Help Some eBay help.

[old.user4556]

S'up Freds.

I've been ebaying a lot of my old camera kit lately and recently sold a 2 year old lens plus lens hood for £500 (retail price is about £790 all in). It was in perfect working order and thoroughly tested before I sent it off to the buyer. I got feedback quickly after receipt that the transaction was "excellent". This was on the 3rd of April.

Fast forward to today and the buyer contacted me to say that today was his first "proper" outing with this lens other than "initial testing" and he said that at one point he "received an error" (he didn't note the error code). He turned off the camera and back on, all was well. His query to me was if I ever received an error with this lens, to which I replied "never". He said he would be in touch if it happened again.

I can see where this is going, but there are few things here:

- can a buyer expect their money back after having used good for ten days that they previously tested and fed back as "excellent"?
- given a lens and camera are two separate parts, how can it be proved that it is the lens and not the body?
- the lens was perfect (except for some dust behind the element which I declared on the advert) previously before I sold it, we're now 10 days after the buyer received it and he says he had a problem with it.

I guess my ultimate worry is that he will want to return the lens and want £500 back.

 

[Access Denied]

Too late on his part. Distance selling regulations state that the buyer has 7 days from receiving the item to return it for a refund, the buyer also has to pay the return postage unless the seller states otherwise. If you've never had a problem with it and as you say, you declared the dust behind the element then there's nothing he can do.

Edit: Check the ebay regulations on selling and returns to make sure.

 

[Raven]

http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Distance-Selling-Regulations-And-eBay?ugid=10000000000140381

 

[old.user4556]

Thanks guys, I'm not a business seller so it sounds like the case would be very weak for a refund, particularly since the buyer left positive feedback after testing the lens successfully.

Worth noting that the "testing" was done on one camera body and he's subsequently used it on another camera body which threw the error.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Who are you?

 

[old.user4556]

Fuck you, you Fuck.

You fuck?

 

[Rubber Bullets]

It sounds like he has decided that it isn't worth £500 to him and he'd like to back out of the deal. He hasn't got a leg to stand on, and has been pointed out DSR don;t apply. Point out to him that the lens has always worked perfectly for you, and that it worked for him when he received it, and that if there is an issue with it then Canon service department would happily sort it out for him!

Being really cynical are there distinguishing features that would mark it out as definitely your old lens should he return it? Perhaps he already owned a problem lens of the exact same type and fancied swapping it for a good one! (He probably would have tried this immediately on receipt, but you never know).

RB

 

[andeh]

eBay/PayPal are notoriously biased towards the buyer. If he opens a case, there is a strong chance he'll be awarded a refund.
The 7 days granted by DSR do not apply, instead you'll need to wait nearer 40 (I think) to be 'immune' from action on his part.

 

[old.user4556]

Yeah that's what I'm worried about, although I would hope the documented evidence that the lens was tested successfully but then 10 days later gave an error would work in my favour. I think if he had come back right away and said "this lens doesn't work" or "the lens is giving me errors, I want my money back" prior to testing it, using it for a week and then freely admitting to using it another camera body, then he'd have a much stronger case.

Then again, it may have simply been a one off and nothing will come of it.

 

[old.user4556]

Being really cynical are there distinguishing features that would mark it out as definitely your old lens should he return it? Perhaps he already owned a problem lens of the exact same type and fancied swapping it for a good one! (He probably would have tried this immediately on receipt, but you never know).RB

Other than the lens casing was immaculate, then no - I didn't take a note of the serial number before shipping it

 

[TdC]

being captain hindsight here, but best have a nosey through your old bills and stuff just in case the number is in there.

that said...this would only work if the issue with the bad lens would cost more than the price of yours to fix. good luck either way mate.

 

[Kryten]

Withdraw money from paypal immediately and remove all payment records from them so they can't instantly reclaim it. Not sure on the "legality" of that (from their rules) but it'll give you more time to sort it out if they do try and go full retard on you.

 

[Rubber Bullets]

Other than the lens casing was immaculate, then no - I didn't take a note of the serial number before shipping it

Not that he knows this. if it comes to it just say 'OK, return to me at your expense so that I can check the serial number against my records and then get it checked by an independent expert' or words to that effect. If he's on the level he'll be OK with this, and if he's not then the lens may suddenly turn out to be working again!

RB

 

[old.user4556]

I've not heard from the buyer, I was expecting to hear by now if there was any more woe. If I had bought a lens off eBay that was of questionable working order, I'd be testing it ad nauseum to get it sorted out.

 

[soze]

Being really cynical are there distinguishing features that would mark it out as definitely your old lens should he return it? Perhaps he already owned a problem lens of the exact same type and fancied swapping it for a good one! (He probably would have tried this immediately on receipt, but you never know).

RB

I had that with an iPhone and it was the last thing I have or ever will sell on eBay. PayPal had froze the money for two months while it was investigated. Then they told me I had to refund him if he sent it back. But it was a different phone with a smashed screen he sent back. Took over 5 months before I eventually got the money. Even after showing pictures of the phone I shipped displaying the imei number. I always take a picture of the phones I sell showing that sat on the invoice. But that was not enough.

 

[old.user4556]

That's been another week, haven't heard.

 

[Rubber Bullets]

Good news, it will hopefully not be a problem now. Fingers crossed.

RB