Customer is requesting a return for a faulty CD I know isn't faulty
I’ve had a return request on a CD.
Return reason: Performance or quality not adequate
Customer comments: Awful sound quality - very muffled & crackling.
The thing is I happened to listen to this CD before I sent it - it’s the Very Best of the Pogues.
I don’t usually do this but I happen to like the Pogues and it was a used CD.
When I played it (through my headphones on my computer) it sounded perfect. I also ripped it to my computer and I just checked and the mp3 version sounds perfect as well.
I suspect when I get it back it will still be perfect and that the customer has invented the fault to get a free return.
If I thought the fault was genuine I would normally refund without return, and maybe the customer is hoping I will.
Can I refuse to refund the return postage costs if the fault doesn’t exist?
Should I let the customer know that I know that the CD isn’t faulty?
Any suggestions?
35 replies
Seller_EHYOwAkoZV3Hb
You should accept the return as the customer is within their right to reurn. If you find that the cd is not faulty, you need not refund the return postage.
This will of course mean that the customer can leave negative feedback so for you to decide if you are happy to accept the risk. Is it worth it for a couple of quiz? Only you can determine this.
Seller_DROodOAYHftnc
The cynic in me is thinking that they might return their own previously owned copy which is damaged, and keep your good one.
Seller_NMoAY1ZsmOCqb
Purely as a matter of interest, and based upon the date (early in the month), this buyer isn’t called Lopez (surname) ?
Seller_2BrPSydGy6oyq
The Pogues…‘Awful sound quality - very muffled & crackling.’ 
Are you responsible for the production quality of the discs, if it did not play, then it would be faulty, but given you tested it yourself and it’s a genuine disc and sounds perfect, then I would inform the buyer of this and suggest they try an alternative player before returning for inspection?
More likely they have as you did, ripped it, so nolonger need the disc.
If they insist on returning, then best to accept a return, then decide on the refund once it’s been returned and checked.
Seller_oGFKRixtdkjxL
Tell her to check her headphones and make sure the jack is free of dust - crackling/muffled sound is often an analogue output problem.
Seller_lljyzgTxr5fgI
The message from Rugsy is correct. It doesn’t matter whether or not the CD is perfect or damaged, the customer has the right to return the item without having to give a reason. That is one of the main rules of distance selling. It might be annoying but it’s the rules. And during the Christmas period, Amazon extend the return period considerably to prevent “fly by nights” from ripping customers off and scarpering with their money (as has oft been reported on Ebay).
Seller_LKjg1QRrO36Yq
There’s another possibility not yet mentioned in this thread.
That particular CD is on the Warner label.
Most Warner CDs from that period contain a hidden form of copy protection that will cause them to sound crackly and distorted if played through the computer’s DVD/CD drive.
Not all drives are affected but I seem to recall that drives made by Toshiba and certain other manus have firmware that stops them playing or ripping Warner CDs to mp3.
So…if your buyer played the CD via their computer drive, they could well be telling the truth
Seller_IjUdXgfytlivr
They have probably ripped the CD and just want the money back now. But as you ripped the CD to keep a copy which is also illegal if you don’t keep ownership of the original I can’t find much sympathy for your situation. Of course now you have the original on its way back to you, you will no longer be infringing fair usage rules (as long as you keep the CD this time).
Seller_1vyLJePYDN9hf
I disagree with Steve here. If we all just grant spurious return requests, we encourage them. It’s certainly worth questioning it. I always do so when I think I am being had and often the shame leads them to back off or go silent.
Seller_5QUAuzCvsqiMx
Hello,
You are obviously welcome to your opinion and I respect that. I look at each case on its merits and try to weigh up the potential problems against what I stand to gain. As the OP has primarily raised the issue of who pays for the return postage and not whether or not to refund for the CD itself I do not think the potential hassle is worth the gain. As I said though - I respect your viewpoint on this and am certainly not saying you are wrong. It’s just a different approach to a frequent online problem. I also believe that if the OP made the point that there is nothing wrong with the sound quality then the buyer will ‘invent’ another problem like not as described and so the saga will go on and on.
Steve
Edited by: Archie’s Dad on Jan 6, 2018 2:50 PM
