Packaging

[retromedia2]

Last week I sold this item to a guy in Fairview CAFront on

Where it's been for 17 yearsThe broken piece top left

Completely new and except for that triangular piece of plastic that was broken off either by the shippers or someone else - I have no idea. However it WAS shown (and explained) via that last image above in the listing. I mention that in case it becomes an issue later.

This morning I received FOUR successive emails from the buyer simply saying "look at these photos" nothing else.......yet!  The pictures did show damage to the outer box not drastic but not good either from USPS's viewpoint.  Funnily enough this was the ONLY package I didn't photograph of everything sold this year. The box was new - unmarked, the EBay label similarly pristine. In twenty years on eBay I have never had a shipping complaint - quite the reverse if you check my Feedback. So at this point - No threats, no demand for a refund NO images of any damage to the Blade Runner box or any of its contents. As I said to him in a return email.  "What is it you're saying?  the box is damaged, opened or broken somehow?  Just these four emails with images to slight damage to the box and its corners......don't tell me anything."  I also pointed out that the contents were packed in that box tightly....plenty of heavy paper packing to prevent movement......and the box itself further cushioned by a double layer of bubble-wrap. That box could have been tossed off the Empire State Building and sustain no damage to the contents. (He hasn't yet said there WAS any). I mentioned that I had witnesses to the condition of the box when shipped including the girl at the USPS office who usually takes my stuff.  

What I'm asking the forum is IF he starts making demands and showing pictures of damage to the contents

or even theft,  is eBay going to just turn around (as they did once when I sold a rare Underground train set

to a guy in London and it never got there "Well you sold it.....the guy didn't get it - it's YOUR problem. Refund the money - $500 as I recall plus postage plus LOSING a $500 item.  USPS was never held responsible even though tracking showed it arrived in the UK (It then disappeared off the radar). It was held to be my fault!  Case closed. Now, this guy may or may not be a scammer......someone within USPS could easily have opened it, causing the damage I see in the images he sent me. I assume Ebay could always check and see if he has a history of claims on sellers.

Any suggestions would be helpful. Obviously I must await his next move.

[bashort]

the only real choice that you have is if he claims damaged accept the return. Personally I would not offer a partial refund.

As far as the USPS paying on a damage claim, that is just not going to happen in my opinion. They have basically closed the insurance claims paying department at USPS while keeping the premium collecting department open for business as a cost saving measure.

[jonathanbrightlight]

That should not have been listed as Brand New. If your written description disagrees with the stated Condition, it’s still a valid Item Not As Described claim.

If the buyer opens a return request, provide a shipping label and refund them once you received the returned item, or you can save the cost of the return label and just refund them without requiring a return. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

It ain't new. If the buyer opens an INAD claim, send a prepaid label and refund in full on receipt.

No photos that you have or forget to take would matter.

If you allow Ebay to step in you will lose the item and Ebay will refund the buyer and not refund any of your selling fees.

If you have done anything wrong, you lose an INAD claim. If you have done nothing wrong you will almost always lose an INAD claim.

The temptation to over-grade is to be resisted, since the buyer is always right when that happens.

[inhawaii]

I don't know why so many sellers flat out refuse to give a partial refund.

I will offer a partial refund if it meets these two criteria...

#1) Both the buyer and seller can agree on a amount.

#2) Giving a partial refund SAVES me money vs. a return.

We're in business to make money. If I can save money buy giving a partial refund, I will.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@inhawaii wrote:

I don't know why so many sellers flat out refuse top give a partial refund.

---

I think it is a combination of frugality and paranoia which drives that refusal.

[kandf_vintage_finds]

I agree with inhawaii 100%

For some maybe for the principal of the situation?

[baydealz]

I agree with the previous message about frugality and paranoia, but we survive.   The easy answer and possibly most reasonable, even from business standpoint is to just kick back a few bucks - BUT, THIS is exactly what some seek.  It's like the buyers in real life who lowball you to come and look at an item, then want further discount....most people cave, I'm just done with them.  I won't be exploited either way.  So they threaten return, I let them, even on my dime, which often calls their bluff, or I get it back and review to see if they were right or not.  The other risk, like this case, is that it was a switched item - collectors are this way, buying something so they can exchange their scratched item - you really gotta get the item back in this case to see if it truly was the one you sent.  I've asked in here about 'asset protection tags' of sorts.    I don't get worked up over 'losing a sale,' I sell value, not scams.  Someone else will come along.  Yes I'm paranoid, but rarely wrong.  If they return it and I see issue, I refund, everyone wins.  If issue was shipper, there's insurance routes for that, but I've not done that.  But yes, you gotta inspect/photo every angle, regardless if eBay cares or not.  

We gotta start standardizing on answering buyers.  Amazon has trained them that they can buy and try and send back in any condition, on Amazon cost.  I can't be that way.  eBay claims they will protect against that (damaged, used, opened/different condition), but... maybe...

[christworks]

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@inhawaii wrote:

I don't know why so many sellers flat out refuse top give a partial refund.

I will offer a partial refund if it meets these two criteria...

#1) Both the buyer and seller can agree on a amount.

#2) Giving a partial refund SAVES me money vs. a return.

We're in business to make money. If I can save money buy giving a partial refund, great.

---

I would agree with you, if you had one more criterion: The seller knows they messed up.

Savvy buyers and scammers know sellers who are afraid of negative feedback, don't want to take a loss on an item, etc., are their friend. They will try you. I'll share with you my data from 2025:

I've had 15 returns opened this year. Of those, 6 sent the item back. Two of those 5 sent their item back after the return window passed. One of those I gave a partial refund to because I told her I would. The other I did not because he was nearly two months past when eBay closed out the return.  Three of the 6 that returned lied about the return reason. Those buyers were reported and eBay refunded me the cost of the return shipping label. I offer free returns and withhold original shipping charges when I issue refunds as long as it isn't an INAD. My total loss on these six returns is less than $30, and all of those items were relisted and most have sold again. 

Three of the 15 I fully refunded without the need for a return, but one of those I messed up on and meant for the buyer to return it but got keystroke happy.  The other two I refunded without the buyer returning the item because I had messed up.

Seven of 15 returns opened, the buyer did not return the item. The total value of those sales exceeds $300.00. A partial refund would have cost me more. Yes, there is some gamble that the buyer won't return. But buyers generally do not like to return stuff. It is a hassle, and that is what I bank on. In all likelihood most of these buyers were hoping I would give them a partial refund because they want to keep the item. There wasn't really anything wrong with it. 

This does not even get into the buyers who messed and asked for partial refunds, but when I told them I would require the return of the item, they suddenly vanished. 

I used to do partial refunds. It "felt" like I was always being scammed. I made the change to no refund without return and I have been much happier. Yes, that can, under the right circumstances result in me taking a loss on a low dollar item if my gamble that the buyer won't return does not work out. I look at the big picture, though, and I save because of it. 

I also do free returns. If I did not accept returns, then a different approach may be needed if a buyer has an issue. I think sellers have to figure out what works for them. There are a million ways to do things and have good results. 

[luckythewinner]

USPS was never held responsible even though tracking showed it arrived in the UK (It then disappeared off the radar).

Why would the USPS be held responsible for a failure by the Royal Mail? 

No threats, no demand for a refund

{snip}

 I mentioned that I had witnesses to the condition of the box when shipped 

I try to avoid provoking buyers unnecessarily. They can do quite a lot of damage to a seller if they are determined. 

Ebay could always check and see if he has a history of claims on sellers.

If your buyer is a scammer, he knows your threat about "witnesses" is an empty one. 

[msha3839]

I wouldn’t call it frugality, because seller have to pay for return shipping and in many cases it can eat most of the profit and create unnecessary aggravation for  buyer..partial refund is a logical choice in many cases..

[onlinecentral]

There was a discussion a few weeks ago. A seller sold a motherboard for a computer. The buyer tightened down a screw, when another screw was underneath the motherboard. That caused the motherboard to warp, damaging it somewhat.

The buyer sent photos of the damaged motherboard. He didn't accuse the seller of a poor packaging job, never asked for a refund, didn't start a return case and didn't blame the USPS. I don't know the eventual outcome.

The messages were sent to see if the seller would offer a partial or full refund.

There is a possibility that this buyer dropped the suitcase that encloses the movie and the damage is the buyer's fault.

This discussion reminds me of that other discussion. In this case there have been, "FOUR successive emails from the buyer simply saying, "look at these photos" nothing else". Is this buyer testing what this OP is willing to do?

[kensgiftshop]

Had it 17 years and the case was damaged, it wasn't new.

The condition when it was shipped doesn't mean anything, it's what the buyer says they received.

If the buyer files an INAD, you won't have many choices.

[johnrj1226]

1.  You sold this item as a New Item as described in your listing.  Here is a copy and paste of that description

Item specifics

Condition

Brand New: An item that has never been opened or removed from the manufacturer’s sealing (if applicable). Item is in original shrink wrap (if applicable). See the seller's listing for full details. See all condition definitions

2.  In your listing you do  have a pic that I can see the  missing piece triangle as  it is sitting on your shelf for 17 yeas as you stated.  Feel certain some one at least dusted  that book shelf at  least once and could have dropped it - hmm while in in your  position.

3.  eBay policy is that the seller is fully responsible for delivering a paid for item in the same condition as described in the sellers listing.

4.  Sorry  but you need to advise the buyer too "return for refund" and send the buyer a full return label  eBay's 30 Day Money Guarantee has  the buyers back.   Should eBay gets involved you just may have to give a FULL refund and the buyer can keep the  item  as  you have a "no return" policy.

PS:  Hired these  two guys to  help me  dig out my info

[pickapaper]

@inhawaii wrote:  

"I don't know why so many sellers flat out refuse to give a partial refund.

I will offer a partial refund if it meets these two criteria...

#1) Both the buyer and seller can agree on a amount.

#2) Giving a partial refund SAVES me money vs. a return.

We're in business to make money. If I can save money buy giving a partial refund, I will."

I agree with these but I also have a third criteria in my list:  the buyer's attitude.  If they just explain the problem without getting nasty or making accusations, I will be a lot more willing to work with them however they want to work it out.  Rude or nasty doesn't go very far with me.