Ebay Claims

[TheAnswerMVP2001]

I have a non poster issue question, but since it's eBay claim related and you all have a bit of experience with that I was hoping someone might have some experience with "not as described claims".

Purchased a turntable, no mention of damage, no damage in the pictures.  When I get this thing it's in a homemade box (basically pieces of cardboard taped together with LOTS of that brown tape).

The turntable is inside a round metal case, has a big dent in the bottom, looks like someone drop kicked it, bunch of scratches to other areas as well.  Surprisingly the thing still works.  I send the guy an email with all the pictures requesting a partial refund to cover repairing it (left the amount up to him to offer), he doesn't bother writing an explanation or apology I just get an automated response back from eBay saying the seller offers me a full refund if I ship it back.

I'm not interested in eating $30 or more to mail this back to him, what are my chances of pushing this case forward for eBay to review and getting the partial refund?  This guy has been nothing but trouble since the beginning, he asked for more money for shipping after I won the auction claiming eBay didn't put the correct shipping price, he sends it in a janky box, and then doesn't even bother giving me any sort of explanation.  This is another one of those sellers who doesn't sell much, only a couple things a year, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  The turntable is still usable, I just don't like being ripped off, and I don't like eBay catering to these people making the buyer lose out.  If it was a few bucks to ship it back I wouldn't fuss about it, but $30-40 is different plus I really don't trust this guy now.

So I'm thinking push it through to eBay, if they still say send it back, I'll file a credit card claim and get a partial refund that way.

Anybody gotten a partial refund from eBay before?  I tired to get one on a poster a couple years back from a guy in France but eBay said send it back.  In that case I ended up just keeping it because shipping would have been more than the poster.

[50s]

I think the buyer having to pay to return an item not as described is wrong. What if you bought something and the seller sent you a full size real elephant in error. You have to send it back at your expense! I know that is an extreme but shows that it is absurd to have to pay for the sellers error.

[guest8]

I don't think eBay will force a partial refund that will be up to the seller to choose. However, I have been in similar situations where the seller is telling me to pay to ship it back and I refuse to pay the return shipping fee and eBay has always provided me with a return shipping label. If the item is not as described it is always up the seller to cover those charges so even though ebay gives me the label they end up charging the seller.

So you may not get to keep the item but you most definitely should not have to pay return shipping.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/return-process.html#shipping-charges
Return shipping charges

Either you or the buyer is responsible for return shipping charges, as specified in your return policy, except when an item is being returned because it isn't as described in the listing. In this instance, you pay the return shipping charges.

When you're responsible for return shipping charges
When you're responsible for return shipping charges, the charges are included on your next monthly seller invoice as a fee. These fees may be charged to your automatic payment method on file.

If the buyer uses alternative shipping arrangements, you need to reimburse the buyer for the agreed-upon shipping costs outside of the return process. You can send payment to the buyer through PayPal or another payment method.

When you use the eBay returns process, your USPS return shipping rate is never more than the original outbound rate, provided that you purchase eBay shipping labels for both the original shipment and the return.

When the buyer is responsible for return shipping charges
When the buyer is responsible for return shipping charges, we charge the buyer's PayPal account.

If you used calculated shipping or printed shipping labels from eBay or PayPal to send the item, we use this package weight to determine return shipping charges for the buyer. In some instances, return shipping charges may not be based on the actual weight of the package, but on an estimate.

[50s]

Thanks Fallen for the link.

I highlighted the area that addressed my concern

[AdamCarterJones]

eBay are a nightmare at the best of times.
Trying to be like Amazon when they are an auction site...anyway, I digress.

I am a solemn believer that a seller should offer a partial refund AS WELL AS a full refund if they sell something that is not as described.
eBay should really enforce this; not simply the keep it or get a full refund options.

I once bought a poster for a lot of money and when it arrived it was damaged, well, it wasn't mint like it was claimed, and so the guy offered a full refund and was wanting to go through eBay but I said no, called him and told him I wanted a partial refund, so I got 50% back...so here is a question, have you tried calling the seller?

[paul waines]

The couple of times I've wanted a part re-fund, Ebay have said it's all or nothing, so I had to have a full re-fund, inc postage costs both ways, which I accepted.

Ebay seem to be wanting clear cut case's, so it's all or nothing in my experience..  And the phone number to ring them is a sod to find.

[Hallucination Generation]

My dad has just received a new Canon printer from ebay.

The description says 'BRAND NEW' just like that so my dad thought it was. The rest of the ad says that it's refurbished?

Anyway it doesn't work and when the seller was told his reply was for my father to call Canon!
He's not a small seller either with feedback of around 30,000. He was really condescending in his reply saying that he should have read the listing properly and if it was to be returned that my dad would have to pay for it's return. Also saying that if it had to be repaired that it would be sent to Canon at our cost and not returned to him!

I've took over now and told him that i didn't appreciate his messages and that i have already reported the listing as it is intentionally misleading.

Some sellers are just arseholes.

[TheAnswerMVP2001]

Thanks all for the info.  That info off eBay on return shipping is interesting.  But I'm concerned about how that works.  I received a damaged poster from a guy in France a couple years back that was listed as new but arrived with a tear that he had attempted to repair with tape, I opened up a case and eBay basically told me to send it back at my own expense, so according to that info I should have been offered a shipping label, unless of course this is a new policy.

In this case the seller didn't list correct shipping so how is eBay going know the weight?  And if they require the seller to refund outside of eBay how are they going make sure that actually happens?  As I said I don't really trust this guy, he's yet to comment on the damage or offer any apology so I'm pretty sure he was aware of it all along.

I sent him another message, expressed my disappointment is this whole transaction, and said I wasn't interested in returning this thing on my own dime, and having to spend the time to find a real box (as the one he shipped it in is a joke) and package it correctly. Offered to overlook all the minor damage except large dent on the bottom, if we could come to some sort of agreement.  He responded to that, just by asking how much I want, so we'll see how that goes.  He's got no chance of reselling this and getting the same money so I don't know why he would want it back, which I mentioned to him in my last message.

This is definitely the last time I buy from a casual seller, and by casual I mean it looks like he only lists a couple items a year, this is the second time I've been burned by someone like this, I don't know if it's intentional or they are just lazy have no experience selling.  Either way it's not worth it. 

[guest8]

When I did it I just kept posting in my correspondence (through ebays claims portal) that I refused to pay return shipping that it was the sellers fault it wasnt as described and I would not ship it. Usually within a week or so ebay send me the label. Youre expecting the seller to offer his assistance which by now it seems obvious that hes not that kind of seller and ebay isnt going to jump through any hoops that you dont force them to go through. worst case just contact ebay directly and get input directly from them.