posted on June 28, 2008 05:49:53 PM new
I bought this through an ebay store.
Ebay Item110187771613
I bought it to match one I already owned. When it arrived it was missing the bottom piece of bronze that is a decorative piece so it's not complete.
I promptly emailed the seller and this is what I received back from her. All I said was I got the light but it was missing a piece.
"So sorry about that, I bought it at Lowe's and I never open the boxes because I usually sell only brand new items. I believe if maybe you go on the Internet and look up the name brand of the light they should send you a replacement part. I will be glad to issue you a partial credit of $3.00 towards the purchase price and you keep the item, or if you return it to me I will refund to you the $3.99 you paid for the item and the handling fee of $1.25 which would total $5.24. Again, I am so very sorry. I hate the fact that I will have to open every box before I purchase them. That is crazy! A person should not have to do that. Please let me know what you want to do. If you do not want to try and get the missing part I will attempt to for you, but you have the only one I had, so I will need you to give me the model number so I can let whomever know which one I need. Thank you and once again, I am sorry."
First off - I paid 3.99 for the item plus 8.11 for shipping and 1.70 for insurance for a total of 13.80.
The light is useless without the decorative piece to match. I don't think a part can be found online as this is a Lowes brand part and is discontinued.
I don't want the 3.00 off and I don't want a refund of 5.24! And what the heck is with the handling fee?
posted on June 28, 2008 06:10:17 PM new
Yikes. I would be nice to start thanking her for offering the refund. I would then remind her of what you actually paid including the shipping. Offer to return the item to her since it's useless to you. (She can go on the Internet, find the piece and resell it herself.) I would tactfully, but nicely, tell her you expect to be reimbursed in full and that includes shipping since the item is not as described. Sometimes you have to be firm while being cordial. Getting mad only leads to the other person getting mad and then you get nowhere!
When I list something and it's not as described (accidentally, of course) I always refund shipping BOTH ways.
posted on June 28, 2008 06:39:39 PM new
I think you should ask her for a full refund for the complete total you paid and ask her to pay for you to ship it back to her. This item is of no use to you in the condition it is in.
It is her responsibility to make sure it is complete and if it's not then it is up to her to take it back and pay all shipping fees for you to return it.
I also do as Cheryl does, if it's my error I pay shipping back to me and I give a full refund.
In this case she would do best by letting you keep the item and just return your full money and move on. I do this most of the time also because it is quick and I don't want it back if I can't resell it.
posted on June 28, 2008 06:42:05 PM new
If I were in a good mood I'd send the number and give her a couple of business days to track down the part but I would expect her to send it free of charge and she doesn't sound like the type to do that.
Her return policy says nothing about SNAD items. If I were in a bad mood, or if she failed at finding the part, I'd let her know that a PP claim would be my next step. If you win the SNAD you'll have to pay return shipping but perhaps there is a nice way of letting her know that she doesn't want a SNAD claim on her record so that she is moved to refund before PP gets involved.
I wouldn't mention feedback at this point but I would be tempted to neg the biotch NOW.
posted on June 28, 2008 06:57:16 PM new
It doesn't look like it was sealed in plastic, was it?
If it wasn't, she has no excuse. I won't open things that are sealed but I do still guarantee that they are complete.
If I were the seller and you were a (0) bidder or had lousy feedback, I might be a bit suspicious of the complaint but she really has no reason not to trust you.
posted on June 28, 2008 08:56:14 PM new
I'm with Toni--I'd tell you to keep the item and I'd refund your total cost. I've done that in the past a couple of times, with low-cost items.
_____________________
posted on June 29, 2008 07:12:07 AM new
Cheryl,
did you notice her current negative feedback? she might be selling returned store merchandise so it is a chance that she has taken if she hasn't properly inspected the contents of the box prior to listing on Ebay. I would ask for a complete refund as is it useless to you with a piece missing. Otherwise, you can file with Paypal.
Mama
posted on June 29, 2008 07:17:30 AM new
If she files ISNR with Paypal,she would have to return the item with DC,she has to pay the return shipping so is it worth the trouble?
*
Google does not hire stupid people.
posted on June 29, 2008 07:48:36 AM new
here's her latest
"Hi again, I have not heard back from you so I was going to just go ahead and issue you a refund for the $3.00 and you keep the light. I hope this is ok. I will wait until tomorrow, Monday before I do it. This will give you a chance to get back with me. I will be off work and home around 3 in the afternoon, please let me know by then if this is not what you want to do. Ok. Again, I am so sorry, I really did not think to look in the box being that it was brand new and all. I wish I had another one we could just swap out but that was the last one. Please accept my sincere apologies,"
I told her to please send me a refund for the entire amount and to add shipping if she wants it returned to her.
posted on June 29, 2008 09:26:12 AM new
She has a lot to learn about eBay. The first lesson being that sincere apologies don't mean much when she is facing a SNAD dispute and neg feedback.
posted on June 29, 2008 03:03:32 PM new
it gets better:
"I am sorry if I upset you, I was only trying to make sure you could get the part you needed. I offered to call or email the lighting company but I needed the model number from you for I need to know it to request the part. Also, I thought $3.00 was fair because you would be able to keep the item and get the part for free from the lighting company. Either way, if you return the item to me I will refund to you the purchase price plus the original shipping and handling fee, but I clearly state in my refund policy that I never refund shipping and handling, only the purchase price. But I do no want to leave either of us unhappy so I will refund to you the original shipping and handling and the purchase price, but I can not refund to you the shipping cost that you encounter to return it to me because that is not ever issued, not even with a large company, which I am not. I order from huge companies and they won't even refund any shipping and handling, to or from, only the purchase price. I am extremely sorry about all this and seriously when I purchase an item from a large store such as Lowes I do not expect the item to have missing pieces. I really never meant to set you off in the first email, I was truly only trying to please both of us. Like I said I was and still am willing to call the manufacture and get the missing part, only I need the model number to reference from. That way you would be getting the light for .99c. The $5.24 was from the purchase price plus the handling fee, Like I stated my refund policy clearly has it written I only refund the purchase not shipping and handling but I felt so bad I was willing to refund to you handling as well. Since you took it all the wrong way and I feel really bad about that I will take it one step further and once you send the item back to me, I will gladly refund to you the entire purchase price as well as the shipping and handling. You can not expect me to give you a refund in advance before I receive the item that is not the EBAY or the Paypal policy.
Please try and understand I never wanted to rub you the wrong way. I was trying to help and do the right thing for both of us. Again, I am sorry and please try and work with me."
I offered you a full refund and you still filed with Paypal, now you are
going to get exactly what I offered you. The full refund after you send me
the package and I have received it. This is exactly what I offered to you.
I do not understand why you felt it necassary to file with Paypal when I
offered to you that exact same outcome. Again I have apologized quite a few
times already, but I do again. Even though previously in my life I never
opened boxes even if it were for my own use, I have learned that it is a
necessity when I am going to sell them. Just because I never checked that
box doesn't mean I meant you any harm. I made a mistake by not opening the
box. I am very sorry about that. I will resolve the dispute as soon as I
receive the item. I hope you can find it some where in you to belive me when
I say I NEVER meant to send you an item with a missing piece. Why would anyone
want to go through all of this? I certainly don't!"
posted on June 29, 2008 04:49:17 PM new
glassgrl--This woman is acting like a child who broke Mommy's vase. I'm sorry Mommy. Please forgive me for my mistake. I think she is waiting for you to forgive her. As the saying goes, this is not personal, it is business. She sent you an item missing a part and, therefore, useless to you. Her neglegence. She, like so many people, thinks an apology will take care of everything. She owes you a full refund, including shipping both ways. Then, if you want, you can forgive her
posted on June 29, 2008 05:12:31 PM new
Oh, brother. She certainly does have a lot to learn. In a way, I feel sorry for her. A small way. She won't be required to pay your return shipping now. PayPal does not make them do that, but maybe now she'll have some idea that she did the wrong thing. What I would have done since it's such a low price item is I would have refunded you in full (including shipping) and told you to keep the light. All this over $3.99? I'm shaking my head at her, not you.
mamachia - I agree. It looks like she's selling store returns or maybe things she's gotten at outlets. I don't even buy things from outlets until I check to make sure everything is as it should be.
glassgrl - I may be wrong, but I think she can have that negative you left taken off because you included your email address. Maybe she doesn't know that and the negative will stay as is.
Cheryl
[ edited by cblev65252 on Jun 29, 2008 05:14 PM ]
posted on June 29, 2008 05:25:09 PM new
"I order from huge companies and they won't even refund any shipping and handling, to or from, only the purchase price."
The dingbat has been ordering from the wrong "huge companies."
I'm sorry she didn't come to her senses before you filed with PP. I really thought she would. I think the neg will stick because you didn't type an actual email address. You might want to add a follow up explaining that she only offered a partial refund for an incomplete item.
You should file to have HER negative/positive removed from your feedback asap.
posted on June 29, 2008 08:43:18 PM new
glassgrl, two days ago I filed a PP claim for (INR) items not received, HP ink cartridges 21 & 22 purchased on June 4th, seller didn't answer any of my 4 emails.
Received email from PP & what stood out was this paragraph:
[b]If this claim is decided in your favor, we can't guarantee a refund.
However, we'll make every effort to recover the funds from the seller.[/b]
So much for protection from paypal for INR & that's exactly why I always use my CC when using paypal.
My seller adam_martin_80 has nothing listed so probably no money in his account.
I hope you win & you will & I hope you get your money back, I won't, from paypal anyway.
Amount is 27.50
I pulled this crooks contact info & called him, got a tape, left a message to refund or I'm going to call the police in Asheboro, NC & ask them to pay him a visit.
posted on June 30, 2008 04:10:04 AM new
Now, now...
The seller would tick me off too, but I'm not so sure that she's a dingbat, a real nut case, etc. She is not Satan's spawn.
She probably doesn't value her own time highly, and thus doesn't value the buyer's very highly either. The most economic way of fixing the problem (if you don't count the value of time) is exactly what she proposed.
In fact, I think she's a throwback to the old style eBay. Shame on her for being naive, and for not understanding that her time and money don't matter as much as the buyer's, but lighten up.
Her auction was funny, though. Maybe I'm a throwback myself, but it wouldn't dawn on me to give a light fixture as a house-warming present.
Cashinyourcloset, I agree. It seems to me that the tone of the seller's email was conversational while she explored various possibilities and that her intent was to resolve the situation fairly. She was simply guilty of being unprofessional without regard for an expeditious solution.
Like Toni and Cheryl suggested, in this case she should have returned the money immediately and allowed the buyer to keep this incomplete and inexpensive item.
posted on June 30, 2008 05:43:11 AM new
The 'HUGE COMPANY' your seller ordered from is either Lowe or Home Depot bargain bin where they have a table full of returns-door chimes,windchimes,security alarms and whatever customers returned .
posted on June 30, 2008 12:41:57 PM new
She sold an incomplete item, no doubt unknown to her & that's her mistake, & wants the buyer to take the loss. The s&h was 9.81, lamp 3.99 & she originally wanted to refund only 3.00
So that leaves glassgrl out 10.80
She says in her auction:
I guarantee when it leaves me, it is brand new (unless otherwise stated) and unopened.
It was opened with a part missing. I don't think there is any question as to who should take the loss.
As for stores that do not pay return shipping on a broken item, oh please, never found one that wouldn't.
Yes, she is very polite, but she wants glassgrl to pay for part of her mistake & I honestly cannot understand her thinking.
posted on June 30, 2008 01:17:27 PM new
She's missing the big picture and she thinks sincere apologies and a paltry, partial refund will amend the situation. She's also inviting a PP dispute and neg feedback at a time when eBay is punishing sellers for much less.
posted on June 30, 2008 09:31:54 PM new
Yes she did and unfortunately, PP will expect GG to return the item and the seller will not be resonsible for the cost of return shipping but I can't remember whether the seller will be charged a $10 PP fee for the SNAD or not which would make it a bit of a wash.
If I were GG and I had paid with my credit card (hopefully) I would be doing a chargeback right about now.
posted on July 1, 2008 12:55:03 PM new
If eBay requires that you can only pay with PP I won't be shopping too much.
I'm getting ready to do a chargeback on my June 4th purchase that never arrived & I won't get anything from PP because the seller hasn't listed since then & no doubt has no money in his account.
He is: adam_martin_80
I always use my CC.
It will be interesting to see how this works out for GG.....stay tuned.
