ShadowCreator,
I can certainly relate to your experience with buyers that don't exactly pay attention.
I don't know if you have that top-rated seller status, but if you do it's worth protecting.
When I occasionally get an unreasonable buyer, I just bite my lip and go with it. The item can always be resold for around the same price, and a few $ in shipping is not a big deal considering the importance of keeping your feedback and DSR's intact for the top-rated status. I can say from experience that it does make a significant difference in auction results (when you have the feedback to back up the badge).
Yes, there is much temptation to vent. It's also important to keep in mind that, although your presumptions of how the buyer would act were correct, this will not always be the case.
I have had a couple of situations when there was a genuine issue that at first glance seemed like just a jerk buyer. If I went off and spoke my mind, the situation would have turned out bad for me and the fault would have really ended up being my own.
Even if you think a buyer will leave bad feedback or low DSR's due to their feelings about the item (whether reasonable or not), great service will impress some people to the point of changing their mind. Great, unconditionally polite service is rare on
ebay and the majority of buyers take notice of it.
Always good to save the venting for the forums. =)
PS: It's both surprising and refreshing that you were able to win the claim. Paypal rarely decides in the sellers favor in "not as described" cases, even when all the evidence is obviously in the sellers favor. Hopefully this is a sign that the bureaucratic standards are becoming just a little more logical.
Cheers!
