p.2 #1 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
jimmy462 wrote:
I might have shown some sympathy for your situation had you not made it a point to specifically "out" a fellow FM member-in-good-standing. Figuring out your "buyer" was not difficult. "I sold a lens several months ago..." would, in my book, have been both sufficient and appropriate to making your point, IMHO. At this point, however, it would only be fair to hear the other party's position on the matter. Or, better yet, ask Fred to delete this thread and start over.
So what & why should this thread be deleted? The buyer has the right to express any rebuttal on this thread and other members have the right to hear about a "member-in-good-standing" that may deserve a negative rating.
How do you expect others to hear .......the other party's position on the matter if this thread is deleted
p.2 #2 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
I agree anything after 3 days, no go. I do have to wonder though. The gentleman bought a lens from you for over $1,100 and you couldn't be bothered to leave feedback?
p.2 #4 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
I didnt know that there was a WARRANTY on second hand personal gear....
Maybe a few days, a week at best..but several months?.....I dont think so..
sleep easy Jonesy
p.2 #5 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
jimmy462 wrote:
I might have shown some sympathy for your situation had you not made it a point to specifically "out" a fellow FM member-in-good-standing. Figuring out your "buyer" was not difficult. "I sold a lens several months ago..." would, in my book, have been both sufficient and appropriate to making your point, IMHO. At this point, however, it would only be fair to hear the other party's position on the matter. Or, better yet, ask Fred to delete this thread and start over.
Indeed it is easy to work out . But then I'm not sure how you can class the buyer as a "member in good standing" they may have 9 positive feedbacks and been a member for 3 years , but they have a total of 12 posts all in the B&S . That's not really what I would call a member .
And to ask for full cost of repairs 4 months after the purchase is just total stupidity . If the guy wants a warranty then he has to buy NEW .
If something arrives and its not upto snuff then yes by all means send it back . If it develops a problem after A FEW DAYS then either send it back or maybe come to a compromise on the repair costs . The seller in a private sale is not bound to offer ANY warranty
After 4 months nope deal with it yourself and don't blame anyone else .
p.2 #8 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
stanj wrote:
The fact that there may be two sides to the story doesn't change depending on where the sale occurs. Making the same post as the OP did would be ok if the sale had occurred at a flea market, but it stopped being ok once it turned out it happened here? That's the issue I'm having.
Hi Stan, etal,
The "situation" the OP finds themselves in is "dealing with a buyer who is making a seemingly unreasonable request". The "issue" the OP is facing is "the buyer's seemingly unreasonable request".
My comment to the OP was about the former, I never addressed the latter.
My position is simple, if the OP wished to ask their fellow FMers about how to handle their "issue" they could well have done so, IMHO, without bringing into question the integrity of a fellow FMer. Where the OP could have asked for help with their "issue" by asking the question of "how does one deal with unreasonable requests from their sellers (edit: oops, buyers)?" they instead, in my reading of the original post, were asking us for help in dealing with their "situation", "that person, over there, did this" and, "how should I deal with them?".
My original comments were an appeal to the OP's better sensibilities and remain unchanged.
p.2 #10 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
Caveat Emptor, buyer beware
If there was no warranty mentioned in the sale then the item was bought 'as seen' and could have gone wrong on the buyers' way home and it wouldn't have been your fault or responsibility, that is simply a fact of life and why used goods are generally cheaper.
p.2 #12 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
Since this topic has come up, I would like to ask how long would be the consensus for an acceptable return period? I have a buyer that wants to return a camera 39 days after the sale, and after being in his possession for 32 days. He says that it had 'an obvious hidden defect', and that since I have a good reputation on the site, the return period should automatically be longer.
p.2 #13 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
helimat wrote:
Since this topic has come up, I would like to ask how long would be the consensus for an acceptable return period? I have a buyer that wants to return a camera 39 days after the sale, and after being in his possession for 32 days. He says that it had 'an obvious hidden defect', and that since I have a good reputation on the site, the return period should automatically be longer.
I would suggest you accept the return but issue the refund for the purchase price less the going fees for rental of that camera for 39 days. Win-win
FWIW - my standard has been a 3 day inspection period after receipt of the lens. Email me by the end of day 3 and no questions asked, full refund given. Keeping it longer than that means you agree it was acceptable when you received it.
p.2 #14 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
RCicala wrote:
I would suggest you accept the return but issue the refund for the purchase price less the going fees for rental of that camera for 39 days. Win-win
+1.
I think the deal with used gear is that if it works upon arrival, that's about as far as the seller is responsible for. If the seller wants to go our of his/her way to offer a refund for gear that arrives working, buyer tests as working, and then dies a day later, or a week later, that's fine-- good karma. But it's not the really the seller's obligation. As a seller/buyer, I'd hope the other party would be willing to meet in the middle for grey areas: took a day or two for one party to try out the gear, specific feature that wasn't immediately obvious appears defective/broken a few days later, etc.
If it arrives broken, it depends on if the item was packed well, or the box is shipping-insurance-able, etc.
All of this is ALSO why I tend to expect pretty solid discounts from new/refurbished when I buy something used from a private seller.
p.2 #15 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
Nope on the return. Unless the item was DOA and there were some serious extenuating circumstances that compel you to be a super-super-nice person. But even there, I expect the buyer to contact me after receiving the gear to let me know any potential problem. I stay in contact with sellers when I'm on the receiving end, letting them know right away that the package arrived safely, or that there is a problem.
Personally, I'd let a good buyer return something within a week or so -- if he or she found a serious operational fault that wasn't described in the sale, it's absolutely no problem. You know, stuff like shutter not working, bent CF pins, any uncleared error message, failure to AF or IS -- any function not working. But know before I send that the piece is in fine working order, or I don't put it up for sale. Things like IQ not being what the buyer wants, minor imaging issues (slightly decentered, etc) -- those the buyer must deal with, unless severe. Too many things can happen in shipping or mismatching with buyer's gear. Normal maintenance issues should be taken in stride by the buyer. But DOA should be immediately refunded upon return receipt of the gear. It should be easy to understand. Anything in the "grey area" has to be decided on a case by case basis, but he buyer must check the gear and notify seller right away.
People do get more hyper when spending large amounts of money. So, sellers, beware that they may sometimes experience buyer's remorse and try to get out of the deal. The more expensive the item, the better pictures it requires in the sales description and complete disclosure of the condition and history. But I'd say 98% of the buyers and sellers I've dealt with here and on eBay have been wonderful, straight-up folks I would love to do business with again.
Sorry for your hassles dealing with this negligent buyer.
p.2 #16 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
Things must be different over that side of the pond.
Cameras, cars, electricals, whatever it is you're buying, if you buy it privately second hand and there is no implied warranty that is just your tough luck if it breaks.
How does the seller know the buyer didn't drop it on the way home?
If it worked as described on receipt that is all you get.
p.2 #17 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
Always specify the checkout period. I once sold a lens and the buyer came back 3 weeks later claiming it was bad, and that they had "just opened" it and it was bad out of the box.
I went ahead and paid their repair bill $300+ from Nikon as the guy seemed distressed and (hopefully) honest, they sent me a copy of the repair estimate, but that let me learn a lesson - always post clear instructions for when (if any) checkout period ends, as you can imagine my hesitation on that type of claim.
p.2 #18 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
dhphoto wrote:
Things must be different over that side of the pond.
Cameras, cars, electricals, whatever it is you're buying, if you buy it privately second hand and there is no implied warranty that is just your tough luck if it breaks.
How does the seller know the buyer didn't drop it on the way home?
If it worked as described on receipt that is all you get.
It's actually the same in the US. And I don't think this is common though.
p.2 #19 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
helimat wrote:
Since this topic has come up, I would like to ask how long would be the consensus for an acceptable return period? I have a buyer that wants to return a camera 39 days after the sale, and after being in his possession for 32 days. He says that it had 'an obvious hidden defect', and that since I have a good reputation on the site, the return period should automatically be longer.
The whole thing about return period doesn't make sense and that is wayyyy too long in 99% of the cases, but
what defect? Maybe there is some very unusual circumstance that makes his claim legit.
Normally it's standard practice that if it all works when it arrives then that is it. Maybe if the shutter blows within a week but otherwise it's luck of the draw for the buyer if it breaks after he receives it.
p.2 #20 · buyer wants me to pay for repairs after 3 months
While I agree with the idea of communicating an acceptable return period such as 5 days or whatever, it is worth remembering that buyers may have additional recourse through a payment intermediary such as Paypal. They will allow disputes well beyond 5 days (it's 30 days, I think). Therefore, sellers who accept Paypal need to be very careful with their product photos, descriptions, disclosures, etc. Where possible, it might be a good idea to even make a recording of the piece being used to show that it left the seller in good operating condition.
