In a message dated 1/4/2003 11:29:41 AM Central Standard Time,
andrew.gullen@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> Any advice on
> difficult situations like this would be welcome.
>
What I usually attempt to do if a deal heads south on me or is less than is
represented is to determine what alternatives (generally I like to use 2 or
3) I would be pleased with and then I present them to the seller after I have
expressed my dissatisfaction with whatever it is that I'm unhappy about. So
if I were to give you a check list it might look like this:
1) Remember the seller is also a human being and you insulting him/her or
questioning the circumstances of their birth will not get you anywhere. So
be nice but firm in stating your displeasure. An example might be, " The
camera equipment arrived today and I must agree it does look as if it has
been used very little. Unfortunately the 35-80mm Zuiko has a significant
fungus growth on the inside, which needs to be dealt with to get it to the
point where it can be fully functional."
2) Offer two or three solutions and be sure you would be happy with each one.
An example might be something like this. "Although I'm interested in the
entire package of equipment I purchased from you, this lens was the most
important part to me, which may help you to understand my disappointment in
finding the fungus growth inside of it. I would like to offer several
possible solutions to this problem. 1) Credit my PayPal account with $350
which should cover the cost of the repairs and any diminished value due to
possible coating damage. 2) Let me return the lens to you and you credit my
PayPal account with $850. 3) Let me return the entire package to you and you
refund the entire amount I paid for the equipment and shipping."
3) Ask them what they want to do and then be flexible if they counter offer,
although I can't remember anyone ever counter offering. They are usually
going to take choice 1 or 2 as they won't want to refund your money. I would
keep this simple, "Let me know what you want to do to resolve this issue.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you."
So that is how I would deal with it and I would ask question on the front end
about things which concern me, such as fungus, scratches, sticky mirrors,
meters not working, etc. This should help if a problem arises. Bill Barber
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