Buyer claiming item defective - eBay

[Tacitus]

Thanks all. I've declined the return and hope that's the end of that.

On the tax point - I'm a chartered tax advisor.

If you're buying stuff to re-sell at a profit and are doing with any degree of regularity you're trading and should be assessed to income tax on your net profit. You're not subject to tax on the odd thing you sell here and there, especially if just getting rid of old stuff you bought for personal use.

Depending on what you're selling, and for how much, you might instead have a capital gain, but it doesn't apply to any 'machinery' ie watches, and only applies if the proceeds exceed £6k. Cars are specifically exempt from CGT.

 

[hyperseven]

Happened to me years ago on a graphics card. Since then whenever I'm selling anything with a serial number I make sure I show it an image and put it in the description, it's never happened again.

How would that prove that was the item you posted

 

[nantucket66]

How would that prove that was the item you posted

I can't really, I just make sure the serial number is in an image and in the description. When I box something up prior to shipping I do a quick video of the item/packaging showing the serial number. I still can't prove I didn't repack an item after the video was created, but ever since I've added the serial number to a listing I've never been had, unless I've just been lucky.

I've never had to use a video btw and I just delete them after a while, doesn't take long, minute or so at most - it's a pain but hey ho, thankfully I don't sell loads of stuff where this is relevant.

 

[2004typer]

Happened to me years ago on a graphics card. Since then whenever I'm selling anything with a serial number I make sure I show it an image and put it in the description, it's never happened again.

Same happened to me years ago with an old ATI 9800 Pro, hadn't taken serial numbers but I'm convinced I received their broken card back.......if I was to resell again now I'd definitely be making it clear in the advert that I'm fully aware of the serial numbers to hopefully put off any chances who may decide to bid on another without this evidence, still not cast iron though but perhaps a better chance of a problem free sale.

 

[gee3000]

Rejecting the return never works, buyer can just file a claim and ebay will force you to take it back anyway BUT you may be able to sort it out with customer support once all is done.

I sold a CPU last year which I knew was working, shipped properly in plastic clamshell, esd bag and bubble wrap. Buyer claimed faulty, forced to accept the return and buyer sent back CPU (not even sure if it was the same one I sold) that they clearly de-lidded and screwed up (HS not glued back, liquid metal spread all over and eroded some of the rear contacts). Refuted with buyer, ebay sided with them and forced a refund.

A couple months later I was speaking to customer support about an unrelated item, but at the end they asked if I needed help with anything else and I brought up the CPU issue. They had me fill out a form claiming I was being truthful then returned the refund back to me and also removed the negative mark from my selling account. Very rare ebay seller W

 

[moogle]

eBay still has it's purposes I've found, but only for selling low value items (< £100). I've sold a few ISP routers leftovers over the years on there (don't worry they're the ones they haven't asked back) and got around £5 after postage and fees.

Started doing it when a colleague told me he had sold a similar one I was about to get rid of at a recycle point. Turned out better as the post office is closer and a better walk than the recycling point

Regarding OPs problem, it could be that the buyer is genuine and it somehow didn't work. I've had a few things over the years not work (in fact one has happened today!) even though the buyer had photos of it working. It was some memory sticks and wasn't sent in the original packaging but protected well. However it was packed tightly and somehow in the post the sticks squashed against each other dislodged one of the teeny tiny components on one of the sticks which obviously caused it not to work.

I've also had a case where I sold something and the buyer opened a case wanting a return, and eBay sided in my favour as a seller. It was a set of bike pedals and the thread size (which I had put in the title and description) didn't match the buyer's bike.

Slightly different than not working but it does happen that there's genuine issues and some dummies. However from all the stories I've read here over the years it does seem rife with dodgy members.

 

[gee3000]

A lot of people also misuse 'item defective' for items they simply changed their mind about because the return period ran out.

 

[Wing-Man]

Rejecting the return never works,

I've rejected a few no problems. if you state no returns and the buyer ask's to return because.. they no longer want it or somthing along the same lines you can reject the return.

I have been robbed on eBay too, i sold a GPU about 10 years ago for £500 and got a different one back in return.
eBay simply said i can't prove what i put in the post and listing photos mean nothing

 

[Earth[Tera].bin]

This is why I think it's always worth being polite with returns. It's going to happen anyway.

If you fight it, a buyer that may have changed the mind might decide to break it deliberately.

I agree with this. Here's what can happen to sellers...

I purchased a general use laptop for just shy of £500 but the seller made an error in the listing, so technically it wasn't as described. I requested a return to which he never responded too. Eight days later I ask ebay to step in and provide a return label, they refund me on the spot and tell me there's no need to return it lol, simply keep the brand new laptop.

I've messaged the seller telling him I'm happy to return it if he gets in touch. Then I thought is the laptop his or is it somehow eBay's to give away, either way the seller is out of pocket.

 

[Wing-Man]

I've messaged the seller telling him I'm happy to return it if he gets in touch. Then I thought is the laptop his or is it somehow eBay's to give away, either way the seller is out of pocket.

In some cases, eBay refunds you out of there pocket. They have insurance for this. I had a buyer want to return something and they was in the wrong so I said no. They messaged me a week later tell me eBay had refunded them.
EBay never asked me for a penny.

 

[Earth[Tera].bin]

In some cases, eBay refunds you out of there pocket. They have insurance for this. I had a buyer want to return something and they was in the wrong so I said no. They messaged me a week later tell me eBay had refunded them.
EBay never asked me for a penny.

Ah that's interesting to know. Cheers for that.

 

[Wing-Man]

Ah that's interesting to know. Cheers for that.

In my case the buyer openly admitted they missed used the item by mistake. So seller protection(lol) protected me but eBay is still scarred to lose buyers so they always help them when they can.

 

[Jamauk]

Ah that's interesting to know. Cheers for that.

That is very interesting.

I wonder how it worked with the scammer person I sold the DJI Phantom drone to. eBay initially refunded him and I had the funds taken from my PayPal account. After much arguing, when he told me that he wasn't going to send it back regardless, I continued on with eBay customer service, I think they saw some of the messages he had sent telling me that he had been refunded and wasn't going to return it. Shortly after I received the funds back I had several messages from him telling me that I shouldn't have been given the funds back. I replied to his message telling me that if he wanted a refund then he should have returned it, then I blocked him.

Perhaps in any normal situation eBay would have refunded him and he would have had to send it back to me. I noticed that the guy left a lot of negative feedback for other sellers, so eBay was probably a platform that he used for getting free stuff.

 

[MadMossy]

Ebay will side with the buyer 100%.

I sold a drone on there a while ago, buyer even said when it arrived it was fine and working as expected. Then 7 weeks later filed a claim saying it doesn't work.

Even with them saying it was fine when it arrived ebay still sided with the buyer. I never got it back.

Suffice to say, I will never sell anything on that site again.

 

[Jono8]

Ebay will side with the buyer 100%.

I sold a drone on there a while ago, buyer even said when it arrived it was fine and working as expected. Then 7 weeks later filed a claim saying it doesn't work.

Even with them saying it was fine when it arrived ebay still sided with the buyer. I never got it back.

Suffice to say, I will never sell anything on that site again.

Was it a used Drone? If so, that's crazy

 

[Craterloads]

It seems to be getting worse recently.

I sold a Xbox 360, the tramp spent hours transplanting a heavy water damaged innards into my Xbox case and sent back. Even the new HDD I sent him separately as claimed was missing came back like it had been sat at the bottom of the ocean. All stuck together with superglue.

I was able to just refund him half, and eBay covered the rest. Oddly eBay support suggested I do this over the year, just give partial refunds to balance out the loss and ebay will cover the rest. Even if the return was legit, I was quite surprised to say the least. She straight up said eBay would never question why I have partial refunded, they would just eat it!

The ****** even left me neg feedback but thankfully eBay removed.


Second one just this week, sold a cheap laptop and get a message from buyer saying the screen is damaged and attached a super zoomed in photo of a damaged screen.

I apologise and said must have got damaged in post, just request a return and will refund.

Get a weird reply just saying it’s not his fault it got damaged. I’m like I know that’s why I said return.

Next message get from him, I’m going to replace the screen myself and I should pay half the cost and again sends that same super zoomed in photo.

Told him absolutely not, item must be returned with the warranty seal intact or will be rejected. Not heard from him since.

Pretty clear angling for a partial refund, you can spot them a mile away. Pretty sure the damaged screen was from a completely different laptop hence the super zoomed in picture.

 

[Craterloads]

Another pre Christmas, guy buys a used game. 2 weeks later says it doesn’t work and returns with me coughing up the postage there and back.

Game comes back and is pristine.

Guess he finished it and used me as a free rental!

 

[MadMossy]

Was it a used Drone? If so, that's crazy

It was a mobula 7 tiny whoop, so nothing crazy expensive, but those things are basically immortal unless you dunk them in water.

I've crashed them into brick walls at 30mph and they just bounce off.

 

[BananaDunka]

You have his address, therefore you know his letterbox location.

Need I say more....

 

[SquirrelMadness]

I'm hijacking this thread for a quick question... Evri lost my eBay parcel (for the 4th time) is there any way I can claim it on the credit card I used to pay for the postage? The parcel was clearly stolen by either the driver or right when it was dropped off by the driver.

I know they will try weasel their way out of compensation as they have done this every single time.