Help Please (Buyer Requesting Money Back ALMOST 5 months after sale)

[DMeier81]

I have slowed down with my dealings on eBay after I had my funds held on several items I sold and haven't sold on eBay in months.  But I opened my email inbox a couple days ago to find an email from a buyer that I sold a Nikon camera to in September.

The buyer, says that the GPS on the camera doesn't work and that he sent it to Nikon and they couldn't find the problem because it wasn't a US model number.  So the buyer contacts me on Jan 25 to let me know that he wants to send the camera back to me on the premise that the camera was not as described, that he wants the shipping of the camera back to me covered, and the shipping of the camera to Nikon covered.

I was amazed, almost 5 months after the item was sold on eBay, this buyer was requesting his money back.  I emailed him back and told him that I had been on the bad end of a couple of transactions in the past and am cautious in dealing in these situations through my own experience and those of friends that have had these run in as well. 

I told the buyer that I requested via email on at least one, maybe two occasions to complete the transaction (leave feedback) after the item was delivered.  In fact, I had purchased a camera case for the camera prior to me listing it on eBay from China and because it hadn't arrived after the camera sold, I sent it separate once it arrived and was prompt in communicating that with him as well.  So I handled my duties as a seller.

Now 5 months later, he is saying something is wrong with the camera.  He said that he gave it as a gift at Christmas and the GPS function never worked.  The camera sat in it's manufactured packaging in my desk for several weeks before I finally decided to just sell it in place of something smaller and less hi-tech.

The camera was sold for over $300 and I've been down this road before, Paypal will likely freeze the amount out of my account to cover this.  But I suggested to him in two emails, one on Monday and then again today in response to his reply to my first email, to contact Paypal and we can deal with it that way.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do this about this situation?  Like I said, I've been down this road before and actually lost the item I sold and the money due to credit card fraud.  This isn't a good feeling to have.  Has anyone been through this 5 months after the transaction?  Any help would be appreciative...thanks!

D

[rainy85]

5 months later? say no. If the item was working when you shipped it, then he cant send it back NOW because HE broke it.

Not the way it works. Pull your money off paypal if you have to.

[DMeier81]

Thanks.  Yeah, I mean it just sounds too fishy to me.  He said that he purchased it as a gift for his son, and the only reason why he bought this particular camera was because of the GPS.  Now 5 months later, he says he wants to send it back because the GPS doesn't work.  There's a lot of time in the middle of the time it was paid for and him contacting me not concerning this matter.  Thanks again.

Any other help or experience in dealing with this type of situation is appreciated.

D

[DMeier81]

The buyer has opened a claim on the item.  Unbelievable!

The buyer has been notified by Nikon that this camera is a Non US 
Product.  Therefore, he is requesting that he be allowed to return the 
item to you for a refund.  Please contact the buyer directly regarding 
this matter.
 

[rainy85]

pull any money off your account and either close your account or take your checking accnt off. you may want to start a new ebay account as well.

[tr_right]

I thought the deadline for filing a claim was 45 days after the sale.  I was denied a claim once because the time was up.  Are you sure a claim was really opened?

[tr_right]

From paypal:

Disputes

If you wish to open a Dispute through PayPal’s Online Resolution Centre you must do so within 45 days of making your payment.