Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

[wheredidiputthatremote]

I am angry.  Been doing this since 2011 and I do my very best to kill my customers with kindness no matter what.  But this one got me.  Sold a 18" Nowell Mold Light Up Tree.  It took me 2 hours to pack it up - top and the base in two separate boxes and then inside one big box.  The buyer gets it and messages me that she wants a "return tag" it wasn't what she expected.  I'm thinking maybe she isn't familiar with the imperial system where 18" is 18 inches.  Maybe she thought it was a 18' (foot) Ceramic Christmas tree.  So I ask her to explain.

A day later she opens up a return for "doesn't seem authentic".  Like people forge christmas tree molds with the stamp "nowell molds" on the bottom.  So I respond with a partial refund of 50% offer - telling her please accept my offer - it took me 2 hours to pack this up in three boxes and I know it's going to come back in pieces if you ship it back to me.  Two days go buy and tonight I get a message that she rejected my offer.  Whomp whomp whomp.  

So what choice do I have other than to accept her return?  Nothing.  Everytime I call a CS rep or message Ebay for Business on FB it's the same thing - accept the return or wait for it to be escalated.  So naturally - I caved and accepted the return.  I'm not expecting it back in one piece - and I am at peace with that.  It's just that I bust my hump to do this - and ya I know "it's the cost of doing business".  But isn't this abuse of the return policy?  And if it is - what recourse do I have.  I'll answer my own question honestly: None.

4th quarter - the time of year every seller waits for is here.  I've kept up with all the seller updates with the "seller's should" suggestions - and a lump of coal it is.  Bummed out.

[tunicaslot]

Not sure how the OP packed - but retrose taught me how to ship fragile items using plastic bags and spray foam insulation which has to set. If the OP did something similar than it may have taken that long - or like me they were hunting around for the right size boxes. I was up and down the stairs 3 times the other day before I found one that I felt comofrtable using so that the item wouldn't get bent or crushed.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

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I wonder if she thought it was one of those mass produced ceramic Christmas trees~as I think yours is one that is hand made.

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The contemporary mass produced ones of a similar look usually go for between $25-40 and they're not clearly stamped with Nowells and the 70s year of production. I'm sure the buyer didn't think it was a fake vintage piece.

There are several vintage 70s 18" Nowells listed on eBay for about 40-50% of what the buyer paid, some with make offer. The buyer probably had remorse about the price.

Although the OP did offer a 50% refund and the buyer declined. Maybe they wanted a $25 mass produced contemporary model.

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I wouldn't get it confused with the contemporary ones but that was what I came up with to possibly justify the, not what I expected, comment.  Of course I could be wrong!  Your info about price could very well have figured into a buyer's remorse situation, even with the 50% refund~we just don't know.

[Anonymous]

I don't think the buyer would have been confused either. They shelled out almost $200 for the tree.

They changed their mind, they had remorse on the price, they missed the size in the listing, or they just didn't like it. Whatever the reason they lied and filed SNAD to avoid return shipping.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't think the buyer would have been confused either. They shelled out almost $200 for the tree.

They changed their mind, they had remorse on the price, they missed the size in the listing, or they just didn't like it. Whatever the reason they lied and filed SNAD to avoid return shipping.

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That would seem to be the case.  I was just trying to justify the, not what I expected, logically.  Silly me.  Yes, changed their mind, remorse on the price, didn't understand the size, or just didn't like it.  For whatever reason, they filed that SNAD and now they won't have to pay return shipping.  

[emerald40]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't think the buyer would have been confused either. They shelled out almost $200 for the tree.

They changed their mind, they had remorse on the price, they missed the size in the listing, or they just didn't like it. Whatever the reason they lied and filed SNAD to avoid return shipping.

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Yes and as long as ebay remains a 3rd party who does not see the item coming or going, buyers can make up any reason they want for returning an item and ebay will believe them.

Sellers can do everything right and they will still lose if a buyer decides to return an item.  And that means lying to avoid paying return shipping.

That is why I who started out with no returns stopped banging my head against the wall and accepted this.

[emdarling]

Sorry to hear of bad buyer.   I just sold a similar item and DIDN’T spend enough time packing it, and it arrived broken.  There was a repair that was disclosed in my description and it cracked there and another place.  I am refunding in full, obviously, and don’t want it shipped back.   Your case sucks that you took so much time to package and someone who doesn’t look at descriptions takes advantage.  At least there is a CHANCE you can get it back and relist while still in holiday season.  Good Luck

[dtexley3]

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@tunicaslot wrote:

Not sure how the OP packed - but retrose taught me how to ship fragile items using plastic bags and spray foam insulation which has to set. If the OP did something similar than it may have taken that long - or like me they were hunting around for the right size boxes. I was up and down the stairs 3 times the other day before I found one that I felt comofrtable using so that the item wouldn't get bent or crushed.

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Spray foam and plastic bags!!!  A floodlight just went on in my peabrain.... I do on occasion have extrememly fragile items with no original box... Spray foam and plastic bags... now if I just didn't live in a town with idiots that think plastic bags are the work of evil.

[jason_incognito]

My first question is how is it in the original box? These were made in people's homes using those molds? That one loses me.

But I have packed and shipped one of these, and I still have 4 here that I have out right now. They are a bear to pack. At least you got a decent price. I auctioned one that was in a "wrong" category so a search of "ceramic tree" didn't return mine...... It sold for $20. With snow and a music box.

Bet she expected machine made. One of those people that would complain that the painting you sold had brushmarks. For what I paid, I expect there to not be brushmarks!

Or maybe the color didn't match her drapes? or it just looked wrong in the spot she bought it for......