Partial Refund

[sellinup123]

I sold an item, and three days after receipt of the item, the buyer sent photos of the lampshade with damage, asking for a partial refund.  I explained that the Delivery man must have battered the box it was wrapped in to create that damage, that I accepted their offer £70 under the asking price in good faith, and what they feel was fair in the circumstances, they have now said that a new lampshade will cost them £10 with delivery.  

After fees etc, I am quite out of pocket and I wonder whether to accept the situation or just ask for the item back.  The lamp is expensive and very rare and collectible, and the lampshade is just a very cheap lampshade. 

I don't want any upset over it, and if the lampshade was legitimately damaged then I would be happy, but there is something not right about the situation.   Thanks for your help. 

[**peaseblossom**]

The shade does look cheap but I suppose £10 is acceptable unless you want to sent back for full refund.    BTW, did they have spray polish in 1900?   🙂

[sellinup123]

Lol, think the stickers were added when spray polish was a thing - it's definitely an original, https://hannahwhyman.co.uk/products/pair-hand-painted-art-deco-era-table-lamps-c1920-kashmir-india

I wish I hadn't accepted the offer now. 

[sml192]

As you cannot prove when the damage occurred you have no option but to either agree a partial refund or ask them to send it back for a full refund. 

Either way the buyer needs to open an 'Item not as described' dispute and you can then issue the partial refund through that if necessary thus preventing the buyer from potentially taking any further action through eBay, should they find something else wrong. 

[sellinup123]

Thank you, I think that may be the better option,  I've been shocked by the costs of it all in any event, so adding complications in just feels quite extraordinary, It's my big lesson for the week. 

As it goes, as a person I would be happy with my greatly reduced item i.e. the base, if the item was damaged in delivery, that is not the seller's fault, it was very well packaged and the damage doesn't fit, so I would have probably just changed the lampshade myself.   We are all different, I guess.   Thanks for the response. 

[cad1720]

Hi. Can't you make a claim from the service you used to send it. Especially as you have photographs of the damage.

I always send the buyer a couple of pictures in an eBay mesage of their parcel prior to despatch. This helps building trust with your buyer and can help when things go wrong.