Refund - Item not as described - what does that mean?
Hello,
I read the Ebay Guarantee - When the item received by the buyer does not match the listing but I can't understand when an item is consistent with the description and when it is not.
I’m asking because I sold an item, and the buyer asked for a refund for wrong item.
Now I would like to understand whether I am required to refund or not.
The listing in question:
- in the photos, it shows the item I actually shipped
- in the listing title (and in the description) the item name is incomplete and by coincidence it refers to a real existing item
- Listing title: GTA Vice City
- Photo in the listing: GTA Vice City Stories
- Item shipped: GTA Vice City Stories
For those who don't know (like me until 10 minutes ago) both GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories exist.
If I had made everything court-proof 😁 I would have done:
- Listing title: GTA Vice City Stories
- Photo in the listing: GTA Vice City Stories
- Item shipped: GTA Vice City Stories
So the item I shipped is the item shown in the photos, but it does not match the listing title by one word.
Thanks
4 comments
heavenwelkin
·2 years agoGood evening jackmar1941
You are selling with a private account where you do not accept returns.
If the buyer opens a simple return because they don't want the item because it's wrong for them, you can refuse to accept the return and that’s the end of it for eBay.
If, on the other hand, the buyer opens a dispute for item not as described, the situation is very different because you cannot refuse the return and you have to take the item back at your own expense.
So let us know what kind of dispute the buyer opened and we’ll give you further guidance.
Kind regards.
jacmar1941
OP2 years agoThanks for the reply @heavenwelkin
I took some screenshots of the request. I think it's a "simple return".
Other things that come to mind:
- at this point do the eBay Money Back Guarantee rules apply only to professional sellers and not to private sellers?
- if it is a simple return, and I refuse it, can the buyer then open a dispute??
I'd like to avoid that given how low the item's price is
- if instead I accept the return, can I ask the buyer to pay the return shipping for the item?
heavenwelkin
·2 years agoYes, it’s a simple return request that you can refuse, and for eBay the case is closed.
But (and there is a but) the buyer, forced to be stuck with an item they don’t want, could open a claim with PayPal and/or through the bank that issued the payment.
In this case you would very likely find yourself having to refund the buyer for the TOTAL COST OF THE ITEM INCLUDING SHIPPING COSTS, and it is by no means 100% certain that you will get the item back because it depends on how the chargeback unfolds, on the bank, and on the statements the buyer made.
An annoyed buyer can be terrible.
It seems to me that anyway the buyer was fair and admitted their fault.
So consider taking the game back at their expense, naturally.
So you can ask them to send the item back to you and then you can offer them a refund of the cost of the item only, excluding the shipping costs they incurred.
I’ll give you an example:
If the buyer paid 30 euro for the game and 10 for shipping.
You refund them 30 euro.
They lose the shipping money and have to pay the cost of sending it back.
Contact them and see whether they’re okay with these conditions.
So wait before accepting or refusing the return, see what the buyer intends to do.
Kind regards.
marioelegio
·2 years agoeBay rules apply to all sellers. However, the community rules are different for different types of sellers.
Professional sellers are required to grant their customers the right of withdrawal, private sellers may do so but are not obliged to.
All sellers must always accept returns in case of non-conformity (item not identical to the one described in the listing).
So now you can refuse the return for change of mind and for eBay the matter is closed. However, you have to take into account the possibility that they may then open a return request through PayPal and that this time it will be for “non-conformity”.
hi
mario