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Dissapointed buyer, item malfunctions experience?

I sold a nice CD player that functioned perfectly up to the time I shipped. Buyer plugs it in and only one channel works. Box looks like no mishandling occured during shipping.
I spoke to the buyer, ( really nice guy). I also felt really bad about the item not functioning properly. I was going to refund all ship cost and payment.

He actually wanted to keep the unit so we agreed to have the unit fixed at my cost and I pay for ship to and from authorized repair shop.

This is the first time I have had to pay to have anything fixed that I have sold. I have been lucky and should be grateful because every transaction is a gamble.

I am curious as to what others have done in this situation and what possible pitfalls might occur during the repair process.

What has been your experience and is there actually a set of rules we should follow when this happens?
thanks
Matt
shoe
aball
2,016 posts
 
What happens is totally dependent on the type of buyer you get. Some people don't want to deal with anything so then a refund is in order, one guy fixed it himself, another split the repair costs with me, etc. Many buyers realize that things won't always be perfect and that buying used gear can have some consequences that must be dealt with. That is the tradeoff for the good price. :)

Pitfalls are everywhere - whether you fall in them or not is dumb luck. In my experience, there are no rules - every situation and problem is different. Most of the time it works out smoothly but it can drag on for a while before finally arriving at that point. Be happy you ended up with a nice and communicative buyer.

Arthur
tgrisham
1,291 posts
 
I always hold my breath. All the gear I have sold has been in near-perfect condition and everything has worked out. But, it would be just my luck to have a piece malfunction just when it gets to the buyer. I sold a piece two months ago, contacted the buyer, he had not plugged it in because the rest of his gear hadn't arrived. I still haven't heard from him, but wondered, "what would I do if two months later he said it didn't work?". It is always a gamble. But, frequent contact with the buyer, his/her posts, his/her selling history and feedback are all we have. Your buyer should be grateful it was you, and it wasn't eBay!
elevick
2,636 posts
 
You did the right thing. Did you try insurance from the shipper? They might cover it.
I actually sold a cd player once and the repair was more than it was worth. I refunded the entire amount and let the buyer keep it (not worth shipping back).
sc53
718 posts
 
It's nice you all appear willing to refund payment and shipping immediately if something malfunctions after it has arrived at the buyer--but we are NOT dealers who have an obligation to refund and accept the unit back! I would file a claim with the shipping company or have the buyer get an estimate on repairs then offer to split the cost of repairs. But take the unit back, when it was fine when it left me? That's a risk buyers assume, I thought! At least that's what I have thought the couple of times I've had gear malfunction after buying it used on Audiogon. I knew I had to get it repaired; if it was a major repair I might ask the seller for help but he's really not obligated at all. Providing money back guarantee is not something I do or feel equipped to do. Anything can and has happened with FedEx, USPS, UPS etc.
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