Getting this off my chest.

[archidraca]

This is less about what I got and more about how I got it.

Me and my 2.5 year old daughter have been bonding over my growing army of G1 brother ponies and the family ponies. One night after listening to her create an elaborate story where Tex complained of never being able to play and QB ultimately saying, "Of course you can play a game with me!" I decided she needed to have more hats to dress the other ponies in. I immediately bought a lot of 7 hats for a low price from a seller that only had 3 Neutral or worse and none recently. 

Got the package in the mail, opened the Ziploc they were stored in, and nearly retched from the horrid cigarette smell emanating from it.

The listing said nothing of them coming from a smoking home. I possibly would've still bought them but I do require a heads up about such things. I haven't left feedback yet because I am so peeved about the effort required to get the smell out of one of them. Four (fabric) were fine after a quick pop in the washer & dryer with a load of clothes. Two of the plastic ones just needed a good airing and some time spent with a dryer sheet or three. The last plastic one required a full day of sitting in a vinegar bath in the sun with a water soak to get the last of the vinegar smell out!

Am I wrong in feeling that they should get a Neutral score for something like this? Just looking at the hat makes me angry even though my girl (as hoped for) adores it.

[kakenterprise]

your not it the wrong people need to mention when the stuff there selling smells.  I hate cigarette smoke smell, and as a buyer I need a warning because I don't want to buy anything that reeks.

[NovelNerd]

Did you say anything to the seller to see if they would try to make it right?

[bluerose9978]

I usually leave positive in this case but mention the item smelled badly of cigarette smoke and leave a 3 or 4 star rating in description category. It bothers me so much when sellers don't mention that in their description because that is incredibly important and it can become time consuming to remove the odor.

[kitkatvintage]

I would also be upset to receive something that smells of smoke. I think many buyers would feel the same.

I think you should politely message the seller before leaving feedback. Even if they don't offer compensation, they may think about including the fact that they smoke in the future auction descriptions (or not, but hey let's think positive here).

[tulagirl]

I don't leave bad feedback or stars over smoke smell.  I figure thats an easy thing to ask about if its  not listed as a smoke free listing.  I have a list of sellers I get smokey ponies from so I can avoid getting them again or at least be prepared and have dh work with ponies or items until I can handle them.  I am so allergic to cigarette smoke, but I have found keeping the stinky item away from me for an extended period of time after smoke treating eventually works. 

[spottedslug]

As a mom of a severely asthmatic child, I would contact them and let them know that because of cases like mine, they really should mention smoking in the auction. I absolutely would not buy an item if I knew it would be smoky. I would have probably had to ask for a refund, too. In my eyes it was damaged before shipping, as smoke and the smell of smoke are two huge triggers for her. The items would be unusable.

As an aside, I do always ask before I buy.

[ClosetAvalanche]

Please keep in mind that many smokers are immune to the smell and don't think about it. I'd contact your seller, be polite- I think a partial would be good, but sellers are not obligated to issue partials.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Let us know how they handle it!    *pony hugs*

[archidraca]

Thank you so much for talking with me about this. It's helped me feel so much better! ^u^

I just sent a message to the seller (not rated yet) just asking them to consider putting that they have a smoker home and things may smell of smoke. Since I only paid $8 all told for the 7 hats I don't really even want a refund even partially for myself. Just for them to not surprise others like this in the future.

We'll see what they do in response.

[MiRaja]

People who smoke cigarettes do definitely know that it causes an effect, and they do in fact know it makes things stink.  If they don't mention it, it's likely they don't care or they think they can get away with it.  It's not that they didn't think about it, especially if they're selling collectibles.

Cigarette smoke is a no-go for me.  Definitely, and it's one of the most disgusting scents, I'd rather buy a pony with a buzz cut than a perfect one with cigarette smoke.  :/

But good on you to message them.  Not every buyer is going to be so understanding.  I wouldn't be.  I get physically ill by the scent of cigarettes, and it's one thing that if not mentioned in the description that I will be livid about.  I've had several Japanese dolls come in over the years that have been smoked up, and not mentioned, and there is literally no way to get it out of them because they cannot be cleaned in anyway. 

I would also mention to keep those plastic hats, when stored, away from everything else.  Just because you cannot smell it now, does not mean it's gone.  Trust me on this, which is another reason why I do not accept goods exposed to cigarettes.  I've had people sell me dolls they swear have been removed of cigarette odor, only to come in and smell of it because they've been sealed up in a box and warmed because of transit, or dolls that have been packed not smelling only to come out reeking.  Ponies are just as bad, I had the lavender wedding pony that I was trying to remove cigarette smell out of, and well, I would get it out of her and then she ended up packed and then she reeked again, and it was all one vicious cycle and somewhere along the line she disappeared.  Probably into a trash can.  :/ 

[lovesbabysquirmy]

The reason cigarette smoke stinks up things the way it does and ruins toys is because it's actually tar and resin that have settled into the object.  Not smoke.  There is no such thing as ambient smoking smell... you are smelling greasy tar!  Ewwwwwww...

I really think they should have disclosed that the item was from a smoking home - or given you a full refund.    Opening a parcel like that would have sent me to the hospital, with my allergies... 

[ponylady]

I think you did the right thing as far as contacting your seller. Hopefully she will be willing to work something out or maybe you could just send the items back.  I wouldn't expect to get a full refund though and keep the items because that is not how things work on Ebay. If she doesn't agree to the partial most likely the items will have to go back.

Good luck and let us know what the outcome is.

[ClosetAvalanche]

People who smoke cigarettes do definitely know that it causes an effect, and they do in fact know it makes things stink.  If they don't mention it, it's likely they don't care or they think they can get away with it.  It's not that they didn't think about it, especially if they're selling collectibles.

This is completely untrue.

[tulagirl]

People who smoke cigarettes do definitely know that it causes an effect, and they do in fact know it makes things stink.  If they don't mention it, it's likely they don't care or they think they can get away with it.  It's not that they didn't think about it, especially if they're selling collectibles.

I agree with this completely.  My family has some smokers in it and they never wanted their home to smell, or the contents of their home to smell so there was a rule that they always smoked outside the home. No smoking was ever allowed in the house.  Its the same way with my friend. I asked her about it and she said, "well because, if my kids go to a sleep over with their sleeping bag the smoke would be all in the sleeping bag and she doesn't need that smell and either do her friends, or when the kids have sleep overs here...their friends don't need to be sleeping in a smelly house.  They don't need to go home to their parents with stinky clothes either.  So, we do not smoke in our home." 

This is very nice and considerate behavior.     If they want to smoke, which is fine, at least they realize it can make other people very sick and care enough to take steps to control that as much as possible.  So, yea many smokers are aware of the affects of smoking and many are responsible smokers when it comes to subjecting their homes, collectibles and others to smoke stink.  There will always be those though that just don't think about this and sell stinky things on ebay.  I just appreciate the ones that do.   Smoke smell is not the only stinky thing one can encounter on a collectible bought off of ebay.  Pet odor is a problem I have run into, mildew and that very old smell that comes from houseatosis.  I guess its like anything else.  A lot of people think nothing of selling a dirty pony and not even brush its hair for a photo. I doubt that type of person is concerned about how the pony smells either. LOL  Sadly, there are a lot of these types of sellers on ebay.