Question Re: Buyer has claimed item has arrived damaged, but no da... in Selling on eBay DND

Buyer has claimed item has arrived damaged, but no damage to packing or box on photos...

paulsavage39 — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 08:46:02 GMT

I have recieved a return request from a buyer on an item that had no damage on postage, was packed securely and would have been difficult to recieve the damage the buyer stated when he opened the box and noticed the Motorcycle helmet had both cosmetic and structual damage (rapped in bubble wrap, outer box highlighted fragile item etc). The photos shows no damage to the box and it looks as if the helmet has been dropped (which I didnt do obviously).

Has anybody expereinced return requests where the item has bene dmaged by the buyer and he / she states it arrived damage to get thier money back?

I have contacted ebay and they have suggested I contact Hermes who will only conpensate 25.00 of the 220.00. So now I will recieve a previously perfectly good morotcycle helmet, be out of pocket 195.00 plus P&P both ways and if my assumptions are anywhere near the truth, the buyer is laughing!

Is there anyway I can question the return request with ebay?

Re: Buyer has claimed item has arrived damaged, but no da...

red_magpie — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 09:17:35 GMT

Join the club! One of the many hazards for sellers is that if a buyer uses eBay's money back guarantee, it's a foregone conclusion that they will take the buyer's word against the seller's, and order a refund. EBay never even sees the item, and its policy - which you accepted in the user agreement - is to find in the buyer's favour when they can't determine that the item was as described.

As for the limited postal insurance from Hermes, I'm afraid you have to blame yourself for this. For a £220 item you should have used a fully insured service like RM special delivery.

Even if you find that the helmet the buyer returns is a different one to the one you sold, don't count on eBay taking your word for this either. Numerous sellers have complained that eBay has still enforced a refund when the buyer has swapped the item returned for another one.

EBay has become a very risky place to sell things.

Re: Buyer has claimed item has arrived damaged, but no da...

rusticrye — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 11:06:09 GMT

No. Ebay doesn't have the staff or the legal clout to pop round to the buyer's house to check if what they claim is true. Only a judge can decided if a buyer is a liar or a scammer.

It's quite possible that the helmet arrived damaged, and that the packaging looks fine - I speak from experience. That happens when the packaging isn't good enough. 'Fragile' stickers won't help - packaging needs to be bomb-proof.

Accept the return request. If you don't, Ebay will force the refund without the need for return. You agreed to comply with Ebay's Money Back Guarantee when you registered your account, so you have no choice. When you receive the helmet back, refund the buyer in full, and then lodge a claim for damage in transit with Hermes (or with Packlink if you bought the postage on Ebay).

The lesson to learn from this is to make sure you choose the correct postal service, one which covers you for the full value of the item. If you buy Hermes' basic service, they obviously won't compensate you for anything more than that service covers.

So do your homework in future. And be aware too that carriers have 'exclusion' lists (not everything is insurable), so always check those too.

@paulsavage39

Re: Buyer has claimed item has arrived damaged, but no da...

john1297576 — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 18:51:02 GMT

If you read Hermes T & C, it is a good idea to read BEFORE using their service, you will find that thy do not cover any items that are breakable, so you may be unlucky and not get any compensation at all.

You have only yourself to blame for being in this situation. Always find out what if any compensaion is payable BEFORE using a Courier.