Confusing issue with seller and a broken item, and I can't find the help I need

[sanguisvitae]

(If I posted this in the wrong place please move it, or tell me how to move it, to the right one, thank you).

A seller accepted a return on a broken item with missing parts, but would not send a label instead he contacts me and then tells me not to send it that he will just replace it (which is what I would prefer anyway). He tells me to cancel the return request so that he can send the replacement. So if I cancel it, what will happen? How can I be sure he will even bother to send it? He's lied to me three times already with other things, I had to jump through hoops for him for the last three weeks just to get to this point. That time tacked onto a 77 days wait for it to get here I'm worried it's all just a big delay to rip me off.  I don't know when help from ebay directly expires (nor can I find how to get help from them it seems).

I am so frustrated and stressed out, I've been scouring through the help pages with no luck on finding the information I need.

I can't find how to email Ebay direct (I tried and they sent my message to HIM which complicated stuff up even more), I can't use the phone option because I don't hear too great on one and really don't want to get someone else involved in making the call for me.

So what do I do? Why would he have accepted it as a return when he agree to replace but then ask me to cancel the return request that he accepted? Ebay is about to cancel the return request on me anyway in a day because he told me not to ship it so I couldn't mark it as shipped...  I don't know how to secure it so that he will send the replacement like he claimed.

I don't even know what to do now.

[momcqueen]

Unfortunately, I can’t think of any advice better than to call Customer Service and escalate this. You need your money back so DO NOT accept the offer of a replacement.

[momcqueen]

And don’t close the return request. Ever. The seller isn’t giving you that direction for your benefit.

[sanguisvitae]

He won't give me my money back for two weeks all he offered was a dollar refund on the broken item, then when I refused he offers me $3 and tells me "hes at a loss with that", then when I refused he offers me "$5 and still tells me hes at a loss again", which he isn't, in total my purchase was over $25.

Ebay is going to close it on me, I got a mail from them telling me they will on the 16th because I didn't mark it as shipped. I can't mark it because he told me not to return it. So when he wants me to close that to resend the item, I'm even more confused, it does seem, like you said to be a trick, but ebay is about to do that on my anyway so... he wins?

[momcqueen]

The case needs intervention by a customer service rep and for that you have to call and explain the reason(s) for that. I think your seller is leading you down the garden path and if you let it close without calling, he will have succeeded.

[sanguisvitae]

Is there any alternative way of contact other than a phone call?

[sanguisvitae]

If I cancel the return, what will happen? As in; can I open something else up then instead? I just seem to be going in loops over and over in the help pages.

Apparently Ebays system will be coming down on my head on the 16th and it might not be possible for me to arrange someone to call for me before that, (not to mention impossible to explain the whole mess to the person I would get to call).

[femmefan1946]

If I cancel the return, what will happen?

You will never see any refund.

You will never see any replacement.

The seller will laugh and laugh.

Escalate this dispute to a Claim.

Since your Dispute (you have opened a Dispute in the Resolution Centre, right?) is Not As Described,  the seller is required to send you return postage.

If he is in Canada this is a Canada Post Return Shipping Label pdf that you print out.

When he gets the return, you are refunded.

If he refuses to send return postage , you are refunded by eBay who go after him for their money.

And they have his credit card number.

Mwah hah hah hah hah.

Telling you to close the Dispute means he is a scammer and you really don't want anything from him but your money back.

and it might not be possible for me to arrange someone to call for me before that,

You don't need to talk to anyone.

Just use the Dispute system.

The robots are more reliable than the customer service reps. (And on weekends, you end up talking to the Phillipino reps, who are lovely people, but it really helps if you speak Tagalog.)

[femmefan1946]

I can't mark it because he told me not to return it.

He's a liar and a scammer.

Return it -- but he owes you the return shipping label.

Note- some honest sellers will accept a photo of a broken item instead of return shipping.

This guy is not honest.

[sanguisvitae]

The return is about to close on me on the 16th so that's why I was wondering what would happen if I closed it before this; as in I mean will that cancel any possible way of me to open something else?
I tried to open a dispute over a week ago and that's how the return started instead, now any time I try to do anything it just sends me back to the return status page which wants me to mark it as sent or cancel.
He won't send me the label, I even got an email from ebay itself telling me he can't send me a label.
I was trying to use the dispute system, it used to be clear and easy, now I can't figure out why nothing is sending me to where I need to be to do anything.
And yes he wanted the photo to begin with, he asked me to take seven images, which I sent him, over a week later he wanted me to send new photos, which I sent him, then he said I sent too many images and just send one, which was confusing but I still did.

[retroman_studios]

You need to phone eBay immediately.

At the bottom of each page on eBay is a link for "Help & contact".  Use this link and at the bottom of the page click the button "Contact us". On the next page select "Buying", then "After your Purchase" then "Report an issue with a seller", then near the bottom of the page "contact us about a policy violation". That will give you the option to call them. Click "Call us", you will be given a one time code.

When you talk with them explain your seller is trying to get you to close the request, explain what is going on. They can look at the messages.

If you don't call waive goodbye to your money.

Don't delay, call today!!

[electronicifycanada]

Just call eBay and tell them you want to return the item, it's broken and the seller refused to provide a return label. They will handle it for you.

[sanguisvitae]

I realize you are both are trying to help, but did you read what I stated about the problems I have with calling?

Why is ebay set up like this? It never used to be. I don't think it's very fair that I have to "waive goodbye to my money" (as you put it) because I have a hearing issue. 😞

[momcqueen]

Read this thread for alternative suggestions to communicate other than calling Customer Service.

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Buyer-Central/Is-hard-for-deaf-and-non-verbal-patient-without-TTY-phone...

[sanguisvitae]

His solution seemed to be sending a message on Facebook? And someone also mentioned Twitter.

I'm not a member of Facebook or Twitter and never have been.

[hyperrush]

Beware if you cancel, if so the case is close and can't be reopen.

[sanguisvitae]

Will the same thing happen when it expires on the 16th?

For some reason when I click any link that talks about asking ebay to step in, it just sends me right back to that same page.

[sanguisvitae]

Where is the proper place to click that thing that tells ebay to "step in"? The only one I found just sends me to the return page and the only options I have on that page are "Contact Seller" (which has just been making things worse and worse) "Mark as Shipped" (Which I can't because he never gave me a proper label) or "If you don't want to return it after all, close the return." And apparently if I click that it closes everything and I can't open anything again? Even though it's going to close on me tomorrow.

I don't seem to have anything else I can do, when I check the resolution center nothing is listed and yet I opened something weeks ago.

[momcqueen]

If you cannot call, you’ll have to contact eBay via Facebook or twitter as eBay staff have suggested in the past.

[sanguisvitae]

As I mentioned, I do not have a Facebook, and never have, nor do I have a Twitter.  I have never used either of these websites. I have never been comfortable with the idea of using Facebook because as far as I know you have to put your full real name/location in their system and they are not private and secure.  And I know next to nothing about twitter other then I think everything anyone posts is open for everyone to see and can re-post it? Which doesn't seem like a good way to communicate privately.