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Controversy over damaged item (35 kg): escalation of defects, intact package, and buyer who can’t pack the return. Thoughts?
Summary: gius1341 shares a complex case in which a buyer complains of damage after delivery of a portable air conditioner, even though the packaging arrived intact. The buyer reported increasing damage, handled the appliance, and eventually requested a return, stating that they were unable to pack the item properly. gius1341 contacted support asking for help from Seller Protection and advice from anyone who has had similar experiences. He also asks how the platform handles the documentary evidence provided in his favor.
Hi everyone, I’m bringing you a tricky case I’m dealing with with a buyer to figure out how you would handle it in my place and what expectations I can have from Seller Protection.
I shipped a 35 kg portable air conditioner, entrusting the professional packaging and shipping to MBE, and also activating the SafeValue insurance coverage. The package was delivered with the outer packaging intact and accepted by the recipient without any reservation. Right after delivery, a surreal escalation started on the buyer’s part:
First report: He complains exclusively about a broken wheel, providing the photos himself in which the box can be seen in perfect condition.
Putting it into operation and new damage: The next day he says he tried the unit, confirming that it "cools well", but suddenly adds a broken outlet and a faulty remote control to the list of damage. He is the one who raises the hypothesis that the package may have been dropped during transport.
The escalation continues: In the following days he also reports a broken Wi-Fi module and a sudden water leak that supposedly ruined a €1,000 handmade rug. Curiously, the alleged damage to the rug is then retracted by the buyer himself, who says he dried it and it’s fine.
Manipulating the unit: Before reporting the water leak, the buyer admits in writing that he changed the position of the air conditioner, inserting a wooden spacer under the broken wheel to level it, and used the appliance in those conditions.
All this happened even though I immediately stepped in offering to send, at my expense, four new wheels, a replacement remote control and outlet, as well as having opened the claim with MBE.
The current situation is that the buyer has opened a formal return request for a damaged item. The paradox is that, through messaging, he stated that he was physically unable to prepare suitable packaging to safely return a 35 kg parcel, asking eBay to handle the return arrangements.
I’ve already spoken with support in chat and an agent told me that I have to accept the return, blindly trusting the buyer’s statement.
I submitted an official dispute to Seller Protection asking for closure in my favor, highlighting all the written evidence: the package with no reservation, the handling and use of the item, the damage emerging bit by bit, and his admission that he can’t pack the return to standard. As a fallback, I asked that eBay at least protect my right to withhold part of the refund for loss of value, since the item will inevitably come back destroyed because of non-professional packaging.
Has anyone here dealt with similar cases involving heavy parcels, packages that arrived intact, and buyers who contradict themselves or refuse to pack properly? How does Seller Protection usually assess this kind of objective evidence? Any advice is welcome.
Giuseppe
marioelegio
Mentore1 week agoIf the item was damaged during transport in a way that could not be easily detected from the outside, the buyer has 30 days to check the conformity of what they received.
If there is a return request for non-conformity, it is you (as the seller) who must provide a suitable return service within 3 working days of the request. The buyer's only duty is to package the item (preferably using the same packaging it was received in) and send it back.
In these cases there is no seller protection, because these are rules of the civil code. Obviously the refund must be total, you cannot keep anything, not even the shipping or return costs.
If you refuse to do these steps, ebay could do them for you, take the refund directly from your account and could ignore the return.
Decide for yourself whether or not to follow the path that could minimize the damage for you.
hi
mario