Dealing with an irate buyer who wants a return and is now threatening me

[hdoan]

I'm currently dealing with an irate buyer who is now threatening me despite the fact that I am following eBay protocol. He is demanding his money back before he sends it back to me (even though eBay says to wait until the item is returned). He is saying "I will take other actions if I don't hear from you soon" what that means I don't know but a threat is still a threat regardless. I have responded to him in all correspondences within an hour while he takes up to a week to respond. I sell used vintage car parts and not all of them can be tested with that being said I do have a good return policy and I pay for return shipping. The guy is obviously off his meds or something as no sane person would get this bent out of shape over a $25 item being defective. I have reported him for the threat but eBay says they'll just warn him. I feel that a negative feedback is imminent and there is nothing I can do to prevent this even though I have followed eBay protocol and did not intend to defraud or otherwise mislead anyone. Is there anything that can be done at this point to save my reputation.

[a_c_green]

I suspect he would have Negged you already if he was simply mad at you. It's a safe bet that if you did refund him first, you would never see that part again. Just continue to reply to each email from him (just once) with a neutral, professional response such as, "We're sorry that you're not happy with the part. Please return it and we will refund your purchase." 

He knows you want it back first, and he probably knows that he's really supposed to do that if requested. All the rest of it is bluster. He may find someone else to get mad at next week.

[kattinsanity]

Did you send him a return label so he doesn't have to pay return shipping out of his own pocket?  In a SNAD case the seller pays return shipping or the buyer doesn't have to return it.

Does this non-working $25.00 part warrant being out the total original price + original shipping + return shipping?  If not, just refund and don't throw away your money.  Many times a low cost item isn't worth burying more money into~~especially when it doesn't work anyway.

[a_c_green]

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@kattinsanity wrote:

Did you send him a return label so he doesn't have to pay return shipping out of his own pocket?  In a SNAD case the seller pays return shipping or the buyer doesn't have to return it.

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That might be a good strategy to call his bluff about returning it. If this is for one of the Volvo taillights, I bet the lamp unit is fine but his wiring (i.e. in his car, not what the seller sold to him) is messed up. One bad ground wire can lead to all kinds of weird lighting malfunctions in the lamp unit that's connected to it, as current in one circuit doubles back through shared ground connections in the lamp unit to seek a ground path through one or more of the other circuits. The replacement taillight he bought is probably behaving the same way as the one he thinks he needed to replace.

Again, his claim that he'll return that part after he gets refunded for it is nonsense. He's not going to bother. If the OP caves to this, he'll try it next time as well, and so on. (He also may try reselling the part that he's discovered he didn't need.)

[arun7500]

That's the problem with these eBay scams that they get off of Google. These people just don't read past the first paragraph. Obviously your item didn't include excessive shipping charges, so you opted to have the item sent back and now he is upset. No worries here though, he'll learn from his mistakes and get the scenario right the next time. Time for another ID.

[automotivepartsrecyclrs]

The negative will come once the buyer gets all they are asking.  The reporting link well it's easier to go outside and yell the buyers name.

[phcd1]

A defective item is SNAD, simply send him return postage and when you get it back, refund. Not much you can do if the buyer does not want to ship the item back, but to let the return timeout (against him). I would not communicate anymore, just follow eBays prompts for refunding and stay within the timeline.

[rostyburcz0]

I am dealing with this as I type.  The customer is saying I sent defective merchandise, dirt, mold, etc.  She's out of her mind if she thinks I would send anyone an item with dirt and mold.  She's threatening negative feed back and wants immediate refund.  I told her I would contact eBay tomorrow to ask how to do a refund and she's relentless, wants the refund NOW.  Shouldnt I insist that she returned the item first?

[rostyburcz0]

Oh, and she's requesting a refund 10 days after she bought.  Would you ask for a refund as soon as you saw something wrong?

[*help_no_brakes*]

Send one message to your buyer..."Sorry to hear you are not satisfied with your item.Please return for a full refund".

Do not engage in further communication.

Do not call eBay.

If the buyer opens a case come back here for more advice.

[tomuchstuff5]

@automotivepartsrecyclrs

Well Said

[tomuchstuff5]

# 1 Don't give into the tantrum. If you know there was no issue (as you have already stated there is not) If there is any possibility that there is something not described correctly in listing, do the right thing and take care of the buyer.
#2 Supposedly Neg feedback threat is Violation of User policy, report buyer. Not sure anything will happen though. (link on order details to report buyer I think)
#3 Ask buyer to open return. Return of item=Refund (you will most likely have to pay shipping if they are going to be dishonest)
#4 Look at buyers feedback (read the positives, positive is the only feedback a buyer can get. Now read what has been left for sellers by hitting that tab.This might give you some clues about who your buyer is.
#5 This common threat for new sellers . Sorry this is happening to you