Buyer has quality complaints

[cldfusion]

Mo. I recently sold a trumpet. I posted an ad on a third-party site that mentioned that the trumpet was like new, and had no wear. I was contacted by a buyer who requested pictures, and I provided them. I offered to ship securely, but he wanted only the cheapest USPS shipping. He received the trumpet yesterday and is complaining that there are a few signs of wear around the trumpet and that I was false advertising, and is demanding his money back.

Since I gave him pictures, and gave him the opportunity to ask for more of the same, Am I liable if I refuse to refund?

The Buyer is in Canada.

 

[JustAPal00]

No! He owns the trumpet. As long as you didn't hide damage when you took the pictures.

 

[cldfusion]

He wants to request a chargeback from his credit card company on the grounds that there is some wear on the trumpet that does not correspond to my "like new" description on the third-party adsite.

Is there anything I can do? Whats the average time-line for a valid chargeback?

 

[Help34Friend]

Cldfusion,

Are you an online merchant? Since you stated you used a third-party seller to sell the trumpet, I presume you are not. Please correct me if I am wrong on this.

Individuals who sell their used merchandise sell that merchandise "as is," and anyone purchasing used merchandise from an individual--as opposed to a merchant--ought to know the merchandise will have some wear and tear on it, regardless of any "descriptions" offered about the item.

Besides, "like new" does not mean "new." This guy has no basis for his complaint.

Then again, how did you package the trumpet for mailing? If you used a box and enough bubble-wrap you should be covered.

Considering this buyer wanted the cheapest method of shipping, I can only suppose he expected some damage to occur in shipping. Otherwise, he's delusional.

Good luck!