Paypal/ebay Dispute advice

drewfromrisca

Has anyone had a dispute with paypal and ebay? I recently sold some suspension forks on ebay and about a week later the buyer emails saying that they only adjust to 90mm when it stated they adjusted to 120mm (which they did) and they were in damaged condition and demanded a refund. I refused saying their was an adjuster on the forks and to use that and the items weren't damaged when I sent them and that it stated on the listing page that I didn't give refunds. He emails back the next day saying that he took them to a "specialist" who states that the forks don't move and are seized and the adjuster is leaking oil, even though the previous day he stated they adjusted to 90mm and no mention of leaking oil. I immediately thought that he had tried adjusting them and broke them himself so I again refused to refund the money as they were not in that condition when I sent them. He has now started a paypal dispute and I've given all the information I have to them for paypal to decide.

Was I right to stand my ground and refuse a refund? Should I just refund the money and take these now damaged goods back to just shut this idiot up? Does paypal dispute's affect your credit history or affect you using paypal again?

All help/posts appreciated.

robbarker

Empty your paypal account now as they will simply take the money - they usually side with the buyer from what I've heard.

bagpusscp

I have had a similar issue a while back with a frame .
1/ I offered a full refund at the first sign of a problem.Guy said he wanted to keep the frame . Said I would meet him half way with cost of a minor repair.Tracking issue.
2/ a couple a days later . Buyer said he had another issue .Offered full refund .Last and final offer.Buyer said he still wanted to keep the frame but would leave me bad feed back. I could do no more .
3/Buyer never left any feed back,kept frame,I never sent any money ....hmm .

Did you take close up pictures? forks sold as used ? Stand your ground .Difficult .If it were me. I would be firm but fair. Who did he take them to?

Red Rock

Good advice from robbarker and bagpusscp.

My first thought was that he'd keep the forks you sent and return his original damaged forks that he was replacing.

As above, stand you ground.

Red Rock

Jamey

EBay and PayPal are steadily getting worse and worse from a seller's perspective. In order to be covered by the seller protection policy you have to make sure you send the item recorded (trackable online) and you can only send to confirmed PayPal addresses... And guess who hasn't got their PayPal address confirmed? Around 99% of its membership, that's who.

Even if you empty your Paypal account immediately, what will happen is that you'll go into negative credit and your account will be suspended until you make up the difference.

And yes, PayPal almost always side with the buyer.

I think eBay implemented a policy recently where sellers can no longer leave negative feedback for buyers but buyers can still leave negative feedback for sellers. Nice one, eBay. Bunch of idiots.

It's a shame because buying things on eBay is fantastic. You couldn't have more choice and cover. But selling is a minefield now. You need to be really, really careful.

bagpusscp

Yes it is a minefield and people are ripping off sellers .paypal can take the money back and you still might not get your goods back :x Dam wrong .I have been done by one buyer about 2 years ago {not paypal } sent him his money back £16 .in an act of good faith .Never good items back and he was another cyclist .It is agood job for him he live to far away to call round, theiving ba$tar£

rrsodl

I had a problem with a seller once. I bought a pair of cowboy boots for my daughter and when they arrived I realised there were not leather boots as described but man made materials. The seller argued they were leather and I said "how can you be certain of that when it says on the boots "Man made" - Anyway, the dispute went in my favour and I returned the boots and she returned the money but I still lost out on the delivery and return postage when it was not my fault.

By the way, when you say "No refunds" I'm almost 100% sure that that is against the sales of goods act. In fact, i think the sales of goods act gives the buyer 15 days to cancel a contract of goods bought over the internet, and that includes second hand goods.

Rick

OffTheBackAdam

He can onlt get money off you if he filed a non-receipt claim, If the item is below £32 in value, you can claim a refund from the Royal Snail, as long as you've kept proof of postage. (Paypal won't accept that as proof of receipt). Over £32, make sure it's sent insured.
I assume that you sent £100+ worth of kit insured? If so, then the Royal Snail can foot the bill for any damage.
As for the "Goods not as described" bit, it's your word verse his. Respond via Paypal, that if the customer returns the goods to you, at his expense, you'll refund. Say that when you get them back, you'll get them looked at by a mechanic, to see if there's signs of them being damaged by the buyer's cack-handed attempts at adjusting them and if so, you'll pursue him through the Small Claims Court for fraud.
Because Paypal's owned by eBay, they have a win/win situation.

a_n_t

I know its a pain but if you're a seller simply dont accept paypal!!

nwallace

IF your not a trader

http://www.brent.gov.uk/FAQs.nsf/72d587 ... enDocument
(sorry i have never got the hang of bb code)

Private sales

When you buy goods from a private individual, you don't have the same rights as when buying from a trader. The legal principle of caveat emptor, or ‘buyer beware’, operates. You have no rights to expect that goods be of satisfactory quality or fit for their purpose, but there is a requirement that they should be ‘as described’. You should check goods thoroughly before you buy them.

However the French government have put into question lately whether E-Bay is an on-line adverts site or an Auction house.

drewfromrisca

The forks were sold as used, as for listing no refund, there is a section on ebay that allows you to select no refunds so I think I'm covered there. My paypal account is empty but it says I owe 3 pounds now!!! If paypal side with the buyer I think I'll just cancel my paypal account and stop selling on ebay and possibly even buying as lately I've found ebay to be a bit of a nightmare and not worth the hassle. There was close up pics which were attached on the ebay listing and very very clear and showed the state they were in. I thought the same thing as Red Rock, that he would send different forks or even send the original forks back busted after he messed around with them. I hope paypal ask for a statement from the so called specialist as I would like to see his credentials.

Eat My Dust

IME eBay tend to side with the seller as that's where they make their money from.