Sold 13" MBP on eBay - Buyer Says It's Dented

[kolax]

Right, here's the whole story:

I sold my 13" MacBook Pro (new - used once, stated in listing) on eBay. The buyer received it today and says he want's a full refund because the bottom casing is dented. The laptop was fine when it was boxed up. He's demanding a full refund. He never paid postal insurance, but claims that the box and packaging show no signs of damage.

What can I do...? How do I go about contacting eBay on this issue? The buyer has opened up a case, but the options for the case are only to give him a full/partial refund.

I'm freaking out here..

 

[stridemat]

Have you got photos of the condition that the MacBook was when you sent it?

 

[kolax]

Have you got photos of the condition that the MacBook was when you sent it?

Yes, but how well would these stand up. You could start arguing photoshop, or claim that the photos aren't the laptop in question.

 

[dukebound85]

what if he had a dented 13 mbp and is saying his was yours and trying to scam ya?

 

[stridemat]

what if he had a dented 13 mbp and is saying his was yours and trying to scam ya?

Exactly what I was thinking.

Did you offer postal insurance? If so and the Buyer neglected, I would say its not your fault. I guess they haven't left feedback to release the funds yet?

 

[kolax]

Exactly what I was thinking.

Did you offer postal insurance? If so and the Buyer neglected, I would say its not your fault. I guess they haven't left feedback to release the funds yet?

I took screenshots of the serial number and photos of the serial number. Funds haven't been released yet, so this really isn't looking good.

Everything on eBay is to protect the buyer - there's no resolution for sellers in this situation.

 

[Bennieboy©]

I took screenshots of the serial number and photos of the serial number.

Funds haven't been released yet, so this really isn't looking good.

ask the buyer to provide pictures supporting his claim, then compare them to your own, the serials on the bottom so you should be able to see

 

[kolax]

ask the buyer to provide pictures supporting his claim, then compare them to your own, the serials on the bottom so you should be able to see

Done this.

What else can I do? There's no contact methods for me to speak to eBay about the situation. The buyer's route is that the item is not as described. There's nothing for me to respond on the grounds that it was as described and has either been damaged in transit or by the buyer.

 

[chris975d]

Right, here's the whole story:

I sold my 13" MacBook Pro (new - used once, stated in listing) on eBay. The buyer received it today and says he want's a full refund because the bottom casing is dented. The laptop was fine when it was boxed up. He's demanding a full refund. He never paid postal insurance, but claims that the box and packaging show no signs of damage.

What can I do...? How do I go about contacting eBay on this issue? The buyer has opened up a case, but the options for the case are only to give him a full/partial refund.

I'm freaking out here..

Is this the same Macbook that you had a thread on regarding Paypal holding the payment for 21 days? We discussed it a bit in that thread, and you had replied to one of my posts stating that you had taken pictures of it in good condition, even videoing it before boxing it up. I had mentioned a friend of mine that has recently gotten scammed by a buyer who received my friends laptop, "claimed" it was damaged, and disputed it with Paypal to get his money back, when all he really did was swap out my friends good laptop with a damaged one he already had before the purchase. My advice to you would be to get on the phone to Paypal NOW. Tell them that you have the pictures and video of the laptop, and that it was not damaged before shipment. And I hope you took my advice and took a picture of your serial number as well. Paypal leans heavily in favor of the buyers, not the sellers. For all you know this guy could have purchased yours, and plans on doing a similar swap out of yours for his dented one, then dispute the charges, sticking you with the damaged one that's not really yours. If you can show Paypal that yours was in perfect condition before you shipped it, then you have a case against the shipping company. But you have to have purchased the insurance for the item, or they will only reimburse you up to a certain point. Get on the phone to Paypal NOW. The sooner, the better.

 

[dukebound85]

man screw ebay, stick to CL

 

[Bennieboy©]

Done this.

What else can I do? There's no contact methods for me to speak to eBay about the situation. The buyer's route is that the item is not as described. There's nothing for me to respond on the grounds that it was as described and has either been damaged in transit or by the buyer.

try ebay customer services, they should have an email addy or phone number about somewhere, failing that try paypal, raise a dispute with the buyer through them

*edit* found These depending on where you are

 

[Consultant]

Done this.

What else can I do? There's no contact methods for me to speak to eBay about the situation. The buyer's route is that the item is not as described. There's nothing for me to respond on the grounds that it was as described and has either been damaged in transit or by the buyer.

If the customer files a complaint, then you can respond.

There are also some customer service contacts too, doesn't hurt to try but I believe eBay's official stance is that the buyer and seller deal it out.

Check buyer history.

Anyway you should have tried to sell it via Craigslist.

 

[stridemat]

I have been looking for the correct info for you on the eBay and PayPal websites and cannot find anything specific to your problem. As another poster has said contact them both quickly and tell them what you have told us. Good Luck!

 

[chris975d]

Done this.

What else can I do? There's no contact methods for me to speak to eBay about the situation. The buyer's route is that the item is not as described. There's nothing for me to respond on the grounds that it was as described and has either been damaged in transit or by the buyer.

Call Paypal. Log into your account and go to the "Contact Us" link at the bottom. In there go to the "call us" link near the center of the page. There it will give you a "secure Web PIN" to use when you call in to link to your account. Paypal is who you need to talk to, as they handle the monetary transactions, and will handle the possible refund . They can deal with your eBay account, as eBay owns Paypal.

 

[pukifloyd]

Call Paypal. Log into your account and go to the "Contact Us" link at the bottom. In there go to the "call us" link near the center of the page. There it will give you a "secure Web PIN" to use when you call in to link to your account. Paypal is who you need to talk to, as they handle the monetary transactions, and will handle the possible refund . They can deal with your eBay account, as eBay owns Paypal.

+1
explain everything to them. good luck

 

[kolax]

Giving them a call tomorrow.

I'm still waiting on photos from the buyer. To be honest, I'm setting myself up for the worst case scenario - the laptop's base is dented and I have to give him a refund for whatever bs reason. That being the scenario, I'd end up having to fork out £100+ on a new bottom base.

Nothing I can do until I call PayPal.

What is the odds of me winning this case at all?

 

[Bennieboy©]

Giving them a call tomorrow.

I'm still waiting on photos from the buyer. To be honest, I'm setting myself up for the worst case scenario - the laptop's base is dented and I have to give him a refund for whatever bs reason. That being the scenario, I'd end up having to fork out £100+ on a new bottom base.

Nothing I can do until I call PayPal.

What is the odds of me winning this case at all?

cant really offer odd's, you might win, ask the buyer to provide photo's showing both the dent and serial number in question if thats possible, so he cant screw ya with some other machine, then try listing it on craigslist, ebay's becoming a nightmare for selling the last few years

 

[Melrose]

eBay has been giving buyers much more leeway to complain and get away with it - simply to rip sellers off, and now a lot of buyers know they can pull crap like this and get away with it.

As the seller, you are responsible to make sure the item arrived in the condition it was sold - insurance or not. However, if it was well packed and not damaged when you mailed it and he now claims it is the only thing to do is contest his claims with photos of your own.

The way eBay's going recently I wouldn't hold my breath, but I hope everything works out well They're hemorrhaging sellers since they've pushed the new rules, which basically favour the big guys. Oddly, I read that the Adult section has been untouched by the changes.

 

[acfusion29]

Giving them a call tomorrow.

I'm still waiting on photos from the buyer. To be honest, I'm setting myself up for the worst case scenario - the laptop's base is dented and I have to give him a refund for whatever bs reason. That being the scenario, I'd end up having to fork out £100+ on a new bottom base.

Nothing I can do until I call PayPal.

What is the odds of me winning this case at all?

lol.. good luck getting your laptop back.

knowing paypal, they will refund the money BEFORE you even receive the laptop back.

they're a joke.. i don't sell on that crap anymore, buy only.

 

[ucfgrad93]

man screw ebay, stick to CL

Agreed, I would never try and sell a computer on ebay.

 

[Synchromesh]

man screw ebay, stick to CL

Craigslist is great but expensive computers such as this Macbook Pro are going to be tough to sell because you have a much smaller audience with cash ready than on eBay. Also, most Craigslist users expect a bargain and aren't afraid to try to talk you down on price so you will usually end up selling the same system for less. On a cheaper system the difference may not be worth the hassle of ebaying, shipping, etc so it's worth going Cl. On an expensive item like this it maybe worth it. I've done enough of both CL and eBay to know.

With that said, I would try to list it a few times on Craigslist, sometimes people just want what you have and for the right price. Just don't forget to put the price down a bit since there are no eBay/Paypal fees for you.

 

[Music_Producer]

lol.. good luck getting your laptop back.

knowing paypal, they will refund the money BEFORE you even receive the laptop back.

they're a joke.. i don't sell on that crap anymore, buy only.

Right, I've noticed that most people have no clue when it comes to selling high end stuff. They treat it the same as toys or any other household items that can be put up for a garage sale. I sell pro audio gear, sometimes stuff wort $7k+ - never had a problem.

Did have a problem with one scammer - however I video tape everything when it is packed, including handing it over to the shipping carrier (one cam in my office, and one is always recording the driveway) When shipping any item, always insure it. Can't stress that enough.

Last, but not the least, if there is a problem and you've been diligent at your end - file a small claims court case. It costs $30 approximately, and if you have good evidence that you mailed it in proper shape - then you will definitely win.

Paypal waits for the buyer to return the item btw. Keep in mind that as a seller, you will always come across scammers. Whether it's ebay, craigslist, or even a retail store - scammers will always be attracted.

 

[kolax]

Tried phoning PayPal.. it's some stupid automated system and all it does is give me options for buyer claims. There's nothing for a seller!

I tried emailing them, got an automated email back.

How on earth am I meant to sort this out if I can't actually talk to someone!

 

[andalusia]

Tried phoning PayPal.. it's some stupid automated system and all it does is give me options for buyer claims. There's nothing for a seller!

I tried emailing them, got an automated email back.

How on earth am I meant to sort this out if I can't actually talk to someone!

I'm reading too many eBay problems from you mate... In the future I'd recommend staying away, sounds like your getting far too much hassle than you need. I hope it all works out for you, good luck.

 

[chris975d]

Tried phoning PayPal.. it's some stupid automated system and all it does is give me options for buyer claims. There's nothing for a seller!

I tried emailing them, got an automated email back.

How on earth am I meant to sort this out if I can't actually talk to someone!

I don't really know how you're not getting a live person, if you are following the instructions I listed earlier in the thread. If you listen to the prompts, there's an option to speak with a customer service representative in there. I know, because I have to call in every time I sell something to have them release the funds (the ridiculous holds they place), as they place them on all funds coming from the sale of consumer electronics now (cell phones, mp3 players, computers). Their holds never "automatically" fall off my account like they say, so I have to call in and speak to an agent each time to get the holds taken off my funds. I sell several items a month, and have to call in each time, so I know it's rather easy to talk to a live person. So I'm not sure what you are doing wrong when you call, but the option to speak to a live representative is in the automated menu if you just go through it.