My first upset eBay customer (vent)

[PrincessOfDorkness]

I just now got a message from someone (who bought at the beginning of this month) that several of the items she received (three weeks ago) were not new even though they were listed as such. These items were: one perfume, a cologne, and a face cream. The perfume in question was listed as new because I didn't use it and bought it from a listing as new, and the other two products I got straight from Avon and only took out the box for pictures. I accept responsibility for the perfume becasue I didn't check it as well as I should have, but I'm not so sure about the cologne and face cream.

She said the cologne listed as new couldn't be because spray came out the first time she used it. Is it possible for new cologne to do that? I never sprayed it and have no reason to believe anyone else ever used it.

The face cream was also unused and straight from the company, yet this product was called used.

I offered her a chance to return and get a refund, but I don't know what else to do. I stand by my listings and list them honestly. I also realize one negative or neutral feedback will not kill my eBay store. But I'm still upset.

[Lipstick]

Princess. I think you are being fair...unfortunately some people are not always honest and take advantage of those who are.  I'm not saying the lady is dishonest, but she could have "buyer's regret" and just wants her money back.  Who knows?

[upyourcadillac]

Yes, sounds like buyer remorse or a case of a buyer outsmarting themselves.

A lot of people are afraid of getting ripped off on eBay. They're extra-educated about the risks and "horrors" of eBay fraud. As a result, they are wary of EVERY purchase on eBay.

Yes, it would be rare for a perfume to spray immediately if it hadn't been used. Rare maybe, but not impossible. As for the other two items, I think she just wants to throw those in and get a refund for all of it.

I would tell her that you will refund her purchase if she returns it to you within 30 days from the date of purchase. (Don't know if you have a return policy/guarantee, but even if you don't, do this. Tell her you're making an exception to make her happy...that will sound good.)  Tell her she needs to properly package the items and return them to you and you will reimburse her for the postage.

She may or may not take you up on it. She may just want to bitch. But put the thing in her court. DON'T admit that what she claims is true. Just say that you know the products were exactly as described, but since she isn't happy...

[Goldflowerinc]

She probably just suspects the other 2 aren't new because she strongly believes the first one isn't new, so she doesn't trust you. I'll warn you that my husband says I'm super overkill with customer service but I would ask her what she'd like to do about the situation and if it isn't unreasonable, I'd do it. I also VALUE my feedback, lol.

[PrincessOfDorkness]

She just replied that she doesn't want to ship it back to me but will send it back to Avon. As Bull on Night Court said, "Ooooooh-kay!" But she said she's not giving me ANY feedback because of the matter.  Boo-frickin'-hoo.

I did reply to her that the products came from Avon to me, with no use or impact in between. However, since she took issue with them, I offered her a return.

Apparently, she just wanted to complain. 

[Goldflowerinc]

Cool! She sounds silly. 

[Lipstick]

Princess...maybe Avon is expereincing returned product levels higher than normal and they have resorted to MK tactics of shipping out returned product?   Just a thought!

[Goldflowerinc]

Hah! 

[PrincessOfDorkness]

Princess...maybe Avon is expereincing returned product levels higher than normal and they have resorted to MK tactics of shipping out returned product?   Just a thought!

That thought did cross my mind...

She is insisting that as an Avon rep who ordered the same products for herself, she knows I sold them used. 

So not only is she refusing to return them to me, she also made a note that by sending back to Avon, I won't have to worry about reselling them. I sooooo want to tell her off. Somebody hold me back!  

[Julie]

  If she's ordering Avon products off Ebay instead of through Avon, being a rep must not be all it's cracked up to be. I wonder if she orders products off Ebay to sell to customers?

[Lipstick]

She is insisting that as an Avon rep who ordered the same products for herself, she knows I sold them used. 

So not only is she refusing to return them to me, she also made a note that by sending back to Avon, I won't have to worry about reselling them. I sooooo want to tell her off. Somebody hold me back!   

So does Avon have Avon Police like MK has MK Police who troll eBay and other places and turn in active reps for selling outside their contracts?

[PrincessOfDorkness]

There is an "Avon Police", but to the dismay of the hardcore Avoners, they usually leave the eBayers (active rep or not) alone. I might just give them a heads up...

[Julie]

  Yes, sic the ebay police on em!

Until just now I forgot about my ebay customer from hell. This person kept insisting that they had to pay the post office to pick up my package. I thought, that is whacked because on the site, it states if I don't put enough postage on it, it will be sent back to me. I checked the post office site and it said the post office attempted to deliver it, no one was there apparently so they left notification for them to pick it up at the post office. The package was still there.  This person still wanted money. After a few days of screwing around talking to the post office a few times, etc. I told them to provide me some proof because the post office had no record of charging them anything and poof! the jerk disappeared and stopped bothering me for extra money.  People like this are seriously annoying so here's a  to help you forget them.

[upyourcadillac]

If she's ordering Avon products off Ebay instead of through Avon, being a rep must not be all it's cracked up to be. I wonder if she orders products off Ebay to sell to customers?

My guess is yes. In any event, she's wacked. She has some weird alterior motives. She's going to do a product return on them to Avon or ?????

Julie, I had several cases when I was liquidating on eBay where people would say they hadn't received their package, yet the post office showed it delivered. In every case, it was the customer's cluelessness. One woman embarrasingly emailed me several days after her inquiry to tell me that her teenage son had picked up the mail the day it arrived and tossed in in the living room or something and she just had found it.   

[Julie]

OMG! That is so funny LJ. Now that wouldn't have annoyed me so much because it just seems like an innocent mistake.

This woman I had told me she had to PAY to pick up her package and she wanted me to refund her! She was a scammer.  I would be really curious to see if other people have run into this. After I told that I would be happy to refund her if she sent me a receipt, I never heard a peep. LOL