Sold my perfectly functional 2G iPhone...seller says it's not working

[daisy0116]

(oops...meant buyer says it's not working...can't figure out how to edit the title) I would love to have some direction to point this guy. I sold my used 2G phone on ebay...it was working perfectly up till I purchased my new phone and came home and cleared the info on the 2g one.

This morning, I get this message from the buyer: hi , I received the Phone , and tried to get started using it ,I connected the phone to my iTunes and was able 2 get to the main menu screen but when I inserted my AT&T sim card the phone didn't recognize it although that sim card is working just fine with my other 2 iPhones..it looks like there's a problem with the phone so please tell me how can we solve this problem? thanks.

Any advice? Words of wisdom? I replied, asking if his sim was from a 3g, not being sure if the sims were backwards compatible, and suggested that connectivity issues would best be handled thru AT&T, although I'm guessing that's not what he's looking for.

 

[dalvin200]

i think your reply is sufficient..

the device seems to be working - as in, it switches on etc.. just when he put the sim in, it didn't recognise it.

you cannot use a 3G sim in a 2G iPhone (AFAIK)... so maybe that was it... but he could try another sim?

 

[Menge]

i think your reply is sufficient..
you cannot use a 3G sim in a 2G iPhone (AFAIK)... so maybe that was it... but he could try another sim?

Yes you can use a 3G SIM on a 2G iPhone. Mine came from the Apple store with a 3G SIM.

 

[kolax]

I'm wondering why he's wanting a third iPhone, especially a 2G one.. unless it was for spare parts in which case why care if some of it doesn't work?

 

[daisy0116]

Ok...forgive my ignorance here, but I've never bought a phone any way OTHER than going thru the carrier directly, so I'm still kind of unclear how this works, especially as it relates to iPhones. If he has a sim card from another iphone, then is that card typically active, allowing him to bypass the AT&T activation process? He says it's an AT&T card that "works in his other 2 iPhones," so I imagine they must be easily interchangeable (?).

Meanwhile, my payment is being held hostage by paypal as he's submitted a dispute as "item not as described" -- yes, I said it was working (which it was, and supposedly still is if activated correctly?), but I also said it was an as is sale w/no refunds, so I'm not sure what he's going for here.

 

[kolax]

Did he pay any postal insurance? You could also dispute that the item may have been damaged during transit.

Also, did you take note of the serial number of the iPhone? He might send you a faulty one back that has a different serial number.

 

[daisy0116]

Did he pay any postal insurance? You could also dispute that the item may have been damaged during transit.

Also, did you take note of the serial number of the iPhone? He might send you a faulty one back that has a different serial number.

Very good points -- no, I did not take down a serial number, but can possibly find it on my old receipt from when I bought the phone. I did say, however, that there were no returns / refunds, so I'm not sure how the whole dispute thing will play out. I'm tempted to tell him that if he takes it to an apple store and THEY tell him something's wrong with the phone, I'll take it back and refund his money, but I can't imagine he'd want to do that.

 

[John T]

I'm tempted to tell him that if he takes it to an apple store and THEY tell him something's wrong with the phone, I'll take it back and refund his money, but I can't imagine he'd want to do that.

That's very fair - that's what I would do because in the event of problems with PayPal etc, you can't be accused of being "non co-operative".

 

[Phat^Trance]

maybe he got an old sim card?

 

[daisy0116]

maybe he got an old sim card?

He claims that the sim card works in his "two other iPhones" -- that is, of course, if I trust what he's saying.

 

[maflynn]

Meanwhile, my payment is being held hostage by paypal as he's submitted a dispute as "item not as described" -- yes, I said it was working (which it was, and supposedly still is if activated correctly?), but I also said it was an as is sale w/no refunds, so I'm not sure what he's going for here.

I'm no lawyer but if he's stating the phone isn't working as advertised, does it matter that you said no refunds? I mean who will paypal listen to more, you or the buyer?

 

[daisy0116]

I'm no lawyer but if he's stating the phone isn't working as advertised, does it matter that you said no refunds? I mean who will paypal listen to more, you or the buyer?

I hear you. And I want to be cooperative, but I *know* that it was working 2 days before it left my house via USPS. But if I said "as is," AND no refund, that implies that the buyer is accepting risk. As I mentioned before, depending on how this goes, I might be willing to offer a refund if he takes it to an AT&T or apple store and has someone THERE tell him it's not working -- (AND I can talk to the person at the store to verify that the phone they're looking at matches the S/N of the one I sent him). Nevermind, he admits that the phone *does* power on, and he gets a home screen, etc, but just that it won't work with his sim. This, to me, implies an issue with sim compatibility, which should in no way affect "item not as described" that he's claiming.

 

[mcruzader]

I hear you. And I want to be cooperative, but I *know* that it was working 2 days before it left my house via USPS. But if I said "as is," AND no refund, that implies that the buyer is accepting risk. As I mentioned before, depending on how this goes, I might be willing to offer a refund if he takes it to an AT&T or apple store and has someone THERE tell him it's not working -- (AND I can talk to the person at the store to verify that the phone they're looking at matches the S/N of the one I sent him). Nevermind, he admits that the phone *does* power on, and he gets a home screen, etc, but just that it won't work with his sim. This, to me, implies an issue with sim compatibility, which should in no way affect "item not as described" that he's claiming.

You are correct but when you said As Is, it was working and now the buyer states it doesn't I can almost guarantee you that PayPal will go with his side of the story. If I were you I would make sure to go find that receipt with the SN have him return the phone, make sure its the same serial number and refund the money if its not working, if it is then do a refund.

 

[OfficeLinebacke]

I've had a similar issue with PayPal. I think what happens is that PayPal refunds the money to him but you don't get charged--the fees you pay them are partly an insurance premium for precisely this type of situation when the buyer isn't completely right.

I'm not sure this is how it works, I had a dispute once with an unreasonable/technologically illiterate customer that went south in a hurry. I tried my best to work with the customer but sometimes people get angry and won't use reason. From my end it looked like she got her money back but she kept the item and I wasn't charged anything. I don't know for sure, I wasn't going to call her!

 

[daisy0116]

I've had a similar issue with PayPal. I think what happens is that PayPal refunds the money to him but you don't get charged--the fees you pay them are partly an insurance premium for precisely this type of situation when the buyer isn't completely right.

I'm not sure this is how it works, I had a dispute once with an unreasonable/technologically illiterate customer that went south in a hurry. I tried my best to work with the customer but sometimes people get angry and won't use reason. From my end it looked like she got her money back but she kept the item and I wasn't charged anything. I don't know for sure, I wasn't going to call her!

That's good information -- thanks! The thing that Paypal's done the last few times I've used it, is they keep the money in abeyance, where his payment shows as pending until he accepts the item. So, I guess I'll just have to wait -- I have yet to hear anything back from the guy after my response to him.

 

[mcruzader]

I've had a similar issue with PayPal. I think what happens is that PayPal refunds the money to him but you don't get charged--the fees you pay them are partly an insurance premium for precisely this type of situation when the buyer isn't completely right.

I'm not sure this is how it works, I had a dispute once with an unreasonable/technologically illiterate customer that went south in a hurry. I tried my best to work with the customer but sometimes people get angry and won't use reason. From my end it looked like she got her money back but she kept the item and I wasn't charged anything. I don't know for sure, I wasn't going to call her!

If you weren't charged anything as far as, the customer getting a refund back, then they must have dropped the dispute, cause if PayPal refunds the money you are going to get it deducted from the account, either that or PayPal sided with you and decided that the seller in this case was correct.

 

[OfficeLinebacke]

If you weren't charged anything as far as, the customer getting a refund back, then they must have dropped the dispute, cause if PayPal refunds the money you are going to get it deducted from the account, either that or PayPal sided with you and decided that the seller in this case was correct.

Maybe PayPal DID side with me...I was right after all!

 

[mcruzader]

Maybe PayPal DID side with me...I was right after all!

Its nice to see that they did, after so many horror stories of Ebay Sellers getting screwed by PayPal.

 

[gdlcjr]

Lesson for this story. Create a video of the iphone or any electronic device you are selling with a newspaper seen on the video (as timestamp). This way he cannot dispute that it was not working. Adding insurance on postage will help to. If buyer opt out then that is his fault. Email the buyer the copy of the video as proof.

 

[maflynn]

Sure he can. While you can provide proof of it working before its shipped, all bets are off when he receives the device. Just because it worked when you had it doesn't mean there's a 100 percent chance will remain that way when he gets it. Perhaps the shipper dropped it a few times, or something just plain old failed during transit.

While the odds are slim that would or could occur, its quite possible and as a seller you need to be prepared for such occurrences.

 

[OfficeLinebacke]

Sure he can. While you can provide proof of it working before its shipped, all bets are off when he receives the device. Just because it worked when you had it doesn't mean there's a 100 percent chance will remain that way when he gets it. Perhaps the shipper dropped it a few times, or something just plain old failed during transit.

While the odds are slim that would or could occur, its quite possible and as a seller you need to be prepared for such occurrences.

In which case it's possible to adjust the terms of the sale such that the buyer is responsible from the moment the phone is turned off and put in the box. The seller could take video of it working, then being turned off and packed straight in a box!

Seems a but much but it should work.

 

[kolax]

In which case it's possible to adjust the terms of the sale such that the buyer is responsible from the moment the phone is turned off and put in the box. The seller could take video of it working, then being turned off and packed straight in a box!

Seems a but much but it should work.

Then how do you prove that that box was the one that was indeed shipped? Unless you filmed it for what, 60 hours..? And even then, you could argue video editing etc.