Return Shipping

[xoude]

I got an item on eBay that didn't work as intended and filed a return, it's been accepted but now it says "Please send the item back to the seller by Aug 19, 2015, to receive your refund", only problem is the seller isn't answering to give me a return label so I'm not sure how to proceed.

[momcqueen]

Is your seller domestic? 

[xoude]

international. They responded now, but they never mentioned anything about returning the item even tho I am.

[momcqueen]

I don't think the seller will be able to send you a return postage label for an out-of-country parcel. It might be a good idea to call eBay Customer Service for clarification on that. 

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@xoude wrote:

international. They responded now, but they never mentioned anything about returning the item even tho I am.

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[xoude]

I called and they told me to wait till after the 19th to see if they'll send me a return label and then they can step in after that day has passed.

[momcqueen]

I'm concerned that you got a CSR that didn't understand the situation. You are in Canada trying to return an item to the USA? I'm 99 per cent certain it is not possible to get a return postage label no matter the guarantee. (Many reps don't know the difference between ebay.ca and ebay.com.) You might want to call back. If you wait for a postage label that never arrives and thereby miss your deadline to return the item, the case will automatically close in the seller's favour and you will be out of luck. 

[pjcdn2005]

The seller can't send a return label to you through ebay so the two of you would have to work out how you are going to handle the return shipping cost. I think that customer service is saying that you can ask them to step in if the seller has not provided a label by a specific date. That's assuming that they agree you have a not as described case. They do tend to side with the buyer in a situation like this.

Is this for a phone? Is the problem that the phone won't work with your carrier?

[pjcdn2005]

If the item is from overseas, it's unlikely that you will hear from the seller about return shipping so make sure that you do ask ebay to step in. 

It really isnt a good idea to buy anything expensive or a name brand anything from Asia as the quality is not always what it is advertised to be and it can be a hassle to return. Although an overseas seller is supposed to pay return shipping for an item not as described there is no real process for ebay to force the seller to do so. In a situation like that I've heard of ebay giving the buyer a courtesy refund but I don't know if that is the only way that they settle it.   Please let us know what happens.

[momcqueen]

Please heed the advice given to you by pj as this is a very knowledgeable member of the ebay.ca Community. None of us here want to see you left out-of-pocket for an item that isn't what it was purported to be when you purchased it. If the item was of significant value, you as a buyer must be certain to follow the instructions given to you for returns but the Customer Service Rep that you already spoke to may not have fully grasped the international aspect of the situation.

If I were in your shoes, I would call again to double-check and tell them that you also went to ebay Community for advice about the problem and were told sellers simply cannot offer return postage labels for international shipments. That's not won't but can't.

[momcqueen]

Oh... one more thing. When you send this back, you MUST have tracking on the order. If you cannot demonstrate to ebay that it has arrived at the seller through tracking, you will not get your money back for the return. You absolutely have to have tracking. There is no alternative to that. 

[xoude]

I contacted eBay and they've escalated the case and taken over my half of the situation. They've contacted the seller for a return label directly and after the 20th I can call them back and get a full refund.

[pjcdn2005]

Thanks for the update. I'm curious to see how it works in the end.

[reallynicestamps]

It will work out that the seller won't send a return label

BECAUSE THE SELLER CAN'T SEND A RETURN LABEL.

Keep in mind that the CSRs have one of two strikes against them.

Either they are in the Phillippines and are intelligent people and working in their third language.

Or they are in Utah and speak English as their first language but are unaware that there is any country in the world outside the USA.

You are not going to get a return label.

Decide now if you are out less money by returning the phone yourself with Delivery Confirmation or by keeping the phone -- perhaps selling it on through a local online classified ad for cash on pickup-- and leaving the seller appropriate feedback.

Because you won't get a return label.

Not gonna happen.

[pjcdn2005]

Decide now if you are out less money by returning the phone yourself with Delivery Confirmation or by keeping the phone -- perhaps selling it on through a local online classified ad for cash on pickup-- and leaving the seller appropriate feedback.

I think that the OP already realizes that they are not going to get a label but ebay may force a refund or give a courtesy refund.

eBay states that a not as described item  should be returned at the cost of the seller so if the seller is not willing to do that, then ebay should figure out another way to make the buyer happy.  I don't know if or how they will do that so that's why I'm curious to see what happens.

[momcqueen]

Yes, please do let us know how this works out. You are not alone as a buyer in this type of situation and when other buyers come to the table with similar problems, it's good for all of us to understand how circumstances affect certain outcomes.