Mark,
People like your buyer get what they want because they are bullies. Stand your ground and do not refund their money. If the buyer resorts to negative feedback, you can respond with negative feedback on the buyer; even if you have to select the positive feedback button.
The customer is NOT always right!
Marc St. Martin (whose knees would love a 14-28) Livermore, California USA
-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Petry <mark@petry.org>
>Sent: May 16, 2009 4:34 PM
>To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR] Group wisdom requested - ebay ethics
>
>Cleaning out the bins and ebaying some stuff I don't want / will never use,
>off it goes to ebay. Who's not doing it. I have 600+ ebay positives.
>
>
>
>Recently sold a Regina ORO freewheel in the desireable 14-28 ratio -
>complete with box and inner wrapper, box a bit tattered but all there, not
>faded, etc. Went for $130 which was a good bid.
>
>
>
>Pics at http://www.flickr.com/
>
>
>
>Sent the item off and received the following request from the buyer:
>
>
>
>"I'm not happy with the freewheel's quality, mechanic says there are a
>couple bearings missing, I don't like the sound, I want a refund".
>
>
>
>Well I sent the standard reply, "maybe the grease is dried out, we used to
>run 90 weight in these, suggest you flood it with synthetic oil or Phil
>Tenacious oil, don't worry be happy".
>
>
>
>No, the buyer insists, I want a refund. I offered a $15 rebate, which was
>refused. Buyer (ebay feedback of 4) wants a rebate. Since it's a NOS item
>and at least some of the perceived value has been lost since it's been on a
>bike, I don't think I should offer a refund - my thought is, if you don't
>know what you're buying, don't bid on a NOS item expecting to try it out and
>return it if it is not to your liking.
>
>
>
>I'd really like to know the thoughts of the group on this.
>
>
>
>Couple years ago I sold a set of VERY nice Porsche tail lights for an early
>car (68) that were in very, very nice shape - these things are plastic, very
>fragile and of course no longer made. They went for $250 which was a
>spectacular deal! They were worth twice that. Well, winning bidder was in
>Greece of all places, he pushed back on the shipping cost, and then was
>apparently not satisfied and wanted to return them. So my response was, I
>said ship them back at your expense, when I receive them if they are as I
>sent them (unmolested, not installed) then I'll refund your money, less
>listing fees and shipping. They never showed up ! But I got a negative
>feedback. Dang.
>
>
>
>So I want to be ethical, but I think I'm on the right side of this. What
>do you think ?
>
>
>
>Mark Petry
>
>Bainbridge Island, WA