SPARES/REPAIR BEING RETURNED AS NOT WORKING EBAY BULLYING.

[*surveyboy*]

Hi all, at my wits end with ebay.

Sold two high end vintage (80's) german cameras with expensive rechargeable batteries to a UK buyer.

These were my fathers and have been sat in a padded case for years, not used, untested etc etc, they did work I used to see him using them as a boy.

These cameras fully functional wprth around £1000 each

I listed them for a guy who requested  a personalised listing after back and forward messages for £600, I put TWICE on the listing description spares/repair, not guaranteed to work and no returns.

Buyer first messaged me to say they weren't working I could refund him £400, I refused, he has now opened a return case as non functional.

Ebay have now contacted me in a bullying/intimidating manner saying to send him a returns lable within 4 days or they 'can' allow him his money back AND keep the goods if I don't.

They haven't even investigated or ruled on the case and they're bullying me into agreeing a return and sending him a prepaid returns lable.

If this happens, this is me done with ebay after 25 years that's it.

Thanks for listening.

[vikkipollardanddafyddthomas]

You need to agree to the return and issue the label. Ebay don't investigate anything. If you don't agree to the return you will lose your cameras and the payment.

[4_bathrooms]

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@*surveyboy* wrote:

I listed them for a guy who requested  a personalised listing after back and forward messages for £600, I put TWICE on the listing description spares/repair, not guaranteed to work and no returns.

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What did you specify as the item condition? At this point that is far more important...

[therma-tec]

It can come down to Item title & Item specifics on the listing. Sadly the actual description doesn't really come into it as a lot of buyers don't read it. It's a technicallity that can allow buyers to open a return.

Can you provide a link to the listing?

[*surveyboy*]

What exactly is the point of listing as spares/repair/non functional, it seems to be a buyers charter for deception, how will I lose the payment, will ebay sue me ?

[4_bathrooms]

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@*surveyboy* wrote:

What exactly is the point of listing as spares/repair/non functional

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Was "Used" or "For parts or not working" specified as the item condition?

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@*surveyboy* wrote:

how will I lose the payment, will ebay sue me ?

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Presumably, your funds (the sale proceeds) were placed "on hold" when the case was opened. If you ignore the case and/or don't send a return label eBay will refund your buyer out of the held funds and will tell the buyer they don't need to return the cameras. 
 

[therma-tec]

Did you have it listed as 'used' or 'for parts or not working'?

There is a BIG difference between the two!

If you listed it as not working then you're best ringing customer services to explain the issue, they may close the case or fob you off (ring early morning to get the Dublin call centre)

If you listed as used, then your best option is to issue a returns label to get the items back and then provide a refund.

[*surveyboy*]

No, they paid the funds the next day, I',m a 2500+  100% ebayer with ngood standing, the moneys spent now over Christmas, so presumably ebay will refund and claim the money back through ongoing sales.

[*surveyboy*]

Used unfortunately, didn't even see the other option.

[therma-tec]

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@*surveyboy* wrote:

No, they paid the funds the next day, I',m a 2500+  100% ebayer with ngood standing, the moneys spent now over Christmas, so presumably ebay will refund and claim the money back through ongoing sales.

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Sadly, the 2500+ 100% has no bearing on the outcome.

When you issue a refund they will want the money back straight away, you won't get credit terms. They will take the money directly from your bank account / card that is set up.

[*surveyboy*]

If its there they might, the point of me stating I'm a 100% 2500 feedback was I'm paid straight away not held funds.

[4_bathrooms · Accepted solution]

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@*surveyboy* wrote:

Used unfortunately, didn't even see the other option.

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Unfortunately that leaves you without a leg to stand on. In a listing the descriptions associated with those item conditions appear in a tooltip when hovered over; for used this means the following is shown:

"An item that has been previously used. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or an item that has been returned to the seller after a period of use. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections"

You can't then contradict that by stating "for spares/repair", "untested" etc. in the description. I suspect your buyer spotted your mistake and knew they would be guaranteed to win an INAD case without consequence if you refused a partial refund. The best thing to do now is to issue a suitable return label via the case. My gut tells me there will be further issues but right now you need to issue the return label and post back here if any further issues arise.

Also, as the account you sold the cameras via isn't subject to payment holds I believe eBay will use your linked funding source and/or any pending funds to source the refund.

[*surveyboy*]

Yeah the piece of *bleep* knew he was on a win win, £2k of cameras if they worked, money back if they didn't or even an opportunity to swap out some rubbish he had for return and kleep my good stuff, I'll never know, but I'm done with ebay now terminally, there's no funds pending and the account will have no money in permanently, they can issue proceedings I'm done with their BS.

Thanks for your assistance.

[4_bathrooms]

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@*surveyboy* wrote:

an opportunity to swap out some rubbish he had for return and kleep my good stuff, I'll never know

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You will never know if you simply give up. Send the return label; if the buyer returns something other than what you sent them there is a way to ensure eBay protects you.

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@*surveyboy* wrote:

I'm done with ebay now terminally, there's no funds pending and the account will have no money in permanently, they can issue proceedings I'm done with their BS.

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If you owe eBay money they will be persistent; especially given the value involved here. They'll likely also permanently suspend the eBay accounts of anyone they can link to you without giving those users any warning at all. 

[markepsilon]

So it seems you fill out the condition.. which ebay then  twist and call it " seller notes" in the specifics

Then ebay  also adds in the specifics "condition - used" - with a little bubble that tells people its fully functioning . 😞

Difficult in  finding the right categories causes this ..some not actually having the option of  "For parts or not working"

 so not all of them have the ability to add " for parts not working"

this one does :

Olympus 35 ED 35mm Camera **UNTESTED** Read Notes Parts Only | eBay

Note: he has found the way of adding "For parts or not working"

"for parts not working" then appears at the top of the page in BOLD and in specifics "condtion" in BOLD

Hope you get the camera back in good condition and can RE-list, using the correct "For parts or not working" so people cant take advantage, 

Yup, I  know its not easy, when ebay give you so many roads to go down,  this is especially not easy for somone new to this, or who hasnt listed "For parts or not working" before. 

Unfortunatly ..i cant see your listing ..so cant see what category you put it in ..but the camera section splits the catagories somewhere, then you choose to "film photography" .. note its in the main one which is electronics ..which is not quite right if you are trying to list and work out where it should be.

[4_bathrooms]

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@markepsilon wrote:

So it seems you fill out the condition.. which ebay then  twist and call it " seller notes" in the specifics

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"Seller notes" only appears for two item conditions that I'm aware of - "New other (see details)" and "For parts or not working". In both cases it is provided to clarify the item condition that has been chosen - for all other item conditions eBay has a specific description of what that item condition means that appears in a pop-up. For example; "New" means the item is in it's original, unopened packaging (if the item is typically supplied packaged). "New other (see details)" typically means a new, unused item with opened packaging or an item missing it's original packaging. 

It isn't difficult to see how inexperienced sellers can trip up. Most people selling their old stuff would likely select "Used" for an item they have no means of properly testing. Likewise, someone who opened a Christmas present and decided they didn't like it might simply select "New" when listing it on eBay without realising they should have selected "New other (see details)".  

[markepsilon]

 seller notes - it appears on the used as well 

This is a friends listing ..he was inexperienced  (or never got proficient)and let ebay choose the category's (big no no)

As you can see he ended up in lens caps 

he said  he unable to to put "for parts not working "

i think he lost out because of this  - with price he got  ..i told him , but he took no notice .. has he learned ..some never do .

Camera Canon Vintage AL-1 35mm Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Edition parts only | eBay

[bennotbill]

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@therma-tec wrote:

Did you have it listed as 'used' or 'for parts or not working'?

There is a BIG difference between the two!

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Unfortunately that difference hasn't made no difference for years. An item can still be returned as broken even if it is described as broken and is listed correctly for parts or not working.

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Ebay doesnt need to judge the case, the buyer is entitled under uk distance selling laws to return the item if not happy with it.

Crepe I know but thats the way the law works.

Any conditions you put in listing like no returns is completely irrelevant.

[four_mid_able]

"These cameras fully functional wprth around £1000 each" ?.

But they weren't fully working.

After 40 years the batteries would have been shot and if left in camera's the camera's themselves would probably have been shot too.

I think your buyer took a risk hoping they could be recomissioned but soon realised they couldn't be so requested a partial refund first think the amount requested would cover repairs.

When that was refused they requested a return for a full refund as they are entitled to do.

If you had of listed them as "for parts or not working" it wouldn't have changed things as you can see by many other posts about this.

If you had listed them with 10 known faults per camera the buyer only had to come back and say they had found an extra fault on each.

The returns process is fully automated ,no humans look at the details at all unless you appeal.

You can ONLY appeal if you accept a returns request.If you refuse to accept the option to appeal is not there.