Locked
Antworten können hier nur von erfahrenen Mentor*innen sowie der Person verfasst werden, die die Frage gestellt hat.
Assessment of a private sale
Summary: igorius0409 seeks advice on handling a buyer's complaint about a private eBay sale of a used camera lens. The buyer claims a focus issue and demands a return, providing only one blurry image as evidence. igorius0409 requested more substantial proof before proceeding with a return. voli-maus and perfect-sally advise that eBay tends to favor buyers in disputes, suggesting that excluding liability may not protect the seller and that eBay's buyer protection often leads to obligatory returns.
Hi everyone,
I’d like your take on a private sale via eBay.
A used, high-quality camera lens was sold privately. In the listing, liability for material defects was explicitly excluded. To my knowledge, the lens worked without any known technical issues up until the sale.
The buyer is now reporting after receiving it that the lens allegedly no longer focuses correctly in a certain focal length range, and wants to return it.
So far, the only proof provided has been a single blurry shot of a moving subject. No other reproducible test shots or original files have been submitted yet.
That’s why I asked them to first send the unedited original file as well as a reproducible test series with a stationary, high-contrast subject at different focal lengths before I agree to unwind the sale.
I’d be interested in how you’d assess this from experience:
How does eBay usually handle cases like this between private sellers when a technical defect is only claimed after receipt?
In your experience, is a single blurry photo already enough for eBay as justification for “item not as described,” or is a plausible piece of evidence required?
And how would you proceed as a private seller if the device was working perfectly to the best of your knowledge before shipping, but it naturally can’t be determined what happened after it was handed over to the shipping carrier or after receipt?
I’m explicitly not trying to brush off a legitimate complaint. I just want to avoid too quickly acknowledging a problem that can’t be technically substantiated as a defect that was already present at the time of sale.
Thanks in advance for your experiences.
petersmodellbahnstuebchen
Mentor2 weeks agoHi @igorius0409
I can only base this on my opinion and experience as a commercial seller. Here, the eBay buyer protection applies first.
eBay will initially decide in the buyer's favor. However, even after receiving the lens, you can carry out the test series you described and maybe prove that the lens works perfectly.
Then you may have a chance at a partial refund and at least get your lens back.
Best regards from the Baltic Sea
Peter
perfect-sally
Mentor2 weeks agoEbay only knows the item from the seller’s description and pictures and can’t verify anything.
And if a buyer makes a complaint, the seller has to take it back and pay for return shipping. That’s called buyer protection, and ebay will decide in favor of the buyer 99% of the time.
And if the seller pushes it and ebay really has to step in, then ebay refunds the money and you’re still left holding the fees if any were charged. And of course there’s a defect on the account.
voli-maus
Mentor2 weeks agoHello @igorius0409 ,
you can delete the disclaimer about liability for defects, no warranty, no returns, really.
If a customer complains, then you refund the item.