open cases

[bayouman2013]

I sold an item on sept 3 and it was delivered to the customer on sept 8.  The buyer sends me a message on sept 14 requesting a refund because it does not work.  He opened a case on the 20th and ebay has requested the buyer return the item.  This was an electronic item that I described as smoking when turned on and had some bad parts and sold as is.  He says he "took a gamble"  and bought it then sent it to the shop when he got it and it has all bad parts and cant be fixed.  He wanted his money back and told me I could contact him at his email address, which was for a police departement ( I felt like this was an intimidation tactic).  When I refused his request he opened a case with ebay.  Ebay as requested him to return the item but after 5 days tracking info has not been uploaded .  How long do cases stay open and do I have to request it be closed after a certain amount of time?  The funds are on lockdown on paypal and I'm worried that he will somehow be refunded his money without sending my item back.  I am also worried that he took what he wanted out of the item and now wants to return it.

[terrycanarsky]

I'm hoping you listed this item under Parts Only (not just Used).

Although, for eBay purposes, it does not matter what the reason the buyer gives - a return is granted them, period.  You cannot refuse a return without a strike against your account if the buyer requests it (as in, opens a case).

eBay policy "The buyer then has 5 business days to send the item back to you."  Technically you could call eBay and have them close in your favor on day 6, but be aware they will not necessarily do so.  The policy-in-practice skews the entire process to the buyer's benefit.

My advice would be to call CS and see if you can speak with a rep who 1) speaks English and 2) knows something more than the script in front of him/her.  Ask what your options are according to the new policy changes.

~M

[bayouman2013]

Thank you

[orangehound · Accepted solution]

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@bayouman2013 wrote:

This was an electronic item that I described as smoking when turned on and had some bad parts and sold as is.  He says he "took a gamble"  and bought it then sent it to the shop when he got it and it has all bad parts and cant be fixed.  He wanted his money back and told me I could contact him at his email address, which was for a police departement ( I felt like this was an intimidation tactic).  When I refused his request he opened a case with ebay.  Ebay as requested him to return the item but after 5 days tracking info has not been uploaded .  How long do cases stay open and do I have to request it be closed after a certain amount of time?  The funds are on lockdown on paypal and I'm worried that he will somehow be refunded his money without sending my item back.  I am also worried that he took what he wanted out of the item and now wants to return it.

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If you are referring to the "Texas Star Sweet Sixteen", you listed the condition as "Used - An item that has been used previously.  The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear but is fully operational and functions as intended."

Because you listed it this way, you are guaranteeing that it works ... I know that your description says "as is", but that language is in conflict with the condition you selected ...  "as is" would only apply if you listed it for parts or not working.  As a result, if your buyer claims the item is not working, then eBay's Money Back Guarantee allows him to return the item to you to get a full refund of the item cost and all shipping charges (both to him and back from him).

The buyer is supposed to drop it off at the shipping service within 5-business days after the return is approved.   If he does not, you can call eBay and ask them to close the return ... they may or may not ... sometimes, they will ask you to wait  longer.   I think the maximum limit that a return stays open is something like 30 calendar days.

[bayouman2013]

Thank you.

[kitschy*loot]

In my opinion, it is unwise to list items that smoke when you turn them on. Obviously the person buying would know it smoked/burned if you mentioned it, and it's their choice to buy or not, but I still think it is unwise to even list for safety reasons.

Saying as is doesn't mean you can list items and then say the buyer took a gamble so it's on them. I personally won't even deal with sellers who put "as is" on their listings because it rubs me the wrong way.

[mczombies]

I totally agree with you--I will never buy anything that says, "as is" in the listing. To me that pretty much says that I will be disappointed. It also makes me think they are hiding a flaw of some kind, and want to cover their butts. So if I have a complaint about anything they can claim that they warned me--which doesn't make a hoot of a difference to eBay, but can cause a hostile return environment--which I really don't need or want.  I hate it when sellers are already defensive before the sale.

I also won't buy anything that is untested. I am not sure how these sellers think that protects them, but I see things often described as "untested." I guess they don't mind paying the shipping to get it back, when the buyer actually tests it. For some things that are impossible to test, OK--but sometimes it is simply an issue of plugging it in and turning it on--those sellers, I back out of their listing too fast--either they are extremely lazy (and if they are lazy about plugging something in, then are they lazy about sending a clean item, getting it to me on time, or making sure all the details in the description are correct?) or they are just not very bright--and I don't enjoy dealing with stupid people. 

I will say this for eBay though--these ever-improving buyer protections certainly do make life a lot less stressful when buying here--I won't even start on how they make me feel as a seller....but it is nice to know that when I buy something and the seller says, "Look at the pictures for the description," and there are two blurry, dark, far-away shots to look at, at least I know I'm covered, and they can't blow me off with, "It was sold AS IS."

[mczombies]

Sorry, but you are in the wrong here, as you sold your item as USED, not for parts or repair. The correct thing to do is to wait for the return, if it doesn't show up in 30 days, it will automatically close, with no refund to the buyer. Calling eBay customer service about this is not the right thing to do as an honest seller. We have all made mistakes, and the thing that differenciates the good sellers from the bad, is the integrity factor. Suck up the loss, like we all do from time to time, and move on....lesson learned.

Also--one thing I learned early on in life--don't mess with cops. Seriously, just don't do it. There was a reason he let you know he was in law enforcement, and it isn't because he wants to help you fix some parking tickets. Just stay professional and you will be fine. Wait for the return, don't engage in any arguments, or back and forth, and don't let this one setback stop you--get back up on the horse and list some things for sale. 🙂

[bayouman2013]

Thank you for all your comments.  I was wanting to know how long they had to ship it back.  I received the package back, they got their money and life goes on. 😎