I just got an item that was listed "New" but the buyer mentioned that the box had been opened. When I got the item, one side of the box had been cut off with a utility knife (even though there was a tab opposite so it could just be opened) and then reattached with packing tape, and the styrofoam inside was pretty torn up with some pieces missing. The item itself is fine, but it was listed as "New" and it clearly is less than that, so I opened a case requesting a replacement or a partial refund. I got a print not too long ago, and it arrived with creases (due to poor packaging), and I ended up getting essentially all my money back and I kept the print. I got another print even earlier with similar damage and with that I also got a partial refund for and kept. Recently I got a case from a person on HardForum and it got damaged in shipping. The guy opened an insurance claim and I got a full refund and I got to keep the case. In that situation really nobody was out anything but a little time and trouble, so it was a win/win. In these other situations though, there really isn't a win/win scenario. It's usually art that can't be repaired, salvaged, or replaced, and in general I go for the best case lose/lose compromise. In most cases I calculate the shipping cost to them (since they'll be responsible for it) and request that I keep the item and get a refund minus that amount. Since the item is essentially worthless to them I know they'll probably take the offer and I'll just have to live with the damaged print until another one comes up on eBay. I've been searching for some of these prints for years, and I can't tell you how decimating it is to think I've purchased one of them only for it to arrive with creases from damage in transit. So, am I bad for offering what I think is the best deal for me? Sometimes I feel weird, like this somehow happens more often to me than others, but at the same time I really don't want to keep or pay the price I offered on an item that isn't the same as the one that was represented. Anyone else have similar situations?
You open cases for refunds/replacements because there's nothing wrong with the item except bad packaging and you need to ask if you're a bad ebayer? Would you do that on BT if you could get away with it? YES you are
The items you buy, no matter what it is, should be packaged correctly to arrive with you in the same condition it was sent. The items you purchased with the damaged packaging that was advertised as "New" should be returned and refunded. The item is clearly a B grade or returned item. Just tell them you were expecting to use it as a gift and expect it to be boxed appropiately.
I always return items for refund that arrived damaged. That way I get my money back, and the seller gets their item back to do with as they please. Balance is restored. If state of original packaging is important to me, I will not bid unless I can inspect a photo of said packaging to know it is OK. If there is no photo of the original packaging, you can expect it to be lost or damaged. Never make any assumptions; look for explicit statements of fact.
Bad packaging is certainly the sellers fault ( flimsy envelopes for artwork is just stupid, needs a card-backed envelope with extra card inside on both sides for stiffness, that's how I send my paintings ), and I would seek a refund or replacement. The packing being a little cut up wouldn't bother me provided the item inside was unharmed and was genuinely new ( hard to tell sometimes, but if in doubt, buy new from a retailer rather than ebay if possible ). All you can do sometimes is request the seller packs items as carefully as possible to avoid damage- if it arrives looking like a dog ate it even though it was well packed, the seller should open a claim with the shipping company & give the buyer a refund without question.
If an item is advertised as new and the packaging has been opened at some point then the seller should be convicted for fraud, simple as that.
Surely shot by firing squad would be more appropriate than a mere fraud conviction for opening a box don't you think?
The latter examples seem like they are clear cases of something being damaged so contacting the seller and letting them sort it out (as long as you're reasonably compliant) is the right thing to do, even if you end up keeping the damaged item for nothing. However regarding the first example that some people were less happy with: I have sympathy if something is not as described and the seller would have known about it before sending, no matter now inconsequential the discrepancy might seem to some people. Different people apply different importance to things and an item should be as described. If something says new/open box and when it arrives the box is damaged like that i think it is being mis-sold even if it is in otherwise good condition. The implication is that the box/packaging has been opened, not damaged in a manner that would effect it's resale value. I might personally still keep it if it looks fine, but I think you are within your rights (both technically and morally) to not accept it. I would say that I hope you are contacting the sellers to discuss things before making any sort of official claim, but I don't think you are doing anything wrong. You've probably just had a run of bad luck, but if condition is very important to you maybe where possible only bid on things that have a clear photo of the item to avoid the hassle?
After reading the OP tbh it sounds like he makes a habit of getting items he can claim the money back, something for nothing comes to mind
IMO it boils down to honesty. If someone doesn't tell the truth in their description, then they're fair game. I list every defect I can find in my descriptions so there's no surprises. I don't tend to photograph every defect unless it's specifically asked for by a potential bidder. I've had one person stiff me out of ~30 quid because I forgot to get trackable postage. I saw the item appear, same description as mine, a week later under a different (zero feedback) account. I notified ebay and they told me to get on my bike. Really annoyed me.
That's entirely different to demanding a refund or replacement because the protective polystyrene is broken into a few pieces, and keeping the original product too, which is what the OP is doing
Yes OP. You are. On the one hand , it's down to the seller to list the packaging is in bad order, and set the price accordingly. On the other hand, if you are getting the item for a fair price, and you still demand compensation, for something that has nothing to do with how well what you've bought will function, then yeah, you are a bad ebayer. I had someone with 0 feedback buy a tv at buy it now price off me, where I listed every single flaw, and had the guy pull out. I did not refund him his money until he asked for it a week after the listing ended. Once I had refunded him the money, he was complaining that he was going to give me negative feedback, giving me his bank account details, because he couldn't comprehend that even though he paid with his card, the money had to be taken from my bank account through paypal, and that it would take some time. Needless to say, I told him there was sweet f all he could do to me, since I had refunded him the money and paypal was processing the request. I told him , next time don't buy something if you don't intend to follow through, and don't waste people's time. This is in essence what you're doing. Wasting people's time.
I've only ever asked for refunds when an item either arrives damaged, the wrong item (IE wrong colour completely) or if it's not as described. A few months ago I bought an Oreck vacuum. The cable had three spots where it had been run over, exposing the covered wires inside and had black tape put over it. So basically I went for a £15 partial refund with which to replace the cable (which was £15). TBH if the seller creates a rod for his or her back by over stating the condition or the condition of the packing then that's a miss at their end. Sorry to sound anal, but I'm a stickler for getting things to me EXACTLY how the seller describes them. So whether that's a vacuum cleaner described as fully functional (yet omitting the fact it's dangerous) or an item in a pristine box that's actually been cut up? then that's their lookout. Otherwise I feel I've been taken by a Del Boy who has not been completely honest with me and is expecting me to say nothing and take one up the khyber.
This has been my general fear of myself actually. I'll ask myself, am I being too picky about things being in the exact same condition as described? But in my own experience as a seller I go out of my way to make sure that I am being 100% accurate about the condition. I'll take extra photos and describe my own issues, problems and experience with an item to make sure people know what they are buying. So I generally try to expect the same from others. As it was for this last item, it's a collectible, so the box matters. The box having been opened affects the price one way, general damage to the package, even beyond rough shelf wear is another. The seller offered a $30 partial refund today and I took it. Note: The seller is a warehouse seller and gets a lot of items in. Shipping this item back would have cost ~$20. If you add in the hassle to them to refund my money completely, wait to get the item back, add it back to the inventory, re-list it, this time paying better attention to condition and taking more photos (you would hope), all while paying someone to do this, you see why offering a partial refund is the best solution. It's why it's been the best solution the other times I've done it. Again, it's not ideal, but the ideal would have been them keeping all the money I agreed to pay while I get the item I agreed to buy. When the item is damaged, that becomes impossible, so I try to find the best compromise. I don't find that dishonest. I'll add one more note about the HardForum situation. The seller was one of the most honest, kind people I have ever worked with. We had been communicating through text and I told him I got the case. I wasn't going to mention the minor scratches or the dent in the corner of the case because the side panels still worked perfect and I didn't want to trouble him, but he asked if it arrived ok. I mentioned that there were a few small scratches (left out the dent) but that it was totally fine and that I was completely satisfied (really I was). He called me less than ten minutes later wanting a description of the damage. I sent him photos of the case, the scratches, the dent, and the severe damage to the box it was shipped in. He opened the case with USPS I got a full refund, and there was a little left over that I told him he needed to keep for his trouble. That story, despite the damage to the item, is why I love these communities. We (with rare exception) look out for each other. Thanks guys for your opinions. It's good to see the gambit of views on the subject.
So wait, you got the (very slightly damaged) case and all of your money back, but what did the seller get? The original price plus a little bit on top "for his trouble"? That sounds as if you've come out of it considerably better than the seller did, which seems a bit... unbalanced. Sorry if that's misrepresenting the situation, as it wasn't 100% clear from your post.
After a long timed banged up of course. Don't forget he opened a box and wasn't entirely accurate about how he opened it, or whether there was any other issue with the packaging. Don't go easy on the guy just because the item he was selling was actually in perfect condition. I thought better of you Carrie. You have to make an example of these people. It's a slippery slope. Sure they start with opening boxes but if you don't nip this behaviour in the bud they're listing teal coloured socks as being 'dark cyan'. We can't let that happen to eBay... we just can't. We have to make a stand!
Fair enough on the prints. Common sense would state that the prints be posted in such a way that they cannont be creased etc. They didn't want them back so why should you feel bad about it? Yes it's something for nothing but you are not going to be able to enjoy them in in the way you want to anyway. The item you bought described as new but box opened I beleive you should have handled it differently. He described the box as opened and that is what you got. Packaging aint always pretty but it got to you in one piece and the item was in the condition you expected. Surely most people bin the packaging anyway. The case on the forum was win/win and could have happened to any of us. Your not a bad buyer, maybe just a little fussy and quite possibly cursed.
