Wrong color item arrived. Returning is costly, now what should I do?

[angel_lover_808]

Hi,

I already read the similar topics, but I'd like to hear more if someone knows about this type of problems.

The item arrived, but the seller sent me a different color which I did not ordered. (I ordered Light Purple, but they sent me Pink) Usually, I don't complain even if I am disappointed with the item's quality or anything. I usually just give up.

But this time, nobody in my family cannot use this beddings ( it's nothing to me) , and I don't think anyone would pay over $30 to this low quality beddings. I think it's actually worth under half of this price.

Anyway, I already have been contacting with the seller, but first she said she would give me back 20%, it's about only $6. And now she says, she will refund but she wants me to return it by using a tracking mail system.

Shipping with tracking information costs over $50..or more. Who would choose to pay over $50 to get back $33?

A couple of years ago, when the similar problem happened (seller sent me a wrong dress), that seller sent me the item that I ordered immediately with no extra cost after I told and showed the picture. (the price was more expensive than this time, but the seller was very generous)
Probably because of this past experience, I am more disappointed with the way of this time's seller's communication.

Clearly, I did not do anything wrong. This is 100% of the seller's mistake.
Why I need to pay over $30 for what I did not ordered? This is not fair business at all.
Item from China tend to be missing and never arrives sometimes (20% of purchasing?? ), so I don't think re-shipping is a good idea, but I just simply want my money back without extra cost, because it was not my fault.

I read ebay policy, but it's still not clear for this case, because it seems sometimes buyers need to pay for returning cost to get a refund, which I don't want to do. (If I know the seller will pay returning cost, I will return it, of course.)

Please give me some advice on this issue.
Thank you very much in advance.

[sooky3098 · Accepted solution]

I also got an item that didn't work. They offered me 20% refund. I declined and asked to have it replaced or full refund. They said they would replace it if I would send the old one back and pay shipping charges on the new one. I refused to do that also. They told me they shippped a new one which I never received. This has been going on since May and I still have no results. Ebay is too hard to contact. They give you options which bring you back to a full circle. I don't think I will deal through ebay anymore.

[angel_lover_808]

Thank you for your time to write your story. But..I am very sorry to hear that.
It seems there are this kind of dishonest sellers in this ebay community.
They are probably OK if there's no problem, but once they found something wrong..
they just take an advantage over buyers and wouldn't take their responsibility.

it is very sad and unbearable thing when you became a victim.
And like you said, it seems difficult to claim to ebay.
I also thought it makes me think more seriously about the safety when you shop at ebay.
Maybe it's better to buy only small things...that you think it's OK even if there's some problems.

Thanks again.

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

The Standard Practice is that the buyer pays for the return of the unwanted item. 

This is based on several points.

Just as if you had purchased something at WalMart and wanted to return it, WM would not pay your busfare to their store, the retailer should not be responsible for the cost of returning the item to him.

Paypal, should it come to a PP claim,  cannot refund money it never handled. So the buyer pays for the return.

Not all buyers are honest. Some will try to return their own damaged item, and keep the good one they got from eBay. Some will wear a dress for a special occasion and then return it. Paying for return shipping as well as restocking charges which are allowed though rarely used, discourages this.



The Best Practice, if the error was the seller's is that the seller does refund return shipping. But this is not mandatory, in part because 'responsibility/fault' is often a 'he said/she said' situation. 



If the transaction is polite and friendly, the buyer may return the item with a cheap untracked service, but this is always risky since PP cannot and will not refund if the return cannot be proven. 



The question of 'pink/light purple' is going to be fraught. I've often been told by a salesperson that a magenta item is hot pink,w hen we were both looking at it. Add in the variables of monitor colours and the problem is worse. It's not as if the item was supposed to be red and what arrived was blue. 



Frankly, your best bet is to accept the small refund, leave appropriate feedback and Detailed Seller Ratings, donate the bedding to the Salvation Army Christmas Drive, and move on. 



spooky - You were so busy winning the battle that you lost the war.

In your situation, again the return with tracking for a full refund would be the best outcome.

Yes, you would be out money.  Not everything will go as you want in this life.

It is a bad idea to ever accept the offer of a replacement. First because there is no reason to believe that the replacement will be any better than the first one. Second, because waiting for the replacement will put you beyond the 45 day Buyer Protection deadline. And third because there is a very good chance tat the replacement will never be sent.
eBay is very easy to contact. You just go to Help and Contact up in the top right hand corner of every page and scroll to the Resolution Centre. Open a dispute within 45 days of purchase,  and at worst your refund will be available as soon as the item is shown to be returned. (returned because; policy above).
What you really don’t want to do is try to talk to someone. You will only get an underpaid clerk who will try to send you to the automated Resolution Centre, which does work.
Now, both of you.
In addition to PP s Buyer Protection, you can also go to the credit card you really paid with. )PP s just a  mediator) Call the 1-800 number on the back of the card and ask about a refund. Cards have longer dealdlines, And some will accept proof of mailing instead of proof of delivery. But most will not act after 90 days so prompt action is necessary.

But for eBay, the simple directions are within 45 days and proof of delivery. Without those, PP and eBay will not take any responsibility.

[angel_lover_808]

Thank you very much for taking your time to reply me.
I understand your point.
But, from your posting, it looks as if I am the one who is making a bad movement..

If you check my past comments which I left for each seller after I received the item,
you will know I am not that kind of bad person.

I think that I am also aware of the common returning policy. You buy something, and if you didn't like it, you should return it. It's simple. I went to back to the store and returned for many reasons in actual life, of course.
But if you received the item that you didn't ordered? It will be completely different story, like this time.
That is why I decided to post for the very first time to get an answer in here.
(Like I said, usually, even when I am not satisfied or if there's some problem, I jsut give up.
Actually, I donated the shoes that was poor quality 2 times in the past after I bought from ebay seller.
Those shoes were around $30 and over $50. It was more expensive than this time, but this time, I felt differently as I kept communication with the seller and thought that I cannot just give up.)

As for the color, there was not MAGENTA in their selection, and this pink color is FAR FROM the light purple.
And I already took a picture and sent it to the seller. Please understand, I am NOT lying.
IF I WAS GOING TO DECIEVE THE SELLER, I WOULD NEVER POSTED ON HERE in the first place.

Since I don't think this my comment would help to solve this problem, now I think I need to stop..

Even though I wrote these things, I stiil appreciate your posing.
Thank you again.

[nubian_treasures · Accepted solution]

The problem you're having is common when you purchase from China. They're shipping is subsidized. That is why it is cheap to ship to you but much higher to ship the same item back to them.

Cheap, inferior products is what they are known for. Never expect anything more than that. 

[angel_lover_808]

Thank you for your time to write your comment.
I posted my question yesterday, and now I really think something like what you said.
That is, I thought I knew there is some tendency when people buy the item from ebay seller, especially from China,
so, I should have been more careful when I order something.

Maybe I had been too lucky and didn't have that much bad experiences.
So, my conclusion is, from now on, I will only buy something that I can think it's OK even if there's some problems on ebay shopping.

I had to write emails to the seller many times during this week, and I think I really waisted my precious time.
So, no matter what the seller would say after all, I will move on...

Thank you again, and I hope this question will help someone in the future.