What do you do???

[maynardjameskeenan666]

When you sell an item to a buyer and they complain about the transaction but tell you they will keep the item and dont ask for anything??? Do you just say nothing??? Probably not the best idea because they didnt leave any feedback yet. Do you say im sorry you're not 100% satisfied and return it and ill give you you're money back??? They already said they still want the item. Are they just fishing for a partial refund??? I just never really know what to do in these situations.

[siberians_forever]

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@maynardjameskeenan666 wrote:

When you sell an item to a buyer and they complain about the transaction but tell you they will keep the item and dont ask for anything??? Do you just say nothing??? Probably not the best idea because they didnt leave any feedback yet. Do you say im sorry you're not 100% satisfied and return it and ill give you you're money back??? They already said they still want the item. Are they just fishing for a partial refund??? I just never really know what to do in these situations.

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@maynardjameskeenan666

To worry about something you have no control over is a waste of time and energy ie "FeedBack"

Be polite, courtious, and assure you strive for customer satisfaction...offer return for refund as an option if they are not happy...but dont do any partial refunds...that is rampid here this time of year.

Good sellers try their very best to make buyers Happy, but many buyers take advantage of that.

Sib

[myboardid]

I reply with something like " I'm sorry you are disappointed with the [item].  I offer full return priviledges and I will be happy to send you a pre-paid return mailing label if you would like to send it back for a full refund."  I never even mention any other possibility.  If they ask for a partial refund - something that, in my categories, is very rare, I politely decline and make it clear that a return is the only possibility. 

For a clearly remorse return, I've been known to bluff and tell them I have a restocking fee equivalent to my postage and eBay/Paypal fee costs.  Obviously that won't hold up if they open a return case. 

I've also been known to just give a refund if the item is broken and they send a picture.  Since I know my packaging is excellent,  I usually tend to think the buyer broke it after they opened it, or while they were trying to remove the item from its box.  But usually I want it back.   

[chrysylys]

If they don't ask for anything.

Comply.

Don't do anything.

[odditiesandantiquities1]

In most cases, I put this down to fishing for a partial refund and do not respond. I haven't had a customer escalate to a return yet, but neither did they leave negative feedback.

I think they just try it and if it doesn't work....oh well.

[zzydny]

Yes, they probably are fishing for a partial.  Your response should be this and only this:  Return for refund.  Just those three words.  Don't say anything else.  Don't respond to any of their comments.  If your seller is fishing, he is likely to back off.  Repeat it like a mantra:  Return for refund.  Return for refund.  Return for refund.

[mudshark61369]

@zzydny,

"Your response should be this and only this:  Return for refund.  Just those three words.  Don't say anything else.  Don't respond to any of their comments.  If your seller  buyer is fishing, he is likely to back off". 

Your suggestion could lead to a nonpositive feedback from a thin skinned buyer.  While most likely what is happening is a fishing expedition for the offer of a partial refund. Why take the chance that is not the case.  I would suggest a seller should sound apologetic, while sticking to return for refund, as others have said. Doing that costs a seller nothing, but could save them from losing future buyers, because of a nonpositive feedback.

[swenson8781]

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@chrysylys wrote:

If they don't ask for anything.

Comply.

Don't do anything.

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I completely agree with this ^^^

Once upon a time, I would message them and offer solutions, try to have them return, etc.  But I've learned it's better to simply do as they ask.  I have faith that if someone really 'wants' to return an item, they will either figure it out or ask you how to do so.   Sometimes, they just want to let you know they weren't as pleased as they thought they'd be.

There's some saying about not poking a sleeping bear, that would apply nicely in this situation 

[duggmills]

Contact the buyer and ask them what they would suggest to resolve their complaint.

Sometimes the complaintant's resolution is less painful than your perception of what their actions may be  in the offing. 

In the meantime, tell us the specifics of the buyers complaint if you care to so we can opinionize further.

[dtexley3]

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@myboardid wrote:

I reply with something like " I'm sorry you are disappointed with the [item].  I offer full return priviledges and I will be happy to send you a pre-paid return mailing label if you would like to send it back for a full refund."  I never even mention any other possibility.  If they ask for a partial refund - something that, in my categories, is very rare, I politely decline and make it clear that a return is the only possibility. 

For a clearly remorse return, I've been known to bluff and tell them I have a restocking fee equivalent to my postage and eBay/Paypal fee costs.  Obviously that won't hold up if they open a return case. 

I've also been known to just give a refund if the item is broken and they send a picture.  Since I know my packaging is excellent,  I usually tend to think the buyer broke it after they opened it, or while they were trying to remove the item from its box.  But usually I want it back.   

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Ditto for me.  I will occasionally require the return of an item even broken, but not often.  And as boardid knows some of the D56 items are very easy to break trying to get them out of the dang styro. hehehe.  I have a hot styro knife to fix it when the styro is so tight you can't hardly get them out.

[dtexley3]

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@odditiesandantiquities1 wrote:

In most cases, I put this down to fishing for a partial refund and do not respond. I haven't had a customer escalate to a return yet, but neither did they leave negative feedback.

I think they just try it and if it doesn't work....oh well.

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I have a red donut for "not responding quick enough" to a partial request after the "sorry you are unhappy, I offer full refunds message".  This would have been one of the few times I would have given a partial (item box was damaged in shipping), but I missed the message and buyer is POed and not responding to any followup.

[soh.maryl]

I find your solution is excellent, but are you allowed to say you have a re-stocking fee when such a fee was not mentioned in the original listing? 

[myboardid]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

I find your solution is excellent, but are you allowed to say you have a re-stocking fee when such a fee was not mentioned in the original listing? 

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It is mentioned in my return policy, but I know eBay would not back me up on it, so if they open an official return request, I would have to provide a full refund after I receive the item back. 

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@swenson8781 wrote:

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@chrysylys wrote:

If they don't ask for anything.

Comply.

Don't do anything.

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I completely agree with this ^^^

Once upon a time, I would message them and offer solutions, try to have them return, etc.  But I've learned it's better to simply do as they ask.  I have faith that if someone really 'wants' to return an item, they will either figure it out or ask you how to do so.   Sometimes, they just want to let you know they weren't as pleased as they thought they'd be.

There's some saying about not poking a sleeping bear, that would apply nicely in this situation 

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Agreed.  I call this the Khan response.

[cynthealee2]

My response would depend on lots of things... What the item was, how much the item was, and what the issue was.

1.00 bracelet and it's not quite the right shade, I refund and block and go on with life. (they ain't biting twice)

2.00 comic same concept

Mom's clothes I don't want the items back but we'd have to figure out the "partial refund and why and what for"

50.00 Star Wars figure not the right light saber color send it back and I'll refund other wise keep it.

10-50 Star wars figure PO Crushed the box and dented the card, making it no longer mint... give me pictures we'll file a claim, I'll refund the buyer and wait on the PO payout (they've done it before).

Collector item I missed a flaw on but it's on my pics and you point it out.. we'll work something out

It just depends....