Seller claiming console doesnt work. I tested it before I shipped.

[MASTERWEEDO]

I recently sold an Odyssey2 with some games on eBay. I cleaned and tested everything. After I shipped [Dec. 9], I recieved a message asking me to ship to a different, non verified address. Then on Wednesday the 24th i received a refund claim from eBay with them claiming that the console wont power on, they claim to have taken it to an electrician and he confirmed that the unit gets no power. Now I have to pay to pay to have the item shipped back to me and refund their payment and original shipping. I am certain this thing works, and it isnt the first time I have had to deal with this happening. If this gets back to me and powers up just fine [like last time], do I have any options, other than relist?

[Tanooki]

I'd call ebay, use google and search for 'get human' and ebay, there's a website that'll give you the US office, not the idiotic card reading dolts overseas who act fake sympathetic and do nothing ever if you use that contact us link at the top of their pages or in the script for escalation. Let them know the situation, that they lied, and see if they'll give you some kind of a refund on the shipping and the works. You shouldn't be punished if they lied, and if you can prove they lied they may get contacted by ebay for fraud or have a mark put on their account for committing fraud which means they'll be monitored for awhile and banned if it happens again. Ebay gets a lot of crap because many get mad at their automated canned crap(who wouldn't?) but if you get an American and show the facts and proof they'll side with a seller who has gotten screwed. They've helped me out a few times before on fraud, one within the last couple of months, and they got me pulled out from under the bus.

[MASTERWEEDO]

Thank you.

[Zthun]

Why do you need to pay return shipping? That's usually on the buyer.

[Greg2600]

Why do you need to pay return shipping? That's usually on the buyer.

Ebay will create a prepaid label for the buyer to use. If they determine the product is not "defective" the buyer's account is charged for the label. If the product is deemed defective, the seller is charged.

[MASTERWEEDO]

I'm waiting on them to ship it back.

I really hope they didn't just swap out the power cord or even the console itself.

[Zthun]

Ebay will create a prepaid label for the buyer to use. If they determine the product is not "defective" the buyer's account is charged for the label. If the product is deemed defective, the seller is charged.

Is that new? I've always thought PayPal had the policy that the buyer is responsible for shipping it back.

[Tanooki]

I think it has been that way, it's to punish people sending defective goods, but it's not a solid black and white issue either unless it's blatantly broken and they can tell in which case seller eats it. If there's any doubt ebay will eat it or the buyer will because it will look like sore feelings buying something they really didn't want which they should be punished for on the shipping loss.

[Greg2600]

Is that new? I've always thought PayPal had the policy that the buyer is responsible for shipping it back.

I think so. Ebay is really super duper pro-buyer. I bought an iCade on ebay, and could not get it to work. Returned it with the label. The seller said it still worked, just needed the batteries to be moved around? Yeah sure. I got a full refund of my purchase AND shipping, and didn't have to pay the return. Whether Ebay ate that I don't know.

[Mayhem]

eBay had eaten a couple of refunds on my behalf, for products I couldn't get to work and were not worth shipping back to the seller, but that's about it.

[MASTERWEEDO]

I received my returned Odyssey2. thrown in a box with a bag and a little bit of bubble wrap balled up and on the top. wires just wrapped around the unit. UPS just dropped it off outside. Didnt even knock. I immediately plugged it in and it powers up and plays just fine.

I reported the buyer for abusing the buyer protection. I am still going to call and see if they can do anything about this.

I'm on hold with eBay now.

[Greg2600]

I'm on hold with eBay now.

Awful experience.

[MASTERWEEDO]

They are insisting I pay for shipping. They will not let me refund just the item price.

They told me to contact the buyer and tell them that I will refund them WITHOUT the shipping cost through Paypal directly. He told me to tell them that I can tell them I will refund the item price only because it works and I can prove it.

I think he just wanted me off the phone.

He actually asked me why I issued a refund, he said I didnt have to because they took it to an electrician.

[Tanooki]

Which ebay did you call, the one I suggested http://gethuman.com/phone-number/eBay/ (this is the US, not India pretending to be Americans with the 'contact us' button with pin# on their website.)

I'm surprised they'd just throw you to the side like that given the evidence. I'd just refund what they paid minus the shipping and let them cry like babies about it if they dare and if they do, go from there and shoot a video of the system they returned, throw it on youtube, then offer that up to the ebay rep while you're on the phone to prove they're liars. Like I said before someone tried the broken garbage on me once before and I dunked them for it. The difference being ebay let me keep my money, let the prick keep his cash and my game and ebay stupidly ate it as to not offend anyone while still putting a mark on his account about fraud if it happened again.

[MASTERWEEDO]

I emailed the buyer, I dont see this going over well.

[sfchakan]

I think so. Ebay is really super duper pro-buyer. I bought an iCade on ebay, and could not get it to work. Returned it with the label. The seller said it still worked, just needed the batteries to be moved around? Yeah sure. I got a full refund of my purchase AND shipping, and didn't have to pay the return. Whether Ebay ate that I don't know.

The seller paid for it 100% and got nicked with a defect. Did you go straight to making him pay for a return prior to contacting him first? If so, that's a douchey thing to do. Many times, honest sellers will work with you and go out of their way to correct issues.

eBay has made it way too easy to scam unsuspecting sellers. There is a huge learning curve now for new sellers when it comes to protecting themselves. Even with all of the knowledge in the world, bad luck with a dickbag buyer can come around and bite you in the ass.

[Tanooki]

It probably won't go over well but stand your ground, you have the proof the guy is a liar.

I'd write nicely but sternly that "I have received the system back, thank you. I have looked into what you said about the system not working, have plugged it into my TV (or say TVs you have) and it has worked on everything with the system, games, wires and controllers. While I can and will refund your purchase total I will not reimburse you for the shipping to you and the shipping costs to you returning to me a perfectly working video game system package." Maybe follow that up with, if this is a problem we can take it up with ebay where I will present video and photographic evidence that I have received the same system and games back that I shipped out and it still functions which would make me as the seller believe this is a case of buyers remorse which I am not at fault for.

I've once had to go that route, it was a bit of a lie, but someone tried to scam me on a $10 copy of Metroid Prime 3 Wii saying I sent a scratched disc that stopped in places. I told them I was the only owner, I bought it, used it gently and it was scratch free, but if you wish to send it back I did not post all images of the auction online and have high quality scans of the disc including the unique code within the inner ring and if what you mail back to me does not match up I will bring it up with ebay as buyer fraud. ...And I never heard from that jerk again and the case was closed. :P You just need to play a bluff sometimes and know which chains to jerk with lying assholes trying to scam the system.

What you have is an old system I'm sure there's a scuff here or a scratch or dent there on it, controllers, or very easily the boxes. Let him know if he persists you'll file a counter claim for damaging the goods and them not returning as they left you which is another angle you could use.

[sfchakan]

Here's a tip for people who have asshats sending you bogus messages concerning condition. Sometimes, if you sell enough, you'll have dickbags contacting you and saying "oh, this isn't like the condition described." IF you know it's bogus, call their bluff. They're possibly fishing for a partial refund. FUCK. THAT.

Tell them you believe in 100% satisfaction and do not do partial refunds. Ask them to ship the game back to you and you will refund them 100%. Stand firm and pretend to be the store owner who is concerned about a valuable customer in the language you use.

I've done this twice when such an asshat tried to pull this crap on me. They both backed down and closed the case.

[y9784]

I think you are misunderstanding the refund process. You only refund what the buyer paid for the item and the cost of shipping paid to have it sent. The return shipping is on the buyer. In fact, when you go through opening a case in eBay to refund a buyer, the refund amount is automatic for what the buyer paid, excluding return shipping.

eBay has made it way too easy to scam unsuspecting sellers. There is a huge learning curve now for new sellers when it comes to protecting themselves. Even with all of the knowledge in the world, bad luck with a dickbag buyer can come around and bite you in the ass.

eBay values sellers who have sold for a long time / sold a lot. Never offer returns. This will prevent most scammer buyers. Take good pictures. Describe every defect. You owe it to the buyers, but it also protects you as the seller if there ever is a problem.

[Tanooki]

I don't misunderstand that at all. I don't refund any shipping. I didn't pocket the money, post office and ebay kept that cut.