Postage Stamp Chat Board & Stamp Bulletin Board Forum
 

First, let me say that I am 100% a collector and do not remotely consider myself a stamp dealer. I do not have a stamp business or anything of that nature.

Recently, I sold a few of my extra stamps on eBay. We all end up with extras, so now and then it helps to move them on to fund other stamp purchases.

I listed the items and stated I would refund the purchase price for any reason, including shipping. I failed to mention any return policy for items that were sent to an expertization firm and did not match my description.

Well, I made a mistake on one of my items and the buyer noted the cost of the certificate ($25) when sending me a note to let me know. The stamp sold for $20 and if it had been the rare color variety I advertised as, it had a scott catalog value of around $300.

With condition, actual value probably less than $100 though. The normal stamp of this variety has a scott value of $6, so obviously there is no justifying $20 for it.

I am happy to refund the purchase price and shipping and actually would just tell the buyer to keep the stamp. But this bit about the certificate fee has me wondering what is fair. The buyer made no mention that they would be sending it out for a certificate, but I don't think it matters since I stated no policy concerning this.

I have impeccable feedback after 14 years on eBay (mainly as a buyer) and would hate to get a bad mark over something like this. At the same time, I don't want to be abused for something that was an honest error. I guess the $25 is not that big of a deal, but I don't like feeling I would have to pay it to preserve my feedback.

Any advice on the matter is appreciated.

Hi,

You could stay up all night trying to keep your nose clean on Ebay, but sooner or later someone is going to wreck it for you.

If it were me, I 'd ask for the stamp back and tell them that the certificate was THEIR decision, not yours, and that they will get a full refund for the stamp.

Ebay used to have the ability to 'Reply' to negative feedback so you used to be able to state your case, but I don't know if that can still happen.

Just take it on the chin if you get negative or neutral feedback - Ebay bunnies obviously don't care WHO they buy from if the price is right :-

http://stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=23957

Darrin.

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Visit my Website - http://WWW.DJMSTAMPS.COM for Australia & World Stamps, Collections and Accessories

As I have pointed out countless times, these days it is IMPOSSIBLE for a buyer only to get a Negative or even a neutral -- 105% IMPOSSIBLE.

Therefore EVERY buyer has 100% feedback.

I am sure you are not in the following camp but sadly many buyers lie, abuse, threaten, cheat, claim things never arrive, and get a full refund - and do it all week long and still have 100% perfect feedback.

Why? As it is a 100% cost to sellers, not to ebay.

Cheats and cons are out there in vast numbers these days, due to the stupid paypal refund policies, and sellers have zero protection against them, even if they DO check feedback.

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Re the Cert, tell him to go pound sand if he did not ask your leave or agreeance to get one.

Give him a refund for the stamp and that is all he can ask. All you offered was: "you would refund the purchase price for any reason, including shipping."

Any smart seller on ebay (or anywhere else) offers such debateable items "as is" of course.

Thanks for the replies, makes perfect sense and I just needed some reassurance. I've refunded the original price plus shipping and told the buyer to keep the stamp.

Doesn't matter if you offer "as-is" or not, the outcome will still be exactly the same.

Well, told the buyer that I wasn't paying for the cert. Refunded the auction amount plus shipping and told them to keep the stamp. Was expecting a negative feedback, but they left a positive, but noted the stamp was not as-described and that I didn't pay the cert fee. Guess everything worked out ok.

That sounds reasonable.

I would have thought a reasonable process on the buyer's part would be to contact you advising they thought the stamps was "not as listed", and then negotiating what to do next.

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A man might as well marry ... if he finds a good wife he will be happy ... if not, he will become a philosopher.
Collecting Greater New Guinea & Macropods (Kangaroos & Wallabies).

I just had a similar experience with a stamp that I sold as "thin paper", based on its typical appearance, but it turns out it wasn't. Fortunately all it took to establish that, was the buyer's own micrometer, so no additional costs incurred and I merely refunded his money. I didn't ask him to return the stamp, because it was worthless unless thin.

I take the view that if I describe something as "X shade", based on my own honest belief, and the buyer upon receiving it thinks otherwise, they are welcome to return it, no questions asked, and I refund the purchase cost. If I think they are being unreasonable, my listings do leave it open to me to NOT refund the postage costs, but I have never done that. If it requires expertising to disprove my assertion, that's their cost.

If you are not sufficiently expert to recognise what you're buying, don't buy on Ebay. A rule I often break myself when it comes to buying OS perfins...