Just sold a lens on e-bay, posted it off the next working day after I got the money, it arrived a day after that. Buyer immediately fires off a message …

After a short test I am very disappointed. This lens is useful from f5.6 aperture. Aperture f/2.8 is useless because it is a total “soap” and back focus. Tomorrow will do extensive testing and say what is my decision.

OK, he isn’t happy, and he has the right to return an item, but it seems to me that he could have found out before he bid if this is a lens that is likely to be up to his high standards, and saved us both trouble and expense.

Or maybe it’s me that’s the cock, and I should just be happy to send his money back.

Well only if it’s not as described or faulty.

As above, if the lens is not up to his standards then he should not have bid.

If it’s faulty then that’s another matter.

If it was described correctly (aperture stuff) or that info was readily available are you really obliged to refund him? At your loss of postage costs presumably?

eBay gets worse and worse….

Ebay will almost certainly side with him, but IMHO it’s unreasonable unless your lens is damaged. Any soapiness at wide apertures is just a function of the design.

Sounds like the usual ebay dipshittery.

Private sales aren’t subject to the usual distance selling regulations IIRC.

So unless it’s bust, tough darts.

edit: but good luck.

When you say “us” do you mean your business that sells lenses, or you and your wife/mate/dog that you were selling it with? That’d make a difference as to his right to return, wouldn’t it?

So unless it’s bust, tough darts.

You’ve not sold on Ebay have you, they always side with buyers and refund them no matter what.

munrobiker – Member

When you say “us”

He means him (as the seller) and the buyer.

I have sold on ebay. And I’m aware of just how utterly ballcocks it is for sellers.

Hence my not-so-ninja edit wishing DrJ the best of luck.

I think I’d start sending a couple of messages via Ebay reiterating that the lens is in perfect working order and that you are not responsible for any design flaws. It all helps with the inevitable shitfest when you enter the ebay resolution centre.

You’ve not sold on Ebay have you, they always side with buyers and refund them no matter what.

Not true. We bought a bureau off ebay and after a short journey home the dividers on the inside collasped and two weeks later the gloss paint begain to peel (she had painted it straight onto the varnish without rubbing down etc). We raised a dispute with ebay but as we collected it in person they sided with the seller as we had ‘oppotunity to inspect it’ despite having already paid. Didn’t have my crystal ball with me that day to predict any paint issues. Silly me.

You’ve not sold on Ebay have you, they always side with buyers and refund them no matter what.

Definitely not true. It takes a bit of time, but if the buyer is being a c0ck eBay won’t find in their favour.

Well, like a naive fool, I agreed to accept returns when I set up the sale, imagining that people would be reasonable. However, I do think that he has to cough up to return it to me, and that will cost him a packet.

I agreed to accept returns
That was the mistake I made – sold a coat which the buyer wanted to return cos it was too big (!)
Ebay found in my favour as it was as described.
Don’t accept the return if you don’t wanna!

footflaps – Member

You’ve not sold on Ebay have you, they always side with buyers and refund them no matter what.

Not my experience- I’ve had as much of this sort of crap as everyone else, I defend it using the tools ebay give you (which isn’t easy btw, it’s awkward and intentionally overcomplex) and not lost a case yet.

I’ve had ebay side with me as a seller too. Sold a raceface stem that was as described with a standard bar clamp not oversized , after re reading the ad the buyer retracted their complaint.

You’ve not sold on Ebay have you, they always side with buyers and refund them no matter what.

I sold a freezer and the buyer raised a complaint because it made a noise when he got it home. But he’d seen it plugged in and working sound-free when he collected it, so Ebay told him to do one. It went in the back of his car on a side, I reckon he just unloaded it and fired it straight up.

About the only good thing Ebay’ve ever done, as far as I know.

he’s not going to return it, just buttering you up before trying for a partial refund in some sort of post sale price bartering game that he thinks will work because you value your precious feedback.

he’s not going to return it, just buttering you up before trying for a partial refund in some sort of post sale price bartering game that he thinks will work because you value your precious feedback.

This.

Anyone experienced enough to complain about soap and back focus (whatever the hell they are) is certainly going to know about the features and limitations of a given lens before buying it. He’s going to want to keep the lens and get some of his money back.

On the Bureau did you pay cash on collect?

If so… thats why ebay doesnt ‘like’ non paypal users..

Plus after 2weeks?!

What happens if it gets “damaged” in transit from the buyer to you?

I have a mate that I’m fairly sure was on the receiving end of somebody committing insurance fraud:

Sold a windscreen for car on ebay – mate bought it and paid the requested £50 p&p. Windscreen arrived well wrapped in box etc but in a million pieces. Seller said “oh, that’s no problem we’ll claim from the courier and refund you”. End result was that the seller got a brand new screen for cost of the postage he re-imbursed. He didn’t seem fazed at all about it arriving in bits.

Of course, maybe it’ll legitimately get destroyed in the post on return to you – then everyone is happy. Personally, I’d be careful about letting it get to ebay resolution stages. I’ve ended up getting a refund and keeping goods due to ebays incompetence….it’s only because I’m honest that I did return.

Generally in this situation, even if I do not officially accept returns, I just offer a full refund and resell.

Its annoying but saves time in the long run and generally they are then in a take it or leave it situation as far as any action involving ebay.

Very occasionally I’ll do a partial refund but usually only for things like a delay in posting and not any unhappiness with the item itself.

Yes I value my feedback as whilst I do not sell very often it helps enormously in achieving the best price when I do.

If it’s as you described you should be ok.

Private sales dont ahve to offer a return as private sales are not part of the distance selling regualtions.

He seems knowledgeable enough about photography technologye to blast you wiht techy trerms but its showing the design limitations of a perfectly working item.. not that the lense doesnt wor merely “it doesn work as well as he thnk it should”

bay is a mindfled sadly and there si a small but idiotic number of users who make hassle and faff on nearly every transaction (you cna report them for a number of tings- wait till the issue has been resolved before doing so though that way you cna accuratley flag them FWIW).

Some do it for a hefty discount or treat it as a shop tryibng before buying, using it once and returning it. Ebay dont alway side wiht the buyer but it sems they do an awfull lot and paying cash means they ahve little interest. I know i got done over by a buyer in fanc on pair od Bomber a while back very tidy conditon almost perfect.. they turn up and he opens a disput because there ia a small blue mark at the very top of one of the stanchionsabout 6 mm by 2 mm.. my fault for using the word excellent condition ho ho ho.

The system is only as gfood as the users and sadly one in every hndred or so is a bit of a nutjob.

Ive found it to be both ways tbh. I have lost out on stuff because of the way it was described on the auction and the photos provided. I have also been successful in getting refunds for things not as described. I bought a new/second hand light for my car and when it turned up it was a replica, not an original and had a different connection. Paypal gave me my money back but I lost out 30% of the price posting it back!

I was a photographer for a little while and sold all kinds of kit including good lenses and bad lenses. If he hasnt researched the lens and isnt happy with it that is his fault. He hasnt described it as faulty so I dont think he would get his way. Depends on the policy you have stated in the description as well.

he’s not going to return it, just buttering you up before trying for a partial refund in some sort of post sale price bartering game that he thinks will work because you value your precious feedback.

Exactly what happened in fact. Now he doesn’t want to return it, just get a partial refund.

Please tell him to do one, DrJ.

In that case take it back or part refund. Then wait for him to sell something. Use a friends a/c. Win then cry foul and slap a neg on.

Justice not petty IMO. As hes using your fear of a neg to screw you over.

At which point you call his bluff and tell him to return for a full refund.

Please tell him to do one, DrJ.

+1

I’ve just sold some uplighters on Ebay, fingers crossed that the buyer isn’t a crook….

Private sales are covered by distance selling regulations; if the item was sold via a fixed price listing and not an auction, you MUST accept returns.

DSR doesn’t cover private sellers, only business.

sell a ton of stuff on ebay and i never have issues.. carefully wording the advert is key.. never use words like excellent, good as new, mint.

i always describe as ‘viewing is essential to verify quality/condition before bidding’

i recently had a chap try to return a motorcycle two weeks after purchase.. as it had an oil leak.. my reply.. did it start after the 200 mile journey to your home laid on its side in the back of your mates trailer? never heard from him again..

i sold a car ‘with some service history’ a week later the buyer through ebay said there wasnt enough service history and he wanted a refund.. so i sent him another invoice i found for new tyres.. i later sent him the two speeding tickets the car had earnt since its sale

or he is going to return a broken version of the lens you sold him claim a refund and leave you with worthless item 🙂 Ask him what was not as described in the description.

Typical Ebay nobber wanting car boot prices and John Lewis service.

good luck. At least initially, the system seems to massively favour buyers. Sold a jacket back in November to a chap in the USA. Shipped with tracking. No problems. In late Feb I get an email saying he’s disputing and that they’re taking money out of my account ‘just in case’. This then escalates as the buyers credit card company then take their fees out of my account too, again ‘just in case’. eBay, after much messaging and wasting of time, say they’ll pass it to their resolution department and follow things up with the buyer and cc company.

A week ago I got an email saying that it’d be found in my favour and the fees + chargeback had been refunded.

If I can ever possibly avoid using eBay to sell anything I will.

And to me it sounds like the buyer is being a dick.

On the Bureau did you pay cash on collect?

If so… thats why ebay doesnt ‘like’ non paypal users..

Plus after 2weeks?!

Paid by paypal. Raised the dispute after it fell apart, had already lost the dispute by the time the paint started to peal so just put it down to experience.

I think what anouyed me the most was that ebay removed the feedback we left. This was foul mouthed ranting nonsense, just constructive feedback stating the facts.

he’s not going to return it, just buttering you up before trying for a partial refund in some sort of post sale price bartering game that he thinks will work because you value your precious feedback.
Exactly what happened in fact. Now he doesn’t want to return it, just get a partial refund.

This happened to me, I refused to partial refund and told them to return item.
They kept it, but left neg feedback.
Contacted eBay who could see via messages that I had been totally reasonable and eBay removed the neg feedback.

Don’t let the threat of neg feedback make you give in!

yeh likewise had similar, but you can now report unfair negative feedback which I did and it was removed by ebay. You can also ask the buyer to reconsider, but if it has been left out of spite (which most are let’s face it) it’s a waste of time.

That said in another case ebay completely unfairly sided with the buyer, I lost £400, the negative remained, the buyer got a free smartphone.
I now just stick to selling worthless junk that would otherwise go in the bin.

So, I suggested that the buyer return the item, and pay postage as per return terms. We’ll see.

It is totally ludicrous that eBay suggest you have a “buyer friendly” return policy, agree to pay return postage etc. – what incentive is there for a buyer to behave reasonably?

Glad(ish) that I guessed right DrJ, though a pain in the arse for you.

Perhaps you should go back in with a counter offer – tell him that since he’s clearly unhappy with it you’d like him to send it back, but out of the goodness of your heart are willing to let him keep it for an extra twenty quid over and above what he’s already paid 😀