Customer Opens Return for "Missing Parts" on Item Sold for Parts

[Zach]

I’ve had one of those weird, pushy buyers this week trying to get a partial refund. He bought a non-working Sony flip clock from me that I was selling for parts or repair only. I sold it for $80, and immediately after he bought it, he sent me a message telling me how excited he is to get the clock that he had as a child. However, he also noted that he is worried that he might have overpaid for it, other Sony clocks had sold for $20, and he asked how I came up with my price. I responded that this particular model is very rare and no others were listed or sold on eBay in the last 90 days, but other similar models sold for around that price. Anytime I get a message from a buyer complaining about the price immediately after purchase, I know I’m in for trouble.

After he receives the item a few days later, he sends me a message that the clock is missing a little knob to set the alarm. I didn’t specifically write that the small knob was missing in the item condition description, but it is clearly visible in the pictures that it is missing and he admits that fact. And it was sold for parts or repair. He said wants a $20 refund and if I do that, he’ll give me 5 stars positive feedback. That feedback extortion crap really makes me mad. He also sends me an email with a copy of an ebay sold listing from 1 year ago showing that same clock sold for $20, but that one didn’t have that knob either, so it “proves” how valuable that single knob is to the sale price and that’s why he needs the refund.

I sent him the standard email that he is welcome to return the item for a full refund. He gets back and says I must have misunderstood him, because he doesn’t want to return the item, he just wants the partial refund. Trying to get rid of him, I offered him a $10 refund, but that apparently is not enough.

He opens a return request and uses the “Item is missing parts” as the reason so it will hit me with the return shipping. I just don’t see how you can say an item is missing parts as a return reason when the item was sold for parts only. Oddly, in the return details, he just states that he wants a $20 credit for the missing part. After talking to ebay, they tell me to ask him for a picture of where the part is missing. He responds with a picture from my original listing, which I thought was hilarious, given he is trying to say I misrepresented the item.

Anyway, eBay can’t step in until Wednesday. Usually I don’t fight stuff like this and I will offer the refund, but he is so pushy and is using feedback extortion and it makes me mad. I think I have a good chance for eBay to force him to pay return shipping. It’s pretty obvious he doesn’t want to return it, anyway.

Well, thanks for reading if you made it to the end of this long story. I will update with the final results.

[Ryanne]

make sure you call ebay on the day they can step in, rather than open the case through the website. and obviously mention feedback extortion, that’s the biggest red flag that they should go in your favor.

[Jay]

Yeah, selling items that are broken or “for parts” can be tricky. Buyers who want to renegotiate the price after the sale are ridiculous.

As Ryanne said, since he clearly aid he’d only give you good feedback for a partial refund, eBay should close the case in your favor.

[Zach]

After writing this all out last night, I just decided it wasn’t worth the time, stress, and energy to sit on this until Wednesday and fight it out over $20. Plus, there’s always a risk of getting a less than knowledgeable eBay rep who would rule against me and ding my account.

I gave him the $20 refund and blocked him. I will probably also report him to eBay.

Moving on now to more positive, productive work.

Thanks for letting me vent and for the advice.

[Author]

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