Advice needed on ebay/PayPal claim!

[jonnyboy]

Hi all,

I'd really appreciate some advice as to what to do regarding a disagreement I'm having with an ebay buyer.

I sold an Alpha L-2A a few weeks ago on ebay, and the buyer is disputing the measurements I gave and wants a refund as it doesn't fit him. Whenever I sell anything on ebay, I'm always careful, and try to be as accurate as possible - especially with measurements. I always take the measurements twice to make sure. I've looked at Mark (fishmeok's) review of his Alpha L-2A (a size large like the one I sold) on the fedora lounge, and his measurements are the same as mine! As Mark has also been making jackets, I'd respect his ability to measure them accurately!

The buyer contacted me first saying that it didn't fit him and did I have an XL, (the listing stated that the jacket was a size large). And it has now got to the point where he has emailed me with photos of his (very different) measurements, which don't look very convincing, and aren't measured correctly, and is threatening to go to PayPal arbitration, which he says will surely be on his side.

I feel like I'm being bullied, and it gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. Am I right to stick to my guns, as I feel that I've been completely honest in my listing, or should I give him a refund? If I do give him a refund, is that just giving in to a bully?

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks,
Jon

 

[Andrew]

To save yourself the angst and just resolve the issue i'd tell him to send it back at his cost and then you can refund him the cost of the original purchase and postage.

I hate these situations also and even though I am also stubborn and hate giving in to a bully I feel it's better for your own peace of mind to do this (once gave in to the worlds best VLJ bully now based in southern Europe and eventually received an apology). There are some people out there who are well beyond reason and you may have found one. You can always resell it to a friendly buyer.

 

[asiamiles]

I don't think Paypal will side with the buyer in this case. Let him open a dispute if he wants to. If your measurements are correct probably the very best he can hope for is that Paypal tell him to return the jacket at his cost and then ask you to refund him, but they might ask him to offer proof of the measurements first. If not, after he has returned the jacket you would be able to prove your measurements were correct; eBay would likely take a dim view of a buyer abusing the system and it's in their power to actually recover the payment from him again, and they would surely ban him from eBay.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi you are not going to win with the customer or ebay ,Pay pal also side with the buyer .The guy obviously has buyers remorse and wants to send the jacket back .The best you can do is to have hime send it back and just refund his purchase price .Rgds Jeff

 

[asiamiles]

Do you have a link to the original auction? And you should definitely "out" this bad buyer.

 

[jonnyboy]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks very much for the comments. It does sound like I probably won't have much luck with ebay/PayPal, and may be forced to offer a refund anyway. I think I'll offer to refund the jacket cost, but not postage (why should I be out of pocket for someone else's mistake).

Here's a link to the ebay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&item=330332630323

The buyer said he was very happy with the jacket, and that it was better than he expected, just too small. I do understand that this would be disappointing, but whenever this happens to me, I take it on the chin and resell the jacket. It's just one of the risks of buying something that you can't try on first.

Anyway, thanks again for you help - much appreciated!

Jon

 

[veli1]

The buyer said he was very happy with the jacket, and that it was better than he expected, just too small. I do understand that this would be disappointing, but whenever this happens to me, I take it on the chin and resell the jacket. It's just one of the risks of buying something that you can't try on first.

Well said,maybe sometimes the buyer really can't decide what size/jacket to purchase because sending measurements online is very tricky bussines but I agree with you that there's risk of buying something that you can't try on first.

 

[asiamiles]

The buyer said he was very happy with the jacket, and that it was better than he expected, just too small. I do understand that this would be disappointing, but whenever this happens to me, I take it on the chin and resell the jacket. It's just one of the risks of buying something that you can't try on first.

Yes, this is a common enough occurrence. He should just try to resell it.

If you are generous enough to refund him, then you should only refund him the item cost and minus your eBay fees and Paypal fees from it as well. I would hold out if I were you, as you've done nothing wrong, and while I hate eBay/Paypal and know that they're highly biased towards buyers I don't see them offering a refund to someone just because the item doesn't fit unless the measurements were highly misleading, which I'm sure isn't the case here.

 

[jonnyboy]

Hi all,

tcwu - the buyer's ebay id is wizardofoz150.

I've now contacted him and offered him a refund (of the jacket cost - not the postage). In fairness, he has said that he will post the jacket back to me today, and said:

"I take on board what you say about buying clothing on line and have learned a valuable lesson with this experience. Once again I wish to say that the jacket is of exceptional quality and what I am looking for so if you come across another in a larger size I would be more than pleased to buy it from you. Thank you for your patience and kindness in coming to this conclusion.".

I think he basically just bought the wrong sized jacket and can't accept that it's his responsibility! In order to avoid continued hassle, and negative feedback, I think giving him a refund is probably the best option.

Anyway, hopefully the refund and return will all go smoothly, and I can relist the jacket on ebay.

Thanks again for all your comments.

Jon

 

[asiamiles]

That’s bad advice!

You should use Paypal refund instead just pay him the back.

But it can still be a partial refund.