I know that eBay steps in favor of the buyer most of the time when there are not as described cases (or arrived damaged) and where the buyer asks for a return, but I want to talk about my case see what could be the best course of action for me, if I stand any chance of winning if I ask eBay to step in.
So, I sold this very rare video game on eBay for 725$. It comes in a big box with a game guide. I sold it as is, meaning that I asked the bidder to look at the pictures I put to judge of the condition, and to ask me for any question they might have, including additional pictures. If I was forced to rate the item, I'd say it is in a very good condition. Clearly not mind or like new. The box itself has lots of scuffs and marks, whitened parts, but still pretty solid and nothing major. The guide was in a very good condition too, but it showed it has age (the game is 25 y-o). There was ONE slightly detached page (still in a very good condition despite that) that I admit to not having disclosed. Otherwise, no tears or dents. One bidder did ask me more about the guide, because obviously, a picture of the front, back, and two random places inside is not necessary enough depending on what you are looking for. So I told him the worst damage was the page, and took a picture of it. He then also asked me other questions, which I all promptly replied. My point, is that in such cases, it is the buyer's responsibility to ask questions and pictures to ensure they bid on what they actually want. A posteriori, I understand it would have been better to put the picture of the page in the listing. I thought that considering that the item was obviously not in perfect shape, such a small thing wouldn't bother, and again, that it was part of the responsibility of the buyer to ask, especially when bidding so much money.
So what happened: the buyer sent me a message after receiving the item telling me that I poorly packed such a rare item and that therefore the box had two smashed edges and multiple pages of the guide were coming out. He sent me a picture of one edge, and one page. I first looked at the pictures on my phone, and I honestly couldn't see much of the first picture. So I asked the guy a dezoomed picture (because he zoomed so that you could only see the dent), one of the second corner, and the other pages. He didn't send me a dezoomed picture of the corner, but he did sent the second one, and one additional page, telling me there were only two. But, it was the same page! And, judging from the picture I sent the other bidder I talked about, the same page that was already slightly detached. But I saw the corner pictures on my computer, and frankly, these were only two very small dents. You could decently see them only because he zoomed so much when taking the picture. When I compared to the picture of the listing to put it into perspective, it is easy to see that the dents are marginal at best. Tiny and shallow. Definitely not "smashed".
So from the get go, the buyer accuses me of poor packaging (which I guess could be better, but considering how marginal the dents are, it was pretty fine) and LIES about the condition of the item. Smashed is not just an exaggeration, it is a lie. Small dents are not smashes. 2 pages is not 1 page. Every time I confronted him with the fact that it was 1 page, he ignored me. He asked me for a 10% refund to compensate for the "damage", or a return. Having declined, he took it to eBay, asking again either a partial refund or a return for reason of "arrived damaged".
Do I have any chance of making my point to eBay? That the buyer is being abusive? Lying and exaggerating, being misleading (ie. the photos) in order to get 10% out of me? Plus, if the page was already partially removed, it has nothing to do with arriving damaged (if the page was damaged because of shipping, then the game box should have been MUCH more damaged - plus, I can prove it because I sent a picture to another bidder). The box is clearly not damaged and is still in the almost exact condition as it was sent. There are pictures to attest that. And eBay knows the bidder never inquired about the condition of the item, even if he seems quite crazy about it. Doesn't only his attitude puts him in a disadvantage? I guess the less risky option is to accept the 10% partial refund. From what I understand, if I loose this, he keeps the item AND the money AND I still have to pay for the large eBay fees?
