What to do when Buyers win disputes based on lies?

[RICKHANSEN]

So, I'll give the scenario and you can comment.

I sold a working watch with a broken back part (new $1500, sold for $150) and the buyer didn't pay. I did an ebay dispute which promptly got a response of 'sorry I've been sick, I'll pay straight away'...and they did. I posted the watch and they received it. A few days later I received emails saying it doesn't work. I asked if theyd follow the manual and sent several pictures of it working on it's different functions. They they said they had pulled it apart and that I was irresponsible and should grow up and give them their money back. I asked politely if they could send photos and possible take somewhere so they could say what was wrong. They didn't and put a paypal dispute in. I again said that we could resolve this if they could send photos and possible take somewhere so they could say what was wrong. Again. they didn't. They were a new Ebayer and I am a regular basically. I contacted paypal to ask for support and all I got was the terms and conditions. Paypal awarded them the dispute win. The watch is currently being returned broken, pulled apart and I have to refund and pay fees etc. I can't fathom this outcome and I have received a one word response from the byer ...'ha'.  I feel betrayer by paypal. I have never had a dispute ever and now I don't trust paypal. Any advice?

[DPCreations]

Perhaps the first mistake was to anger the buyer with an eBay dispute.  Rather than push a buyer to pay for an unwanted item, better to cancel the sale. 

There was no independent party to evaluate the watch when you packaged it.  There was no indpendent party present to evaluate the watch which the buyer.   There is no way to prove which party is tellng the truth.  PayPal generally gives a litte more benefit to the buyer, but the buyer also needs to pay for return shipping with tracking.  It's just the way PayPal works according to the user agreement.

There are risks selling items; there are EXTREME risks selling expensive watches.

You offered to resolve, but you didn't resolve.  You didn't make the best offer for the buyer.

What I do when I have a buyer with issues is make a phone call to discuss the issues and then make my best offer because I don't want a return.  The approach I take is to recognize that there will be a business cost as soon as the buyer has a problem so I look for the option with the least cost.  The most expensive option will generally be to push the buyer into a dispute with PayPal.

[RICKHANSEN]

Interesting comments, and fair. The 'system' is very 'buyer' sided. I would think photo prrof and language usually depicts the intent, but paypal obviously puts generics to decisions. I won't use them for these puposes in the future and I am amazed to say that.

[Whac-A-Mole]

there are watch repairmen,pro and amateur activley looking for watches to repair and resell,you just run into  a bad one.

if he does not pay,then file unpaid item and let Ebay takes care of it,you will get FVF back and relist.

My experience with Ebay is that if you make it cheap,cheapskates do not thank you,all they do is to give you more headache.

It is a disease  and it is spreading.