advice...
Should you decide to come here and read the daily threads, that would likely help you quite a bit.

[tutwa-20]

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@ljmgoods wrote:

i worked  for  sears  for  25 years . they got greedy  just  like e bay  is . all  about  the  mighty dollar ....i get that .but  now they  bite  the hands  that fed  them all  these  years ..

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They don't just bite the hand that feeds them, they eat their own hand to survive and they've been doing that for as long as I can remember. I have watched ebay's antics with sheer amazement over the years, most of us... If we did what ebay does we would be out of business, how do they get away with it, that is the mystery... They won't get away with it forever, but leave it to the corporate mindset and the actions of individual employees to completely and thoroughly fart up a really good thing.
Believe it or not...
Google has started to go down this same road.
Actually, so has Walmart.
Not sure about Amazon but only because I never go there.
It happened to Sears, sure did.
Oh, and Yahoo...
Omg, they're right on the heels of where Sears just went.
I remember them in their heyday...
Sad, to see these things.

[philipcares]

Learn from your mistakes and move on.  The first sign of any abuse you should block them immediately.  

Good luck.

[estate-stuff77]

This post is old but I absolutely LOVE how some replies state that you should just let the buyer keep a $950 camera! And most CLEARLY don't get that 4000 actuations is NOTHING for a camera....hey, let me put that in perspective for you non-camera guys who are giving out bad advice/trying to impune the seller's reputation....it's like buying a seven or eight year old car with 2000 miles on the clock......its NOTHING! Get it now? Do some research before bellowing.


Yeah, ebay will always screw you, doesn't matter the condition you write in the title/description/ebay condition and the follow up window, it costs them nothing to make YOU pay.  Just be careful of scammers returning broken/damaged items.