Buyer claiming defective

[james_fly_tying]

I sold a Sphero BB-8 and the buyer said they tried everything to get it to work and ended up returning it to me. How does this work? It left my place working perfectly fine. How do I know they didn’t break it then claimed that it doesn’t work? They are saying the battery isn’t holding a charge at all, but didn’t really try to pursue things with Sphero support. Do i have to eat the costs knowing it wasn’t my fault? Lastly they shipped back to me via 2-day at a $13 shipping charge and asked if I plan to reimburse them for shipping. I never asked for it to be expedited back to me, seems they took it upon themselves to pay that much for shipping. 

Thank you. 

[kattinsanity]

I see you do have a no return policy BUT this is a not as described situation.  In ths case you WILL accept the return, refund the buyer his FULL original payment and refund his return shipping charges if you value your ability to sell here at all.  If you refuse to do these things your buyer will get a full refund anyway and YOU will get a unresolved case on your record.  Your feedback isn't the greatest already.  You need to work to repair it or you won't be selling on ebay for very long.

[james_fly_tying]

Thanks for your biased response. Wouldn’t have expected anything less.

[dangran8]

Accept the return, pay the return shipping. The buyer CAN force the issue.

[takikawa4]

Don't know what's biased about the response. If you don't accept the return, the buyer will get a refund and get to keep the item; it will also cost you a strike against your account.

[hafoster]

Is a "return request" open yet?

If not, wait until the buyer starts a return request --

then click Accept the Return, and issue a return shipping label.

@james_fly_tying

But if a return request was opened, you clicked Accept --

and the buyer entered that $13 self-paid tracking number --

you have 6 business days to refund, before eBay does it for you.

You don't have to reimburse the $13, but your feedback might disagree.

[james_fly_tying]

They did not open a return request. Rather they sent me a message saying they were unhappy and I provided them with my return address and they went through USPS to ship it back and sent me a picture of their receipt with the tracking number.

[hafoster]

I wouldn't do anything.

[flyerfandan999]

As far as I can tell, Buyer received item, judged it to be not functioning properly, and asked you thru the eBay messaging system if they could return it to you, and you responded Yes by giving them your return address.

I would not do anything else until you have received the returned item.

(a)  If the returned item is indeed not functioning properly, refund purchase amount, original shipping, and the $13 return shipping to Buyer thru PayPal.  In effect you are doing the same thing as you would under eBay's rules for a Significantly Not As Described (SNAD) return.  The item is SNAD because the listing says it works, yet it did not work for the Buyer.

(b)  If the returned item is functioning properly, refund the purchase amount to the Buyer thru PayPal.  In effect you are doing the same thing as you would under eBay's rules for a "Buyer's Remorse" return.

[ujokinme]

Maybe they sent it back to you Expedited since you shipped it to them Expedited for $10.55.

You have said that they sent you a picture of their receipt. What was the cost breakdown?

Was it insured for more than the $50 USPS gives for free (since it sold for $60) and they paid retail rates at the counter?

[creoleorchid]

A lot of bad advice is being thrown around here. The money back guarantee clearly states that if the buyer returns an item on his own dime, he will not be reimbursed for the return shipping. Secondly, you should NOT refund through PayPal because you risk an OOS defect.

The buyer has not opened a return request yet and it sounds like the item is still in transit. You will eventually have to refund the cost + original shipping but I would wait until you get the package back, then ask the buyer to open a return.

[kattinsanity]

When a buyer opens a return request for not as described the seller is advised to either send a return label or to send $$ to the buyer for the return shipping.

If the OP advises the buyer to open the return request won't he be liable for either issuing the label (too late for that as the buyer already is returning it) or sending the buyer the return shipping $$? 

Maybe if the buyer had returned it without the sellers consent he would be responsible for the return shipping cost but since the OP ok'd the return he may (?) be responsible for the return shipping cost?

[garmentvarmint2004]

INFERNO..

I am sorry   this happened  to you.  I am  sure you  are quite unhappy  about having to  do  this  refund.   But---it has  become almost impossible  fo any  Seller to  win  a Snad Dispute  against buyers  these days.

I am also worried  about how  the  rest of  your  Account is  doing.   That  one  Negative Feedback you  received  is  ruining  your  Overall  Feedback  Score.   And that has happened  because  thus  far  you  have  received  very  few Positives  from either  buyers  or  Sellers.    .