Buyer claiming item is not as described after he has used it

[cubecarpet]

Hi, Can anyone offer some advice please?

I have been trying to call Ebay customer services but they're not easy to get in touch with.

Ive sold an item (a carpet for a home), delivered it etc.
Now the customer has instructed a carpet fitter who has cut the carpet to the size of his rooms and fit the carpet.

Yesterday the customer stated there are some small marks on the carpet and some issues which were not there before installation.

He is stating the item is not as described and wants a full refund as he is claiming it is not as described and will need to replace it all.

Today he is now saying there are more faults after the fitter has installed the remainder (so he is obviously still fitting it). He also wants a full refund and keep the carpet.

Where do we stand with Ebay?

What is the best process to move forward with this case?

Any help is appreciated

[*vyolla*]

I'd politely refuse a refund on the grounds that the carpet has been cut and installed, thus cannot be returned in the same state it was received, and that any marks could have been made during installation.

[tressygirl]

You can politely message your buyer informing them of eBay's 30 day MBG Money Back Guarantee policy that is,  for a full refund on receiving an item not as described,  the item has to be sent back in the same condition as received.

Now they have cut the carpet to fit their room,  it voids any full refund from eBay.

This does not stop you from offering a partial refund as the item has marks you did not mention / notice,  but this is entirely up to you, it cannot be enforced.

@cubecarpet 

[4_bathrooms]

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@cubecarpet wrote:

He is stating the item is not as described and wants a full refund as he is claiming it is not as described and will need to replace it all.

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Has the buyer opened an actual case/dispute via eBay or have they just sent messages?

[cubecarpet]

As of now it's just messages, he is saying he is going to open a case if I don't refund him fully.

Initially I believed there may have been a mark and offered him a 25% refund, but today he has said the fitter has continued to fit the carpet and they are only noticing issues after he's cut it and installed it. He is saying there are no issues with the carpet visible prior to fitting so it's been impossible to report it prior to using it.

[cubecarpet]

This might be a good route. He is clearly wanting to keep the item.

[forestfeline62]

Good luck with that one ,trying to get ebay to help for sellers is like trying to get blood out of a stone ,they will allow buyers to ruin an item and want a return and refund and ebay will find in their favour .Even when the buyer has admitted they have used or altered the item ebay will side with them and say they can't determine that the buyer damaged the item ,unbelievable but that seems to be ebays stance these days .

[missdollydaydream]

You need to keep any messages he sends you in case you need to defend a case. Put him on your blocked bidder list and don't communicate further. 

If he leaves you negative feedback, leave a polite and factual response.

[4_bathrooms]

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@cubecarpet wrote:

Initially I believed there may have been a mark and offered him a 25% refund, but today he has said the fitter has continued to fit the carpet and they are only noticing issues after he's cut it and installed it. He is saying there are no issues with the carpet visible prior to fitting so it's been impossible to report it prior to using it.

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The thing with a carpet is due to it's nature it may not have been possible for the buyer or their fitter to fully examine it before commencing fitting. I would assume examining the complete carpet would require unrolling the entire carpet prior to making any cuts - something that was unlikely to have been possible to do inside the buyer's house. The fitter really should have stopped installing the carpet the moment they noticed an issue so their customer (your buyer) could resolve the issue with you. Has your buyer sent pictures of all the alleged defects?

As you're a business your buyer is entitled to a full refund if they choose to reject the carpet within the short-term right to reject period which is about the same period as eBay's Money Back Guarantee. That doesn't mean they're entitled to keep the carpet - they still have to afford you the opportunity to collect the carpet at your own expense. It doesn't sound like your buyer is going to relent on the full refund demand so I would suggest you instruct them to open an "item not as described" case and advise them you will arrange for collection of the entire carpet. If the buyer refuses to do this advise them you cannot process a refund until a case has been opened and you have received the entire carpet back in order to examine it to find the cause of the defects they have reported to exist.