Hammer, that is a wise purchase policy. Although most of my purchases of used items are fine, it is always the ones where there is a gross misrepresentation of condition that I remember, painfully so. One time I purchased a new Bass and from the outside there was no apparent damage to the shipping box. Upon opening the shipping box, the case was badly damaged. Fortunately, I was dealing with a reputable dealer, and received a replacement case. All to often, items are described as new or mint, and they are not (especially on evil bay). One should always factor that in. Still, the buyer has the bass and has his money back, at least that is my understanding. If the buyer had sent back the bass, then this would help the buyers cause. We do not know if the bass was really damaged before it was received or after it was received. But, one cannot get a refund and expect to keep the product that one has rejected. Perhaps the buyer can let us know who has possession of the bass, and confirm that he received his refund via the credit card company.
I do not know either party to this particular dispute, and as I stated, I originally was skeptical due to the supposed length of time that had occurred between the buyer receiving the bass and then contacting the seller about what most of us would consider an issue with merit. It is only later via this thread that the buyer presented his version of the attempts at contacting the seller, so of course this could change one's view. If in fact he did make a fair attempt(s) to contact the seller, then my skepticism is greatly reduced. That is not what was originally presented when this thread started. It is fortunate that the buyer did present his side of the story later in this thread, and we should all reflect upon that. Bottom line, caveat emptor or buyer beware.
