Seller is returning a new item after it's been used

[pythium]

Hello, Because ebay screws sellers through their policies, I have a customer returning a new item that they used. It's an appliance part for a dryer. Because there are many parts that can go wrong on a dryer, you really need to diagnose the problem correctly for repair. Most people think that they can buy a part, plug it in, and everything should work. So now, I have a new item being returned to me that works, but because the buyer was dimwitted, I have no recourse. So my question, how do I sell the item as "brand new" after the customer used it, scared it, and returned it?

[chapeau-noir]

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@pythium wrote:

You are entitled to your opinion, but your logic has me lost. I thought ebay would want more items for sale, more sellers, more products sold, and therefore more revenue. I didn't realized that ebay was trying to be a poor man's amazon to help businesses start out. I thought that they would want to encourage more sellers through better policies, but i'm not getting that impression. Best buy has limits on electronics and so does Costco, but ebay screws the little guy to keep the buyers buying. Sure, they won't lose money from a little guy like me, but they aren't really maximizing their business by  shunning the little guy. We should both be able to agree that time is money, and if i'm not making enough for my time, then other people aren't as well. Therefore, ebay is losing a lot of little sellers to the landfill, which I will be using more of instead of wasting my time to help them earn a fee.

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Stuff like this is going to happen - it's the hazards of ANY retail.  It's called 'shrinkage' and unfortunately it's experienced everywhere.  Ask B&M owners - they have all kinds of horror stories.  It has happened to me online.

My advice is to just keep going - don't let stuff like this knock you off your stride.

[penguins_dont_fly]

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@blueapples_22 wrote:

I should have been more clear...we do not sell the used ones, only ones that have been removed from the package and not used.  

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@blueapples_22 

You said:

once in a while someone will open a sealed product, try it out, not like it and return it

and

when you get it back, inspect it, clean it, get it as mint as possible, then resell it as "used" for a little cheaper.

pburn said:

That's against eBay policy. Selling used cosmetics is not allowed.

How does that make anybody a "Karen"??

You cannot list cosmetics as "Used", period.  And calling an open palette (or bottle or whatever) "New" is deceptive, no matter how many disclaimers you put in the listing.  The cosmetics are no longer factory sealed.  They are Used.  You cannot list them here.

BTW, the use of the name "Karen" as a pejorative is seriously overused these days ... along with "boomer".  Instead of communicating in memes, try expressing yourself as an adult, with real words.

[pythium]

No offense, but i don't really care. I think everyone here is kinda forgetting something. I'm not a professional retailer. I'm not doing this for primary income. I'm not doing this because I need to. I think ebay gets no money if there are no sellers. I've already decreased my spending on ebay because of bad experiences, so it seems they don't get either side correct. The website is poorly designed, customer service is also very poor, and the only reason this company has a revenue stream is because there is limited competition. I guess I should go to Facebook and try to save on shipping.  I guess there is no demand to be better when there are thousands and thousands of desperate sellers ready to make a deal!

[itsjustasprain]

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@pythium wrote:

So my question, how do I sell the item as "brand new" after the customer used it, scared it, and returned it?

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You dont. You list it as used - state that it has been tested and works fine - and that it was originally opened by a buyer who discovered that he didnt need it. Mark it down to something less than the 'new' price and wait to sell it. If I was looking for an appliance timer I would definitely hit on a listing like that. 

Stuff happens. Its not the end of the world and it doesnt render the timer as instant junk just because someone opened it up. There are used appliance parts listed here as well as new ones. List yours with an accurate description and just move on. This is not a big deal - really.

[pythium · Accepted solution]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I learned a lot.

Ebay is probably listed as an ESG companey because they are "saving items from the landfill", but the truth is it's just another lie. Just like plastic is recyclable, tobacco won't give you cancer, and fossil fuels aren't bad for the environment.

The "one size fits all" policies and the "we will make decisions case by case" don't really fit the marketplace. Heck, major retailers don't even do this. Sure, I could be selling junk, but in any deal, the buyer also has responsibilities to act appropriately and ebay lets them do whatever. Sure, they need buyers, but there is a cost to upsetting little sellers. That cost is larger landfills and the lie of ESG.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

I try to be neutral, but I just wonder if the buyer knew what was wrong and bought the part and now trying to claim it did not fix their problem and will return the  actual broken part? They shopped for your specific part correct? They knew what they were looking for!

It will be interesting to see what part you get back.  

Did you post multiple photos and details in your listing?

eBay needs to understand that they can't survive without sellers and need to work better at identifying fraud. 

take care!

[pythium]

When a timer goes bad, the timer won't advance on any setting. If the heating element is bad, the timer won't advance on auto dry, but will advance on timed dry. I tried to ask the buyer, but I was ghosted. I tried to assist them in diagnosing the problem, but I think they knew the problem was the element and not the timer. They popped in the old timer, fixed the element, and used my part as a means to diagnose the issue. As a seller, i have no recourse. I have to let people use my products as a way to find their broken part, and then return it at my cost.

[itsjustasprain]

I appreciate that you got burned on the return of a perfectly good item - I assume you have it back now and that is the case - but you are acting as if all is lost when in fact you can still sell it as slightly used. I am not saying its right but sometimes you have to make lemonade out of lemons. If you can see that the returned timer is perfectly good then sell it that way.

I have to add here that I have replaced timers that did continue to advance properly - the problem was that their switch contacts were worn out and were not closing one or more circuits properly during the cycle. Replacing the timer got everything going again. Our own Whirlpool drier got two replacement timers over the course of 20 years.

[pythium]

This is the 3rd time it's happened in selling 9 timers recently. If he would have said that it didn't work as I described above, I would have had no problem returning it. If they knew how to find the problem, they could have ordered the correct part without trying to buy misc parts to diagnose the problem then returning them. I'm a fair seller, they show me that it's the part I sold, I have no problems refunding.

The problem is that he never replied to any of my messages but had no problem filing a case, and ebay was quick to oblige without any consideration of the problem. It's like having a broken computer and buying a CPU to fix it, then finding out that the problem was the RAM all along. Best buy, Costco all have a restrictive policy in taking that CPU back. If costumers aren't sure, they can ask me easily for an answer, but I can't say be sure that this is your problem because if it isn't you will be docked.

Sure, switch contacts do get worn, but very unlikely on a new timer that's never been used.

[tools*]

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@pburn wrote:

No offense, but you have 42 items listed, and you've left feedback for 40 transactions in the last year. That's not even a blip on eBay's radar.

There are a thousand sellers to replace you.

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If there were a thousand sellers to replace one, eBay would perhaps have the interesting things that it once did. From my searches, it seems a lot of the good stuff is gone possibly because of policies and fees.

[itsjustasprain]

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@pythium wrote:

Sure, switch contacts do get worn, but very unlikely on a new timer that's never been used.

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No - no - I was talking about the worn timers I have replaced. They would advance and complete the cycle except the clothes were still wet because the timer was not closing the circuits properly. Yours is almost certainly fine. As long as you got back the timer that you sent out and its still in good condition then just relist it.

[pythium]

Thanks. I think you understand what I'm trying to say. It's trying to be Amazon and losing their niche.

I was starting to feel like I'm part of the Ebay stalking scandal. It seems the leaders called their friends to upvote everything against me.

[tools*]

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@corvettestainless wrote:

This is a website that puts buyers/sellers together. If a seller decides to make this a business, good for them. But, everyone on the planet is selling via the internet, nothing is special and to have 500,000 Black size 8 women's shoes makes it not really matter if 100,000 of you left. Ebay makes the same as buyers still buy and will always find what they need.

Regarding your attitude towards it all- how does anyone know who you are? if you selling broken but doesn't appear to be broken junk? This site has to protect 1 side or the other and any site that 'sells' something (which is all sites) is no different than any B&M Store- reputation is everything. "No returns! you returning junk! your stupid!" all the things you want to say about YOUR customers, you wouldn't be around long. Same in the internet world. Ebay HAS to protect the buyers as without buyers, they make no $$. The adage is always the same:

The customer is always right. That's never changed and NEVER will. 

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Buyers don't pay eBay's fees. Without sellers of interesting things, eBay wouldn't exist.

[pythium]

If it's installed then the connections can appear worn (aka scratches) and I would have to go through this resolution process again. Every time I have one returned, I have to pay for shipping and then dock the product for 50 percent each time because now it's used. If they had a restocking fee (option selected by seller) like best buy or something to protect  some products (like electronics) and the buyers knew it, I wouldn't have a problem. The resolution people who are making decisions about these products are clueless about them.

[coffeebean832]

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@pythium wrote:

If it's installed then the connections can appear worn (aka scratches) and I would have to go through this resolution process again. Every time I have one returned, I have to pay for shipping and then dock the product for 50 percent each time because now it's used. If they had a restocking fee (option selected by seller) like best buy or something to protect  some products (like electronics) and the buyers knew it, I wouldn't have a problem. The resolution people who are making decisions about these products are clueless about them.

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There used to be a restocking fee but it capped out at 20%. You're better off financially with the 50% option on damaged returns. There's also the possibility of a $6 credit for shipping. I find that in most cases of fraudulent returns I'm able to call it a wash and- if the item is salvageable- sell it for less and still be in the + column.

I know a few parts sellers- cars and appliances- and they all deal with this problem. One auto parts seller I know changed up the type of auto parts they sell to less buyer-problematic ones and cut their SNAD rate by 70% and they're making a killing.