Buyer claiming item defective - eBay

Tacitus

Tacitus

Tacitus

Associate
Joined
10 Dec 2014
Posts
418
Location
Edinburgh
Hi everyone

At the start of November I sold a second hand camera on eBay, in full working order to the best of my knowledge.

The buyer has made a return request claiming the camera wasn't used until Christmas (given as a gift) and that it doesn't work.

I would prefer not to refund or accept the return as I don't believe I sent a broken item (he could have damaged it in the last month and a half), and he really ought to have checked it when he received it. Will eBay always side with the buyer or am I fine to reject the return request after a certain period of time?

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks all

Chris
 
It’s not always a someone trying to scam from the buyers side, I bought a router for what I though was a good price, advertised as opened/never used, upon receipt there were scratches and scuffs all over the thing(clearly used), I took it up with the seller within 30 mins of delivery and the seller rejected the return request saying “no returns accepted and it didn’t have scratches when he sent it”, luckily EBay sided with me this morning and it’s on its way back to him tomorrow morning
 
slinxy said:
I've seen a lot of sellers now stating that they have recorded proof of the serial number of electronics goods.. not sure if ebay will side with the seller or not in those cases.
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That wouldn't help prove it the item was working when the buyer received it though. That would only help in the scenario where the buyer was trying it on by returned a different item.

Even if you got the correct camera back and took a video of the serial and the camera working, I'm pretty sure eBay won't care and nothing will happen to the buyer.

I'd be very wary of selling anything worth it more than a few quid for this reason. It's annoying as Gumtree/FB marketplace is a load of tosh too.
 
It's is unfortunately the risk you take on eBay.
Best you can do when selling is cover bases. Record condition and serial numbers and the packaging process but even then you usually loose.
 
PaulM said:
Never had a situation where eBay didn’t side with the buyer, no matter how obvious it is they’re scamming you. It’s why I don’t sell anything on there anymore
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I have - Quite a few times in fact - I won several cases this year with idiot buyers. I won a case on a set of joycons recently where they sent me back some smashed up ones after getting my nice refurbished ones. Won that case also and got myself a free set of joycons out of it.

Id accept the return and then if what you get back is not what you sent give ebay a call and ask for seller protection team and explain what happened and you will be away. Ebay customer service from experience (over 700 items sold this year) are very good. you should be in good hands if you get them on the phone and they will sort you out. Thinking about it I dont think I have ever actually lost a case where the buyer was in the wrong.
 
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Tacitus said:
Hi everyone

At the start of November I sold a second hand camera on eBay, in full working order to the best of my knowledge.

The buyer has made a return request claiming the camera wasn't used until Christmas (given as a gift) and that it doesn't work.

I would prefer not to refund or accept the return as I don't believe I sent a broken item (he could have damaged it in the last month and a half), and he really ought to have checked it when he received it. Will eBay always side with the buyer or am I fine to reject the return request after a certain period of time?

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks all

Chris
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Tell him to get lost.

You say he has had it for a month and a half, then he is outside the standard ebay warranty period.
The window to return it has elapsed.
 
If it is more than 30 days after delivery then you can just decline the return as it has passed the 30 days money back guarantee period. If they open a return case go on ebay live chat and tell them it has passed 30 days. eBay can then just close the case for you in your favour, this is what they have done for me in the past.
 
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MrRamone said:
If it is more than 30 days after delivery then you can just decline the return as it has passed the 30 days money back guarantee period. If they open a return case go on ebay live chat and tell them it has passed 30 days. eBay can then just close the case for you in your favour, this is what they have done for me in the past.
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This.
 
Thanks everyone for your input

Getting some conflicting views though - is the 30 day period applicable even if they claim the item is broken?

I had set it as no returns accepted. Apparently that doesn't mean much though...
 
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