eBay

handsomezacksrecords · ‎01-19-2023

What is considered "new"? I sold an item as "new" as I never opened it. I received it and placed it on a shelf, again never opening the item. I decided to sell the item and listed it as new and now I have a buyer complaining and saying that the item is not "new" because I shipped the item in a different box than the one I received it in. He wants to return the item because, in his words, he "bought the item as an investment and since the item is no longer in the shipping box I got it in it is worth less". Nowhere in my listing did I mention anything about the original shipping box being available nor did the buyer ask. It was a generic carboard box. Again, the item was brand new and unopened so am I wrong?

monica-sells · ‎01-19-2023

Sometimes dealing with collectors can be demanding....the "only" thing I could find that this buyer might be referring to is when the original item came, it was in a 'generic' box...BUT, it had the "number on the box.....as well as the return address. Sometimes, that is what a collector considers "complete"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8hf_cRSWPc

I do believe that the buyer should have inquired abount it BEFORE bidding if it was important and not pictured as part of the listing.....

Please follow the exact protocols for a return. Do not let ebay step in.....handle the messages yourself through ebay messages...provide a return label, etc......once the buyer has made up their mind, you have no choice (in my opinion)

inhawaii · ‎01-19-2023

@handsomezacksrecords wrote:
You mean they will take my money and the buyer can keep the item? That is insane. I mean, isn't his claim fraudulent?

That's what the buyer is saying about YOU.

Ebay is always going to side with the seller.

No matter how obvious it is that he buyer is wrong.

Ebay does not decide who is right and who is wrong.

They just want to make sure that if the buyer is not happy, they can return it for a full refund.

That's why they call it a "money back guarantee".

Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs

handsomezacksrecords · ‎01-19-2023

Yes, but one of us is clearly exaggerating and I am pretty certain it isn't me.

fab_finds4u · ‎01-19-2023

The condition should be New (other) if it was missing the original factory packaging. I see the condition of items you recently sold is New (other).

stainlessenginecovers · ‎01-19-2023

Depends- if the item is the almost $1500 Paul M set- then the buyer may have wanted it 'complete as originally purchased/shipped'-

Is that the item and was it shipped differently that what would have been 'back in the day'??

handsomezacksrecords · ‎01-19-2023

I got it in a generic cardboard box and shipped it in a generic cardboard albeit a different generic cardboard box.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎01-19-2023

You 'getting' it in a cardboard box does not answer the question of how it was 'supposed' to be shipped originally. If you don't know that answer, maybe that buyer does and that is what is hurting the value??

handsomezacksrecords · ‎01-19-2023

I bought it new direct from the artist website and it came in a plain ol box. It didn't have a numbered box or anything on it other than a label with my name on it.

sapphire_studio · ‎01-19-2023

Whether or not it should have come with the original shipping Box is a moot point and doesn't affect his ability to force this return. You did the right thing sending the return shipping label to him.

At this point you should be hoping that there really is such a thing as the shipping Box mattering because that raises the chance that hes not lying and a scammer and he will send you the actual item back (and not a bag of rocks). If you do get something else then the original item back make sure to talk to eBay and even a manager and you might be able to use your one freebie they give you where they refund both the buyer and you.

You have my sympathy. If we seem cold here about it it's because people come on here all the time complaining about the same thing and there's nothing really anyone can do about the way eBay always sides with the buyers in item not as described cases. All we can tell people is not sell anything more than they can afford to lose, to limit selling high value items if they're pretty new, and to enable either buyer pays or free returns if you're a top rated seller to unlock the ability to take off 50% of the refund if it arrives back damaged.

oldskoolmadskilz · ‎01-19-2023

Personally I'd fight it. Not sure if that's the best advise though.

Nowhere in your listing is a certain shipping box mentioned. Nor does it say it comes in an unopened shipping box.

handsomezacksrecords · ‎01-19-2023

Thanks for the info/advice/help. It means a lot and I certainly have learned quite a bit today. Thanks again.

coolections · ‎01-19-2023

You are misleading the people who are reading this post. You did not ship it in the "original" box. The original box was plain, BUT it came with preformed Styrofoam that matched the item to prevent it from moving. The buyer expected it to be exactly like it should be in the original shipping container. BTW marking a post that someone says is an Ebay scam was the wrong thing to mark as solved. You should have sold it as "used other". And for those who say other listings do not show the original box is because they are using a generic picture.

coolections · ‎01-19-2023

@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
You 'getting' it in a cardboard box does not answer the question of how it was 'supposed' to be shipped originally. If you don't know that answer, maybe that buyer does and that is what is hurting the value??

It is hurting the value. When someone who is a serious collector and spending $1,500 you better believe they want it exactly like it is supposed to be when listed as NEW.

sapphire_studio · ‎01-19-2023

If you try to escalate an Item not described case before sending the return shipping label all that will happen is they will side with the buyer and give the money back to them out of your account (Pretty much sealing the deal that you won't get your item back). We see post after post about this. Customer service will even outright lie and say that they're going to side with you but the system never does if you haven't provided them that label like you should have.

Here is just one of many examples of this happening:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/conversation-with-e-bay/m-p/33495658#M2148444

m60driver · ‎01-19-2023

@handsomezacksrecords wrote:
So essentially ebay offers zero protection for sellers? I mean, I have photos of the item itself that I took does that matter at all?

The bottom line is no, Ebay offers no protection for sellers from such scammers. Your pictures mean nothing to Ebay. If the buyer claims to have returned the item and the only thing in the return box, that has tracking, is a bunch of rocks then Ebay will almost always refund the buyer. Never ever sell an item you are not willing to lose.