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eBay Buyer Trouble

NeciFiX

Kung Fu Fighting!
I ran into my first trouble with eBay Buyers last week. I sold a GameBoy Advanced SP with like 5 or 6 older games and a battery charger for $99 (I didn't really describe them though they WERE categorized as USED). They were worn along the edges and some scratches, the inside of the SP was fine. I sent them via priority mail, on the end of day 4 he got the mail and it took him until day 6 to get back to me. He was complaining about the games having "chew marks" (small dents most likely) and a FEW labels torn off. He also complained the inside of the SP was extensively damaged (though, when I asked for pictures he did not show this, only the worn out parts on the SP) and some of the damage was just new from shipping, he said about 4 games were acceptable or borderline acceptable, with 2 not because the labels were torn or gone. I'd say a lot of damage was from the mail but yes, a label was torn off one of them, the second I don't know how THAT happened, and he never showed me pictures of the inside of the SP but claims there is damage, and is asking for like $25 back. The thing is it took him so long to get back to me and I had to pay off a few things so I don't exactly have the money right now and won't for 1-3 weeks. I have filed complaints with the USPS and gotten back to him post-haste but he keeps going off that he sells these systems all the time and blah blah blah. He says he is going to make a "item significantly not described" or something along those lines complaint, when he didn't ask questions, he KNEW there was NO money back guarantee, and the system was used. He never asked questions, it took him forever to get back and they got damaged in the mail, I pointed all these things out to him but he never made note of it or talked about it. What could eBay do if he filed this complaint? He surely won't wait a week or two for the $20 he's asking for (he originally asked for $50, after many emails he started getting desperate and pulled it down to $20) seeing as he's so stubborn. What would eBay do? Sue me? Close my account? Temporarily suspend me? Nothing? A strike against my account?

Sorry that's so lengthy. This guy is a pain, I've told him many times that a lot of the damage was shipping, but he does NOT mention and pretends that my points do not exist and keeps babbling at me. This is highly annoying. What would eBay do? I am trying to email him now but Hotmail just screwed up and died and is not working, so, I don't know WHAT to do about that.

Thanks!

~Sam
 
Contact Ebay and tell them what happened.Sounds like the guy is trying to rip you off since he wont show proof of the damage.



Jerry
 
He did show proof in pictures, although, rather low quality. The games were somewhat more damaged than before and the SP but the so called "screen gash" pictures were not to be found.

Edit: Turns out in the last picture he pointed out some damage on the top and bottom but no extensive gashes as he said on the screen. He also sent the same picture three times with a different name. Jeesh! What the heck?
 
I'm on your side but why was there so much damage done in shipping? How were the items boxed up? With foam peanuts and all that? Did you tell him you don't cover damage from shipping W/O paying insurance? I always mention that in my ebay listings.

Also, ALWAYS show a picture of exactly what you're selling, so they can see if it's not resellable at Gamestop or wherever (probably why the missing labels mean so much to him).

I've only had one bad buyer who bought a Nep aristolochioides. Two months later he emailed and said it had no roots and was dead and wanted another or he'd give me a bad review. I asked why it took so long to get back to me and he told me it took time to die. He'd pullled it outta the pot of live sphagnum moss I always sold my plants in and re-potted it in miracle grow potting soil (who knows what temp/humidity he was keeping it at). At the time I had my Nep cultivation site up yet (nepentheshouse.com) and the plant tag had the web address... He didn't get a free plant, just a real good talking to about doing research on horribly expensive plants before spending money frivolously. I still have a 100% positive reviews he learned his lesson and backed off.

I got kicked off ebay a few years ago for trying to sell Charles Manson's album "Lie" on LP (a collectors item). Aparently you can sell anything with Manson or other killers on it (tee shirts, movies, removeable tattoos, etc) but nothing actually made by the person. Even though the LP was done long before the incidents that made Manson famous. Just incase anyone cares, he was a bad musician I only played the thing once. The Beatles he isn't! ;)
 
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Well, he knew NOTHING was covered and it was on him, no money back, he didn't ask any questions, no insurance, nothing. Nothing at all. Nothing. Yeah, people are idiots, never reading about what they get. Those people annoy the heck out of me. I don't have a camera so that's hard and eBay is quite annoying. I didn't list any damages in the listing, I didn't specify if they were good or bad, in which case he should've asked questions! Though, it was my responsibility, I DID put the quality up however eBay malfunctioned a bunch of times so I think that it got a previous copy I put up that was unofficial and only stated the games and system, no good or bad, but it said it was used, there was no money back guarantee, no insurance, he didn't ask any questions...
 
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I don't have a camera so that's hard and eBay is quite annoying.
I didn't list any damages in the listing, I didn't specify if they were good or bad, in which case he should've asked questions!
he didn't ask any questions...

While I think that an under the table "give me 20 bucks and I'll shut up" agreement is a bit fishy, from the sounds of it I would have been very disappointed had I been the winner. The "you didn't ask" defense is weak.

I would say that if you are incapable of listing all of the information (whether it be verbal, pictorial, or otherwise) then you should not be selling.

Though, your story is a little unclear:

Yeah, people are idiots, never reading about what they get.
I didn't list any damages in the listing, I didn't specify if they were good or bad

Rrrr, so, which is it? Was there something to read?

You get what I'm saying? Without having seen the listing, and just seeing the description of the story, I think that I'd be disappointed as well.
 
My only eBay sales were a bunch of camera equipment several years ago and I made sure I described every problem and included plenty of photos showing any flaws. I might have lost a little money upfront, but I like to avoid hassles. It bailed me out too. One thing I sold was my medium format camera and the buyer discovered a shutter problem I had missed. I offered to take it back and it would have cost me well over $100 to get it repaired. But he said a friend of his repairs cameras and he knew I didn't know about it because I had been so detailed about everything else. So the situation was resolved painlessly for all involved and he left good feedback.
 
you would get a negative on your feedback.


i don't really think there's anything you can do about it regardless of if you were at fault for something or not. I know it is now hindsight, but it's a good idea to describe as accurately as possible the item and condition of items you're selling. same goes to the buyer.


well, don't let it bum you out too bad. get over it and move on.
 
How could you put something up for auction and not list damages? That's not lying but it's not exactly telling the whole truth now is it ;) That's just not responsible selling.

I can't imagine how it could have been damaged during shipping if it was packaged properly. Unless someone stepped on it.
 
  • #10
I see you got positive feedback from him, though.

xvart.
 
  • #11
Without a picture a detailed description is in order. I looked up the auction in question.

It would seem to me that the starting bid and buy it now prices that you set may have led the buyer to believe the items to be in better condition than they were - relative to starting prices for similar items with photos and detailed descriptions. Perhaps the buyer should have asked questions but he didn't.

If the items had damage or noticable wear and tear on them a copy of a detailed listing of these should have been included in the package. This would clear up any disputes as to damage in shipping.

The buyer has a hundred percent rating on 68 transactions vs your 100% rating on 14 transactions. Make of that what you will.

You can give him a poor rating and you can attach a rebuttal to his rating of you. That's about all you can do unless you can come to a compromise that will give positive ratings for both you and the seller.

If you do give him back some of his money both of you need to inform eBay as they base their cut on the ending price.
 
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