Refund buyer for goods received damaged in transit

Kia Ora Raewyn,

Sorry to hear this has happened,

Your Buyer is correct, it is the Seller's responsibility to ensure the item is packaged appropriately to survive through transit to the Buyer. - The Seller can claim for damages from the carrying company where the goods have been appropriately packaged. This is for the Seller to provide the goods as per the description in listing.

You will want your Buyer to provide you with clear photo's of your packaging and the Damage caused to the item as evidence when you make your claim. Meantime you need to refund your Buyer including the shipping cost of which you also claim back from the courier company. Your Buyer needs refunding first. - Cheers.

Hi Raewyn. It is your responsibility to get the item to the buyer in good condition. Legally so if you are an in-trade seller. Even if you are a casual seller you have moral obligations at least to do that.

So the buyer is correct. You are indeed obliged to refund them. Wouldn't you expect that to happen if you were the buyer and your item arrived smashed?  The buyer will need to keep the item and packaging, if you want to try a claim with the courier (and again you have to initiate that, not the buyer) But that is between you and the courier to sort out. You should be refunding the buyer now.