Buyer issues - selling on facebook

FarleyUK

Hi all,

I'm a member of several guitar Facebook selling / trading groups on Facebook, and have sold quite a lot of gear on there without any issues for the past couple of years.

Recently had a chap want to buy a pair of pickups I was selling, and he asked how to go about it. I sent him a PayPal request, which he paid, and I confirmed receipt of it. I said I'd ship it next day via Hermes, which he was fine with.

I had a couple of personal things crop up, and I wasn't actually able to drop it off until the Saturday (so 2 days later) but confirmed to him I had indeed done so. Sent him all the tracking details yesterday.

However, he is now kicking off big time and demanding a full refund as it seems Hermes do not state a delivery date, and he is 'not prepared to wait until Thursday potentially' for them.

From my PoV, if he wanted them by a certain date he should have stated this; he was aware they were going to be shipped by hermes, and he can see all the tracking details.

Is he just being unreasonable? What would you do in my situation - refund him, or tell him that a refund is not applicable?

octatonic

I'd just refund and save the aggro.

marcus449

Seems a bit cheeky to ask for a full refund after they've been posted, especially as you gave him forewarning about the postage.

If he wants a refund (IMO) he can wait until they've arrived, send them back and then get a refund...just as a retailer would do.

guitarfishbay

FarleyUK said:

From my PoV, if he wanted them by a certain date he should have stated this; he was aware they were going to be shipped by hermes, and he can see all the tracking details.

Is he just being unreasonable? What would you do in my situation - refund him, or tell him that a refund is not applicable?

To take the opposite view - you did say you'd ship them next day, then you didn't.

That doesn't bother me, if I need something in a hurry I know not to buy from private sellers because people have lives that can get in the way of dispatching parcels, but the issue is this guy will have taken you at your word you'd ship it quickly.

I don't think he can ask for a refund without intending to send them back to you, and I don't actually know the process/workflow for this in terms of non eBay sales.

Personally I'd just stick with Royal Mail Special Delivery for pickups and pedals if you don't know the seller.  It costs a little more but you know it'll get there quickly and it'll be insured 

FarleyUK

Cheers guys. Yeah, I certainly wouldn't offer any kind of refund until I receive them back in the same condition they arrived in.

Weird thing is, they are pretty rare pickups to get hold of, so I'd have thought he'd have been better to just sit tight...? I know shipping them a day later than I said wasn't the ideal situation, but as you say - life got in the way, unfortunately.

Arktik83

I'd just say to him "send them back, once received I'll refund you" he obviously wants some kind of good will that's why he's throwing a wobbler and because there was a slight delay in them being posted he thinks he can wrangle some £ out of you.  

crunchman

I never promise next day postage.  I've not used Facebook to sell yet, but when I've sold on Ebay in the past, I've always said 3 working days for me to post them.  It's always safer to do it that way.