How should I deal with the buyer here?
Summary: hiltrunit reports problems with a buyer who, after purchasing a used PC, demanded a refund and left negative feedback. The buyer claimed transport damage and made demands outside of eBay. hiltrunit refunded the money without the device being returned in order to put an end to the matter, but is still facing ongoing demands from the buyer. Participants discuss how to deal with situations like this, with perfect-sally pointing out that eBay can’t help outside the platform and petersmodellbahnstuebchen recommending sending a return label to protect yourself from future costs.
Hello,
I have a problem with a buyer and am asking for support.
I sold a used PC for €35 plus shipping costs.
Two days after delivery, the buyer left negative feedback and at the same time demanded a refund of the purchase price.
Before that, he had already written to me saying that he wanted to handle a payment outside of eBay.
Packaging
Shipping was done in double cardboard: PC wrapped in bubble wrap, inside that an inner box, packing material all around, the whole thing in an additionally reinforced moving box as the outer box. The contents were completely fixed in place and could not move. I use this packaging method for all complete systems; so far, no shipping damage has occurred.
Process
The package was with the buyer for two days before the first complaint came in. It contains three points:
There is supposed to be a dent on the case that was already there before shipping. On the photos in the listing, no dent is visible at this spot.
The system does not start; during transport, a component probably came loose.
I did not explicitly state that DDR3 ECC memory is installed, and one case screw is missing.
On point 3: The Fujitsu Celsius W530 is equipped as a workstation from the factory with DDR3-UDIMM-ECC — that corresponds to the standard configuration of this model series and can be verified in the Fujitsu datasheets. The side panel of the W530 is also locked via a lever mechanism and is not screwed on; so nothing is missing there.
From the photos sent by the buyer, it is clear that the system was no longer in the condition it was delivered in at the time the pictures were taken. The bubble wrap is lying loose in the box instead of being wrapped around the case as it was when shipped. The images therefore do not show my packaging, but rather a condition after unpacking and placing the system back in. As proof of inadequate transport protection, they are therefore not suitable.
By phone, I offered the buyer to replace the power supply. He did not take me up on that. To avoid dragging the matter out any further, I then refunded him the full purchase price without the device being returned.
Since then, the buyer has had both the computer and the purchase price.
From my point of view, that settled the matter.
However, since then the buyer has been demanding by phone and now also in writing an additional payment: either a "disposal fee" or the cost of return shipping.
The calls are coming in with a conspicuous frequency. I then asked the buyer to conduct communication exclusively in writing via eBay.
The sequence described apparently does not only affect my sale. A look at the feedback the buyer has left publicly shows that other sellers have experienced the same or a similar sequence
Reporting the buyer seems to bring nothing since this account is older than my grandson.
Do you have any other suggestion what one can do.
He has already been reported and blocked, but I can already see the payment demand from this guy in my mail...
petersmodellbahnstuebchen
·2 months agoHi @hiltrunit
since you’ve already issued the refund, all that’s left is the return shipping.
I definitely wouldn’t transfer the buyer the costs for that, but rather send him a suitable return label. That way he can at least not complain that you obstructed the return shipping. He hopefully still has the cardboard box and bubble wrap. 😉
If he still doesn’t send it back then, you can take up the whole case again from your point of view and escalate it here. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Best regards from the Baltic Sea
Peter
hiltrunit
OP2 months agoI already had that through the portal.
Afterwards he wanted more money for the return shipping, whereupon I simply refunded it and that was the end of it for me.
hiltrunit
OP2 months agoSo, as it looks on eBay, the case is completely closed. Because the label was created, then he demanded extra money, and I then simply refunded without receiving the package, and that’s why eBay automatically closed the case.
perfect-sally
·2 months agoYes, so far correct. As soon as it has been refunded, the case will be closed. If you had wanted the item back, you would have had to wait until the buyer had sent it back and only then refund. If you want it back now, you have to sort that out with the buyer; eBay won’t be able to do more than contact the buyer.
hiltrunit
OP2 months agoI don't want the PC anymore. The buyer is demanding extra money outside of eBay. For me, the matter is basically settled.
The question is rather what I should do with the buyer's payment request by message.
petersmodellbahnstuebchen
·2 months agoHi @hiltrunit
I already understand that you don't want the PC back anymore. My note about the return label was meant to protect you from any "disposal costs".
I would take any other payment demands from the "customer" in stride.
I think your "customer" probably ended up on a lot of blocklists today.
Kind regards from the Baltic Sea
Peter
perfect-sally
·2 months agoActually pretty simple: the buyer files a complaint and you have to take it back and pay for the return shipping. You’ve refunded it, so that part is at least taken care of.
You probably won’t get rid of the feedback because the buying experience was described here and the feedback doesn’t violate any guidelines. However, your feedback does violate the guidelines and will be deleted at the buyer’s request! It’s not allowed to leave a positive rating with negative text!
There’s not much more outsiders or eBay can contribute either, since nobody knows how it was actually packed, and the buyer is not only complaining about the dent but also about it not working.
And no, reporting it really doesn’t help, or at least not much.
hiltrunit
OP2 months agoIn my eyes, this is not a positive review with negative text, but rather a neutral description of what happened with the buyer. I'm not talking about the review itself, but about the buyer's behavior and money demand outside of eBay.
perfect-sally
·2 months agoBuyers simply cannot be rated neutrally or negatively, and that has been the case since 2008.
As written, if the buyer contacts eBay about it, it gets deleted and only the positive point remains.
And what happened outside of eBay can’t be traced by eBay or outsiders either. If the communication doesn’t run through eBay’s messaging system, you have nothing with which you could prove anything.