Please help me understand this

[admac_9655]

I sold an iPhone 12 on eBay. The buyer acknowledges that they received the phone in full working order and that it worked fine for a week. They are claiming that the phone went into restore mode. I denied the request to allow the return. eBay stepped in to settle the case and sided with the buyer. He can now return the phone to me. So I'm out a phone and I'm sure eBay will attempt to recover the funds from me. To further exacerbate the situation, there is another seller on eBay that is dealing with the same issue with the same buyer. I feel as though I'm in some kind of alternate reality. How can a buyer, who acknowledges receiving a perfectly functioning phone, suddenly demand a return when the item is damaged outside of the seller's control? 

[m60driver]

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@admac_9655 wrote:

How can a buyer, who acknowledges receiving a perfectly functioning phone, suddenly demand a return when the item is damaged outside of the seller's control? 

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Ebay is the absolute worst platform to sell an iPhone because scammers know how to game the system and Ebay refuses to deal with the problem.  The simplest solution would be for Ebay to prevent inexperienced sellers like yourself from listing expensive electronic items that are very high on the scammer's lists.  Alas, because you denied the request to return (you probably would not have received the item you sent) you will now be out the phone and the funds.  

[donsdetour]

you refused return; eBay refunded for you:

You gave away the item because you did not want the return.

No return does not  equal no refund.

You agree tot he money back guarantee by selling on eBay.

Expensive  lesson to learn the hard way....

Nothing you can do about it. except learn from your mistake.

[ittybitnot]

you refused return; eBay refunded for you:

@donsdetour 

It is my understanding that the seller can refuse a return if it is passed the 30 day mark.  If you look at the OP's sold items, the phone is not even there indicating it is perhaps  an OLD(er) transaction.   When a seller refuses the return on a transaction that old, the buyer must go to their payment source for redress.  It is not certain if that is the case.  In the chargeback (payment dispute) scenario, a return of the merchandise may not be required in order for the buyer to get a full refund from the seller's proceeds anyway. 

[donsdetour]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

you refused return; eBay refunded for you:

@donsdetour 

It is my understanding that the seller can refuse a return if it is passed the 30 day mark.  If you look at the OP's sold items, the phone is not even there indicating it is perhaps  an OLD(er) transaction.   When a seller refuses the return on a transaction that old, the buyer must go to their payment source for redress.  It is not certain if that is the case.  In the chargeback (payment dispute) scenario, a return of the merchandise may not be required in order for the buyer to get a full refund from the seller's proceeds anyway. 

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30 days after the item is delivered by the way not the sold date.

If this was a payment dispute it can even be longer....

[kensgiftshop]

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@admac_9655 wrote:

How can a buyer, who acknowledges receiving a perfectly functioning phone, suddenly demand a return when the item is damaged outside of the seller's control? 

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Because Ebay has a 30 day MBG.

When was the iPhone sold, I only see 2 iPads that were sold in July.

[monster-deals]

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@admac_9655 wrote:

I denied the request to allow the return. 

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I don't think you did.

[fab_finds4u]

You said eBay stepped in and sided with the buyer, He can now return the phone to me. So I'm out a phone,,,,   

How will you be out a phone if he can now return it?  The only way you're out a phone is if you don't  provide a return label.

[lamber9347]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

you refused return; eBay refunded for you:

@donsdetour 
It is my understanding that the seller can refuse a return if it is passed the 30 day mark.  If you look at the OP's sold items, the phone is not even there indicating it is perhaps  an OLD(er) transaction.   When a seller refuses the return on a transaction that old, the buyer must go to their payment source for redress.  It is not certain if that is the case.  In the chargeback (payment dispute) scenario, a return of the merchandise may not be required in order for the buyer to get a full refund from the seller's proceeds anyway. 

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The phone is under OP's feedback left for others, where they wrote negative comments under a positive rating, same iPhone 12. Seems to be a recent transaction....

[donsdetour]

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@lamber9347 wrote:

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@ittybitnot wrote:

you refused return; eBay refunded for you:

@donsdetour 
It is my understanding that the seller can refuse a return if it is passed the 30 day mark.  If you look at the OP's sold items, the phone is not even there indicating it is perhaps  an OLD(er) transaction.   When a seller refuses the return on a transaction that old, the buyer must go to their payment source for redress.  It is not certain if that is the case.  In the chargeback (payment dispute) scenario, a return of the merchandise may not be required in order for the buyer to get a full refund from the seller's proceeds anyway. 

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The phone is under OP's feedback left for others, where they wrote negative comments under a positive rating, same iPhone 12. Seems to be a recent transaction....

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Low feedback seller item with high dollar phones: yep what could go wrong with this????

Yep this sellers got scammed most likly with no way to do a thing about it because they refused the return.

And since I can not see date sold.......

Still a expensive way to learn that eBay is not safe to sell on: especially in high risk areas such as phones....

I am glad this seems to been the only one they have had this happen with.

[craigstevensstudio · Accepted solution]

ebay ALWAYS sides with buyer. no matter what.  (when you sell on ebay you run the risk of having ANY BUYER  open a dispute.  when they do, ebay gives them their money back and if you are LUCKY the buyer sends you your item back. if you are NOT LUCKY  they keep both the item and  get their money back.   i have sold on ebay for over 16 years and this is a ugly secret ebay does not want sellers to know.

[dbfolks166mt]

     You can pretty much bet that eBay is going to take the funds from your checking account to refund the buyer. There is a high probability that you will not get the phone back because as donsdetour noted you do not accept returns, which as others mentioned already does NOT mean no refunds. 

     EBay is probably also going to retain their fees and you will mostly likely get dinged for the case not being resolved by seller resolution. I.E. eBay had to settle and close the case. 

     Your loss is going to be whatever you paid for the phone + eBay fees + shipping cost. Little consequence but you can write this off on your taxes. You can also add the buyer to your BBL. Not sue how you know another seller had the same problem with the same buyer but if you have information to substantiate that you can always report the buyer. 

[admac_9655]

I know the buyer had a similar situation because I checked the buyers feedback and contacted that seller. It is almost the same situation. 

So the buyer received a fully functional phone, broke it, and still gets their money back? In what world is this logical? 

Obviouly I’m done with selling on eBay, but I’m going to fight this. 

[m60driver]

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@admac_9655 wrote:

So the buyer received a fully functional phone, broke it, and still gets their money back? In what world is this logical? 

Obviouly I’m done with selling on eBay, but I’m going to fight this. 

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This, buyer breaking something immediately after purchase and then returns item, has been going on since time immemorial.  Welcome to retail.  And why would you waste your time fighting over this.  You need to be more judicious in choosing your battles as this is a nearly hopeless cause.

[wrong66]

There's nothing to fight at this point. You chose not to deal with the return, so eBay was forced to. If you sell somewhere else, learn their return policies BEFORE you list anything. It's all in black and white, just as eBay's policies are.