I sold some comics on ebay last week. Today I got a message from the buyer that reads as follows:
“I just got the package and the comics are damaged. Because there wasn’t enough packing in the box, the comics slid around and the bottom left of each comic has been jammed & bent about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a inch.”
Okay. If true, I guess I he deserves a refund. The thing is, I’m not sure I believe him. I remember packing these books. I had them wrapped in a thin piece of bubble wrap, and they were placed right in the center of the box. I filled the box with packing peanuts all around the stack of books and checked to make sure nothing was sliding around before taping it up. I’m meticulous like that. I’m not the type to just sloppily toss the books into the box and throw some packing materials in with them.
The auction closed for a fairly high amount ($51), which was way higher than I expected them to go (I expected around $20 at most). I’m wondering if the guy just regrets buying them and now wants his money back. I don’t know. What would you do?
If he sends (or photographs) damaged books, is there any way to protect yourself from a bait and switch scam? I can see someone with a damaged collectible purchasing yours for an obscene price, then trying to return their own damaged goods for a full refund. They keep the pristine condition collectibles all for the low low price of $0.00. :dubious:
Since you’re asking, this is probably too late, but this is exactly what shipping insurance is for. If you ever sell on eBay without requiring insurance, you’re just opening yourself up to potential fraud.
At this point, basically you just have to weigh the cost of a refund versus taking a feedback hit or an eBay claim. I believe eBay policy sides with the buyer in this case since the item isn’t “as described”.
My experience as a long time ebay buyer and seller is: most people don’t know squat about packing.
Have him ship them back to you, refund his money, and move on.
packing it in the center of peanuts does not keep the item from shifting. Normal sorting facilities involve a series of automated tilt trays, pusher bars and a lengthy trip through a mile of belts. It was hackey sacked through a facility the size of Rode Island.
I often buy paper items through ebay and the majority of sellers put it in a plastic sleeve and tape it to a piece of cardboard the same dimensions of the box to keep it centered. Then padding is added, usually crumpled newspaper.
Buy the item back and save yourself unnecessary hassle. It’s not worth your time.
You could try to offer him $ 20 or something, in exchange for him keeping the comics and giving you a good rating. If he’s not happy with that, then you’ll gladly refund him all his money once he ships them back to you. Definitely request the picture of the damage, to make sure he isn’t some lazy scam artist.
I’ve had even really well-packed items get damaged in shipping. It can happen. I’ve had weird accidents where packages got caught in machines, or an entire half of a box was caved in. I’d definitely request pictures of the damage, to start.
Shipping insurance is always a good thing. If buyers don’t want to pay for it, they accept the risks of the item being damaged. Problem is, nobody wants to pay for it, and everyone wants to cash in on it without paying for it. It sounds like the guy MIGHT be trying to circumvent the lack of insurance with ‘Oops, I didn’t pay for postal insurance and now I want a refund for damage so I’ll blame the seller’s packaging!’, but really for the hit you’ll take on eBay in negative feedback it’s probably just worth it to appease him.
I’d probably offer him a partial refund in proportion to whatever damage occurred, or request the items back and issue a refund upon return. Would you be able to resell the damaged items? If not, it might be better to issue a partial refund and let him keep them. That way, at least you make SOMETHING on the deal.
Oh, and in the future, if you’re packing comics, sometimes it helps to secure the back with a piece of hard cardboard cut in the same size/shape of the books. It keeps them from bending in all but the harshest circumstances. You’d be surprised how much damage things can take even when they’re packed well.
Oh, now that I remember, I did purchase shipping insurance on it actually. Not quite for the full amount the auction went for though. Will the post office pay for an item that was damaged in transit? How do I go about getting them to do that? Do I have to have the item back in my posession first? If possible, I’d rather just tell him to keep them, get the post office to pay the insured amount, and give him that as a refund.
Ugh, nevermind. I just checked the USPS website on how to file a claim. I’m not going through all that shit. I’ll just have to take a loss on this one.
Geez, paranoid much? Look, collectable comics are all about condition. If he damages them, then he reduces the value, which is exactly what he is claiming has happened.
In my book, buying something, then deciding you don’t want it, lying about damage to the item, damaging it yourself and asking for a refund is taking advantage of someone.
$50 would be an awkward amount for me to know what to do with. If it was $20 I’d just refund him and tell him to keep the comics. Write it off with as the ebay fuck-wit tax - life is too short to be bothering your arse dealing with whining little minge-bags over a creased comic.
Is there any point in getting the comics sent back though? Presumably they cannot now be sold for a similar price. So I guess it comes down to the value of a neg on your ebay profile. Pocket $50, tell him to get tae fuck, receive neg. Refund $50, lose comics, receive positive.
I like the cut of your jib. I went over that issue in my mind, and I was actually okay with taking one negative, since I have a high feedback score as it is. But, I figured he would submit a claim and I’d end up being forced to do a refund anyway.
I offered him a partial refund if he wants to keep the books or a full one upon safe return of them. I’m sure he’ll want the full refund. I also asked him to send a picture of the damage.