Abusive and lying buyer - ebay still in his favour

[tomus087]

-Doing everything in buyer's favour, nothing for the seller and we don't care if you don't accept returns - it should be ebay's motto. Buyer is disrespectful individual with abusive language and false statements returning items after breaking it. He's lucky to write to me abusive message on low place like ebay because elsewhere I wouldn't just report and block him. I knew ebay will do everything for the buyer so I've cut that conversation without reply after abusive and false message, swallowed my pride and just report that individual. I still have to refund that guy because ebay will give him money back anyway and take it from me. I'm gradually leaving ebay for its ridiculous injustice for the sellers.

[dch2112011]

You have already done the right thing you have swallowed your pride. 

The problem with selling online your personal items  is that only you know the condition of them when they left you - no one else, not ebay, not the buyer. The buyer is the only one who knows the condition when it arrives not the seller ebay or anyone else. 

Again if the item fails 'breaks' soon after purchase only the buyer knows how when and where it failed not the seller ebay or anyone else.

Therefore you have no choice but accept the buyer's complaint unless you can solve it for him at distance, in the same way that the buyer accepted your photograph and description on ebay.

With regards to the buyer's abuse, you need to first look at how you handled the initial complaint - the buyer was probably upset angry, frustrated - if you met it with a head on - you broke it, you are lying, I do not accept returns, it was in good condition when it left me etc - you may just have fuelled the fire.

It can seem personal - people typing at home both sellers and buyers become keyboard warriors - 

However if you remained polite, showed empathy and solved the problem reasurring the buyer that if they returned the item you would refund them or even possiby refunding them without a return if the sale price was low - then you have every right to feel indignant - in which case you can report them to ebay who will review both sets of messages and take a view on whether to sanction the buyers account or not.

[ashentry67]

Your absolutely correct,Ebay ALWAYS favours the buyer.A buyer simply states the item is defective(when its not) and ebay sides with the buyer,even when you have paid the postage you still have to pay the return postage.Buyers hope to keep the item as to save the seller the hassle.A buyer can leave ample negative feedback whereas the buyer has no ammnunition at all to prewarn other sellers of the ineptitude and total indifference form the buyer via Ebay.Lets hope an alternative is on the horizon,as the future is bleak.

[m25jet]

If you have not already done so by the time you read this response add the buyer's User ID to your Blocked Bidders List so that he cannot purchase anything else from you in the future and cause you any further aggravation.

[hudsonsclothes]

Just had my first ever return request because item "is too tight" despite showing the items size label and adding my own pit to pit and back length measurements on photos for extra info. The customer then added that there is a defect that does not exist and it has been approved instantly.

So because I offer free postage and  because someone has not checked sizings provided and added an extra defect to get the request through I'm going to have lost the cost of postage and going to have to relist and resell the item again with free postage.

[m25jet]

If you haven't already done so try getting in touch with somebody at eBay Customer Service via the following link https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid and argue your case to see whether you can get the defect removed.  Scroll right down to the bottom of the page after you've clicked on the link and click on the option that says "Have Us Call You".  The lines are open from 8:00am to 10:00pm from Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 6:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.  However, it's often best to try it first thing in the morning, as that way you've got a better chance of getting somebody from Ireland rather than an eBay representative based in eBay's Philippines-based call centre, so if you try in the morning you'll have less chance of trying to argue your case with somebody who may not understand everything you're saying due to the fact that English is only a second language to people from the Philippines.

If you do decide to do as suggested in the first paragraph then draw eBay's attention to the fact that the buyer said that the item had a defect and also mentioned that it didn't fit.  Emphasise to the eBay representative that the buyer was probably just using the "defective item" allegation as a means of securing an eBay refund, as from a buyer's perspective a change of mind return owing to the reason "it doesn't fit" may not have resulted in a refund, although you should state that you would have refunded anyway had this reason been given for the buyer wanting to return the item.

If you can get the eBay representative to see the matter from your own viewpoint then you may succeed in getting the defect removed, in which case if eBay subsequently decide that you didn't do anything wrong they may well refund your money from the sale of the item and take the financial hit themselves.  Having said that, however, there's no guarantee that it will work, but then again if you don't try you'll never know whether or not you could have got eBay's original decision overturned and the defect removed from your account.

[hudsonsclothes]

Yeah thanks for all that. I'm going to wait until the item is returned and then inspect it they have until mid Novemberi think to have sent it back. Then I can take photos to show the defect is false and that the buyer just didn't bother to look at sizings or has put a bit of weight on 🤣