Buyer wanting refund but advising me he is locked out of his PayPal account

[destructor23]

Hello.

A buyer has contacted me through eBay messaging, advising me that the used hard drive I sold him a couple of weeks ago has minor faults with it. He has used CrystalDiskInfo to scan the disk which is advising him it has 3 bad sectors. However, he is also advising me that he has transferred all his data to the disk, with no issues.

Additionally, he is telling me that he is locked out of his PayPal account and is asking for a partial (not sure why not full) refund to a new PayPal account he has set up.

Should I just request him to start the refund process through eBay as normal? I take it he doesn't want to do that though, as his PayPal account is locked and will not have access to the funds I guess. I'm guessing he can just add his new PayPal account to his existing eBay account?

It just sounds a bit dubious that's all.

He initially left me neutral feedback.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

[tommystrezures]

It is all dubious, you are correct.

I would stand firm, you don't need to know about his woes with paypal, you are right he just updates it to ebay. So don't pay anything there as it would prove nothing if the buyer subsequently then opened a case.

I would ask for the item to be returned as you mention through the correct procedures for a full refund. Once the item is returned inspect it BEFORE refunding. If there are any issues you then would need to contact ebay CS to appeal the case. If you refund before then you cannot appeal, as you have done so voluntarily, and there is no recourse thereafter with ebay.

[buffster1963 · Accepted solution]

I would ask him to open a returns case if he is not satisfied. If you wanted, you could make a partial refund through the case. The refund would go back to the original funding source. If this is not want you want to do, you could insist on him returning it for a full refund. Whatever you choose to do, only refund through the case, not a seperate payment to a different paypal account that is not attached to the sale.  

[magpiecorner1]

Let him know if he calls Paypal they will close the first account and put that email address onto his second account.  I was able to do that in 5 minutes last week.   

I'd bet the house they would be able to sort out access to the first account too!

Not sure if there is anything untowards, but I'm a suspicious old Hector, what would stop him taking the partial refund on his new account and then opening a SNAD, returning the item and getting a full refund on the first account?  Not sure how many accounts Paypal allows, but they certainly allow a business and a personal account per person.  Suggest he opens a case.

[destructor23]

Great thanks very much.

I thought as much, just wanted a second opinion.

I will advise him to start the refund through eBay which is standard procedure.

Thanks again.

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Even some new disks have bad sectors.

They are marked as such on the disk and not used.

They usually run fine.

[destructor23]

In the end I gave him a £5.00 partial refund against the sale of £13.49.

I don't think I had to to be honest, as he told me had no intention of returning the item and that he had succesfully used the disk for what he wanted.

He just put me on a guilt trip!

Thanks again and thank you Nigel, I never knew that. I've actually sold a few HDD/SSD drives over the years with no issues.

Anyway, the case is now closed, he accepted my fiver.