Does not match the description

[october15]

I sold a cardigan (actually sold 9 of this style) and one buyer claims it does not match the description.  No problems with the other 8 buyers.  He claimed the cardigan was "unregocnizable."  He provided me with photos of the cardigan laying on a table next to a window on a sunny day and compared these photos to my photo of the cardigan taken in artificial light as his evidence that I misrepresented the item.  I found another seller on eBay selling the same cardigan, and their photos are more vibrant than mine.

I called eBay, and the representative, Desire, told me it was clear that the buyer received the item in the listing and that I did not misrepresent the tiem.  The buyer claimed he called eBay and was told that his photos proved a misrepresentation.

I know there have been problems with eBay in the past on this issue, but I have been in their pilot program for over a year, and I love it!  I have not had any problems with returns for a long time until this guy.

Can anyone give me some insight on how eBay interprets "does not meet the description?"

[ed8108]

If the buyer files for a refund , item not as described case , just may be best to approve the return to avoid a possible neg.

Why would you believe the buyer claim of being told by a rep that the item was misrepresented ?

[missjen831]

They usually just take the buyers word for it. Rather than have a human being listen to both sides & review evidence, they have the buyer return the item. The seller gets the item back and the buyer gets their money back. And you don’t approve returns to avoid negative feedback. You approve returns because the MBG requires you to respond and resolve the buyer problem and if eBay has to get involved, there is a good chance you will have to refund without getting the item back AND as you know, you get an unresolved by seller strike. THAT is why you accept SNAD returns. Accepting returns does not prevent negative feedback. 

[october15]

I did accept the return, but it is an international one and eBay did not provide a return shipping label.  I am supposed to go to the post office, buy a return label, and send it to Australia.  I am in that pilot program that allows me to charge buyers return shipping and a restocking fee, but I do not know how to do that if the shipping label is bought off eBay.  The eBay representative talked about this, and she understands.  Also, I would have to charge my buyer the fee to send him a label.  There would not be much to refund after all of this.  I tried to get the buyer to just sell the item, but he refuses.  He took a second set of pictures of the cardigan in brighter light.  He did this after he allegedly talked to eBay.  He also changed his story that eBay will review all of his pictures and make a determination.  

When he opened the case, eBay quickly put it on hold because they want more information from the buyer.  That was almost 2 days ago.

I am wondering how eBay is ruling on cases where buyers claim the item does not meet the description.

[missjen831]

eBay doesn’t issue international return labels. Since it’s an SNAD return, are you sure you are allowed to withhold your restocking fee? And that the buyer pays for return shipping? No one here can really say how ebay is going to handle this because you are in that returns program. All I know is that when you get the item back, if you issue a partial refund the buyer can get the remainder back if he asks eBay to step in. 

[october15]

The pilot program I am in allows me to charge return shipping and my restocking fee.  They appear as options and I check one or both.  I used it 4 times last year.  I then have to give the buyer an explanation, and I am very thorough in case the buyer appeals it.  None of those 4 appealed it.  I then am prompted to explain my position to eBay on a different page that the buyer does not get to see.  

I searched the eBay community to see how other members are interpreting does not match description.  I saw one situation where a buyer bought a phone and accessories and only received the accessories.  I am wondering if eBay has been ruling that photos taken in bright sunlight to make an item appear faded compared to photos taken in artificial light constitutes "does not match description'?

[green-night]

I've been in the pilot return program for a long time now and I love it too.  

I got a message a month or two ago that they are ending the program early 2018 (either Jan or Feb). Bummer. 

[orangehound]

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@october15 wrote:

The pilot program I am in allows me to charge return shipping and my restocking fee.  They appear as options and I check one or both.  I used it 4 times last year.  I then have to give the buyer an explanation, and I am very thorough in case the buyer appeals it.  None of those 4 appealed it.  I then am prompted to explain my position to eBay on a different page that the buyer does not get to see.  

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Gosh I hope eBay rolls this out more broadly with the Spring update ... I have been hoping for something like this.