The art of partial refund

[GPX | 1,374]

The part of selling nobody likes to experience, yet, probably most of us have/will come across - negotiating for a partial refund! 

In the recent weeks I’ve had the unfortunate experience of trying to work out a partial refund both as a seller and as a buyer. 

Seller me: sold 3 CIB disc-games, one of which buyer claimed “not as described” as I had listed them in VGC and one disc didn’t work. The game sold for $65 and buyer wanted $30. I initially offered $20, as I felt a disc-clean would likely get the game working. In the end, I decided not worth arguing to-and-fro, and refunded the $30 (~45%) refund.

Buyer me: purchased a bundle of CIB cart-games. It was listed as “like new” with pics not detailing the flaws. Upon receiving them, they were generally in “VGC”, with some damaged boxes, manuals with general creases, and most carts were dusty. The total was $850 and I was hoping for roughly 10% partial refund. The seller has yet to get back to me, and I’m thinking Ebay will likely intervene eventually. Hopefully, I’m able to return the bundle for a full refund if seller fails to communicate.

What are some of your recent/memorable experience(s) with negotiating a partial refund? Do you have a working formula for when things go wrong?

[fcgamer | 4,754]

I rarely ask for refunds or partial refunds, unless something is really, really sideways. 

I'll highlight the problem and ask the seller what they think should be done. If they offer a reasonable solution, and the price of the item wasn't terribly much and the offended wasn't too bad, I'll just let it go. Good attitude and customer service ftw.

If the attitude is piss poor I'll fight them tooth and nail.

[Tanooki | 4,953]

Unless something isn't honest and I can't even try and twist some visual reality into their favor I rarely do the partial, I just want to send it back as it isn't worth the harassment, plus I figure if they lied/covered it up by omission they deserve to eat paying the shipping to take it back.  But if it's there, my fault i leave it alone, if it's questionable I'll work something out fair for both.

 

Now if I have someone wanting a refund, I read carefully what they say, if they supply images I check.  If they don't I ask for them and I've kept extra images I don't post, details, so I can tell if someone is doing a bait and switch.  I'll be non-threatening to start but clear I can check against what they send...and then if I agree they're right, I'll see how reasonable they are vs I am about it.  If it works, it works, if not, I just have them mail it back as I refuse to be taken advantage of.

If it's really smelling like BS I'll call them on it basically throwing a dare to send it back, so far that has worked because maybe they figure I'll call ebay and get their account flagged as odds are they pull that crap on others and don't want to get investigated for patterns.

[RH | 4,982]

If an item isn’t the slightest as described or if there is damage that wasn’t documented, I have no issue asking for a refund.

That said, I have bought either lots with just one bad item, or something “MINT, CIB” but something wasn’t mint and I’d request a partial refund being willing to send back that bad item(s).  It never fails, the seller would rather give a full refund that a partial.  I have no idea why. It try to be honest.  I have received some really nice stuff (imagine a true, mint Box/Manual/Inserts but a worn out game) where I wanted to keep part of the purchase.  Regardless, the sellers have said to send back the whole thing or nothing l, before we even negotiated a refund amount.

Oh well, that’s a greater loss on their end.  They end up paying double-shipping plus have to re-list their item.

[captmorgandrinker | 1,650]

I block people that nitpick for a partial refund, so there's that.

Legit issues I have no problem refunding, but you can tell when somebody planned to do that right from the start.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,595]

I only had to do one refund.  They claimed a disc didn't work so I took their word for it.

Not sure I've ever asked for a refund from an independent seller.  Really the only returns I even do are when I order a book or game from Amazon and they send me a UK/PAL version.

[docile tapeworm | 4,204]

As a seller I don’t mind when someone asks for a partial refund. If I don’t feel comfortable with the buyers proposal I’ll ask for them to return the item for a full refund.

as a buyer I learned early most sellers get some kind of idea when you ask for a partial refund.

[Nintendopower4ever | 88]

I hate partial refunds. I don't ask for them as a buyer even if there is a problem. It feels dirty and I will just report the issue and ask for return shipping costs or let the seller offer if they want to and I accept if they are easy to communicate with and it feels fair to us both. As a seller, I intentionally under grade, take tons of pictures, and list every defect I see even if it costs me sales because I save on headaches.  I've had over 8000 sales with less than 10 total returns for any reason and have only done a partial refund 4 times to avoid problem buyers and it always felt like feedback extortion.

There was a guy on Nintendoage and I think he might still on be on here, but I looked at his Ebay buyer feedback one time and he literally left nothing but tons of negatives for sellers that wouldn't in and give him partial refunds or comments on how easy sellers were to work with to resolve issues and lots of thank yous for full refunds. Then he would just relist everything for sale again anyway lol

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,018]

People do this on purpose, knowing there was some oversight in the listing and hassling the seller. I basically never do a partial refund a seller. I accept returns and if people are satisfied, they can send it back. Ebay has been really good at refunding return shipping too so it's a win win. 

[captmorgandrinker | 1,650]

5 hours ago, docile tapeworm said:

As a seller I don’t mind when someone asks for a partial refund. If I don’t feel comfortable with the buyers proposal I’ll ask for them to return the item for a full refund.

For me it depends on the issue/how they ask.

The last partial I did wasn't even from the guy asking for a partial; it was a Wii game where a corner of the case got cracked in shipping (disc/manual and insert were all still fine).   I offered to either ship a replacement blank case, or offered him 5 bucks to pick up a cheapie game at his local game store to swap cases with and he chose the latter.

[docile tapeworm | 4,204]

I’ve sold thousands of things online and as a buyer if it doesn’t show up as described I’ll ask for a partial without blinking. It won’t be outrageous and I’ll go return/ full refund if that’s the reply. But I certainly won’t feel dirty asking for a partial.

Edited April 10, 2022 by docile tapeworm

[docile tapeworm | 4,204]

2 hours ago, captmorgandrinker said:

For me it depends on the issue/how they ask.

The last partial I did wasn't even from the guy asking for a partial; it was a Wii game where a corner of the case got cracked in shipping (disc/manual and insert were all still fine).   I offered to either ship a replacement blank case, or offered him 5 bucks to pick up a cheapie game at his local game store to swap cases with and he chose the latter.

I’d say it’s certainly case by case and no doubt people will try to take advantage.

my listings go like this from mint to poor.

condition: acceptable 

description: authentic original item. Tested working. Pictures are of actual items you will receive.

Set my bin for top shelf nice condition and $.99 let it ride for common poor condition.

seems to work pretty good on weeding out. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by docile tapeworm

[Bonanza125 | 55]

I give full refund upon return of the item for items not described or damaged during shipment. Giving them what they wanted will encourage the buyer they can demand what they want to any seller and chances are like user guygamer said perfectly people do this on purpose.  My suggestion is make sure you test anything you put up for sale.

[Tabonga | 2,348]

I have only asked for a partial refund a few times.  One of  the cases where I  did was for the collectible items from a switch game (no game) - of which there were 4 IIRC for $40 plus shipping.  One of them wasn't in there - a plastic key chain.  The seller thought his kids had likely taken it.  It was the least of the 4 items in terms of desirablilty (for me) so we agreed on a $7.50 refund.  

Edited April 10, 2022 by Tabonga

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

The only time I ever asked for one was the time that I specifically paid extra money for specific upgraded shipping that was offered, and the seller just sent everything via non-tracked media mail anyway.  They tried to immediately just have me return the lot (which went for like 10% of what it might have), denied the request, issued me a return after I'd told them I didn't want to, then eBay went ahead and issued me the partial refund for just my shipping (after the seller had begun harassing me for not having returned the lot I got a deal at auction on).  They then followed up with trying to get me to tell them I'd revise my feedback if they gave me something, in a gambit to be able to show eBay what I'd done and have the negative I left them over the experience removed.

For the most part I can't see the use in requesting one save for in cases such as mine, as it's just as easy 99% of the time to just return the item for a full refund.  The only exception that comes to mind for me on this would be if you managed to get your hands on something incredibly rare that you wouldn't be able to just go and buy again immediately that ended up having damage deliberately hidden by the seller or that got damaged during shipping, but even then, I'd still think long and hard about just doing the return and washing my hands of it.

[Nintegageo | 582]

I had someone in Italy sell me an MVS cartridge and he shipped it in a giant envelope with bubble wrap. "Shockingly" a piece snapped and he gave me 30$ cause the pcb's were alright.

[Tanooki | 4,953]

Wow just wow...yeah it's a plastic cage, but again it's a plastic cage.  It's not flexible like a game/dvd case at all so it's lucky it didn't shatter and nail the board(s) in the process.

I had a MVS game come in a stupid way too, but when I realize what stupid did all was forgiven and much love mentally given so they wouldn't feel bad like I'd bragged.   I buy a game+possible mini marquee because I think I saw part of it but not in the description.  Dude mails it in the full KIT package and just butcher papers a single wrap around the matching serial kit box.  Given the value, rarity as it doesn't turn up I'm not upset, shocked, stunned at the lack of care and concern but hey...

[AnimalHouse | 117]

If an issue arises. I return for refund. I don't play around with partials unless the seller brings it up and is convincing.

[Tanooki | 4,953]

Im going to have to do something, had a bundle of 3 Super Famicom games, the cheap one showed up, a boot, a very good period quality one that's not so obvious from the image, but still.  I wrote them, haven't said anything so far, it's a $5-10 game but now I have to buy another.