Returns??

uilleann

uilleann

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Nov 20, 2016
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I sold a knife recently. I had a lot of photos to go with it and even a long review video of the knife. The guy gets it and does not like the action and a hot or sharp spot on the handle. I telll him I will do the return but he could fix both issues easily and told him how. He is still sending it back.

So.... was I oblidgated to do the return? I do a lot of ebay selling and used to offer returns but there were too many peope using me like I was amazon or something. So I opted for no returns and no one complains anymore, it did not impact my ability to sell, and I still have a 100% rating.


But I have not used bladeforumes exchange much and wanted advice about how returns work here?
 
First of all, let me state that I am not a seller - strictly a buyer...also, I have never returned anything...but, I want the option and do not buy from anyone who says "no returns"...this isn't eBay...
 
In my opinion, it's your call whether or not to accept the return but I think you are doing the right thing by accepting it. That is unless your sale thread specifically stated No Returns or All Sales Are Final or something to that effect.

It's also my opinion that accepting returns is just part of the selling process on Bladeforums. For me anyway. When I sell a knife on this forum my primary concern is that the buyer is satisfied. If he/she isn't then I would rather accept a return then leave the buyer in an unsatisfactory situation. I would want the same treatment if the tables were turned so the decision is kind of a no brainer for me.

One other option you might consider is a partial refund. The buyer keeps the knife and you refund an amount of your choosing to compensate him for the modification he has to perform on the knife.

I've seen a few sales threads on here that state All Sales Are Final but it doesn't happen often as far as I can tell. Treat the buyer as you would want to be treated. In the unlikely event that buyers abuse the privilege then consider the All Sales Are Final option. I think you'll find that most sales will go smoothly and both buyer and yourself will be satisfied.
 
While these types of returns can be annoying, I will take back any knife that the person isn't satisfied with(as long as they haven't screwed it up). There lies the problem here-if he tries to fix it , he has bought it. You can't return a knife you have been fooling with.
The easiest all around is to take it back,. Otherwise he will probably file a claim . If you describe the item well and provide photo's , this sort of thing will rarely happen . Members are pretty fair here.
In such cases I often offer a cash adjustment equal to what the return and re-selling will cost me-their choice of return or adjustment.
 
If I were only a buyer I would feel the same way. But being both a buyer and a seller changed my perspective. As a seller you have to go through the trouble of taking pictures or vidoes, posting them with the info, communicating with a series of potential buyers, packaging the item, paying for postage, going to the post office, dealing with inquiries about why an item is not there yet. If its returned you have to do that all over again knowing that if you had taken one of the other offers the deal would probably be done.

I have never returned an ebay or a forum or FB page purchase. I would if there was a gross difference between what is described and what I got. For instance I just bought maxace wind. It looks like a great knife but for my preference the lockbar is too difficult, for me, to move for the blade to close. I would not think of returning it as in every other way its is what is described. So I will see if I can fix it.
 
I just had a thought. I did this on ebay before they allowed a "no returns" option. In my description I said that returns were accepted within 7 days of receiving items. Item had to be returned in the same shape it was shipped, and that the return would be the amount paid minus the orginal sellers shipping cost and any handling. That might be overkill as I dont see anyone else doing that on this forum.
 
It sounds like eBay meets you needs as a seller, since you can sell without allowing returns. Why wouldn't you just continue to sell there?
 
You are probably doing the right thing by taking the return. I would never consider returning a knife unless the seller was trying to pull a fast one. If I was the returnee, I would definitely put some cash in the knife box to cover your loss. $7 is definitely worth terminating a "bad knife" deal for both sides.
 
LastRodeo said:
It sounds like eBay meets you needs as a seller, since you can sell without allowing returns. Why wouldn't you just continue to sell there?
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If this continues to happen i might do that. But they do have a charge for each item where FB and this forum do not. And my feeling is that FB posts and this forum have a wider potential buyer base.

So, I will keep trying and see what happens.
 
mwhich50 said:
You are probably doing the right thing by taking the return. I would never consider returning a knife unless the seller was trying to pull a fast one. If I was the returnee, I would definitely put some cash in the knife box to cover your loss. $7 is definitely worth terminating a "bad knife" deal for both sides.
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The problem on this deal was one of preference not a bad knife. I think I posted the sale with 10 high quality photos and a 10 min video review that I did of the knife. I do not think anyone could have provided more info. But everyone had their own preference in how a knife should open and close and how it should feel in the hand. I adjusted this knife with cleaning, lubing, and lock bar adjustments so that it flipped open smartly and had a drop close. This guy felt the drop close was a safety hazard and was afraid to carry it. And felt there was a hot spot of the handle for him. I never noticed that. I told him how to fix both but he must be a knife owner who does not work on knives.`. I am elaborating on the situation so that you all know that this was NOT a "bad knife"... it was a buyer, who despite seeing all the pics and video, did not like the way the knife handled and was unwilling to fix it.

I am refunding his payment, minus the postage that I paid, I am just not happy about it..... And I assume that he is not happy either that he had to return it.
 
I would like to think of Bladeforums as a community more than just a marketplace. I wouldn't feel right not doing a return unless the buyer was trying to take advantage in some way. Even then I would probably do the return , put that person on ignore and never do business with them again.
 
uilleann said:
If this continues to happen i might do that. But they do have a charge for each item where FB and this forum do not. And my feeling is that FB posts and this forum have a wider potential buyer base.

So, I will keep trying and see what happens.
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Thanks for answering honestly. I was hoping you would. Those are the benefits of selling here. It is a community of enthusiasts. Because that is the environment, the cost is less. You also have an advantage here to target a specific audience, who are knowledgeable of the product, market and cost.

The downside (for you) is that as a community, we have expectations of those transactions that is higher than eBay and includes the potential for returns.

If you are an enthusiast yourself, welcome. This is a great place (the entire site, not just the Exchange).
 
LastRodeo said:
It sounds like eBay meets you needs as a seller, since you can sell without allowing returns. Why wouldn't you just continue to sell there?
Click to expand...

The "No Returns" notion on eBay is just a fallacy! If a buyer files a claim that the item was not as described, the eBay's buyer protection policy kicks in and the seller will have to accept returns.

In this case, if the buyer was merely unhappy with hot spots or sharp ergos on the handles, he should've perhaps done more research on the knife because unless the seller was either deceptive or simply ignorant in excluding to disclose some blatant faults / flaws with the knife, the buyer ought not feel entitled to thinking that if he doesn't like it he may return it. The notion that it is a community and not a marketplace is a two way street.
 
You quoted the wrong guy, it was the OP that made the statement about eBays return policy and it's advantages for him. I only asked why if that was his opinion, he would not just continue to sell there.
 
uilleann said:
The problem on this deal was one of preference not a bad knife. I think I posted the sale with 10 high quality photos and a 10 min video review that I did of the knife. I do not think anyone could have provided more info. But everyone had their own preference in how a knife should open and close and how it should feel in the hand. I adjusted this knife with cleaning, lubing, and lock bar adjustments so that it flipped open smartly and had a drop close. This guy felt the drop close was a safety hazard and was afraid to carry it. And felt there was a hot spot of the handle for him. I never noticed that. I told him how to fix both but he must be a knife owner who does not work on knives.`. I am elaborating on the situation so that you all know that this was NOT a "bad knife"... it was a buyer, who despite seeing all the pics and video, did not like the way the knife handled and was unwilling to fix it.

I am refunding his payment, minus the postage that I paid, I am just not happy about it..... And I assume that he is not happy either that he had to return it.
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It's good to refund in this case, and keep the BF member happy, as long as the knife is returned in the original condition. If the knife was factory NIB, the buyer would probably have just kept it. Since you say that you did some enhancements to the action, I could see where the buyer may have some doubts, and may be afraid to further alter the condition.
 
LastRodeo said:
Thanks for answering honestly. I was hoping you would. Those are the benefits of selling here. It is a community of enthusiasts. Because that is the environment, the cost is less. You also have an advantage here to target a specific audience, who are knowledgeable of the product, market and cost.

The downside (for you) is that as a community, we have expectations of those transactions that is higher than eBay and includes the potential for returns.

If you are an enthusiast yourself, welcome. This is a great place (the entire site, not just the Exchange).
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I think I could more accurately be described as an addict..... I guess enthusiast is a more positive term..... but less accurate. ;-)
 
If someone consistently buys items and returns them because of one reason or another, yet the item is as described then we could say that is a malicious buyer, a tire kicker to use a term. That kind of person will not last here and will garner our attention quickly. Buyers are expected to know what they are purchasing and not make sellers pay for a test drive to see if they like an item or not.

The same goes for seller, they are expected to provide an accurate and honest description of the item they are selling. There should always be pictures of the item that are focused and well lit. Misrepresenting items (say the item is NEW when it has been owned by 9 different people) is also not allowed here and is treated much the same as the malicious buyer. Purposely misrepresenting items is another way to get on our radar.

The bottom line is that people MUST do as much research as they need before they buy or sell anything. Why waste your time and that of another person playing email tag trying to get something fixed. If everyone just operated this way, there would be much less problems with transactions.
 
I had the same problem a while back. The buyer decided he didn't want the knife after he received it. There was nothing wrong with the knife, he just changed his mind. I told him that I disagreed with his returning the knife, but I took it back to avoid potential negative feedback. However, I did tell him that I would not be doing any business with him in the future. In my opinion, the only justifiable reason for returning a knife you have purchased from another forum member is if the knife was not as described in the listing. The "this is a community so it's okay" rationale is a lame excuse for not being mature and responsible enough to uphold your end of a business transaction.
 
I'm actually curious how returns work here as well. I recently returned a knife because it was not as described, and the seller seemed very understanding and accepted, but the last reply he gave was his address to return to. Further inquiries from me have not been answered, making me kind of nervous so I took action with PayPal...
 
lieferung said:
I'm actually curious how returns work here as well. I recently returned a knife because it was not as described, and the seller seemed very understanding and accepted, but the last reply he gave was his address to return to. Further inquiries from me have not been answered, making me kind of nervous so I took action with PayPal...
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Again,. research the seller if you are buying. Look to see how they post (do they know what they are talking about?), where they post (do they sell only or do they know this is a community and not only a sales place), do they have a track record for being upfront and honest (do they follow through on their commitments?), etc.
Are they a forum troll or do they contribute to the overall positive experience this forum provides? That is one way to help you figure out the kind pf temperament and attitude a person may have when dealing with them. Some people will not deal with new people for fear of inexperience. I cannot say I blame them for wanting to have some measure of security. New folks need to be careful too, remember if using paypal don't pay the sellers fees (unless you have a philanthropic nature and extra money), do not self revoke your buyers protection. If you get into trouble, contact the moderators or start a thread in Tech Support.
 
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