Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

andla62
Community Member

Hi,

 

I bought a phone last year at December 23rd. I open a return request within 30 days. I had a month to settle with the seller and decided to return the item in the end with the seller's consent. 

 

At seller's request, I chose a long shipping method that took 3+ months to reach the seller's destination. By the time it arrived China, it was late June and the seller refused to refund on arrival (simply ignored all messages).

 

I know that this case got dragged on too long but eBay was refusing to help. Every time I send a message, a different representative would come in, repeat the same thing about how I passed that money-back guaranteed 30-day period.

 

The seller on the other hand, is still happily selling on eBay still. 

 

I feel scammed by both eBay and the seller. eBay's not even interested in taking actions against the seller. What can I do?

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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

Nothing much you can do at this point since it has been dragged on for waaaaaaaaay too long (8 months!), because even if you paid with a credit card and Paypal, you are past the charge back period (varies depending on card provider) and Paypal's buyer protection claim period (6 months).

 

What you can do next time, is to NOT let it drag on for this long, familiarize yourself with eBay's buyer protection policy (yes, it's 30 days as the customer service rep told you), don't send it back using surface mail just because the seller told you so (that seller tricked you, unfortunately) because it takes way too long.

 

For future expensive purchases like a phone, I'd stick with buying from Canadian / North American sellers with better reputations. Don't use surface mail to send back your returns. 

 

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

Message 2 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

"At seller's request, I chose a long shipping method that took 3+ months to reach the seller's destination. By the time it arrived China, it was late June and the seller refused to refund on arrival (simply ignored all messages)."

 

Therein lies the crux of the problem. The seller persuaded you to absolve yourself of all buyer protection regardless of whether offered by ebay or paypal. 

 

Did you pay via credit card? Maybe they can assist. Otherwise, this is an expensive lesson.

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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything


@momcqueen wrote:

"At seller's request, I chose a long shipping method that took 3+ months to reach the seller's destination. By the time it arrived China, it was late June and the seller refused to refund on arrival (simply ignored all messages)."

 

Therein lies the crux of the problem. The seller persuaded you to absolve yourself of all buyer protection regardless of whether offered by ebay or paypal. 

 

Did you pay via credit card? Maybe they can assist. Otherwise, this is an expensive lesson.


 

Message 4 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

sorry but after this amount of time, i don't believe there is any recourse.

Message 5 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

I had a similar issue but with a different platform. I bought a phone for $400 and it was complete garbage and the seller refused to take a return even within the supposed "return window".

 

I opened a case with PayPal, and decided it was best to send it Express, which I did. Cost me $90, however, my butt was covered. If they refused the delivery, tracking would indicate this and PayPal would be able to step in. If it was delivered, I still got my money. Yeah I lost $90, but that was better than losing $400. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. 

 

In your case, you allowed a seller to cheat yourself out of a refund. They knew what they were doing, make no mistake. Not trying to drag you down, but hopefully this will be a learning lesson that if something like this comes up again, you can remember what happened last time and get eBay involved (or PayPal) and make sure to call them if you are unsure about something. 

 

Also, you can report to eBay if a seller tries to do sneaky things like get you to send slow post and close a case. 

 

Now, time to move on and look for something in North America for your needs, not China.

 

Also, eBay has a 30 day window during which it can enforce policies relating to a sale including refunds, policy violations etc. If you wait beyond that window, eBay has no further obligation as they consider a sale or refund was completed or abandoned if sufficient evidence isn't provided within the time period. In most cases, this period is 30 days after the estimated delivery date. However, a notable exception is if delivery takes longer than 60 days, eBay no longer can do anything, and you will need PayPal to step in.

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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

If the buyer does not escalate the Dispute to a Claim, eBay assumes that the buyer and seller have come to an agreement.

I gather in this case you were not able to open an eBay Dispute at all because you were past the '30 days from delivery' deadline.

Although you are probably past their deadline too, could I suggest phoningthe 1-800 number on the back of the credit card you back your Paypal account with?  Worth a try.

The cc customer rep wont have much information on hand, unlike eBay or PP, so be ready to give her the dates of purchase and of return, the tracking number, the currency and transaction numbers from eBay and PP.

Message 7 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

I know that it can be simple and easy to order something online, but before we do so, much like with anything else in life we need to know the rules and protect ourselves.

If you ever bought something like a car, insurance, no doubt it is time consuming to read over the fine print and legal statements but it can sure make you aware of what the limits are.

eBay does not readily advertise the MBG as heavy as they did before, because previously it was just a marketing tool to make people feel safe and warm that buying from eBay is backed by a 30 Day Money Back. However, again, it is our responsibility to know the rules and what options we have. I mean, I spent $400 but I was for sure going to make sure I had a way to get it back if something doesn't work.

When you originally signed up for eBay as part of the EULA you agreed to, would have been details regarding site policies in regard to situations like you encountered. Also, your welcome email would have had links to getting started guides which do cover "what if something goes wrong".

The whole point of a scam from the scammers perspective is that they keep you in the dark long enough until there is nothing you can do. Which is what happened here.

You can't expect the world to always warn you when something is going to go boom. You have to be aware of these things and pro actively prevent them which includes reading up and making sure you know what is what in the world.

Eyes open.
Message 8 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

Why would anyone buy a high ticket item on Ebay, Ali or DHGate unless they want to play Russian Roulette with their money. I would never do that. Pay an extra $10-20 bucks and buy locally with Quicker Delivery, Warranty. I purchased 2 Cameras for the grandkids for camp and one had a problem . Amazon gave a ship back envelope and within 10 days I had a REFUND.
Message 9 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

Comparing ebay to Amazon is inappropriate for the most part. Amazon is a gorilla and its third-party merchants are the bananas in its general vicinity. Your cameras were probably Amazon corporate stock, the same as they would have been from Walmart or Best Buy or anywhere else where the company sells it, not people like you and I. On ebay, all sellers are third-party merchants but Ebay's MoneyBack Guarantee is just as strong as anywhere else's. In other words, ebay sellers cannot afford to wipe a buyer's bum and pay them for the privilege of doing so like Amazon can as a behemoth corporation can using the funds gained from the back of its third-party merchants. 

 

 

Message 10 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

Obviously you did not get my point. Russian Roulette is not my game. I have met many honest and reliable EBay sellers but now you have a lot of scam artists that play the system well.
I learned not to trust but there are many buyers that get played with the wait another 2 weeks routine or check with the post office/neighbour or I will reship nonsense. I used to love buying on EBay but I have stopped buying because a) It takes over one hour to speak to a live CS agent b) promises, promises with no power other than a pleasant conversation.
I hope that it changes so that I may return
Message 11 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

i quick look at your feedback shows you continue to buy, and mostly from overseas sellers..  wow.

 

Message 12 of 13
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Seller does not refund after purchase and eBay is not doing anything

There is no 'system to play' if you follow the policy and procedure of the MoneyBack Guarantee and don't get duped by trying to be nice. That goes for buyers and sellers both. People have to educate themselves regardless of where they shop; ebay is not the minefield you are making it out to be. If you want fewer negative experiences going forward, try avoiding high-risk sellers from high-risk locations. Shop Canadian and your difficulties will evaporate. 

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