Ebay seller advice please... I've got a problem!

Audiden · 22-08-10, 04:49 PM

I sold a car radio/sat nav unit on ebay in the first week of August & sent it out 2 weeks ago tomorrow. It had superficial damage to the screen but I described this as cosmetic damage only. I tested every feature of the radio & all was working fine. The item was sent insured as it is worth a bit.

The buyer received the item & then left me positive feedback the following week... this was just the middle of this week.

On Friday there I received this message:-

"hi just fitted the system today, everything is fine apart from the fact that there is a problem with the back button on the touch screen, i have made a call to car radio and the cost of the repair is more than i would want to pay, as a result i would like to return this item for a full refund.
regards"

The 'back button' was working fine when I tested the unit, but then it's been couriered to it's new owner & possibly been fitted in it's new location for the last week or so. The guy also might be speaking truthfully, but if I spent a chunk on a secondhand system I'd check it the day it arrived.

At this stage, a dispute has not yet been raised.

Where do I stand with this... anybody had a similar experience?

Lofty · 22-08-10, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audiden

I sold a car radio/sat nav unit on ebay in the first week of August & sent it out 2 weeks ago tomorrow. It had superficial damage to the screen but I described this as cosmetic damage only. I tested every feature of the radio & all was working fine. The item was sent insured as it is worth a bit.

The buyer received the item & then left me positive feedback the following week... this was just the middle of this week.

On Friday there I received this message:-

"hi just fitted the system today, everything is fine apart from the fact that there is a problem with the back button on the touch screen, i have made a call to car radio and the cost of the repair is more than i would want to pay, as a result i would like to return this item for a full refund.
regards"

The 'back button' was working fine when I tested the unit, but then it's been couriered to it's new owner & possibly been fitted in it's new location for the last week or so. The guy also might be speaking truthfully, but if I spent a chunk on a secondhand system I'd check it the day it arrived.

At this stage, a dispute has not yet been raised.

Where do I stand with this... anybody had a similar experience?

If he paid using Paypal you will be screwed (if he takes the dispute to them)
Paypal nearly always side with the buyer.
You might getaway with a partial refund offer to him as a goodwill gesture but I wouldn't hold your breath.

stuartmmcfc · 22-08-10, 09:18 PM

I wouldn't let the time taken to report the problem be an issue, it doesn't seem an unreasonable delay (1 week approx?)- easy if you've got kids etc to grab your attention.
Perhaps he's just an idiot who cant work it properly?? I'd politely ask exactly what the problem is.
Personally, for the sake of a quiet life I'd make a full refund (on receipt of item), let him pay the return postage and check it yourself and then relist. and put it down to one of lifes "downs"

Audiden · 22-08-10, 10:05 PM

I was thinking of just going down the refund route & treating it as one of those things, just damn annoying! Will ask him to clarify the problem before he sends it back so I know what to expect upon it's return...

Cheers chaps

Martc · 22-08-10, 10:36 PM

Sorry to hear about that, hopefully you can get it resolved, anyway here is something to cheer you up a bit...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZN4k2mIBUg

ovalking · 23-08-10, 08:48 AM

If the item is faulty then a return/refund seems reasonable. But if you accept this I would suggest it is on the proviso that you receive the item back, and test it yourself. Also satisfy yourself that the returned item is the one you sent!

marcz · 23-08-10, 09:22 AM

Keep the communication going and stay cordial about it. Personally, I'd offer a refund, minus postage costs, or offer a partial refund.

If he is going to return it, do as said above and make the agreement based on you receiving the unit and testing it yourself.

Good luck

Audiden · 23-08-10, 07:27 PM

Well I was favouring the refund route, but this message I received when asking for further info has got me thinking otherwise:-

"hi, i took the set to get a price for the screen, also to get the set updated for the maps and blue tooth software, this is when the fault as found, it works once then you have to press the screen several times before anything happens, dont get me wrong the set is well worth the money for what i got it for, but not really prepared to pay £75 to get it sorted plus the price of the screen.
regards"

It would be like buying a car with a damaged windscreen & then finding out the climate control doesn't work right & wanting your money back... just seems to me that the guy has decided it's not for him. Further, the functions worked okay with me.

Though for a quiet life maybe refund is easier?

Emjay · 23-08-10, 07:38 PM

reading between the lines it looks to me that the superficial damage to the screen is maybe more than that. I assume the buyer has a good feedback score??

Personally I'd protect my feedback, take it on the chin and offer a refund minus any postage. If your reputation is worth more than the price of the sat nav make the offer.

Good luck

Audiden · 11-09-10, 07:01 PM

Outcome of this btw, was that the buyer returned the item, I tested it again to find it was fine - spent 20 minutes trying to fault it with no success - and I gave the buyer a full refund.

In effect I'm no worse off, so I'm not all that fussed really & the buyer was happy with the outcome, so all turned out okay. Just gonna hold on to the unit in case I get a car with a double din slot, or I'll just relist it again in the future.

22-08-10, 10:05 PM	#4
Audiden Senior Member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,257	I was thinking of just going down the refund route & treating it as one of those things, just damn annoying! Will ask him to clarify the problem before he sends it back so I know what to expect upon it's return... Cheers chaps __________________ Too many cars!!

23-08-10, 07:27 PM	#8
Audiden Senior Member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,257	Well I was favouring the refund route, but this message I received when asking for further info has got me thinking otherwise:- "hi, i took the set to get a price for the screen, also to get the set updated for the maps and blue tooth software, this is when the fault as found, it works once then you have to press the screen several times before anything happens, dont get me wrong the set is well worth the money for what i got it for, but not really prepared to pay £75 to get it sorted plus the price of the screen. regards" It would be like buying a car with a damaged windscreen & then finding out the climate control doesn't work right & wanting your money back... just seems to me that the guy has decided it's not for him. Further, the functions worked okay with me. Though for a quiet life maybe refund is easier? __________________ Too many cars!!

11-09-10, 07:01 PM	#10
Audiden Senior Member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,257	Outcome of this btw, was that the buyer returned the item, I tested it again to find it was fine - spent 20 minutes trying to fault it with no success - and I gave the buyer a full refund. In effect I'm no worse off, so I'm not all that fussed really & the buyer was happy with the outcome, so all turned out okay. Just gonna hold on to the unit in case I get a car with a double din slot, or I'll just relist it again in the future. __________________ Too many cars!!

22-08-10, 09:18 PM	#3
stuartmmcfc 4 ring whore! Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,243	I wouldn't let the time taken to report the problem be an issue, it doesn't seem an unreasonable delay (1 week approx?)- easy if you've got kids etc to grab your attention. Perhaps he's just an idiot who cant work it properly?? I'd politely ask exactly what the problem is. Personally, for the sake of a quiet life I'd make a full refund (on receipt of item), let him pay the return postage and check it yourself and then relist. and put it down to one of lifes "downs"

23-08-10, 08:48 AM	#6
ovalking Grown up member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Ipswich Posts: 272	If the item is faulty then a return/refund seems reasonable. But if you accept this I would suggest it is on the proviso that you receive the item back, and test it yourself. Also satisfy yourself that the returned item is the one you sent!

23-08-10, 09:22 AM	#7
marcz Grown up member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Towen Mountain, Queensland, Australia Posts: 953	Keep the communication going and stay cordial about it. Personally, I'd offer a refund, minus postage costs, or offer a partial refund. If he is going to return it, do as said above and make the agreement based on you receiving the unit and testing it yourself. Good luck

23-08-10, 07:38 PM	#9
Emjay Man Fettler Extraodinaire Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Up my own arse blowing smoke Posts: 7,417	reading between the lines it looks to me that the superficial damage to the screen is maybe more than that. I assume the buyer has a good feedback score?? Personally I'd protect my feedback, take it on the chin and offer a refund minus any postage. If your reputation is worth more than the price of the sat nav make the offer. Good luck