Ebay Selling Problem (please help!)

I sold my VZW HTC Touch Pro on ebay over 2 weeks ago. The buyer just emailed me:

I took the phone to Verizon to register it and noticed both the phone and battery water sensors are red, indicating the phone was in water. This is quite upsetting after spending $xxx on this phone. I wanted to communicate with you prior to leaving feedback. Please give me a call.

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WTF? I had the phone for a week and the phone never had any water damage, or was ever even CLOSE to water or steam, etc. He's had the phone for almost 2 weeks.

What should I do?

sounds like he might be trying to pull one over on you. if you know for sure you never put it in water and he didn't notice the package was wet or previously wet when he received it, then there is nothing you can really do. Another thing to think about...Verizon is known for selling refurbished/used phones as new so that might be the case now. my girlfriend bought a brand new glyde only to find out somebody else's contact list was already in the phone. That is the second time this has happened to her.

Originally Posted by hootdocta5

sounds like he might be trying to pull one over on you. if you know for sure you never put it in water and he didn't notice the package was wet or previously wet when he received it, then there is nothing you can really do. Another thing to think about...Verizon is known for selling refurbished/used phones as new so that might be the case now. my girlfriend bought a brand new glyde only to find out somebody else's contact list was already in the phone. That is the second time this has happened to her.

He also emailed me 3 days ago and I just responded now. If I really purchased a like-new phone and had water damage, I'd be so pissed! That and the fact that water was even near the device, is making me wonder

what do others think?

From the way it sounds he may be trying to pull on over, but do you think it's possible that moisture not like being submerged, but from sweat or something like that, could have gotten into the phone and caused the sensors to turn red.

Originally Posted by addict83

From the way it sounds he may be trying to pull on over, but do you think it's possible that moisture not like being submerged, but from sweat or something like that, could have gotten into the phone and caused the sensors to turn red.

probably not, I only had the phone for a week. The buyer has the phone for over 2 weeks now...and all of a sudden they say there is water damage?

Would this case be easy for me to win in a paypal claims dispute?

What is the buyer asking for?

nothing actually. I posted the original email. He was actually referring to the feedback, not even the money/refund.

this means the phone is obviously functioning normally

I think if you stated "as is, no warranty" in your ebay add to sell that you are okay. The buyer has had it longer than you did, I would suspect that maybe he got water in it, if indeed the sensors are red.

Well unless you took a picture of the phone's inside with the battery cover OFF, and clear pictures of the moisture stickers in the phone and battery, before you sent it to him, with a news paper from the day that you sent it, or a certified note from VZW that the moisture detectors were not red before you sent the phone, there really is not much you can do about it.

As it stands there is no way to prove it was fine before it left, or that it was exposed to moisture during shipping or in the two weeks the new owner has had the phone.

Ask what condition the packaging was in when he got it, and if he still has it.

You really can only ask the new user what he wants.

And I have a feeling this is how it's going to play out....

He will claim he sent several emails as soon as he got the phone that you did not respond to.

He will claim it was damaged before he got it, (More likely just tried of the phone and wants something else)

He will want all of his money back.

Ebay will more likely than not, side with him and you will have to pony up and give his money back. Unless you can prove the condition of the phone before it was shipped

Yes it's a pain in the rump roast to get letters of proof of condition for an item before you sell it, and make CLEAR CLOSE UP pictures of the items, to document ID numbers, stickers, etc. as well as time and date proof, which you keep copies of and send with the package as well as email to the buyer. Pack in such a way as to protect electronics from the weather during shipping and insure the package as well.

But I hope in the future that more people will do these EXTRA steps before selling anything via Craigslist, Ebay or any other auction/online site.

yeah, the funny thing is he still hasn't responded to my email, it took me 3 days to respond to his email.

he is totally calm about everything apparently (i would be pissed if someone sold me a water damaged phone) and mentioned FEEDBACK not REFUND, which makes me think he's just trying to see if he can possibly return it, or maybe he didn't realize he activated the water sticker to turn positive?

I stated I will not accept returns for the item.

Also he has now had had the phone for THREE WEEKS.

I also gave him a free 8 GB mem card, and cut his shipping costs in half because I was being generous. If he files a complaint, I'm going to be very pissed.

Originally Posted by unprocessed9

I stated I will not accept returns for the item.

Also he has now had had the phone for THREE WEEKS.

I also gave him a free 8 GB mem card, and cut his shipping costs in half because I was being generous. If he files a complaint, I'm going to be very pissed.

Not taking returns if it was damaged (which is his claim), could be looked at as it was in fact damaged before he got it, and the cut in shipping and the freebie, could also be looked at, as hope he does not notice until it's too late.

It's very possible, he got a good deal, got tired of the phone, sold it to a buddy, who got it wet, and now he's looking to get his buddy a new phone. No telling why he's being quiet other than he's waiting to hear back from Ebay on what steps to take in filing a formal complaint.

So what can you do? Since it's after the fact, get a copy of everything that you shipped to him, as far and the packing materials are concerned. Find an electronics fix-it shop near you and see if they have some of those moisture indicator dots/strips, and make a package like you mailed to him, and send it to someone across the country and have them send it right back to you.
You will need to put indicators ON the outside of the package. Inside the package, and on top of and inside of, any wrapping you may have put on/around the phone. What you want to prove is, if it got wet in shipping how it could have gotten wet from the outside in.

Take a picture of the package BEFORE you mail it, and have the person on the other end also take a picture of it before they send it back. You both should have that days newspaper headline in the photo with the package.

This way you at least show that you know it could/could not have happened during shipping and must have happened after arriving during the time he had it before contacting you. You are going to need something to show Ebay you know what you are doing when shipping electronic items. Hopefully you had the phone insured, because they are going to want to know why if you didn't.

not everyone on eBay is honest and if it took 2 weeks to find out it had water damage then he must of done it and just wants to see how gullable you will be. has he already left you feedback? I take phones to the store for activation as soon as I receive them not 2 weeks later. Sounds Fishy. Bet he just wants money back so he can say he got a free phone.

Originally Posted by BlkBear

Not taking returns if it was damaged (which is his claim), could be looked at as it was in fact damaged before he got it, and the cut in shipping and the freebie, could also be looked at, as hope he does not notice until it's too late.

It's very possible, he got a good deal, got tired of the phone, sold it to a buddy, who got it wet, and now he's looking to get his buddy a new phone. No telling why he's being quiet other than he's waiting to hear back from Ebay on what steps to take in filing a formal complaint.

So what can you do? Since it's after the fact, get a copy of everything that you shipped to him, as far and the packing materials are concerned. Find an electronics fix-it shop near you and see if they have some of those moisture indicator dots/strips, and make a package like you mailed to him, and send it to someone across the country and have them send it right back to you.
You will need to put indicators ON the outside of the package. Inside the package, and on top of and inside of, any wrapping you may have put on/around the phone. What you want to prove is, if it got wet in shipping how it could have gotten wet from the outside in.

Take a picture of the package BEFORE you mail it, and have the person on the other end also take a picture of it before they send it back. You both should have that days newspaper headline in the photo with the package.

This way you at least show that you know it could/could not have happened during shipping and must have happened after arriving during the time he had it before contacting you. You are going to need something to show Ebay you know what you are doing when shipping electronic items. Hopefully you had the phone insured, because they are going to want to know why if you didn't.

Seeing this and the other post you made Never Ever Ever Ever buy anything from me if I see your screen name on a sale I'll deny it. No one is gonna do all that garbage to prove a point, or all that junk before shipping a product. I'll take pics with my "Date Back" camera and use negative film not digital so I got proof it was not altered in photo shop but forget that finding a news paper and garbage like that we got these programs called PHOTO SHOP any thing can be faked unless you got negatives to back up. And I buy tons of stuff off ebay that6 is just tossed in a yellow envelope and mailed including one cell phone and one 3 mem cards and none were water damaged and from Cali to Miss if it could get wet trust me it would. and one mem card was from China in a yelow envelope that one definatly showld of got doused but didn't.

interesting.

When I purchased my brand new Touch Diamond for Sprint. I noticed the watch sensor things were pinkish. Somebody on ppcgeeks mentioned that was the stock color. turns out they were right.

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Luvitlo, well maybe nobody will do anything before the fact, but AFTER the fact, there is not much a person can do to prove an item was in good condition before it was shipped. But doing a few thing like taking pictures of important things like Serial Number sticker and dated material like a newpaperr headline, will help when shipping disputes come up, especially for that one out of 1000 person that may claim you sent X when they bought Y.

Personally I have yet had a problem with Ebay sales or things I have bought. Maybe it's because I take an extra step or to to make sure there are not problems about an items condition.

But again the OP was asking about what to do now, without any proof so far as to the items condition to protect himself, from what is sure to be the buyer's claim to Ebay that the water damage happened before the phone was shipped.

And sure YOU have a camera with a "data back", but if you had done what the OP, you'd have nothing as well. And if the buyer was/is scamming there are easier ways than using PhotoShop to scam.

It does not matter how many thing you have sent that didn't get water damage sticker to turn red, the OPs claim is it happened while in the Buyers hands or during shipping. And again no way to prove this to Ebay after the fact.

But until the buyer makes his move, the OP is kinda in a holding pattern.

Oh and Luvitlo, if I had bought something from you that arrived damaged, you'd have heard from me mins after I opend the package, not weeks later like in the OPs case.

Originally Posted by luvitlo

Seeing this and the other post you made Never Ever Ever Ever buy anything from me if I see your screen name on a sale I'll deny it. No one is gonna do all that garbage to prove a point, or all that junk before shipping a product. I'll take pics with my "Date Back" camera and use negative film not digital so I got proof it was not altered in photo shop but forget that finding a news paper and garbage like that we got these programs called PHOTO SHOP any thing can be faked unless you got negatives to back up. And I buy tons of stuff off ebay that6 is just tossed in a yellow envelope and mailed including one cell phone and one 3 mem cards and none were water damaged and from Cali to Miss if it could get wet trust me it would. and one mem card was from China in a yelow envelope that one definatly showld of got doused but didn't.

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Only time I ever made a paypal claim was a seller whom cut out right after the sell and paypal worked fast. I have got stuff the wrong Color and faulty DVD players but the sellers always make it good. I hate that someone would lie to get a seller in trouble.

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