posted on September 24, 2001 06:59:14 AM new
I have what I think is going to be a really stinky problem with a buyer; I haven't responded to his claim yet, and not quite sure what to do.
I've never been involved with Square Trade before, but thought perhaps they could help resolve this situation. However, in reading through the information, it seems they are there to deal with buyer complaints. I really don't want to "get into it" with this buyer, but I cannot and will not meet his demands.
I believe it is a case of buyer's remorse, but in the meantime, some high-dollar items have been damaged.
posted on September 24, 2001 09:03:08 AM new
Personally I haven't heard anything good about square trade, so I can't suggest using them. If you post more specifically what happened maybe someone on here can help you word an email to your buyer.
How were the goods damaged (in transit, were they insured?).
posted on September 24, 2001 09:15:01 AM new
What are his demands? The first thing I would do if he wants a refund is ask him to send you the damaged goods. If you've insured through the PO, then he needs to go to the PO and file a claim.
posted on September 24, 2001 10:11:15 AM new
Well, I have filed a case with Square Trade...at least I won't be on the defensive anyway.
This is a little complicated, but here's what happened:
I had a number of auctions up for a particular line of china. Buyer won 4 separate auctions: 1 was for 4 hard to find....let's say dessert bowls, and we had noted in the description that there was a chip or defect on the bottom rim of one. The other 3 auctions went for average prices, but the 4 bowls went to well over 100.00.
Auction ended near the end of August. We received a personal check and shipped on 9/4. We always send out a 'your merchandise has shipped' email in which we note that "if there is any problem with the merchandise, please email us as soon as possible."
Shipment was priority mail, and to a location that usually arrives in 3 days.
We received an email from the buyer on 9/14, in which he very blithely informs us that he "just picked up the box yesterday", and "3 of the bowls were damaged, so I have returned them" (and kept one).
And no, this damage could not have happened in shipping; everything was well-wrapped, and the bowls were not touching anything else, not even each other. (Bubble-wrapped and filler, plus corrugated in between.)
Since our auction ended, buyer has bid on 2 more auctions for one each of these bowls - dropped out of one, and won one for much less than what ours went for.
BTW, these rim chips are nice and fresh and white looking, and are visible at arm's length...no way we could have missed them. (And also btw, when we bought them, they were wrapped in newspaper.)
We're really bothered by the way the buyer went about it all. First the time lapse, which is not impossible, but is strange when considered with everything else. Then the way he supposedly received them and got them back in the mail on the same day...and without so much as an email until after the fact. (We don't state our return policy in our descriptions, so he was presumptuous to say the least.)
We always have refunded, even when we didn't feel a refund was in order (maybe 6 refunds in over 2 years), but we're really unhappy about this one.
Anyway...what is your take on it all?
We really think it is a case of 'buyer's remorse', and were deliberately damaged in order to return them.
posted on September 24, 2001 10:25:11 AM new
Square Trade will get you nowhere unless one of you springs for the $15 mediator fee. If I were you, I would take the neg that is coming and be done with it. Have you thought of purchasing one of those ink stamps with your name on it? You can stamp your dishes then you don't have to worry about a buyer sending something back you did not send them.
If you think they are not the bowls you sent, you could try and bluff him and say that your invisble mark was not present, there are pens with invisible ink that only shows up when you blacklight the piece. You must mark china and pottery or it will bite you in the butt eventually. Heather
posted on September 24, 2001 12:31:43 PM new
Heather, every piece was marked!
When I first got his email, I was afraid he was trying to pull a switcheroo. But there are a number of fine chips around all three pieces now! No way I could have missed them all!
posted on September 24, 2001 02:27:18 PM new
Normally I refund on almost everything too, but in a case like this I would not do it. You did not agree to refund, he just sent them back. I would simply mail them back to him (signed for) and send him a polite email letting him know that they are on the way back since they were not like that when you shipped them to him. I'd take the neg if it came. And I would put him on my bidder block.
It's really frustrating when someone trys to pull something like that. He should have emailed you before he mailed them and not assumed that you would refund. At auction many sellers can't and don't.
Otherwise I am not sure what you can do.
Good luck though!
posted on September 24, 2001 02:40:39 PM new
I think he is trying to scam you, but that is just my opinion. You could send them back, but what if he refuses them? I also think he damaged them on purpose and got you over a barrel by returning them as he did. I really would not know what to tell you, I would refuse a refund and send them back. PO would laugh in your face if you/him tried to tell them they were damaged in shipping. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. Heather
