[Leica] Selling on eBay... Experiences

[Frank Filippone]

I have listed a bunch of stuff on eBay recently.. cameras and not.  And 
a lot has sold.  But the complaint rate has been over 10%... just plain 
complaints.

One guy said the camera had a bad button.  No it didn't, not when I 
shipped it.  When I finally allowed the guy to return it, he stopped 
complaining, and I have yet to see it returned.

Another guy said his lens had fungus in it.  It was off brand and 
cheap... at first I said return it, then changed my mind and just 
refunded him all his money, he got to keep the lens free.  ( More $$$ to 
pay the return postage than give him the lens).  Did the lens really 
have fungus?  I doubt it, but I did not do a good inspection....  I do 
not KNOW for sure.

I am a trusting person.  I expect others are as trustworthy.  ( Read 
that last sentence as I am stoopidly trusting)

I sold a camera without the AC charger.  I went out and bought one new, 
and sent it to him at no additional cost.  Then I got a complaint that 
the AC adapter I bought and shipped to him never arrived.  I checked 
(USPS Tracking) and it was delivered to his mail box.  The guy said that 
was strange and that he had gone out and bought a new one anyway.  He 
responded but stopped complaining.

Then a lady bought a lens.  After she bought it, started complaining 
about the condition, the price, got her hubby involved, and kept 
complaining, the defects were changing all the time........  It all 
stopped when I told her to send it back.

EBay has a policy that the buyer may return anything they want. Period.  
For any reason including.... I found a better price.  You can not beat 
this.  EBay will back the buyer.  So the buyers' unsaid threat is always 
that if you do not negotiate, you are going to get the item back.  And 
that you as the seller, do not want the item back.......

What is the common thread?.... there were COMPLAINTS, but no one asked 
specifically to return the item.   They just complained. AND when I 
offered to take the item back and refund them, the complaints stopped.

I went a looking for eBay scams for stuff shipped... and there it 
was..... One ( reported and documented) purpose of making a complaint 
and not asking for a return of the goods is to get a partial refund, and 
therefore lower the price that they paid, even though it was an auction 
and THEY set  the selling price.

You may not go along with this, and may claim that the buyers had the 
RIGHT to complain, and may have been truthful in their complaint, but 
when selling to an unknown buyer, you MUST remain suspicious.

So you are going to sell something on eBay and want to protect yourself 
against this kind of nonsense, how do you do it?  The answer was also 
looked up.... You immediately offer to have the item returned.  If the 
complaint is true, you get the item back for inspection and resale. ( 
keeping in mind that if eBay gets involved, they will force you to take 
it back anyway.)  If the complaint is a scam, the buyer complaint goes 
away with the return offer ( Playing chicken means he blinked first) .  
They keep the item that they paid for and received.  One seller claimed 
that he gets 1-2-3 complaints a month, and the actual return rate was 1 
item per YEAR.

SO the message is.... sell somewhere where you can trust the buyer or 
just say....

"I am sorry your purchase did not meet your expectations.  Please feel 
free to return it to me."

I'm betting the complaint will go away.......

-- 
Frank Filippone BMWRed735i at gmail.com