Buyer damaged the item

[hiqualideals]

I sold an item which was delivered to the buyer over a week ago, today he's claimed that the item was delivered damaged and the case it came in was also damaged. I know for a fact that it's not the case. Is there anything I can do ?

[john1297576]

Buyer oens a not as described case, you provide return label, and on return refund.

Then you can report seller for abuse of the return system, but it will not get your money back and I doubt ebay will do anything.

If item is really damaged this will prove an expensive experience as you will have nothing to resell.

Add buyer to your blocked bidders list.

[tressygirl]

Items do get damaged in the post , it does happen.

Was this a Simple Delivery transaction?  Then, if the buyer opened a case citing Damaged in Transit,  eBay take over the refund,  you get to keep the payment,  buyer keeps the broken item and the refund from eBay.

@hiqualideals 

[hiqualideals]

That's what they have done, the pictures they've provided are not how the item was sent, they've damaged the item deliberately to open up this case

[hiqualideals]

It wasn't eBay simple delivery, it was sent through royal mail and I had packed the item with a lot of care. I'm 99.9% sure it wasn't damaged in transit.

[papso22]

Was it sent Simple Delivery and exactly what reason did they choose for the case?

Accurate advice depends on the answers.

[hiqualideals]

It wasn't Simple Delivery, the reason they gave us that it arrived damaged, although it was delivered over a week ago.

[tressygirl]

If you didn't use the Simple Delivery process and used your own postage and service,  then  if the buyer opens a case for item not as described, it is all automatic no human contact, so no point challenging it at that point.

You'll need to accept it,  and if you want the item back, provide at your cost a tracked return label, and you only fully refund through the case details,  when the item is back with you.

If you do not want the item back just refund, do so within the timeframe and your seller performance is not affected. The buyer is protected by eBay's 30 day MBG,  Money Back Guarantee policy.

If you believe the buyer broke the item and it wasn't as can easily happen be damaged in the post you ca appeal the decision for the refund, link below to show the process.  It's not easy eBay usually believe the buyer and as said,  couriers do not handle items with careful hands.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/appeal-outcome-case-seller?id=4369

@hiqualideals 

[hiqualideals]

Thanks for the reply. It hasn't been auto accepted because of the reason for the return(I'm assuming) I've got the option to proceed with return of item or refund fully or partially. Do you think it's worth speaking to eBay ?

[red_magpie]

they've damaged the item deliberately to open up this case

Very possibly, but I'm afraid this is one of the many risks of selling on eBay. We often hear from sellers that buyers have returned items that they have damaged, removed parts from or even switched for another one.

Typical responses that other sellers claim to have received from eBay include "Although we understand that you received your item back in a different condition than it was in when you sent it, we unfortunately couldn't determine that this was caused by the buyer" and "As we did not see the item, either as received by the buyer or as returned to the seller, we are not in a position to determine who has the valid case, or take sides".

In every case, eBay's idea of not taking sides was to find in favour of the buyer, and make the seller refund them.

eBay's money back guarantee is unregulated. The user agreement requires users to accept eBay's decisions and there is no right of appeal to any independent authority. eBay has become a very risky place for sellers.

[hiqualideals]

So before accepting the return I spoke to eBay as I feel he has swapped out the item with an item that he previously had, because some of the details on the item don't match. I suppose once the item gets back to me I'll have to let eBay know there's a problem with the returned item and hopefully eBay see that.