Item buyer returned does'nt look like the one i sent them

[leesa3480]

Hi just need some advice please.  I sold a hair curler and the buyer sent a video showing that the LED light was flashing on and off.  I paid for the return.  I have not yet refunded them.  Received it back today but it doesn't look like the original one I sent them, it has dirt and really scuffed on the metal drum, my pics clearly show it did not have that damage.  How do I deal with this?  Not encountered this before and really disappointed someone could do this this to another person.  Any help greatly appreciated.  Thank you

[thedemon2014]

I assume the buyer has opened an eBay case against you. The pragmatic response would be to refund the buyer in full, then appeal to eBay Customer Service for a full refund for yourself on the ground that the buyer has abused the eBay Money Back Guarantee.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/condition-returned-items-policy?id=4763&...
Please be aware that as eBay Customer Service never saw what you sent, the normal response is to believe the buyer. Add the buyer to your Blocked Bidder List.

[leesa3480]

Hi thank you for your response.  No they didn't open a case they messaged me.  Does this change things?  Thank you

[thedemon2014]

Yes, it could make a difference. All disputes should be settled through an eBay case, not just messages.

Insist the buyer opens an eBay case against you, and refund the buyer in full through that.

The worst situation if you refund without the buyer opening a case against you would be that the buyer then opens a case and escalates it to eBay Customer Service, who will almost certainly force a second refund.

[*guinevere*]

The current recommendation when buyers return items that are different to what was sent are here:

 

"If a seller gets an item back and it's an empty box or it isn’t their item they then immediately file a report with Actionfraud and get a reference number.

The seller then clicks the "Report a problem" link in the case, selects "Different item returned" as the reason and provides the Actionfraud reference number and report. This stops the automated returns process that would ultimately force the seller to issue a refund.

Then, someone at eBay reviews the case and may issue a "courtesy refund" to the buyer out of eBay's own funds depending on the sellers account status." 

This is probably only worth doing if your item is of value but I would certainly give it a go - at least you'll have the satisfaction of reporting the buyer.