I sent a non-functioning item back to a seller for a refund, and still haven't gotten one..

[glitchzero]

I purchased a charger back in early June. Upon recieving it in mid July (shipping from China to Canada takes some time, understandable) I realized the charger was not working properly, and the contacts were broken and not functioning correctly with the device. I contacted the seller with pictures of a functioning device and theirs, and explained I would like to exchange the product. I wished to have an item sent to me and send my item back at the same time so I would not be without a charger for a possible 3+ months.

The seller never responded, so I opened a dispute case with PayPal. Immediately afterwards, I was contacted by the seller, and was told to ship my product back, upon recieving it, they would ship a new one out. This was less than optimal (again, a long time without a charger) and just asked for a flat-out refund as it was still within their refund policies x amount of days.

They agreed to this, gave me and address and name to ship it to, so I sent it out July 18th-ish. The PayPal dispute closed (as there seemed to be no reason to escalate it further) and I waited.

It is now September 6th, and they continuously say they have not received the package and will not give me a refund until they do.

Am I out of line for asking for a refund immediately this much later? I have contacted the specific office and company I shipped the product with, and both are saying the product was sent out from their end. I am tired of waiting and everyone I've contacted excluding the seller is telling me it should've arrived well over a month ago.

Is there anything else I can do? I cannot re-open the dispute, and I'm just frankly confused and don't know my options, as I have never had this issue with a seller before.

Appreciate any feedback. (sorry for the long story here)

Glitch

[leb17 · Accepted solution]

Hi glitchzero

Did you send the item back with a DC (Delivery Confirmation) or a tracking number that shows online that the item was returned and provided that DC number or tracking number to PP (PayPal)?

If not then PP found in favour of the seller and PP closed the case.

The ONLY thing now that you can try is "IF" you funded the payment with a CC (Credit Card) then you can call the number on the back of the CC and try to a chargeback....CC companies do also have a timeframe to file as well.

NOTE: NEVER let a seller string you out, file a claim (SNAD or INR) with PP within 45 days of payment.

You might have to mark this one up as a learning experience and any time you don't know something, PLEASE ask your questions here, there are some GREAT WISDOMTEERS (responders) here that will give a good and sound advice.

[femmefan1946]

I agree that a refund for a non-working product is better than a replacement.

But without the DC, Paypal cannot/ will not refund you. And DC to China is ExpressPost International which starts about $40.

So.

Although the majority of purchases from overseas go smoothly, buyers should keep in mind the high cost of DC returns and factor that into the actual purchase price.

Never close a Dispute until you have your refund (or replacement).

You have only 60 days to leave feedback.

You can leave a Response to feedback (your own or the seller's) indefinitely. The most effective Response is calm and factual. "Returned for replacement/refund. None received"

[scifan57]

I agree with Leb17, the only thing you can do is try for a credit card chargeback IF you used a credit card to fund the PayPal purchase.

[dmil8030]

Hello Glitch,

'Is there anything else you can do'?  Other than the chargeback if it is a possibility, not a whole for this transaction.  You could, however, have a look at the following link about what to do when an item does not arrive or is 'not as described' (doesn't work properly would fit in here):

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/item-not-received.html

Your seller knew what it would cost to send it back Delivery Confirmed, was counting on your sending it cheaply, and once you close a dispute the whole thing is over and the seller needs to do nothing, short of delaying you past day 60 so you cannot leave feedback.  It's a common story here.

When people need something to function properly, an item with working parts, it is truly best to buy locally.  If there is a problem, it goes back to the store where the clerk hands over a replacement.  You bought on ebay from China because you thought you could save a lot of money.  Now, however, your money is gone and you still have no charger.  How much did you save?

Lots of people really like that Chinese rubbish, and many seem not to have a problem with it.  But when buying from there, it is always good to be mindful that you could be throwing your money away, so make your purchasing decisions accordingly.

[glitchzero]

I wanted to keep the dispute open, but PayPal automatically closed it after 20 days. I still don't understand, this seems completely useless for international ground shipping since normally it takes MORE than 20 days to ship, so how would I ensure my refund?

Also, to dmil, I ended up ordering another charger from within Canada, and even with the lost money with this seller, still came out to less than a store-bought charger with tax, so yes it sucks that I'm probably out whatever this company ripped me off for, but I still saved money in the end.