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bspofford

ebay question

bspofford
11 years ago

I need some outside perspective regarding ebay. If you sold a set of 8 glasses and charged also for shipping, what would you feel is an appropriate refund if one arrived broken? Would it be the amount paid plus shipping, divided by eight to determine a per piece cost? Would it be only the amount paid divided by eight?

Barbara

Comments (15)

  • bspofford
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Should have included this too....should you require the sender to return the item at their expense? Would a photo depicting the damage suffice?

    Barbara

  • justlinda
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think the buyer pays the shipping on Ebay, not the seller. Unless, of course, you specified "free shipping".

    So I would take the cost I sold the item for, divide by how many items were in the shipment, and subtract that amount for a refund. Now, why would you want to get back a broken glass? I think a picture of the damaged item would serve the purpose.

  • chibimimi
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If the glasses are easy to replace, then yes, I'd refund 1/8 the price, However, if they are "unique" or very rare wineglasses, for example, there is a big difference between a set of 8 and a set of 7. 7 knocks one couple off the invitation list for your next dinner party. It's basically a set of 6 plus a spare. In that case, I'd probably refund the price of 2 glasses.

    A photo would suffice to show the damage, as long as it's recognizable as the object you sent.

  • bspofford
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just a litle more clarification.....the sticking point seems to be whether or not i/8 of the shipping price should be included in the refund.

    To keep this objective, I'm purposely not indicating whether I am the seller or the buyer.

    Barbara

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If I were the buyer, I'd want the shipping pro-rated. The seller has the responsibility to pack the items appropriately, IMO. A picture should be sufficient proof of a broken item.

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    When you are setting the conditions for returns on a sale listing, you choose whether seller or buyer pays return shipping. Unless they have changed that since I last sold an item, which was two months ago, it's already a decided question, because it's in the terms and conditions fine print.
    Casey

  • yborgal
    11 years ago

    As a Seller, I would ask the buyer if she wanted the remaining 7 glasses or not. If not, I would ask her to pack the remaining glasses up, insure them and send them to me at my expense.

    Now, you do realize that if a Seller ships an item without insurance then it is his loss, not the buyer's. Insurance only protects the seller, not the Buyer.

    Should you want to keep the 7 glasses, I think the Seller should divide the total cost for 8 glasses to arrive a a cost per glass and reimburse you for that glass and as a nice gesture he should double that amount. I don't think he needs to reimburse you for shipping. Chances are the charges would have been the same whether he shipped 8 glasses or 7.

    I believe in good customer service and always treat my buyers fairly.

  • yborgal
    11 years ago

    I neglected to say that if the glasses are being returned, you should be refunded cost plus shipping because of failure to properly pack the glasses. if it were a return because of change of mind, then only the cost paid for the glasses should be refunded.

    Have you contacted the seller and showed him pictures of the broken glass?

  • yborgal
    11 years ago

    bump

  • stacieann63
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have sold on ebay for the last 12 years. I understand your dilemma! I provide free shipping. I have a 14 day return policy. If the item was damaged, I pay the return shipping. I have always refunded the shipping cost on a return unless it is just buyer's remorse. Then they can pay for the return. It is just good business. I would be heartbroken to receive 7 glasses and a broken one. I would probably be inclined to refund the buyer 50% of the total they paid. That is, if they still wanted the glasses. If not, I would refund their money plus return shipping. I'd probably relist the glasses as a set of 6 and send the new buyer the 7 glasses. In this case since it is glass, a picture of the damage would probably suffice. But I have requested in the past the damaged item be returned and then I would refund their money in full. There have been several instances where I never received the item back or heard from them again. Good luck to you. The postal system can be brutal on our packages!

  • yborgal
    11 years ago

    What finally happened?

  • bspofford
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Escalated to customer service, s/b resolved by the end of the week.......

  • yborgal
    11 years ago

    Were you the seller or buyer?

    Not that it makes a difference. It was a good question as there are different schools of thought on how a situation like this could be handled.

    Many people are paying with CC's now and if they have a complaint go through the CC to get refunded. Then the money is credited to the buyer's card and the seller has the money deducted from his/her PP account. Many times the buyer is not even required to return the goods.

    As a result the buyer has the item, the refunded money and the seller has lost the item and had to return the purchase price.

  • bspofford
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So, I guess it's all over. Here is the rest of the story....

    I purchased a set of 8 wine glasses from a Canadian seller and paid for the shipping also. One glass arrived with a chip on the rim. I sent multiple photos to show the damage, and the seller offered me a refund for the item only, no prorated shipping,(the shipping prorated was only $2.12) and and I had to return the item to him, based upon what he said he was told by ebay. I responded that was nuts, as the return shipping would be $10.00 for the one glass, and he would not pay the return shipping. He then said that the glass in my picture looked 'scratched', so I washed it, and yes, it was all scratched up. He then accused me of switching the glass, as 'his were all perfect when he sent them'. My photo had the light source behind the glass; his had it coming from the side, and just room lighting.

    I was always willing to accept that the glass was damaged in shipping, but the seller said that was impossible since he used two layers of bubble wrap then a layer of newspaper. He did use an oversize box, and the stuff did slide around quite easily. I guess one could conclude that the glass was chipped when it went into the box, but I never accused him of knowingly sending damaged goods.

    I finally figured something refunded was better than nothing, so I told him to send whatever amount he felt was fair. Nothing. So I filed a claim under eBay's Buyer Protection Plan. They decided in my favor, told me to return the whole set, and my purchase price and the shipping would be refunded. Onerous conditions, because the seller was not going to have to pay return shipping. I appealed to use common sense and ask them to suggest he refund for the one glass, but 'they can't enforce a partial refund' unless the seller requested it, and I would have to then contact the seller. I did twice, suggesting things were out of hand unnecessarily, with no response. Okay, I'll stand on my priciples, I know it's going to cost me, but at least I will have bought the privilege of the big red negative in his 100% rating, and knowing he will have one action resolved not in his favor. Shipped them all back, eBay refunded the money, I'm out the shipping to return them, and I left negative feedback. And of course, so did he in his comment, still indicating it wasn't his glass. EBay removed the feedback, he's an idiot and rude, unprofessional, accusatory, a liar, and has no sense of accountability. (In his feedback to me, again, not his glass (a lie), I tried to use negative feedback to get a refund (a lie, emails prove it) and the case was reversed in his favor (lie).

    So all in all it was certainly a learning experience. I learned Canada Post will not insure glassware or china, outsourcing eBay resolution requires the use of a 'cookbook' without any common sense used, all but one Canadians are nice, and sometimes you have to spend money to keep your integrity in place. The credit card company also would have required me to return, at my expense, the items for a full refund. And to be extra cautious with the relatively new seller, even with glowing feedback.

  • kittymoonbeam
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's hard for both buyers and sellers. I've gotten so that I will only buy from people I know or buy a small thing a few times to see how it goes. There were quite a few dishonest sellers in the old days. But there were good ones too and more fun before ebay drove all the little sellers away with the high fees, penalties and star system. Buyers have it easiest except when the bad sellers get their ratings wiped clean and start over or have so much volume that they don't care if they offer bad service. And good sellers get taken advantage of by bad buyers and ebay lets that happen too many times. Wouldn't it be nice if you could have worked something out that was reasonable. I tried and tried to work with a seller and finally just had to eat the shipping and return the item. So many sellers are wary. They have been burned too many times.