collection only - Buyer opened a case

hailstorm20 — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:44:45 GMT

Hi everyone,

So i recently (on the 17th of October last month) sold my baby grand piano. I had only had it 3-4 months and kept it in watertight storage until i decided to sell it.

I didn't know much about the piano, other then it was in fully working order and had no tuning issues/sticking keys and i wrote this clearly in the listing.

I had someone pop up and offer me £180 (originally i was selling it for £200) and she asked me if it had any tuning issues and if it was playable, both of which i answered honestly, and said No, it has no tuning issues and it is playable as far as i am aware. I also told her i had not played the piano myself other then once before when it was sold to me, because i had only had it 3 months, but the previous owner who sold it to me played it every day and assured me it was in perfect condition. I remainaed honest the entire time, and awnsered every question to the best of my knowledge.

I said to her "You are more then welcome to come and try it before you decide you want to collect" in which she responded, "no thats ok, i trust your being honest".

Anyway, her husband came to collect it and checked the piano over well before he loaded it on to the van he hired to take it back, (he lives in devon, i live in wales) and said it looked great and was happy with it.

it arrives back with the buyer and i recieve an email saying "It arrived tonight, Thank you so much!!!"

3 weeks later (monday) i recieve an email saying "Buyer opened a not as described case against you" in her comments she writes - "I brought this piano in good faith that it had been kept in watertight conditions and it had no tuning issues and played well, the seller has lied to me. I had a piano surveyor check over the piano and he told me its not playable, it needs to be scrapped its been kept in damp conditions for such a long time the wood is warped and the soundboard is split. The strings are also rusty"

Well, that was it. I knew for a fact a lot of this was untrue. The lady before me had kept it in her heated home for 10+ years and played it every day. it was never in damp conditions. I still have our emails stating its condition before i brought it. I also knew the strings were not rusted, i checked them before selling it. As for the soundboard, thats a MAJOR piano issue and i would have NEVER sold a piano with a split soundboard.

Now she wants the £180 back she spent on the piano, £170 for getting it couriered back to me (and i have been qouted higher amounts for this some £300+) and £35 for the checks she had done on the piano.

I only ever recieved £180 for the piano so how is this fair? I would be MORE then happy to accept my piano back, i loved it, but she would be paying return fees as it was collection only (although she paid via paypal).

I am due my second baby in 2 months, and this is such a worry to have to cope with for 14 days as ebay wont allow anything to be done until then. I needed that money for things for my child and i'm so panicked now i wont have enough for her.

Do i have any rights? or will i have to pay her back for the piano and delivery costs? Also, can i refuse to refund her if i dont get my piano back?

Thank you x

Question collection only - Buyer opened a case in Member To Member Support DO NOT DELETE

collection only - Buyer opened a case