Question on top rated returns 50% refund deduction

[tthodgepodge]

If the customer returns an item that was New sealed in box but now is opened and used, It obviously can't be sold as "New" anymore.  How does the 50% refund deduction work?  Does it come out of the buyers pocket or ebay's?

My dilemma is, the product was a 25+ year old toy.  I didn't really expect it to function like it was brand new, it's more of a collectors item.  However, I also didn't mention that anywhere in the listing and the buyer opened it up and apparently tried to play with it.  I don't think this is the buyers fault and I don't want to tag them with a loss.

[dqdistribution]

Are you sure about that? I haven't done it often but I thought the FVF prorated.

[tthodgepodge]

I appreciate the banter back and forth :P.  I have no intent of trying to utilize the 50% deal.  I was mainly inquiring because if it came out of eBay's pocket, I'd be happy to do it.  But a large part of the onus is on me, like I said, nowhere did I suggest the item might not work.  So I'm fine taking responsibility and issuing the refund, just sucks cause it's pretty worthless now that it's been opened. 😞

[billk21093]

No, they keep the whole thing.  I got burned on a small deduction, I think 10% that eBay actually suggested, only to find that I was out more than I would have been by not doing the deduction.   

[headvasegal]

Is the 50% policy written down somewhere?  Your refund policy seems to generally say that one can deduct for  loss of value if an item is lost of damaged, without a limit.  For example, eBay only allows unopened fragrances to be sold.  If someone opened and used the fragrance, it cannot be resold on eBay, so the reduction in value is actually 100%.