really bad ebay seller...

ktamilne
Community Member

Do not use this seller. I received defective goods. The unit started to burn when I plugged it in. I have been buying on ebay for 15 years and have never had a bad experience. I have purchased items ranging from less than $100 to in excess of $5000. This seller is not to be trusted. He wanted me to pay to return ship a defective item and then charge me a 20% restocking fee. He kept insinuating "between the lines" comments and never even tried to discuss the situation. The seller in. Use this seller at your own peril. 

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really bad ebay seller...

Open a "item not as described" claim with eBay and the Seller will have to pay for your return shipping. 

 

There's nothing you can do about the restocking fee, but you can leave the appropriate feedback for how you feel about the overall transaction with this seller.   

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really bad ebay seller...


ktamilne wrote:

I received defective goods. The unit started to burn when I plugged it in.

 

He wanted me to pay to return ship a defective item and then charge me a 20% restocking fee. He kept insinuating "between the lines" comments and never even tried to discuss the situation. 


 

I don't know what you mean by "insinuating 'between the lines' comments" but those can always be ignored.  And should be.  

 

It doesn't matter what the seller told you. They say anything sometimes to avoid their obligation. The thing to do is go to the RESOLUTION CENTER link at the bottom of the page (in about the middle) and file a NOT AS DESCRIBED case.

 

In a NOT AS DECRIBED case on EBAY the seller has to pay return shipping. Either that, or just refund. Since the seller is in the US and you are in Canada, that means sending you the money to buy TRACKED shipping. When you buy an online label or take it to the post office, you then enter the tracking number in the claim.

 

If a buyer does not return the item, the seller-paid shipping fee can be taken back. It is not an extra "discount".

 

If you have already paid to return this, there isn't much eBay can do. The correct thing to do when a seller behaves this way is to stop communicating and OPEN A CLAIM.

 

It sounds like it is too late for you but you can always try the HELP & CONTACT link and call eBay to see if they can step in and help. I would at least try to get back that insulting "restocking fee". That's terrible! To charge that to a buyer who paid return shipping on a defective item.

 

If nothing else, call eBay to report the seller for that.

 

 

Then, take A FEW DAYS  to decide how you want to respond to that seller's response to your feedback.  You need to be calm and level-headed when you do it.  

You only have 80 characters and once entered, there is no redoing it.  So mention that 20% stocking fee on a defective item, say the seller is supposed to pay rtn ship on a NAD case but refused.   Just be very polite.  And truthful.  

 

 

 

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really bad ebay seller...

 

Hey, I just noticed that was a GSP item.  Is that right?  Did that come GSP?  Bummer,  because the way to do a GSP "return" is to not bother arguing with the seller but instead FILE A CLAIM and say it was a GSP item.  

 

Apparently what happens then is that the GSP company (Pitney Bowes, or at least their insurance) covers the cost and you get a full refund without ever having to mail it back.  But you already mailed it back on your own dime, is that the gist of all this?  

 

I don't think there is much you can do now, but maybe there is someone else around here who had this exact same thing happen to them and they can offer a good solution.  

 

When it comes to buying, regular items from all over and those send GSP are 2 different animals, so it would seem.  

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really bad ebay seller...

Open the Item Not As Described dispute immediately.

Ignore the suggestion that you contact the seller. You've done that.

In the dispute say that the item was a Global Shipping Program shipment.

Now, this may or may not help (usually those problems are delivery or damage in transit), but it should kick you over to the GSP 'specialists' who are a little more knowledgeable about international problems.

With luck, the GSP will refund you in full (including the import fees!!). And tell you to dispose of the unwanted and dangerous item.

 

Neither eBay nor Paypal* has any way to force a seller to refund your return shipping if you were to pay it yourself. This seller does not seem cooperative about refunding on the  fire hazard he sent you.

 

By bypassing the seller, you should get all your money back. GSP does not want the item and the seller does not own it anymore. The 'restocking' charge becomes moot.

 

About Feedback. It is usually the best idea to leave feedback until the transaction is fully over. Which means after the Dispute has been mediated.

However, you can leave a Response to your own feedback or to the seller's, indefinitely.

When you have your money back perhaps you could add to his Response. "Unit caught fire. Refused refund. Refused return shipping cost."

You cannot mention Disputes in feedback or responses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*And while PP does have a longer Dispute window, they require the unhappy buyer to return the item on his own dime in any case.

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really bad ebay seller...

'Restpcking fees' a way of having your profit and the item are only allowed for buyer remorse returns.

 

They form no part of a seriously not as described case. In a SNAD case the seller must refund in full.

 

Restocking fees are an excellent way for sellers to cause buyers to open seller fault cases for items that could have been avoided by mutual agreement without the deterrennt of that 'fee'.

 

Many sellers are not all that bright and happily adopt practices that seem to be to their advantage without thinking through to the downside of such practices.

 

Bottom line, for buyers, restocking fees are entirely voluntary. Like 'No Returns' mention of the restocking fee would be one reason why I would simply avoid the seller. I do not want to deal with fools.

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really bad ebay seller...

thanks for the note. I have not mailed the unit back as the seller refuses to pay the mail charges back for a defective unit. I will look into your suggestion. Thanks

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really bad ebay seller...


@ktamilne wrote:

thanks for the note. I have not mailed the unit back as the seller refuses to pay the mail charges back for a defective unit. I will look into your suggestion. Thanks


OK, you weren't really clear about that and as you had left FB already, its just that FB is usually the very last thing to do after there are absolutely no other options. 

 

 

If you have NOT mailed it back, then the thing to do now is go to the RESOLUTION CENTER and open a case for NOT AS DESCRIBED. 

 

It urges you to contact the seller but you have already tried that, so just ESCALATE to a claim.  Be sure to say it was a GSP item that arrived damaged.  That should speed up the process. 

 

The way a GSP claim for "not as described" usually works is that you do not have to send it back, you just get refunded because if it came GSP then Pitney-Bowed is the forwarder (to you) and they don't want it back. 

 

I know you mean well and want to alert others but the way to warn other buyers is in feedback.  You have certainly done that. 

The fact is most people who read and respond on these boards are sellers who don't buy at all or hardly so telling them all about a bad seller is a waste of your time.  Just do what is best for YOU  and get your refund.

 

 

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