Please can I have some assistance with a transaction turned bad?

Please can I have some opinions on a recent transaction to help me find a solution with a buyer. Here is what happened. I believe we both have good intentions but he believes I’m wrong and I don’t.



·Buyer enquires about a bracelet (7912) I’m selling, and I ask them if they require any additional photos or information.

·Buyer sends me his phone number and email for some additional photos.

·I tell buyer I’ll take some photos tomorrow

·Buyer said if bracelet has no severe issues and I can lower price they will take it as is without further photos.

·Buyer also asks me if I have any 506 or 6 end links

·I tell buyer there are no issues to note on the 7912 bracelet. I also tell him I have a set of 506 ends with a 1035 that I could split.

·Buyer sends an offer for the 7912 and tells me he will need to ask his friend how much he wants to pay for the 506 end links

·I suggest a price for the 506 ends and counter his offer on the 7912 bracelet

·Buyer counters my offer and asked best price for 1035 bracelet with 506 ends

·I accept the buyers offer for the 7912 bracelet

·Buyer confirms deal on the 7912 and tells me he will let me know about the 1035

·Buyer offers on both bracelets

·I counter their offer for both bracelets

·The deal is confirmed, and the buyer asked me for my bank details and provides their address.

·I provide my bank details.



This is so far a deal done without issues but…..


·I double check the bracelets (before the buyer has paid) and notice the 506 end links are not 19mm as they should be, this is odd as they were bought a NOS. I mention this to the buyer and expect them to pull out of the deal specifically saying “Please don't pay for these as I'm not sure your friend will be happy.”

·Buyer talked to his friend and agreed a £300 discount

·Buyer sends funds and I ship both bracelets the same day

·Buyer receives bracelets

·Next day buyer confirms he has received both bracelets “got the bracelets yesterday. Both really good !!!” he also leaves me feedback in the feedback section “bracelet was better condition than described”

·2 weeks later I receive a message from the buyer saying his friend is not happy with the end links! (I had previously said I didn’t think he would be happy, but the buyer confirmed the bracelets were really good). He asked me if I have any other end links or can he return the bracelet

·I mention to the buyer that I’m not really sure what he expects me to do as I’ve already spent the money having made sure he was happy before doing so. I offer to send him a pair of 18mm end links that I have.

·Buyer says he is happy with his bracelet, but he didn’t check with his friend! He asked if we can find a solution.

·I make my offer again to send him some more end links to keep as well as the 506 ones

·Buyer accepts my offer of the additional pair of end links

·I say I’ll send him the 18mm end links today, I post the end links and update the buyer with the tracking info

·Buyer contacts me 1 week after the 18mm end links were delivered saying the end links are useless for the buyer’s friends watch and asked to return the bracelet. He suggests he was expecting another set of 506 end links, but this is not what I said when we agreed a solution.

·He says his friend wouldn’t have bought the bracelet if he had known the endlinks were in this condition (I had suggested before he had paid that he wouldn’t be happy with the end links)

·I tell him I said I would send a pair of 18mm ends as agreed. I also say his friend could have accepted my offer of additional photos or information and that the only description of the bracelet condition was the photos in the listing. I say I haven’t misrepresented the bracelet in any way and ask why his friend didn’t ask for any additional information or photos.

·Buyer says he had assumed the 18mm end links were 506 but in 18mm (obviously these are 19mm). He says, “All this trouble came, because you did not mention, that those endlinks were razed slantwisely” He says his friend didn’t request any pics as he trusted me (again I haven’t misrepresented the bracelet).

·Buyer asked for another set of 506 ends or a return.


Where do you stand on this? I feel I have gone above a beyond what most would do. I was sure the buyer would pull out of the deal and would be happy with the end links and mentioned this in my correspondence with the buyer. Buyer accepted the endlinks knowing they were not right at a reduced cost. I didn’t spend a penny of the money from the two bracelets until the buyer had confirmed they were happy with them (I’m sure most members would do the same). Buyer expects a refund two weeks later but agrees to me sending an additional paid of 18mm (not 19mm) end links. Buyer suggests I have misrepresented the bracelet. This all comes down to the buyers friend not being happy with the end links as I had expected but they hand confirmed they were happy.


Have I done anything wrong here and what would you have done in my situation?

I should add that I'm like most a reasonable person and on deliver if the buyer had raised I would have accepted a return. The issue is the buyer expects this after two weeks and confirming they are happy with the bracelet.

Let's presume everthing you said is 100% accurate. (I am not doubting you at this point, but several times posts like this have been submitted and after a few pages some pertaintent information pops up that paints a different picture) If everything is as you claim then I think you have been more than reasonable and you should tell the buyer to bugger ze ofen. (That's German for bugger off)

You have been forthright and more than reasonable in this transaction. The buyer simply waited too long to inform you of his dissatisfaction with the transaction. I agree with other comments... the new owner can sell the items if he is unhappy.

Based on what you have described you have no case to answer. You have acted completely reasonably.

It takes me roughly 5 minutes to check if I got what was described. If his friend doesn't like what he received, he misinterpreted what was asked for, not you.
Hence it's not on your side to straighten it out..hard to believe this attitude to pass over the problem to you, especially after all your efforts and 2 weeks later..people never seize to amaze me, not always for the good though..

Whether it is watch bracelets and end links or car parts, what you describe is a done deal.

The friend part always puzzles me, be it buying or selling. Being the middleman is a recipe for trouble.👎
If I had a friend asking me to buy something for him/her on the forum I 'd tell my friend to join the forum or go without.
Yes, I am 'hard' on my friends, maybe the reason I haven't got many 😗.
I do not see a reason to take it back with the above described events. And if you do issue a refund wait till all parts are returned, you have all the pictures for proof if something shady has taken place with the parts.

I think you acted honorably, and if they have continuing problems, it's theirs, not yours.

You have done enough. the deal is done and the person who is unhappy is at fault and it's their problem to solve not yours. Do no more business with them.

Morally, I'd say you're in the right. Buyer said he was happy with them. He can't change his mind weeks later.

In practical terms it would depend what the sales and payment methods were, they may make it simpler for you to return his money after getting the bracelet and end links back than to fight him.

Nope... all this trouble is because there was a middle man between buyer and seller. That was the problem. I'm with the majority here, you as seller acted in good faith based on information provided and I see no reason for you to take further action. Being a middle-man either as buyer or seller presents multiple challenges with communication, and expectation setting, and increases the likelihood of problems.