Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

[OM] OT: How much should I refund this eBay buyer?

Subject: [OM] OT: How much should I refund this eBay buyer?
From: Gary Teller <gmteller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2005 19:25:14 -0400
I'd appreciate hearing/reading some opinions on whether or not you think my 
proposed refund offer is fair.  Here's the basic facts.  Let me state at 
the beginning that all correspondence has been friendly or civil-no anger 
or threats.  Nor has feedback been left by either of us.

6/11/05 Auction for Olympus 35 RC and Vivitar 100 flash ended with winning 
bidder in France.  Auction was clearly marked AS IS and not subject to my 
return policy.  Sold AS IS because of disclosed scratches on 
lens.  Otherwise in excellent working condition.

6/12/05  I sent an invoice to the winner

6/13/05  Received notice of payment from PayPal

6/13/05  Received an e mail from winner telling me payment made and that he 
is leaving France at the end of the week and would appreciate my sending 
camera asap.

6/13/05  Shipped camera and flash via insured Airmail Parcel Post. Terms of 
auction say foreign shipments go either by Air Letter Post without 
insurance or Air Parcel Post with insurance.  Buyer chose the Parcel Post 
option.  I e mailed buyer same day notifying that shipment made and that US 
Postal Service estimates transit time of 4-10 days.

6/21/05 Received e email from buyer asking for tracking number and telling 
me he leaves for Venezuela in three days and wants to be sure he will have 
the camera before then.  I replied same day and told him tracking numbers 
are not issued for this type of shipment.  I also noted that the cost for 
sending a traceable package is prohibitive for most buyers.

7/24/05 Received the following e mail from buyer:

I am back from Venezuela.....without the camera. It
arrived after my departure. At my return, I went to
the post office and they said the camera was back to
the sender in USA, so to you.

Given that I have found an alternative to be able to
take pictures in Venezuela, I do not need the Olympus
anymore as you can imagine. So I do not want you to
send it again to me, I would prefer you to pay me back
the amount I paid to you in June.

Sorry for this but the shipment has been too long.

Thanks in advance for your understanding and for the
confirmation you agree.

7/24/05 I sent the following reply:

I'm sorry to learn the camera did not arrive before your departure to 
Venezuela.  As I mentioned in a previous e mail, the U.S. Postal Service 
does not guarantee a specific transit time for packages mailed to other 
countries.  It is unfortunate that I was not made aware of your pending 
departure until after you won the auction.

I am puzzled why your Postal Service returned the package.  Do you not have 
in France a provision to have the postal authorities hold your mail until 
your return?

As of today, July 25, the camera has not yet been returned to me.  As you 
know from the terms of the auction, the camera was sold "AS IS" and not 
subject to my normal return policy.  However, I will offer you some form of 
refund adjustment. But, I would like to receive and inspect the camera 
before advising you of my refund offer.

I hope this meets with your approval for the time being.  I will notify you 
immediately upon my receipt of the camera.

After 7/24 we exchanged a short series of e mails the gist of which was my 
telling the buyer that the camera has not yet been received and the buyer 
telling me his post office advised him the camera was returned by surface mail.

Today, 8/26/05, the camera finally came home.  Everything looks ok-I don't 
think the package was ever opened by Customs/Postal folks there or 
here.  The buyer paid $51.00 plus $22.60 postage/insurance for a total of 
$73.60.  My eBay and PayPal fees totalled $5.55. I didn't have to pay 
return postage.

Given that this was an AS IS sale and the fact that I wasn't made aware 
upfront that there was a time limit for the buyer to receive the package, 
my inclination is to subtract the fees and postage/insurance from the total 
amount the buyer paid and offer him a refund of $45.45.

So what do y'all think?  Am I being fair and reasonable?  Sorry for the 
long winded post.

Gary


==============================================
List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz