Dishonest buyer
Good evening everyone,
I find myself in a situation and I don't know what to do to protect myself.
I had 3 shepherds up for auction for the Neapolitan nativity scene, of different sizes. Those forgotten items were included in the listing description with photos showing the differences between them. No returns accepted by the buyer.
I accepted the international buyer's purchase offer (Malta), who wanted me to “add” another shepherd from another auction at a ridiculous price. I refused, despite his insistence.
Payment via PayPal. I shipped it with bomb-proof packaging and even gave him the insurance.
The package arrives at its destination. Negative feedback with no basis, or maybe because I didn't give in to his insistence to add another shepherd.
I had the negative feedback removed by eBay. I reported the buyer.
After a week I receive an eBay email with his request for a return of the goods and a full refund. The reason was that the shepherds were supposed to be the same size.
I immediately contact eBay Italy, who steps in and sides with me, seeing that the buyer's claim did not “hold up” since the description and measurements were in the listing.
eBay Italy passes this information on to eBay.com, which asks me to start the return process.
I find this situation paradoxical. What can I do? I absolutely don't trust this buyer and I could expect anything if the item were to come back. Is it possible that eBay.com believes a buyer more than eBay Italy?
seamaster24
OP3 years agoGuys, today I received the package. Luckily, it was well packed.
I contacted eBay Italy to ask for more information before issuing the refund.
They suggested I take some photos with a tape measure next to the nativity scene shepherds to show that the dimensions I stated in the listing were correct and that the customer changed their mind and it wasn’t something wrong with the lot I bought.
This, according to them, would give me a chance to try to return only a partial refund and not a full one because the customer is at fault.
What do you think about this? Am I wasting time?
Give me some advice.
THANKS
heavenwelkin
·3 years agoDo as eBay suggests, you can submit a dispute over the buyer’s request.
Measure the figurines and send them to eBay and maybe you can salvage what can be saved.
Let us know.
Best regards.
seamaster24
OP3 years agoThe problem with Neapolitan mastiffs is that their height dimensions can also be altered. If I take the actual photo with the true dimensions and the other buyer "modifies" that height by taking photos himself before having returned it to me, the one who gets screwed in the end is still me if the rule that the customer is always right applies.
In my opinion, by doing this, I’m only prolonging the agony and in the end they’ll still make me return everything anyway.
daxsisko
·3 years agoone thing isn’t clear: exactly what did eBay.com write? for example, starting the return process does not mean paying the shipping costs (which could be the buyer’s responsibility)
seamaster24
OP3 years agoGuys, I thank you immensely for the replies that I will follow.
I’m just looking for an answer to my earlier question: if the item comes back to me broken or different from the one I sent, what do I do? Does eBay really protect me or only on “paper”?
That’s what I need to understand.
Thanks for your time
sika700
·3 years agoeBay doesn't protect you at all... if the item is different you can only file a complaint with the competent authorities, with practically zero results...
Have a good day.
heavenwelkin
·3 years agoShipping terracotta figurines that cost 400, 500, 600 euros already carries a certain risk in itself, because if the courier brakes suddenly and a very heavy package up high falls onto your figurines from a certain height and crushes the box, some damage could happen.
One of my 600-euro DSLR cameras broke, complete with its original packaging plus a nice super-protective package, so shipping is the first risk you run when selling online.
Then you need to make accurate and clear descriptions with photos, so as to prevent as much as possible a buyer from taking a wrong thing for another.
Then, still regarding the terracotta figurines, you really need to see how carefully and attentively the packaging for the return is handled by the buyer.
Of course there is the risk that they come back in broken pieces or maybe that the buyer accidentally broke them, just as there is the risk that a piece is missing or that you receive an item different from the one sent.
Generally all these risks are on the seller, who has to make the proper evaluations before selling an item of this kind, delicate and also expensive.
Anyway, if you receive different material you can TRY to film the opening of the package and then file a report. After that you can submit an appeal to the dispute and attach the report, hoping that something may happen.
If things go well, they accept the appeal and eBay reimburses you; if things go badly, they reject the appeal.
Kind regards.
seamaster24
OP3 years agoIt’s not the first time I’ve sold shepherds with terracotta heads. I’ve never had any kind of problem whatsoever.
All the descriptions of my few listings (when I put them up) are accompanied by photos and specify everything.
I’ve never hidden anything. Everything out in the open, and even idiots crossing your path.
I was able to message with the foreign customer who called me all sorts of names, even calling me a thief. When you come across people like that, everything gets harder.
He even threatened that he’ll take photos and send them to ebay to show the different measurements.
I tried, unsuccessfully, to make him understand that the measurements were included in the listing description, along with lots of photos, but nothing. He won’t change his mind.
Question, since I’ve never used it: does the generator for creating a return label for a buyer have special prices for ebay? I need to arrange pickup shipping from Malta to Italy. I had some quotes done by FedEx and others, they’re enough to give you a heart attack. About 170 euros. From Italy, I spent 40 euros.
What do you suggest?
heavenwelkin
·3 years agoThere was a misunderstanding on the buyer’s part or maybe he simply came up with an excuse to make a return without paying the shipping costs out of his own pocket.
If the sale is abroad, things get complicated, and not a little.
When you get the item, you can only hope it arrives intact.
For now there’s nothing else to do but wait for the item to come back.
Best regards.
heavenwelkin
·3 years agoThe shipping manager doesn’t seem to be able to generate a label with a Malta address and destination Italy, but you can try using this link
https://spedizioni.ebay.it/
Alternatively, you can get a quote from one of these sites
www.spedire.com
www.paccofacile.it
www.spediamo.it
www.sendabox.it
Kind regards.
seamaster24
OP3 years agoThanks a lot for the tips. I used paccofacile.it
hopefully it works out. There are conflicting opinions on this site on the internet. I still have to receive the shipping label.
does it work well for shipments?
heavenwelkin
·3 years agoYes, it works well for international shipments too.
If the label for the international shipment doesn't arrive right away, it's likely they'll make it manually on Monday. You will still receive a confirmation email and the label will also arrive via email.
Kind regards.
sika700
·3 years agoIf you don't want to lose money and the item, it's best to accept the return and arrange a shipping label at your own expense...
Don't hope for a different outcome.
Kind regards.
seamaster24
OP3 years agoReally! And I’m supposed to “do it” within the famous 4 days that eBay.com gives me? Otherwise, once the time is up, eBay could make the decision for me? To my disadvantage?
basically complaints to eBay Italy are not taken into consideration at all by eBay.com.
So, from your personal experience, would I only be wasting time and possibly be harmed if I stood firm on my position of not wanting to accept the return from this dishonest buyer?
Thanks for the reply
sika700
·3 years agoExactly!
Kind regards.
actar80
·3 years agoFor what I’ve been able to understand, though not from direct experience, eBay.com has more authority than eBay.it. That doesn’t mean you’re wrong, but if there’s a disagreement between the two eBays, eBay.com takes precedence. You could try contacting eBay Italy again and ask them why, if they ruled in your favor, eBay.com says otherwise, and whether they can do anything.
If not, if you don’t accept the return, you lose the item and the money. Then, if the buyer does anything spiteful when the package comes back, film and take photos of the unboxing; I don’t know how much the video and photos might be worth, but it’s something extra if you want to try an appeal, even though I think it’s a long shot.
Next time, maybe avoid overseas sales, which are harder to manage; otherwise, keep in mind that a situation like this could happen again.
seamaster24
OP3 years agoeBay Italia, so what is it even there for if it doesn’t protect those who operate correctly? We also pay the commissions for their services and should be protected in some way.
I’ve always sold outside as well, never had any problems. This is the first time.
The question naturally arises: if I go ahead with returning the items and they come back to me damaged or incomplete, who am I supposed to take it out on? Will I use seller protection, which we’ve seen is useless? The dishonest buyer will get away with it again.
how do I protect myself? They’re good at advertising “rules and laws” on eBay that then aren’t enforced.
sika700
·3 years agoBut look, it’s not just a problem with eBay... it’s a problem with any sale made online.
Whether it’s Ebay.it or .com (and if a simple support agent told you that, he’s not the one making the decisions!) when faced with two completely opposite statements, they’ll side with the buyer... an old saying goes that “the customer is always right”... you just have to accept it, and since it’s the first time, bear in mind it could happen again.
Kind regards.
seamaster24
OP3 years agoOf course “the customer is always right,” but I don’t want to end up being the sucker in the situation either. We pay for a platform for a service and to have at least a minimum of protection. That should exist whether you’re a customer or a seller.
If the goods arrive damaged or different from what was sent, what do I do? On paper, eBay writes lots of nice words, but in practice can it do anything in this case or does the rule apply that eBay .com is always right?
Thanks for the reply
sika700
·3 years agoYou can sit here writing until tomorrow morning about your reasons... but your reasons won't get you anywhere...
If you want to listen to what will happen to you, good... otherwise do as you think best, but then don't come back complaining...
Kind regards.
actar80
·3 years agoI understand your disagreement, and I’d be pretty pissed off in your place too, but what can I do except confirm to you that when 2 opposing opinions clash, the buyer’s and the seller’s, the platform sides with the former, since by basic principle it is balanced in favor of the buying party, usually the weaker one and the one putting up their own money. Then everything is relative, there can be various cases and from time to time different judgments can be made.
In your case eBay Italy sided with you (if your sale had stayed within Italy you would have won the claim in your case) but then for some reason that we may never know eBay.com decided differently. And maybe even the poor eBay.it operators who don’t even reply from Italy will never know.
Anyway, in general, as another user told you, these are the problems of distance selling, where there is a tendency to protect the buyer. In fact, if you think about it, when you buy an item even from retail chains or professional sellers you have the right to return it within 14 days established by law, something not предусмотрено in in-store purchases.
I’m sorry that you ran into a situation like this, but apart from the advice to ask eBay Italy for clarification, and what I wrote to you before, I don’t think there’s any solution other than accepting the return to limit the damage.