item return question

[d7rk_n1ghtmare]

so I have been selling on ebay for years now and this is the first return I have ever had filed against me, what should I do?  I sold a small desktop computer about a month ago that was fully working and had windows installed. the buyer got it 20 days ago and just filed a return request saying the computer was defective. he says that it worked the first time he turned it on and after installing updates it stopped working. so he wants a refund. the computer still works but after he did something in windows it wont load windows anymore. I replied saying that this is a software issue and possibly was caused by user error. I dont think I should have to accept a return when it is something the buyer messed up and waited 20 days to file a return. what do you guys think? am I doing this right? 

[*eponymous*]

eBay will force you to 1) refund outright, or 2) authorize the return and send a prepaid label (or authorize eBay to issue it, with funding by you). All businesses take a loss on a sale here and there...whether or not is "fair" or who is being (more) truthful...and whether or not the buyer even returns what you sent.

[orwell98]

EBay has really hurt the seller. I feel the guarantee return with no questions asked is unfair if the seller has "clicked" on his/her listing a no return policy. Also, the 30-day period for a customer to return a product is WAY too generous. No store I have ever went to gives that much time for a return. 

[siayan · Accepted solution]

This is a he said she said kind of thing and eBay has to make a judgment call. The call usually goes to the buyer. The best thing to do would be to wait for the buyer to open a case, if it is a not as described case just mark it "return for refund" wait for the return then refund.

With that being said there are a lot of other roads to take. 

You can fight the return reason- Dangerous because if you lose, you lose all

You can offer a partial refund= This falls into the scammer's trap

It is your gut that tells you what to do.

[mr_lincoln]

@d7rk_n1ghtmare  If this is your first ever return just accept it, get the computer back, issue the refund and move on.