eBay Buyer Requesting Refund Nearly 3 Months after Purchase

manbearpig on 03/09/2019 - 05:14

So I sold a Wii controller back in June. I tested it properly as I do with everything I sell on eBay, and it was well packaged.

The buyer has just opened a refund/return request stating the D-pad is stuck in the right direction.

If they had contacted me soon after having received it, of course I would have been willing to help, but it's been nearly 3 months. For all I know, the guy has been using it, and it has developed this problem in the time he's been using it. But second hand goods are sold as is—-there's no warranty.

I politely said to him that it's been 3 months since he purchased it and that there's no warranty.

His response:

'I used it for the first time the last week ago. It's supposed to be normal ? Are you kidding me ?'

I find it hard to believe that he only just used it for the first time.

What are my options here? Will eBay make me refund him? Do I have to accept?

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Comments

  • User210686 on 03/09/2019 - 06:39
    +6

    Wasn’t there a similar topic not long ago on here?
    I suggest you talk to eBay rep and explain your situation rather than waiting for ebay’s decision online.

    • Bad Wolf on 03/09/2019 - 22:12

      Maybe this one

      After reading posts like these really put me off selling anything on eBay.

  • Quantumcat on 03/09/2019 - 07:46

    I would prepare yourself for either paying for its return and losing the money, or losing the money and the item.

    If you manage to avoid either of these fates please let us know what you did!

  • [Deactivated] on 03/09/2019 - 08:12

    Have you looked at their recent feedback/items?

    • manbearpig on 03/09/2019 - 22:33

      Yes, and there's nothing suspicious. The fact that sellers can't leave negative feedback doesn't help though…

  • idonotknowwhy on 03/09/2019 - 08:27

    Are you an ebay plus member? If so, just ring them and explain.
    They helped my out with a piece of shit buyer who ended up costing me $50 recently.

    I hope to see and somehow recognize that buyer in person one day…

    • manbearpig on 03/09/2019 - 22:33

      I am not. I will give them a call. Thanks

  • I Smell Pennies on 03/09/2019 - 08:35
    +1

    as everyone above said: ring them up or have a chat online and they will help you. they’ve helped me countless times

  • kolorijo on 03/09/2019 - 08:59

    you can track him down and shove the controller up to the right direction to clear the blockage..

  • askme69 on 03/09/2019 - 09:16
    +8

    If i sell stuff i don't use ebay anymore.

    • Joe Sixpack on 05/09/2019 - 12:19

      Me too. A guy bought a pesticide dust sprayer off me, then 2 months later asked for his money back. The photo he uploaded showed that he had broken the unit. It took me weeks of calling and resisting eBay, who were basically forcing me to refund him, to turn it in my favour. Never again!

  • akyeeeahdude on 03/09/2019 - 10:51
    +2

    I had a similar experience - sold an iPhone 6 that was about a year old way back and then 5.5 months later (6 month cut off for paypal), the buyer opened a Paypal dispute because "the screen replaced button don't work." I have no idea what was going on but luckily I checked my messages and found that I had sent him a message saying that his phone was at the post office waiting to be picked up. Thankfully at the time, he replied saying he picked it up and it worked great. He never left feedback though.

    I attached a screenshot of the message to the paypal case and for that reason, I believe they sided with me. If I didn't have the message, I have no doubt paypal would have sided with the buyer.

  • CC123 on 03/09/2019 - 21:50

    Similar things like this have happened in the past, I will throw a few links
    I suggest reading over these -
    Comment #1
    Comment #2

    But yes, get in contact with eBay ASAP

    Do you have any photos/proof of it functioning correctly before you sent it off?

    • manbearpig on 03/09/2019 - 22:45

      Yeah, the 6 month window that PayPal allows is ridiculous.

      I have a photo of the item and one of the package before I sent it, but no video. It was definitely working without issues. The fault he describes is one I would have 100% noticed from just connecting it (he says the cursor moves to the right on its own in the menu).

      • CC123 on 03/09/2019 - 23:00

        Ask him to send a photo of the current state. Compare your photo with his - if the damage is noticeable in his photos but not yours, there's more evidence you are selling as described (if that makes sense). If you could post them here too that would be nice, just so myself and others can see and compare them.
        If you don't want to post them that's fine

        • manbearpig on 04/09/2019 - 02:04

          My one and only response so far was that I wouldn't be able to refund because it has been nearly 3 months. I feel that even asking him for a photo would give him the impression that I'm willing to accept. If the controller looks the same, what would I then say? The D-Pad not working properly is a mechanical fault, so it may not even look any different.

          • CC123 on 04/09/2019 - 09:40

            @manbearpig:

            I feel that even asking him for a photo would give him the impression that I'm willing to accept

            That will vary, just ask "Can you please show the condition of the controller by sending a photo? I was hoping to compare it to the photo I took before sending it."
            You could also say that the manufacturer is asking for a photo to see what happened.

            If the controller looks the same, what would I then say

            Look for any other sort of new damage or marks. Anything that will want PayPal/eBay to fall in your favour.

            The D-Pad not working properly is a mechanical fault, so it may not even look any different.

            True

  • easternculture on 07/09/2019 - 00:17
    -1

    when I sell on ebay, I always take a video of the item functional with serial number showing on video, then showing me packaging the item, labeling and affixing the tracking label.

    Also, I take a picture of the item on a scale before and after its packaged.

    Picture is taken inside the post office box with the lodgment receipt over item showing clearly I was in the post office (with GPS stamp)

    Everything is both time and GPS stamped

    Then all files are uploaded on dropbox and kept for 2 years.

    All files are also uploaded on ebay server via ebay messaging file attachments sent to buyer

    • SnoozeAndLose on 08/09/2019 - 22:04

      How many item you sell a year?

      • easternculture on 08/09/2019 - 22:32
        -1

        A few hundred

        • SnoozeAndLose on 08/09/2019 - 22:34

          300 x 60 mins = 300 hours , hope you earn fair bit on each item you sell

          • easternculture on 10/09/2019 - 00:03

            @SnoozeAndLose: I only sell high value items

            The process now takes me average 7 min per item and I'm like a few minutes away from the post office

  • spc12go on 08/09/2019 - 21:51

    PayPal will side with the buyer, I had a similar issue. I sold a new keyboard on eBay, after 3 months the buyer claim there’s an issue where one of the key was stuck. PayPal issue a refund regardless of what I provided.

    I ended up contacting the financial ombudsman and lodge a complaint as PayPal refuse to provide information on why they sided with the buyer. I got my money back at the end but it was a lengthy process.

    • manbearpig on 11/09/2019 - 20:09

      Yes, I've had to contact the financial ombudsman a couple of times to lodge complaints against PayPal regarding separate incidents. I also got my money back both times, but it was indeed a lengthy process.

  • manbearpig on 11/09/2019 - 20:13

    Update: I never responded after the buyer's last response. Today the return was closed. It says the buyer closed it. Hopefully that's the end of it…

    https://ibb.co/PW5k6xR

    I appreciate the help everyone.

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