I recently sold a 3 way camping fridge. I advertised it on ebay, but didn't put a buy it now price. The buyer contacted me and asked my buy it now price ($300), I said that I couldn't alter the ebay add. She happily paid for the item via paypal after I had ended the ebay listing early (no bidders), so a private sale. 3 weeks after she has recieved the fridge I get the following email from her: ================================ Iam contacting you regards the chescold I have purchased from you in March. I did trial it on gas that weekend but it did not work. I have 2 friends that have the exact model of this fridge and they tested it and it still did not function. I have been holding off contacting you as I took it to a chescold/dometic service electrician and I needed a report to see what was wrong with it. He contacted me today and said that gas pipes were blocked with mud and the gas line needed a new hose protector to keep the heat in the pipe line to keep the fridge cold. This service and repair cost is $220. You stated in your advert that all 3 functions were in good working order and I therfore feel I should be reimbursed for these costs. If you wish I can send you a copy of the service invoice. ========================================= I replied the same day offering to refund on return of the fridge, stating that it had worked last time we used it and that possibly dust and soot could have been knocked loose in transit / storage and that I hadn't tested the gas prior to sending it (we did test on mains and it froze as it should). I should have tested on gas as well prior to sending, so she is fairly entitled to a refund, I don't dispute that. Next day I get this email : ================================== Shipping the fridge back to you will result in financial loss for me as I have already incurred costs for the fridge to be fixed. As I said earlier, this servicing was necessary for me to ascertain what the problem was in the first place. If we cannot reach an amicable resolution, I will be forced to escalate this issue and lodge a formal complaint. ================================= So, she has already paid for it to be fixed and now expects me to re-imburse her, all without her letting me know there was an issue. I have no idea what to do here. If she had contacted me straight away prior to spending money I would have refunded her happily. But there is no way I want to pay $220 for a repair to something I don't have. These fridges are worth $150 when they only run on electricity on ebay, and my husband is confident he can clean the pipes out himself and get it going on gas as well as mains. If she lodges with paypal with they make me pay for a repair I didn't autherise? Or will they make her return the fridge for a refund? What should I do?
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