I recently put an item on eBay up for sale (which I do a lot). Well, the item sold, and I knew immediately this buyer was trouble. Apparently, it's one of those people who bid but don't read. As soon as the auction ended, the next day I got an email asking where to send the check.
Well, I only take PayPal, and it states so in the listing. Two days later I finally received payment from this person via PayPal and began the process of packing up the item. Because it was a holiday and I would be out of town until the fifth of July, I emailed my buyers and advised them that items would go out after the holiday. My ads clearly state that items are shipped within 5 business days, and this item was still within that span.
On the 5th I got an email from the buyer stating that they needed it for the 7th. To a degree I understand the person's argument for cancellation and wanting to void their bid, but I also acknowledge that my listing states 5 business days to ship and 7-10 days for delivery. Also, this person never stated they needed it rushed or with expedited shipping.
So I emailed back and negotiated that I would issue a partial refund for the item but not the shipping and handling cost. The buyer never emailed me back to dispute this, and I issued the refund. Today, 2 weeks later, I got an email from PayPal stating that this person is disputing the whole amount because she never received the item.
I called PayPal after writing my side of the issue on their website, to speak with a rep. I discussed with her that I had issued a partial refund already, that this buyer was advised about it before issuance, and that I never received an email arguing those refund terms. This person told me that PayPal will end up giving the buyer her money back because I didn't ship the item, and that despite any emails or arrangements made with the buyer, I owe her that money. She also stated that emails will not hold up in court. Says who? Emails do hold up in court; they are shown as evidence every day.
Now I'm stuck with an item that needed to be liquidated weeks ago, and I have to resell it. I have to pay more fees because PayPal and eBay won't refund, and this person gets away with it. Whatever happened to actually reviewing all the facts? Why does a buyer get to dishonor a contract while the seller has to suffer? I am officially removing all links between my checking accounts and PayPal and will close my account once this dispute is over. I think I'm going to open a merchant account with a credit card company, which is much easier.
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