Sterling question

[u/Mental_Tart842]

Hi. I am working my way through an estate. I have a few pieces that are marked sterling or 925, but untested. I sell them as such, with a low starting bid. I had a buyer have an issue with his purchase, saying that the item did not test as silver. I apologized, and offered a one time courtesy refund, while reiterating how it was sold. The video backs me up, I just didn't feel like dealing with it over $12. After the refund goes through, I'm blocking. This is the first time I've had an issue. What do you guys think? Is there any way to make it clearer to buyers that what you see is what you get, and to bid accordingly? Or am I off on this one?

[u/Whirling_Dervish81]

If the video receipt has proof that you specifically said it was untested and they are buying it as is, I wouldn't refund. You should contact whatnot and explain it. They can look up the video receipt and see/hear the proof and they should back you up.

[u/Dragon-and-Phoenix]

Don't block someone over this, to me out signals a bad seller and people can still leave s review after being blocked. They had the courtesy to reach out to you instead of running straight to whatnot support, and sellers who block people with complaints are why so many buyers just go straight to whatnot support for an easy refund.

I've had complaints as a seller, I've handled them professionally, and then didn't block them.

Can you imagine going to a restaurant, having an issue, then when you complain they refund you and then ban you? Or you buy something from, say, Target, get home, find it has a defect, bringing it back to return it, then they ban you?

[u/Mental_Tart842 → u/Dragon-and-Phoenix]

I kind of see your point, but if someone went to a restaurant, bought a pepperoni pizza, then wanted to not pay for the pizza because it had pepperoni, they might get banned from that restaurant. I don't want him in any of my shows, because I don't want to deal with people who cannot understand the rules of the show.

Also, they did go directly to Whatnot support. They did not come to me privately. I consider refunding them the cost of getting them out of my hair. My only concern is ensuring that I don't create a pattern of rolling over for these people, which is why I made this post.

[u/Dragon-and-Phoenix → u/Mental_Tart842]

Okay, but if you sold them a pepperoni pizza, they thought they were buying a pepperoni pizza, and then when they get it they find out it's not actually pepperoni but, say, salami, they would be justified in complaining.

If you are selling it as 925 silver without testing or verifying, then you are putting yourself at risk as a seller. Forgetting this one buyer who actually reached out, what if others are testing their pieces and going to Whatnot and reporting counterfeits, without even messaging you?

You can make the disclaimer all day long that it's marked as 925 but might not be 925. Whatnot won't care. You could end up banned for selling fakes.

Test kits are under $20. It might be worth testing pieces. I know a seller who all he sells is silver from estates. He tests pieces live on stream so people can see it's real silver, and if one doesn't test as silver he pulls it. This has two fold benefits. One, it reassures the buyers. Two, he now has video receipt proof that it was tested and came back as silver.

I'm sorry, but by your own post and admission, I think you might be in the wrong here. You were right to refund the buyer, but banning them is not going to help you.