eBay

dwbf11 · ‎01-03-2019

I figure I know the answer but wanted to ask the Community anyways. 0-Feedback buyer purchased a brand new, sealed electronic item from me and is now claiming (without specifying how or why) that it is defective approximately 3 weeks later. I suspect there may be a language barrier, but regardless, EBay approved the return automatically. The item also included a subscription to a proprietary online service valued at approximately $100, which this person may have activated (it is tied to the unit's serial number). If, as I think may be the case, I am being returned a different or otherwise non-working item, or the person just bought it to get the free activitation code for the service, do I have any recourse through eBay or am I stuck? Unfortunately this item will be nearly impossible to resell now that it has been opened.

sam9876 · ‎01-03-2019

You lose, sorry.

atikovi · ‎01-03-2019

Just don't sell stuff like that here. Leave the new electronics sales to the authorized distributors who are better equipped to handle opened merchandise.

cubano4u · ‎01-03-2019

Stay positive, you haven't yet received the item back. The fact that they waited three weeks could mean they tried to use it and perhaps couldn't get it to work. If this was a scam they probably would have initiated a return much sooner than 3 weeks. You also mentioned a possible language barrier so there's that to deal with too. Try to maintain that positive attitude and hope you get your original item returned.
I understand it is now opened and that is a chance you take with selling online, but perhaps you can still sell it as an opened box item. Perhaps you can recoup some of your money so it's not a total loss for you. Please post a follow up here once you receive the item back.
Best of luck to you....

green-night · ‎01-03-2019

You don't think this will help?

dwbf11 · ‎01-03-2019

Doubt it. I put that language in my auctions (and have for years) as a deterrent against unscrupulous conduct but those terms aren’t binding and in my past experience eBay doesn’t consider those terms as part of the transaction either.

Will report back to see what happens, user has now acknowledged the item works but that she is having difficulty understanding how it works. So this seems to be a definite situation of user and not item difficulty.