Mrs. A Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I just sold a beautiful Coach purse on ebay. It was in very good condition as far as I could tell, but the buyer just sent me a message saying there was some water damage on the bottom. How do I respond? Am I supposed to offer money back? It is possible that the damage could have happened at my house because it was sitting around for a long time before I sold it. DH says don't offer anything and he doesn't care if I get a bad rating. I don't sell often, but still, I'd rather not have negative feedback. What is standard procedure for this type of thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Does the buyer have good feedback? If the buyer has very good feedback and therefore doesn't seem to be the type to go around scamming sellers, and you're admitting it could have happened at your home, I would ask them if they are looking to return it for a refund and if so, that once it is back in your possession you will return their money to them. Then you can at least try to resell it (you'll have to mention the damage and may get less for it next time but you should still be able to get something for it). I wouldn't want negative feedback if I planned to sell there again. And you want to think of how you would want someone to respond to you if YOU were the buyer. If the buyer has negative feedback and sellers seem to be complaining about this type of thing happening, that's another story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trresh Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I would ask for the bag back and offer to pay return shipping before giving a refund. ETA: Are sellers even allowed to give negative feedback to buyers anymore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Does the buyer have good feedback? If the buyer has very good feedback and therefore doesn't seem to be the type to go around scamming sellers, and you're admitting it could have happened at your home, I would ask them if they are looking to return it for a refund and if so, that once it is back in your possession you will return their money to them. Then you can at least try to resell it (you'll have to mention the damage and may get less for it next time but you should still be able to get something for it). I wouldn't want negative feedback if I planned to sell there again. And you want to think of how you would want someone to respond to you if YOU were the buyer. If the buyer has negative feedback and sellers seem to be complaining about this type of thing happening, that's another story. :iagree: I had this happen to me once, but for some baby clothes. The clothes were in excellent shape, but the buyer complained, threatened negative feedback etc. But when I offered a refund if she sent the merchandise back, she refused it and told me she would just "take these clothes to the dump because they weren't even good for Goodwill." I should mention these were all stain free nearly BRAND NEW clothing that had each only been worn once or twice by my oldest DD. :001_rolleyes: I checked out her feedback and she had a lot of this going on. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Does the buyer have good feedback? If the buyer has very good feedback and therefore doesn't seem to be the type to go around scamming sellers, and you're admitting it could have happened at your home, I would ask them if they are looking to return it for a refund and if so, that once it is back in your possession you will return their money to them. Then you can at least try to resell it (you'll have to mention the damage and may get less for it next time but you should still be able to get something for it). I wouldn't want negative feedback if I planned to sell there again. And you want to think of how you would want someone to respond to you if YOU were the buyer. If the buyer has negative feedback and sellers seem to be complaining about this type of thing happening, that's another story. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 It's common for buyers to scam (or try to) sellers by saying the object was damaged. Usually they want you to just refund the money while they keep the object (because the seller doesn't want to bother with the shipping, or they fear negative feedback). I would inform her that the item needs to be returned. If it is damaged she won't mind. If she gives you the "I'll just throw it away" (I've heard others complain of that as well) then you know she is lying, which will result in you not refunding so that is fine. Be sure to get proof of mailing, such as a Delivery Confirmation receipt with your zip code (copy of) before you refund anything. I hope it works out well for you. :grouphug: Edited to add: That if she does have pristine, recent feedback, you may want to assume she is being truthful. However, I'd still request the item back. You can resell it with photos and description, and hopefully you'll get the postage costs back from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I would see if she wants to return it or if she just wants a discount. I had this happen when I sold some pokemon tupperware, it was brand new never used and she claimed it had scratches and wasn't mint. So I offered to take off a few dollars of she could return it. I think I gave her a few dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Ask her to e-mail you pictures of the damage. For all we know, there's nothing wrong with the purse at all. I bet it sold for a lot, too. When I received items that had stains, holes, and loose threads, I sent pictures of the defects as proof that what I was saying was true. It seems a bit unlikely to me that you would have boxed the purse up and not notice water damage. Ask for her to please send you photos so that you can decide what to do. If there really is significant water damage, then you should try to make it right (in which case, I don't agree with your dh). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. A Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 Thanks for all the replies. I sent her a message and am waiting for her response with pics. I can't imagine that the stain is that bad if I didn't notice it... What if it's not enough to mar the look of the purse? Just accept if she wants to send it back and leave it at that? I'm also wondering what to do if she wants a partial refund - who gets to decide how much it's worth knocking off the price? sheesh. this is stressful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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