Ebay - And after I usually defend them :)

Soldato
Joined
4 Mar 2003
Posts
12,509
Location
Chatteris
Whenever the Ebay threads arrive here I'm usually first in line to defend them. Mainly because I've used the site trouble free for many years and any issues have gone my way.
Also so many people moan at Ebay when they haven't done things like using a trackable service etc.
I buy and sell and it's as a seller I'm just about to lose out - which will mean I'll end up out of pocket as I won't get the selling fees back and I'll end up out of pocket on postage (in both directions).

I had an ASUS RT-N56U router which was working fine - decided to sell on. As a final "before I sell" test I left it running on my broadband connection for a week, all working as it should do. I'd updated to the latest firmware and tested.
Someone wins the auction and I send it off. After a couple of days I email the buyer just to confirm the item arrived OK, like to make sure.
I hear nothing - so assume all is well.
Fast forward, the guy has had it over three weeks when I get a message from him "I cannot log into the router - I need the password". I was out when he posted this message. 45 minutes later he raised a "return" citing the item was damaged & faulty.
I get home, explain it had been tested, I was convinced I'd reset the device to factory, however it is literally a 10 second job to do just that and I give him instructions.
He messages back - tells me he can now login.
Wait another week and he tells me he just cannot get it to work on his broadband connection, so he will be wanting a full refund - again citing "faulty & damaged" as the reason (I always list my items as no return - so that was his only way of getting a return raised).

I of course don't want to refund him and have the item returned. I lose the selling fees, the postage sending it to him and of course as it's apparently "faulty" (which it isn't) I have to pay his return postage as well.
Today was the deadline I had to give him his refund and so Ebay are "involved" now. I've told them the full story and explain that no, I do not accept returns where the buyer is unable to set something up - that is his problem.
I know I will lose this one. My funds from the sale are already on hold - so they will be taken back and I'll end up out of pocket.

I still like Ebay and as I've said, up until this time I've never had a problem. It just annoys me when a seller (like myself) with a 350+ rating and 100% feedback is basically not believed against a buyer rated 12.
It annoys me further than even if you put "no returns" on your sale, all someone has to do is claim it's damaged and/or faulty and they bypass my restrictions and will almost certainly have Ebay side with them.
Once again - another company that rewards stupidity!

Anyway, rant over. Won't stop me using the site, I've had some good prices on things I've sold and I've picked up some bargains now and again too, but I can see why many hate the place.
 
I find it amazing how people can actually write "no returns" and somehow believe that it holds an water. If you potentially sell a problematic item then you have to accept returns and refunds, end of story. Thinking otherwise is just dim, considering Ebay and PayPal state that you must, and will force you to do it anyway.

No, I don't mean "no returns" if the item is indeed broken, damaged etc.
I wouldn't for a second attempt to fight a return if the guy had the item and it was obviously faulty, etc.
The "no returns" is "trumped" by EBay's own T&C's in damaged goods etc and that I am happy to adhere to.
However my issue is that the device is working absolutely fine and the issue is a user one. I'm not a business and so DSR (or it's replacement) as far as I know are not something I need to respond to.
Effectively the user wants to return something that he doesn't know how to use or setup and the way he is doing so is bypassing the fact I don't offer a "try before you buy" service by citing "faulty".

I shouldn't need to prove the item is working, they should need to prove it is not. However as Ebay will simply ask buyer "So what is up" and they will reply "Well can't get my broadband working can I" and they will almost certainly rule in his favour.
I've got no proof it works - of course I don't, never had the need to etc.

As I said, not end of the world stuff.
As I'm going to end up with it back then I'm waiting for Ebay's full response - not rolling over just because the buyer is too stupid to set something up.
 
I have never sold on ebay but as a matter of interest has anyone secretly marked the items before they sent them - just in case you get a return and it's been swapped.

I've UV pen mark CPU's in the past as well as memory modules.
Didn't ever have anyone trying to return them, but seemed the safest thing to do.
 
Back
Top Bottom