Suspicious buyer, I ask for your support
Good evening, I’d like to ask for your support regarding a recent sale of mine. I’m in crisis because it’s a valuable item.
I sold a DJI drone because I wasn’t using it anymore, perfectly working, not even a year old and with active DJI Care (paid replacement service for accidental damage); the buyer opened a dispute requesting a refund and return of the item because it was "defective," then disappeared for days... Obviously the drone wasn’t defective and I’m 100% sure he did something to it, and you’ll tell me what proof do you have to establish that?
The smoking-gun proof is an error code he reported, namely code 40021. This appears when the drone is opened to replace a component (in particular the gimbal) because DJI automatically blocks "do-it-yourself" repairs and a public limited software is needed to successfully complete the replacement process, because every component is associated with its original product.
Beyond this error, the buyer reported many other system errors all related to the gimbal (camera). So it seems logical to me that the buyer took the working component from mine to install it in his, leaving me with the broken one, and there are people who assemble a drone from scratch, so they can freely reuse it however they want, for free.
Despite the smoking-gun proof, eBay ruled in the buyer’s favor, as usual, so I’m forced to accept the return with a refund... But I don’t want to give up, so I’m asking: if I send the drone to DJI for repair to confirm that the part was actually replaced, can I take legal action to get my money back? (Basically, if it was opened, I’ll lose the DJI Care warranty too, so it’s a double loss for me and I can’t accept that.) Then can I open a new dispute through eBay for an item returned in non-compliant condition?
It’s outrageous that I’m being returned a valuable drone in these conditions, so I don’t want to give up and I’m looking for solutions.
I look forward to hearing from you, best regards.
Anonymous User
OP3 years agoOk, I received the drone, I filmed the unboxing of the package, and to my surprise the buyer didn’t put in any padding to protect the drone’s original box from impacts, which by itself is extremely thin... I’m speechless.
I tested the drone to see firsthand the errors he reported, I almost cried, on top of the damage to the camera/gimbal now even the propeller motors won’t start, it’s basically dead and, in addition to the errors he reported, I now have several more, maybe helped by the fact that it must have taken who knows how many hits in transit and who knows how many times the drone must have come out of its seat, banging around here and there.
In any case I’ve already started DJI’s support process to get more detailed info on the extent of the damage and possibly assess the repair... but really, I’m speechless... from basically like new to an unusable wreck.
At this point I don’t know if it still makes sense to fight with eBay to report this too... But I’ll try to get in touch with an operator again anyway.
We’ll talk again, have a good evening everyone.
heavenwelkin
·3 years ago"Unfortunately" what you described is the ugly other side of the coin for anyone who decides to sell online using payment methods such as credit cards or related services (paypal, applepay,gpay, etc).
A private seller who makes occasional sales after an experience like yours could "rightly" decide it isn't worth taking these risks.
Buyer protection is almost always the seller's responsibility (whether private or professional).
As soon as you get the drone working again, if you want to sell it (since it's a fairly sought-after item) try the in-person selling channel.
It's not all plain sailing there either, but for some types of items (for a lower profit than on ebay) it's a more than valid alternative sales channel.
Best regards.
actar80
·3 years agoI'm sorry for what happened to you, but as they’ve already advised you, avoid selling items as complex as drones (except toy ones) online. Prefer platforms with no obligations and in-person delivery (never go alone, you never know; in person there are other kinds of risks) or accept only 1 Postepay top-up, and if the buyer doesn’t trust it (and that’s understandable), it’s better to abandon the transaction.
As for drones, I don’t know anything about them, I’ve never had one, so I’m the last person who can give you technical advice but if, after the support request to DJI, they can issue something that certifies the extent of the damage and especially the date when the damage occurred, regardless of whether you repair it or not, you could appeal to eBay about the dispute that was just closed in favor of the buyer, providing proof that the item was damaged while it was in the buyer’s possession.
If then you get nothing through eBay, there’s only the complaint through a lawyer, but you have to see whether it’s worth it.
Hi