Buying on eBay? Get it 4 free!

[peter_m]

Hi, here is my little rant about stuff.

I am a registered business seller on eBay and process a lot of transactions.
Lately one customer disputed the transactions claiming that the item received is not as described. I sell only one type of merchandise and have over 200+ positive feedbacks and 100% overall ratings.

Now, on the first day I accepted the return and refund going by the eBay procedure with email sent to buyer with return address and so on.

Today, 8 days later I have e-mailed customer service using there dispute panel informing them that the buyer has not returned the merchandise or had the intention of returning it but I guess I should have watch some jeremy kyle as it is clear nobody actually reads anything at the eBay office.

This evening eBay had the courtesy of refunding the buyer leaving me without the item or the money. Not to mention the P&P costs. Oh and sending me an e-mail about there decision to close the case.


I know of section 75 for buyers but surely if everyone was disputing everything we buy on-line we could all have things for free.

Any idea how to get this resolved? eBay closed the case after 8 days and PayPal shows transaction refunded. I have no item and I'm out of pocket.

Thanks in advance. I know how important this issue is to all who ever shopped on-line.

[boxtops]

I'm a private seller on eBay so not sure how the business aspect works, but I have always insisted on the thing being returned to me before I refund -my disputes have always stayed open until I close them as resolved, so I don't know why eBay should have refunded this for you. Did you deal with the matter through the dispute resolution process, or just between you and the buyer? Maybe you left it too late - 8 days after the event - I would have opened it straight away as soon as the customer complained.

[peter_m]

Thanks boxtop. I have reacted straight away to buyers dispute using dispute resolution process.
I have agreed to refund prior to item being returned to me so I have contacted eBay that no item was returned.
Later eBay reversed transaction.

Not sure but since I am a business seller it all look the same.

[ojread2]

As a business seller you should pay for the return
As a business seller your buyer only has to tell you it will ready for collection at such and such time and you should arrange for collection

There is not much more you can do apart from going in person to collect the item - was the value high enough to worry over it?

You could also ask for any other ideas on Buyer Central

[peter_m]

not really ojread2. But its a principal. I would call it a fraud or scam or daylight robbery.

it seem eBay is a great place to run scams and cheats and it looks eBay gladly endorses it by refunding lying buyers without checking if items were returned back.

Great place to get things 4 free without criminal conscienceless.

What a piece of Sugar. and the item was as described.

[starone]

I am speaking from the point of view of a buyer. I had faulty goods and complained about them. The whole procedure with ebay and paypal went through and they informed me I would be getting my £25 back. I never did. The seller just didn't pay it back into my account and surprise, surprise stopped trading under his particular name. No doubt he just started up in another name. When I tried to complain eBay just kept insisting that the complaint was finished with and that I had my money back, while paypal said the bank had not paid it back. I gave up in the end and accepted the fact that I had lost £25. It was like banging my head against a brick wall. It was nice when I stopped. I am now very wary about buying on eBay, unless it is from someone very well established.

[ojread2]

fraud or scam? LOL How on earth do you get to that conclusion?
It is no fault of the buyer if eBay decide to refund before return
As I said, as a business seller the buyer only has to make it available for collection
If the buyer had said the item had not arrived and claimed his money back, then I *might* but only a little bit, have agreed it was fraud on some small scale
It's subjective though, what has been acceptable to all you're other customers is not to this one, therefore you must accept the cancellation of the order and, in this case, collect it too

[ojread2]

Starbuck, your story is exactly why you should always go via Paypal for any refund you require
For the OP it would have been better for him to, as PP always insist the buyer returns via a signed for method of postage, eBay, as the Op has found to his cost, don't

[peter_m]

So lets say the buyer is in Australia me, the seller, in the UK.
How do you collect from far away?

What if the buyer had no intention of ever paying for this item and despite that the item was 'as described', he disputed it.

So what? as a business seller I am suppose to go to Australia and beg the buyer 'please return my item'? This is some kind of nonsense.

[ojread2]

but our DSR's don't count in Australia - so its not nonsense at all, your example, however, is
I suggest you make yourself au fait with DSR rules and regs

You cannot assume the buyer had no intention of paying. You'll go out of business very quickly if you think that way
As I have already said, NAD is subjective and this buyer doesn't think your item is as described.

Did he contact you before the claim he made?

[hc4361]

OJRead, please provide the link that you took that quote from.

[ojread2]

which quote?

[peter_m]

Thank you all for your valuable contribution.

I have managed to get a positive outcome out of all of this and got my money back from eBay. This time eBay took liability for this and I am not out of pocket.
I did speak to the CS about this and they cannot make buyer to return anything so just refunded me instead. I think the buyer also was refunded and has the merchandise free of charge.

This is a bit confusing.

[hc4361]

Where did you get this bit from?
As a business seller your buyer only has to tell you it will ready for collection at such and such time and you should arrange for collection

[ojread2]

that's a great outcome OP
Can I suggest you use Buyer Central Discussion forum on eBay - excellent source of information for all sellers and buyer's alike

[ojread2]

hc, it's not a quote

[hc4361]

Well can you provide the legislation?

The DSR states that the buyer must inform the seller of his intention to reject the goods within 7 days of receipt (soon to be 14 days) and must return the item as soon as is reasonably practicable.


If a person receives unsolicited goods that he has not received he merely has to tell the sender that he doesn't want them and make them available for collection.

[ojread2]

depends on why the buyer wants to return
For NAD the buyer only has to have the item ready for collection

[ojread2]

my apologies, and I get it round the wrong way sometimes
It's SoGA that deals with this

Unless otherwise agreed, where goods are delivered to the buyer, and he refuses to accept them, having the right to do so, he is not bound to return them to the seller, but it is sufficient if he intimates to the seller that he refuses to accept them.

[joko]

it perhaps takes a few days for the money to appear ...