I sold a CAL Aria Tube CD player and buyer claims a burning smell

Thank you very much for your honest and detaild answer, as well as for your advise. Yes, it was through Ebay/Paypal and I did specify the unit was not working, I just can't believe how some people would flagrantly lie and rig the system. I was ready to fight it because I believe in justice and fairness, and this buyer really is a crook, but after reading your answer I may just follow your suggestion. It's very frustrating though.
Thank you very very much again! A  

Watch out for them trying to hang on to the unit *and* get a refund.

Wow, I guess I am too honest or naive for this kind of things. Thanks though! 

I just can’t believe how some people would flagrantly lie and rig the system.

Believe it. There are lots of these people out there and they will do all kinds of things to cheat you out of money and/or goods. The advice above about getting your player back and issuing a refund is solid.

Try to learn as much as you can about who you sell to or buy from before you ship or pay, but even then there’s no guarantee that the transaction will go well. Most of the time you will deal with honest people, but there are many dishonest people on the internet.

Did it happen after he played it ?

Or were the tubes ready to go ? They can give off a burn smell then .

Take the unit back, you probably did not sell it for enough money that it makes a difference.  You can have the person send it to me for a look and repair as an option.  I can take a look and give you a repair estimate.  Or just take it back and list it for sale again.  It doesn't matter if he played it, it is not worth the money.  Have him pay for the return shipment and once you get it back without any other damage then refund the purchase price.

Just my $.02, but with the few unhappy buyers I've come across, I send a prepaid return tag and pay both sides of the shipping.  It's a small price to pay for the goodwill, and keeps your karma clean.  Make them happy and move on.

Though one can ascribe all sorts of chicanery to either party in a deal gone bad, it's been my experience that most buyers and sellers are pretty honest and straightforward. Disputes that I've been involved in have been more a matter of misunderstanding and lack of disclosure (my perception of "mint condition" may differ from yours) than outright dishonesty or fraud.
Your mileage may vary.  Best of luck sorting this out!

Though one can ascribe all sorts of chicanery to either party in a deal gone bad, it’s been my experience that most buyers and sellers are pretty honest and straightforward. Disputes that I’ve been involved in have been more a matter of misunderstanding and lack of disclosure (my perception of "mint condition" may differ from yours) than outright dishonesty or fraud.

It would be nice to think so, but unfortunately about 4% to 8% I’d estimate as scammers. It is too high of a price for many to pay for using eBay. I’ve got several stories too, one only turned out OK because of a detective in Warner Robins Georgia who took an interest, or I’d have been out several hundred dollars. It ended up being some 30-year-old guy living in his mom’s basement, and using her account, and no I’m not making this up, the detective told me.

If possible, arrange to pick up the returned item either at the post office or UPS or FedEx office to witness opening the box. The scammers send either an empty box, or with rocks, and then say you’re trying to scam them, with eBay of course taking their side. I’d also check, if you actually do get it back, to make sure it is the same serial number. I remember one story, a very rare item, the guy sends it, the buyer says not in as advertised condition, demands a refund and sends it back. Great, but the critical internal parts were missing.

I’m sorry to be the potential messenger of bad news, but this is the sad reality of eBay.

I saw you ad- it says as is and does not work. And the buyer is upset it does not work? Maybe a burned motor when the buyer tried to open the drawer. 
This buyer will make your life hell unless you take it back. 
I sell a fair amount on eBay and my experience is that if a buyer isn’t happy there’s virtually nothing you can do which will change that. So if the buyer isn’t happy I offer a full refund immediately. Occasionally, the response will be “but I want to keep it- can you refund part of the purchase price?” That’s a scammer and 99% of the time I say no to that however recently someone complained, I offered a full refund, and the person said- how about refunding $20. I figured it was a good way to be done with that buyer. It happened to be a person I’ve sold to before and he complained before and left “neutral” feedback- first time in 22 years I got other than positive feedback. 
He is now blocked 

I’m sure there’s something burning over there but it ain’t your player. 

I am sorry this is happening to you.  After reading all the responses, if it were me I would offer the refund contingent upon the safe return and inspection of your player.  And, I would open it in front of a neutral 3rd party as mentioned above.  Good luck!

I’m with the people who think that the buyer is a scumbag fishing for a partial refund and wants to keep it because there’s nothing actually wrong. I’ve been selling on eBay for 20 years and have perfect feedback and have seen my fair share of this tomfoolery. 

Offer the refund but make it contingent upon safe and timely return of the product and see what they say.

I’ve sold and bought stuff on eBay for years, not a ton volume wise, but including some high value electronics, a car, and a few motorcycles.  In the description in all caps I put, “SOLD AS IS, NO RETURNS,” though sometimes I’ll offer a DOA warranty of one business day.  Luckily, I’ve never had a problem, but I’ve never sold a non-working item.  Bottom line is, you disclosed the condition and terms of no returns.  I’d stick with it, sometimes you got to take a stand when you’re right.  You get to respond to negative feedback, right?  You just might be warning off some other people from this a**hole., though not likely.  Not every seller loses in a dispute.

Only one question to answer. Did the buyer, receive what they paid for?
Was it received in the same condition that it was sent?
In other words, was it packaged properly by you?
Not did, "the shipper smash the box"?, BUT it was intact, not tossed around because of poor packaging. THAT COUNTS..

If you took care to make sure the buyer got what they paid for. You filled your obligation.
Stand your ground... "There is no cryin’ in Baseball!!!", a deal, is a deal.

Besides, it's close to time, to feed the chickens.

Regards

My story, saw a pair of Museatex Meitner monoblocks which come in beautiful rosewood cases on ebay. Answered the ad and seller texted me his phone number from his workplace, such email address having the name of his company. We talked and he said they were in perfect condition, having never been repaired. Received the amps and it was obvious that one of the amps had got so hot the lacquer had melted and then hardened at the bottom, hanging like small icicles. I opened the unit and totally obvious, repairs using different color wire, very crudely done. This amp ran twice as hot as the other.  Called the seller and he literally said "tuff luck, you bought them."

As background, in the early days of online emailing you were basically forbidden to use the work email for personal emails (probably same now). I then emailed him using his workplace email address and said that because he had used his work email I assumed his company was guaranteeing the product and then said I was about to call the president of the company whose name I mentioned. Within literally 20 seconds the funds were sent to my paypal account. I was stuck for the shipping both ways. Then found a beautiful pristine pair of the amps.

If the drawer isn't opening/moving, it could be because of a faulty (cooked) motor driver IC (or a component in the PS). Maybe you didn't detect the smell at the time, being in a well ventilated space. Now the unit's packed in a box for several days during shipment, and the smell might be detectable once opened.

I don't see how it matters, though. If I purchase a non-functioning item, it is guaranteed to have some failed components, mechanical, electronic, or electrical. What is unclear about that?

That's his wife's hair burning because he spent more on audio gear than he spent on her. I had one of those once.