What did I do wrong, I ask myself... she said nothing! But she won't change anything either...

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Summary: tomtom-01-12 questions what might have gone wrong as they received no feedback or willingness to change from another person. Other responses appear to lack detail, maintaining a focus on the initial inquiry of misunderstanding or miscommunication.

Hello everyone,

I’m hoping for an objective assessment, since I can’t understand eBay’s decision and would especially like to know what, specifically, I am supposed to have done wrong as the seller.

As a private seller, I sold a used telescope. The item was described in detail and listed with several meaningful photos. The buyer did not buy the item right away, but first submitted an offer of €100 and then, a short time later, increased it on their own by another €40. To me, that was a sign that they considered the item’s condition reasonable based on the description and photos.

The item was properly packaged, delivered on time, and received by the buyer without complaint.

Only after that did the buyer open a return, claiming that there was allegedly dust inside the telescope and that they therefore could not or did not want to use it. A photo was submitted as proof. However, I cannot see any dust in that photo.

In addition, this is a used item. Even if there were minimal dust particles inside, that would not be unusual for a used optical device. The telescope is also nitrogen-filled and sealed. If there were actually a relevant leak that would allow dust to enter, you would normally expect other signs such as fogging of the optics or visible deposits. No such defects are present, and the buyer has also not provided any evidence of them.

Nevertheless, eBay accepted the return without my consent and withheld the purchase amount.

I then contacted eBay customer service and spoke with Ms. Emilia Otto. My main question was what, specifically, I had done wrong as the seller. I wanted to know which error in my description, my photos, or my handling justified the decision.

I did not receive a specific answer. I was only told that the decision would stand and that I could only file an appeal after receiving the return.

I get the impression that the mere claim of a defect was enough, even though the item was fully described, there were meaningful photos, and the buyer did not provide any understandable evidence for their claim.

So my question to the community is:

What should I have done differently as the seller in this case? From your perspective, is there any clear mistake on my part, or is this simply eBay’s usual approach under buyer protection?

tomtom-01-12

376 View listings

Posted 2 months ago·Last reply 2 months ago

3 comments

perfect-sally

Mentor2 months ago

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Yes, that's the usual procedure with buyer protection! Ebay can't verify whether the seller described the item correctly, and just as little can it verify the condition it arrives in for the buyer. And if the buyer files a complaint, buyer protection applies first.

I doubt that you'll be found to be in the right afterward, once the item is back.

And no, there is no error, but when buyers complain, you are left defenseless against them.

meinehexe11

Mentor2 months ago

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@tomtom-01-12 wrote:
Hello everyone,
I’m hoping for an objective assessment, because I can’t understand eBay’s decision and, in particular, I’d like to know what I, as the seller, am supposed to have done wrong.
As a private seller, I sold a used telescope. The item was described in detail and listed with several meaningful photos. The buyer didn’t buy the item right away, but first made a price offer of €100 and then, shortly afterwards, increased it by another €40 on their own initiative. To me, that was a sign that they considered the condition of the item appropriate based on the description and photos.
The item was properly packaged, delivered on time, and accepted by the buyer without complaint.
Only after that did the buyer open a return, claiming that there was supposedly dust inside the telescope and that they therefore could or would not use it. A photo was submitted as proof. However, I can’t see any dust in that photo.
In addition, this is a used item. Even if there were minimal dust particles inside, that would not be unusual for a used optical device. The telescope is also nitrogen-filled and sealed. If there were actually a relevant leak through which dust could enter, one would normally expect further signs such as fogging of the optics or visible deposits. There are no such defects, and the buyer did not provide any proof of them either.
Nevertheless, eBay accepted the return without my consent and withheld the purchase price.
I then contacted eBay customer service and spoke with Ms. Emilia Otto. My main question was what I, as the seller, had done wrong specifically. I wanted to know which mistake in my description, my photos, or my handling justified the decision.
I did not receive a concrete answer. I was only told that the decision would stand and that I could only appeal after receiving the return.
I get the impression that the mere claim of a defect was enough, even though the item was fully described, meaningful photos were available, and the buyer provided no understandable proof for their claim.
So my question to the community:
What should I have done differently as the seller in this case? From your point of view, is there an identifiable mistake on my part, or is this simply eBay’s usual procedure as part of buyer protection?

Morning, morning.

Assuming “you didn’t do anything wrong” on my part too, there really was no dust.

To put it like this: maybe the buyer just didn’t like the telescope after all. But if they send it back to you for that reason, they’d have to pay the shipping costs. So they’ll often claim that the item doesn’t match the description. That way, the seller has to pay for the return shipping.

You have to expect that with every sale. Either you live with it or you stop selling here altogether.

tomtom-01-12

OP2 months ago

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Thank you very much for your assessment.

That's exactly the point I don't understand. If there were actually a defect, of course I would understand that. However, I can't see any dust in the photo submitted by the buyer. In addition, the telescope was sold as used and the condition was disclosed based on the description and photos.

What irritates me in particular is the fact that eBay practically accepted the return immediately, without any apparent review of whether the claim was even plausible. To my specific question to customer service about what I as the seller was supposed to have done wrong, I also got the answer, "did everything right no mistake... but nothing will change". So what are the terms and conditions, principles, rules... etc. for if they aren't even followed on request in a personal conversation by customer service employees?

At the moment, it seems I can only wait until the item comes back and then file an appeal. Then I will document the condition exactly and compare it with the original description and the listing photos.

What I mainly wanted to understand was whether I made a mistake as a seller or whether this is now simply the usual procedure in cases involving buyer protection.