First time having someone request a refund…dodgy?

[tytherley12]

Hi, I sold our Dual Fuel Rangemaster oven today.  It was collected by the purchaser this morning. The purchaser has, this evening, requested a refund claiming that the item isn’t as described.  The purchaser wanted the ovens to be electric, but one is gas and one is electric. I even put in the listing that the main oven is gas, because I wanted to advertise that it has been barely used. Photo of listing below. I also showed her husband which oven compartment was gas when he collected it.  In her messages this evening she has accused me of editing the listing which I haven’t!  To add, she had sent a question before she placed a bid, which I didn’t get around to replying to, which said “Hi can I ask is the oven electric or gas just in the listing it says gas oven but it says dual fuel” so she clearly did know it had a gas oven. Is it likely that EBay will rule in her favour do you think? I don’t really sell on eBay and this lady clearly knows eBay inside and out judging by the content of her messages. It’s really thrown me.  I’ve spoken to eBay and the eBay lady basically said the buyer can do what it likes. Surely this can’t be right? Thanks for reading and any advice. 

[sml192]

---

@tytherley12 wrote:

Sorry to be dim but does that make a difference in their favour? I imagine so… 

---

Collection by a third party invalidates a buyers use of the Money Back Guarantee. I don't know if the buyer's husband would count as a third party in eBay's eyes but certainly worth mentioning when you speak to them tomorrow.  Good luck. 

[tytherley12]

Oh that would be great. So it’s sort of using a counter loop hole because they are using ‘not as described’?  So I should definitely mention it? 

[igotlazymutts]

Oh it will.... Especially if you say " I am willing to collect at (3-5 day) between "....", are you in or shall we arrange something else"

Call the bluff and go from there.

Where about from a1 are you.

[tytherley12]

We’re between Grantham and Newark. 

[igotlazymutts]

Please do let me know if you for whatewer  reason collect it back!

[tytherley12]

Are you in the market for one?!   I don’t mind if we get the oven back but we just can’t afford to pay someone to get it.  If the buyer does agree to pay for its return I’ll let you know.  

[fotherbale]

---

---

@tytherley12 wrote:

......The purchaser has,...... requested a refund claiming that the item isn’t as described.  The purchaser wanted the ovens to be electric, but one is gas and one is electric. I even put in the listing that the main oven is gas....

---

I am afraid that I don't think your description made the fact that the main oven is gas-only terribly clear.  There is a distinct lack of punctuation in the sentence.

You wrote "Main gas oven only used a handful of times",  but the unpunctuated sentence could easily be read as "Main gas oven,  only used a handful of times" which doesn't make it clear that the main oven is gas-only.

I think that, together with your failure to clarify the status by replying to her question about the dual fuel means that she is justified in regarding the oven as being not as described, and ebay will almost certainly find in her favour.  I really don't think she is playing you at all, and I think you will end up having to give a full refund and go and collect the oven unless you are prepared to lose both the money and the oven.  I am sorry, but that is how it appears to me. 

Your use of the wishy washy 'AI' item description doesn't help either - these infernal pieces of fantasy prose tell potential buyers virtually nothing, whilst at the same time bulling items up to be something wonderful even when some of them clearly aren't.  Sellers would be very well advised to steer well clear of using the 'AI' description at all.

---

. 

[podlingsmum2007]

Actually it does make it clear the oven is mains gas and not electric. It isn't a misleading description in my opinion. 

[fotherbale]

errrr..... NO it does not make it clear at all. 

It refers to dual fuel, and then the seller states "Main gas oven" which is unclear in itself, but the rest of the sentence can simply be taken as referring to the gas function having been little used.  It certainly does not make it clear that the the main oven is gas only and has no electric function. 

If sellers want to avoid problems with INAD claims, they have to be absolutely crystal clear in their description.  Most people's standard of English is nowadays so poor that it is very easy for them to misinterpret what is written.

[moonlight-rhapsody]

Since the buyer hadn't had a reply to her question, I wonder why she went ahead with the purchase if there was doubt in her mind about what she was getting.

Having said that, I am a bit confused.  I thought the buyer could have looked up the specification of the Rangemaster Classic 90 herself to clarify the oven, so I looked it up to see what it said.  The Rangemaster web site said both ovens are electric, with only the hob being gas, hence my confusion.

[podlingsmum2007]

A dual fuel appliance has gas and electric but not within the same oven cavity. As the seller stated in comment 18, he showed the man who collected the item that there are separate ovens, one gas and the other electric.

[suelel1968]

It says duel fuel. Of course they are trying it on.

 

 you have had lots of good advice and eBay should support you. It is clear to me that they have buyers remorse.  You definitely need to speak to Ireland.

[podlingsmum2007]

Are you sure one of the two ovens is gas? Post 50, Moonlight-Rhapsody says they looked up the specification and that it states both ovens are electric. I looked at listings of the same item as yours too and a gas oven is not mentioned. If both ovens are in fact electric then your buyer got what they wanted.

[tytherley12]

Morning, not much sleep here for worrying. We purchased it new and you can select any combination. We chose electric for the tall cooker as I personally like it for baking, and gas for the main oven as I prefer that for meat which we don’t tend to eat a lot of but I thought I’d need a bigger space for a turkey at Christmas. I chose gas for the top as I liked the look of the gas rings.  
I don’t understand why anyone would purchase something that they are unsure of, especially it being such a fundamental part of the specification for them.  Also, why did the husband take it away when we showed him the two ovens when he collected it, clearly discussing how clean the gas side is? In her question she even states what the description says i.e. that’s it’s gas. 

[tytherley12]

Morning, what time do I need to phone to get through to Ireland please, and what is the telephone number please? I just asked for an agent call back using the chat function, but got someone in the US who basically gave me a “the computer says no” response. 

[bojangled]

@tytherley12 

Request a call back about 9am, hopefully you’ll get the Dublin CS.

Jo

[papso22]

---

@tytherley12 wrote:

Morning, what time do I need to phone to get through to Ireland please, and what is the telephone number please? I just asked for an agent call back using the chat function, but got someone in the US who basically gave me a “the computer says no” response. 

---

They open at 8.00 in the week.

I suspect the oven doesn't fit and the buyer has figured out a plausible case for 'item not as described'.  Your problem, as with all collection items these days, is getting it back.

I don't think you will convince ebay that the husband was a 'third party'.

[xyz307xyz]

All members are entitled to their own opinion. Mine is it's clear enough that the main oven is gas. And you apparently explained it to the person collecting it. If anything, he should've cancelled/refused it when collecting. If the wife had any doubt, she should've gone herself or briefed her husband accordingly.

But it doesn't really matter what I think, or other members on here. ebay will make the decision. I hope it's not done automatically by computer but by someone who gives it proper attention.

[*vyolla*]

Just to add, I don't believe that the husband qualifies as a 'third party' collecting. That would be a courier company (such as Shiply) collecting on the buyers behalf. 

[tytherley12]

I managed to get through to Ireland and it’s the most infuriating response. The person is very polite but just keeps saying the same thing over and over and over again like they’re reading from a script.  It’s like talking to an AI bot. In short, they are saying there is literally nothing I can do even though the CS person agrees that the listing is clear.  The best I may get is £3.50 back if I appeal.  I have to pay to get the cooker back.  How on earth is this legal, and why does anyone sell on eBay? I’m just amazed that eBay is letting this happen right now, under their nose and mine, but they aren’t doing anything at all to stop it. 

Do I just have to suck it up, or do you think I should fight this? It seems like even if I do fight it, there is no way that I’m not going to be out of pocket to get the cooker back. I’m absolutely flabbergasted.