I'm in a Quandry - Please Help

Leisa

Leisa

VFG Member
I\'m in a Quandry - Please Help

Sold a <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8329869835&sspagename=ADME:B:AAQ:US:1" target="new"><B>great jacket</B></A> before I moved. Actual sale date was 09/02. She paid me on 09/03.
Then, she emailed me on 09/13 & said it smells like cat pee & wants a refund. So - I told her to send it back & I'd refund her.
Okay...
<B>1.</B> I DO NOT believe it has any odor. Especially cat pee. Even <I><B>I</B></I> can smell that! I'm not that "conditioned" to the smell - in fact, it makes me nauseous, so I think she's out of her mind.
<B>2.</B> it's been two weeks - actually 16 days today & she just emailed me yesterday to apologize for not going to the post office sooner & to let me know she was going then.

My quandry is this:
I feel like she's had more than enough time to get her act together. In fact I feel like 16 days is a bit excessive. So, I don't particularly want to refund her anything, and if I do, I don't think I want to refund her the total. I think she's playing me, because my *junque* id had only like 2 fb when she won the jacket.

So - I want to email her, but I need to be very tactful. And - Nope. I haven't put anything about refunds in my TOS or on our me page yet.

How would y'all handle this?
My evil twin wants to write to her & say, "What? Are You Nuts? It's been two friggin weeks, for cryin out loud!" But I sorta doubt that's very professional... ;)

I did start an email to her telling her that the time frame was rather lengthy, and that we aren't sure we can give her a total refund, but... I'm just unsure... help?

TIA
leisa
 
If you stated to her that you would refund under certain conditions - i,e, she has to return it within X amount of days, then you have something definitely to enforce. But if you have not stated anything either in TOS or specifically in an email to her, and have been lenient this whole time...to come down on her at this time might look like its coming out of left field.

She told you she wanted a refund within 10 days. so if she paid on the third and then you add in at least 24 hours but maybe up to 2 to 3 days if a sunday fell in there and depending on your ship time to mail, then she could have potentially got it and contacted you right away when she received it or in a reasonable amount of time...so she is good on that end.

Some people as far as shipping back, if you give them no time line, they will take as much time as they take,

As far as cat pee...it could be a situation of not being able to identify the smell. It is possible in shipping and being packaged up that a smell can concentrate that you didn't smell before, or it could be that it doesn't smell like cat pee, but she smells a vaguely cat smell mixed in there that you may not be sensitive to because you have a cat. Everyone has their own level of sensitivity and i wouldn't be quick to assume that they are wrong off the bat.

I might email her and tell her that it has been X amount of days since she requested a refund and even though you do not have a policy stated that you expect customers return promptly. tell her that you will give her X more days to postmark it if she still wants a refund, or offer her a small percentage off to keep it. That usually tells you how tolerable they find the smell in actuality as some folks find it a hassle to ship back. Or check in with her the day after she says she is mailing it and ask her if she had. I would advise her to hang the jacket outside, etc air it out and see if that helps as well.

Maybe someone else will have some better advice...
 
I would enquire why it took her so long to notice any odour. I once had a nightmare where I sold a fur jacket, the buyer waited a month and claimed it had a large tear. I asked her to send me a picture of it and I got no response. Sometimes I think that an unscrupulous buyer will try anything to see if a discount gets offered. With these buyers (I had one who claimed the garment stunk of vomit(I am a vomit phobic) he wanted a partial refund so I told him sorry but you either return or keep at the bid price. He kept the item but was so troublesome I put him on my blocked bidders list.
On this subject I read a porovocative article named "the customer is always right" the essense of it was that yes everyone wanted happy customers but not at the cost of self respect and some people will never be satisfied. There is a small element who just enjoy taking out their misery and hang ups on sellers. I once had a spirited arguement with my husband when I refused to be pushed into a bad deal by a customer (this woman is a whining control freak) once he had read the article he understood my viewpoint LOL
End of lecture
Louise
 
I'd love to see that article, Louise.

Leisa-- I rarely say this, but in your case I'd fold (& I know that would be financially difficult for you)... because especially with such new & low feedback, a neg with mention of cat pee could really hurt sales.

I would, however, stress to her that the jacket needs to be back in your hands by XX date.
 
Thanks all.

I guess I will fold, as Kristine said. I don't mind to do it, mostly because of the "new" id, etc.

And, Chris may be right about the jacket smelling a bit like a kitty kennel. I have to realize that I AM conditioned to it somewhat. I've had cats for most of my life, so no matter how clean I keep the box, a person who doesn't have cats MIGHT smell something.

Oh & she did email me in a timely manner initially. She's just taking her sweet time about actually going to the P.O. I think I'm better off to not say anything & see if she really did send it yesterday like she said she was doing. If I don't get it by late next week, THEN I'll contact her.

Thanks again, everyone.

xoxoxo
leisa
 
Leisa
yes we can get conditioned to cat odours. I keep all of the items I am selling as far away from my monsters as possible. They are not allowed in the same room as the clothes. Having said that I got a dress on Ebay that stunk of cigarette smoke. I had to get it drycleaned but I couldn't be bothered to kick up a fuss.
Best of luck anyhow
Louise
 
I read two really funny TOSs on eBay this week that had to do with this. Funny how things just sorta show up outta nowhere...

First gal says they smoke & have cats. She goes on to say she doesn't use the stuff she's selling to wipe up cat hair or clean the ashtrays, but there is a pretty good chance that a hair may show up &/or the buyer will smell smoke if they're sensitive to it.

The other gal says she lets her cats smoke while they're helping her wrap the packages. LOL
I got a kick out of both of them.

I'm going to email my buyer & ask her if she made it to the P.O. like she promised. Then I'll take it from there.

xoxoxo
leisa
 
Sorry I haven’t been around for a while.

I would like to believe that anyone, who is as into Retro-Style (I hate the word fashion because it sounds and reads too close to fascism,) is just as up right and honest as I am.

I would like to believe that Vintage Aficionados are into that era because of the alleged higher sense of morality that’s said to be non-existent today.

With that said, I think you’re in a difficult position. Next time I would say that if someone wants to exchange something, they have to have it sent back to you with in 7 days with in reporting a problem or they void their warrantee.
 
Eric

Hi :hiya:

There are many types of folks interested in vintage fashion. Some feel they were born in the wrong decade, some have a historical/textile appreciation, some discover it because the sizing in modern clothes doesn't work for them, and some are just in it because that is what the fashion mags seem to tell them they should like. there is nothing wrong with that...there are folks who discovered vintage back in the 70s because there were many 20s/30s/40s vintage inspired clothing items and have come to truly appreciate it. or they discovered 50s clothing through 50s inspired clothing in the 80s initially.

While i really get frustrated by the people who are "fair weathered" about vintage, and there is a sentiment that "i hope my decade becomes out of style again so i can buy things again and be left alone", there is a little bit of something that we have greatly benefitted by.

Because vintage is more publcizied, the average consumer is getting more educated and more discriminating and that is good for sellers. The folks that are newer to vintage are expecting clothing to be in immaculate condition like they just bought it from the store, or at the very least, they want to wear it upon arrival with very little work. (ironing to get out shipping wrinkles is acceptable, having to do a lot of camouflage to wear it is not). While this is not always a realistic expectation, and though folks are learing that items seldom survive 50 years in an air bubble, acrossed the board it teaches sellers that they have to do the best they can. Offer things in the best condition and if not, describe, describe describe. And that is good for all of us. I am not saying i won't buy something that needs repair as long as it is disclosed and I love it, but people are demanding the average item out there now be wearable.

Chris
 
The Last Chapter:

She returned the jacket & I refunded her $. I refunded the s/h too as she paid it to send it back to me & that's a pet peeve of mine for another thread.

When Scott stuck his nose in it, he had an allergic reaction & said he could smell the "pee." I could only barely get a faint whiff, so I AM more condidtioned to the odor than I realized.
I sprayed it with Febreeze & hung it in front of an open window for like a week. Now, Scott smelled it again last night & had no reaction, and he said he really couldn't smell anything...

So - after I air it out for awhile longer, I will have it drycleaned again & hopefully it'll be all better.

Oh - & I do need to change my refund/exchange terms, so thanks for reminding me to do that.

xoxoxo
leisa
 
Leisa, read my return policy on my About Me page. I really spell it out. :) If it is all there up front, then you have something to fall back on.

I think you did the right thing by returning the money.
 
Now, Scott smelled it again last night & had no reaction, and he said he really couldn't smell anything...

You know it could be that having the item packaged up "concentrated" the smell. That happens sometimes. if there is something there that is even just a hint, it can get more obvious when packaged up with boxes, tape and plastic. The second time it might have had time to "breathe". so i can see where you wouldn't have smelled anything it being in your presence before you shipped it off because if had some breathing time on top of being not as sensitive to cats.
 
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