Note that Le Bon Coin offers no more guarantees than Vinted, as demonstrated by this example from an article in the newspaper Le Monde from that day.
With air conditioner store shelves emptied during the heatwave, some consumers are turning to second-hand appliances, sold notably on the Leboncoin platform, and most often collected from the sellers’ homes. Leboncoin’s general terms and conditions specify that, for hand-to-hand delivery, « it is up to the Buyer to verify that the Item is compliant and suits them, before triggering payment to the Private Seller ». Indeed, « once payment has been triggered, the Buyer will be deemed to have accepted the Item ».
But how is the buyer supposed to verify the compliance of a household appliance at the seller’s home? This question arose concerning the following dispute: on June 25, Ms. X visited the home of a private individual selling an air conditioner. The price of the appliance was high (400 euros), but more attractive offers were already unavailable.
When the seller turned on the air conditioner, it lit up: it seemed to be working. To be able to take it away, she validated the secure payment system on the Leboncoin website, which transferred the sum of 400 euros to the seller, and also charged 0.99 euros for secure payment.
On June 26, Ms. X discovered that the air conditioner was not working correctly (breakdowns, water leaks, inability to cool a small room). The seller, to whom she reported it, indicated via Leboncoin’s messaging system that, at his home, the appliance had not been able to display less than 27°C during the heatwave.
« Suitable Conditions »
On June 27, Ms. X requested the cancellation of the sale. The seller opposed it and advised her to resell the appliance on the platform. She contacted customer service, specifying that she was within the « three-day period to report a problem after receipt ». But on June 29, it replied: « In the case of hand-to-hand delivery, opening a dispute is not planned. » The three-day period only applies to deliveries. Customer service then gave her this advice: « For your next hand-to-hand transactions, I recommend that you carefully check the item’s compliance before triggering payment. »
But how? At Leboncoin’s press department, we asked if, at the air conditioner seller’s home, one should insist on staying for a few hours to verify that the appliance effectively lowers the room temperature by several degrees. Should washing machine cycles be run, and the cleanliness of the laundry checked, before validating a purchase?
On July 2, the press department replied that the buyer can « examine the item » and « request to test it under suitable conditions ». But what do these « suitable conditions » cover? In the case of an air conditioner, should the window sealing kit be reinstalled, and the exhaust hose connected? How long is one supposed to be able to test the appliance? The press department does not specify. It may therefore be better to wait for air conditioners to return to stores.