Help with an eBay Buyer! Opinions needed! **MY PONY IS BACK!**

[Pangel]

Hi guys!

Just want some advice please. There may be a message about this somewhere from the buyer, I'm not sure, but I recently sold a G3 Silver Rain pony for £9.99 on eBay, as she was a duplicate in my collection. She looked to be in excellent condition, just some rubbing to her legs, etc. I described her as such. She had a pull in her mane, where her hair looked to be unnaturally long in one area. I didn't think she had a hair or tail cut (I compared her to my own version, as well as wiki and reef pics) and this long bit of hair was quite odd! I was going to trim it, but decided to leave this to the buyer.

This is the photograph from the listing:

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This is a photograph from mylittlewiki:

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I sent the pony in good faith, and the buyer sent me this message:

"Hello,

I received the pony today but unfortunately, I would like to return it.

Would you please be able to tell me what are the procedure to follow for return?

Many thanks

**** < name blanked out by me"

Not a problem, I thought! Maybe she didn't like her, or was a duplicate? I gave her my returns address, said sorry she wasn't happy with her purchase, and that I'd refund her for her pony when she was received back here, but I cannot refund P+P costs for unwanted items.

Well, today I get this message!

"Hello Sarah,

Thank you for getting back to me.

The pony is not 2unwanted, it has had its mane and tail cut unlike the description in the listing stating that its hair was uncut! "Not happy" is rather an euphemism in this case!!

So I would be most grateful if you could give me a full refund since it is not as described.

I had the pony compared to reliable sources. Whether or not you were aware of this, it is still as not described.

So unless you agree in your reply to offer me a FULL refund, I shall open a case with paypal and ebay.

Many thanks

****"

  This totally came out of nowhere! She never mentioned ANYTHING about a hair or tail cut in the original message. I have always taken pride in the fact that I have always attempted to describe ponies as accurately as possible. If I have made a mistake, of course I will issue a full refund including return P+P costs. But as far as I could tell, there was nothing wrong at all with her hair.

I'm really upset. If you guys could take a look at the photograph to see if you think she has had her tail or mane cut, please let me know!

[Yuitsu]

Did you mention the hair pull? That could be what she's thinking is a hair cut.

[Pangel]

Yes I did mention the pull in the description, so I have messaged her back to say that this isn't an indication of a cut at all. But she mentioned the tail was cut as well, which as far as I was aware, was perfect ;__;

[Moondancer115]

Mmm difficult. In my opinions it doesn't look cut when I look on google to other pictures. If it is cut it isn't really obvious I think.
But I a not a g3 expert.
I hope you can work this out
I am giving this a bump

[Stormness_1]

You can clearly see the state of her hair in the listing, but in my experience, ebay/paypal hardly ever reviews these cases, and refunds are usually given regardless. Even though you are clearly being upfront and are right in your opinion, it's best to just accept her terms, and relist the pony a bit higher next time to recover some of the postage expenses you incurred.

Post Merge: July 15, 2012, 03:45:47 AM

oh, and it looks like a pull to me... I think you're right there - factory error methinks.

[Pangel]

Thanks for your response. Fingers crossed she will send the pony back without opening a case

I think I'm just being a bit sensitive this morning. This is the first time I've been called out on a pony 'not being as described'. I'm a top-rated seller with 100% feedback, and it's made me feel a bit wobbly about listing any more for sale.

[RockinPrettyBeats]

Let the brat open a case. She's full of it. I can see the mane and tail just fine and there is no haircut. Plus, she didn't mention it to begin with which makes her shady in my book. I don't trust her right now and don't think she is telling the truth.

But yeah, Ebay will just tell her to return the pony for a refund. Sucks to be her.

[Pangel]

Okay here is her response:

"Hello,

I appreciate that you are a pony collector. So am I

I am in fact very surprised that the hair did appear uncut to you. It is absutely uneven and has a very choppy look in lots of places. I am not contesting the slightly pulled hair, I read your listing thouroughly before buying.

If you compared this pony with the two in your possession then you may have 2 ponies with equaly chopped hair It is utterly obvious to the naked eye!!! I have shelves full of pony and whilst I understand that there might be slight uneveness here and there, the one you sent me is astonishingly beyond normal.

As for me not mentioning why I wanted to return the pony, well I made first contact to let you know that I wished to return the pony. Your answer was to assume right away that I was not happy. Never did you ask for the reasons for the return. It was in my intentions to make my reasons clear afterwards.

Anyway, I am very happy to file a case with eBay."

Well, I've offered her to return it. That's all I can do now.

[Oneleo1]

Let her open the case. In your communications through the case offer to refund if the pony is returned. You will have to refund shipping to her but she will be out the money to ship her back.

If she trys to claim she shipped and you do not get the pony back, she will need to prove you received it with tracking in order for paypal to refund on your behalf.

[Pangel]

Thanks everyone. I don't think there is anything more I can do, so if she opens the case, she opens it.

The buyer has said that she will post photographs of the pony on here, so we can all have a look and see

[banditpony]

Sometimes you get buyers like this, I wouldn't let you stop selling. I have no doubt that you described your item as it was, and that whatever the "flaw" is, it came from the factory. For you to offer a refund, minus P+P costs was not out of place. You are quite free to offer your own return policy, as you see fit.

If a buyer is going to be that picky about something, which is /absolutely/ fine, they need to request more pictures to make sure it is something they want to buy.

[RockinPrettyBeats]

I'm dying to see these photos.

[Ringlets]

  I think you've done what you can for now and you'll just have to wait and see if she opens a case.  From what I can see in those pics the hair is the right length. There is a slight "choppiness" to the ends as your buyer mentioned.. now whether that is from the factory or from brushing etc I'm not sure, but it doesnt look like it has been cut IMO. Silver Rain had curly hair originally.  
Like the others said, if she opens a case, in your response, offer again to give a  full refund when she returns the pony.

[Pangel]

Thanks for your opinion Ringlets.

I'm just waiting for her to return the pony, and publish photographs on here if she wishes. I got a new message today:

"Hi,

I see that there are some well rounded refined beings on this forum :S Now I guess that the "Brat" can have a say and stand for herself amongst these people

And thank you for publishing our communications. Not very professional! Let's say that I am very disappointed. Oh and feel free to publish this message too! For future reference, I believe that any communication with your customers ought to remain private. Copying and pasting the very messages themselves is off limits good practice. That you do vent your frustration to your peers and provide a sun up of what has been said is one thing, but publishing the actual communication exchanged between your consumers and yourself is another.

And again, I did not mention the issue in my first attempt to contact you only because it came to me as natural that you would ask the reasons why in return.

Again, anyway, I am posting the pictures asap."

I haven't responded.

[ponylady]

I am sorry that you and your buyer are having issues. 

I am going to point out that either way, whether on your own or through an ebay case.  The pony will have to be returned before a refund is issued.  And depending on your policies you are under no obligation to refund shipping costs.  And ebay will not make you either.

I also think at this point the best thing to do is make arrangements for her to return the pony.  And once you have received her back, a refund will be issued. 

In regards to the haircut, well it appears to me that it is a factory issue. As we are all well aware of Hasbro's quality control.

I do hope that the two of you can reach an agreement that will satisfy both of you though.