Buyer Pulls Adapter From Shaft and Claims Shaft is Damaged

[ALTSean]

Looking for WRX suggestions. I sold a driver shaft on the Electronic Bay and the buyer received it yesterday. He wrote to me this morning and stated ". . .I went to remove the ping adapter as I always do to put on my Taylormade adapter. I’ve done this several times and have the tools and when I removed the adapter the shaft is damaged. I was just reaching out to ask if you knew and obviously I can’t use it and I see you don’t have returns?" 

 

The shaft and adapter were not damaged when I shipped them and I had used the shaft a few weeks prior. The buyer does not state that the box was damaged during shipping. My initial reaction is that the buyer messed up while pulling off the adapter so I am not inclined to accept a return, but I know E-Bay sides with the buyer in most cases. I have perfect feedback so I don't want to mess that up and the cost of the shaft was only $50 sold. Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Stryker93]

Item was altered by buyer, and now requesting return. Don't think you would lose this one. No return if it was me

[SubaruWRX]

eBay does side with the seller once the buyer alters the item. He owns it now.

 

Unless he had compelling evidence that it really was damaged before he started working on it, I’d just tell him you won’t accept the return now that he altered it. And keep his correspondence with you so you can show eBay that he did indeed alter your item.

[hckymeyer]

Tough one there, I would be inclined to agree with you that it's much more likely the shaft was damaged due to the removal of the adapter. But if you didn't install the adapter yourself and see the shaft under it then it's always a small possibility it actually was damaged.

I would want to see pictures of before and after and what exactly the damage is.

At the end of the day can you say with 100% certainty that it was not damaged under the adapter and you just didn't know it? If you can then I would still try to fight it. The buyer altered the shaft and I would hope that would negate any claim they would have.

I understand wanting to protect your feedback on ebay though and it's a relatively small dollar amount. At the end of the day you have to ask yourself one question... Is the juice worth the squeeze?

[brkuck]

Unless he can prove that it was damaged before he changed it, then the Bay should side with you. He changed it and has no proof that it was damaged before he did. You should be OK.

[ALTSean]

Thanks for the quick replies guys. I am going to e-mail the seller and tell him I cannot accept a return because he altered the shaft. I'll keep this thread open and provide an update in case anyone is interested.

[SubaruWRX]

eBay will also protect your feedback. I had a similar situation and eBay sided with me as the seller, and they rejected the buyers claim. After he left negative feedback, I contacted eBay and they removed the feedback he left me.

 

Wasn’t golf related. It was a set of high end bicycle wheels. He used them and I assume wrecked. Then he took them to a shop to have them trued. They couldn’t get them straight so he filed a claim, but had told me in an eBay message that the shop couldn’t true them. That’s worked on and altered and eBay sided with me. When I shipped them, the wheels were brand new and spun perfectly.

[straightshot7]

I'm not a shaft expert but what damage would make the club unusable? Couldn't he just put the new adaptor on and use it? Or does any damage near the tip ruin the shaft?

[bking556]

For a $50 shaft that he messed up, he's pretty ballsy to even try to pass the blame. He deserves negative feedback for sure.

[brkuck]

The buyer could have done a few things to mess it up. Overheating is always common when pulling the tips. Pulling too hard while heating can lead to issues too.

Or, this could be buyers remorse and he is looking for a way to get his money back.

 

 

[SubaruWRX]

Sadly, sellers can’t leave negative feedback for buyers. Never understood why they changed to this policy. Doesn’t make sense to me.

[cardia10]

I recently received my first negative in 700 transactions. Had left over wal mart LOL surprise dolls I had gotten for my daughter. Listed a couple extras for basically no profit and a lady claimed they were fake and gave me a negative. I sent eBay the Wal Mart receipt where I bought them and they still left me a negative. I left her a positive but trashed her hoping someone may read it since sellers can’t leave a negative. I’m guessing she didn’t get the doll she wanted. Pretty much pushed me from selling too much on EBay anymore as I had 100% proof the item I sold was fine and eBay still sided with her. I’m the end, leave a positive but trash the person. That is about all you can do.

[straightshot7]

Okay thanks. That's what I was thinking in that if the damage did not actually affect playability, then this could just be buyer's remorse. I wasn't sure what shaft damage actually affects playability.

[SubaruWRX]

In golf terms, eBay sees the possibility of buying a Circle T putter from Scotty’s gallery in Encinitas and ordering one from dhgate and selling the counterfeit, but emailing a copy of the authentic CT receipt that you kept. I get it and it sucks for honest sellers. eBay has really taken the side of the buyer even with nearly unrealistic circumstances.

[Krt22]

Ask for pictures of the damage as well as what equipment was used. 99% chance it is operator error. Either way, no refund, he did his own club work, he is liable.

[rynobucket]

Were any pictures provided? Somebody saying they have 'all the tools' means nothing, they could be referring to a crow bar and an propane torch. I wouldn't offer a refund as more than likely the buyer caused the issue (if one indeed exists).

[ALTSean]

UPDATE: I told the buyer that I would not accept a return since he altered the shaft. He replied "Ok thanks for the response I can just cut the canard part to make a 3 wood. Thanks"

 

Hopefully the issue is done and settled.

[Anser]

He probably tries that crap all the time. WTF is a canard on a shaft lol

[NAM2212]

That took a compelling turn. I was expecting a much different reply from the buyer. I guess there are some reasonable people left out there.

[bking556]

I think it's more of an admission of guilt than being reasonable. He tried to get away with it and it backfired.

If I bought a shaft that was legitimately damaged not because of my own doing, I would fold that easily.

[seslwr1]

I think it’s been resolved correctly. Remember, the buyer is purchasing shafts with wrong adapters on them. He does this so he can buy it at a discount and then put whatever adapter on it that he wants. Every so often, he’ll screw one up. However, he’s still ahead financially.

[SubaruWRX]

Agreed. He tried and struck out. He’s probably the same guy that buys stuff at Costco and uses it a few months just to return it once the job is done.

[huskerturf]

I actually saw a dude returning a whole pile of stuff at Costco that was four and five years old. Dishes, cookware, pendant lights...and all in original boxes. Crazy.