eBay refusing to refund me on an item

[iwreckidiots]

Due to financial hardships, I decided I couldn't keep the item and started a return.

They sent me a label and a deadline by which I had to ship it back to the seller.

I've explained to them countless times I have to pay $140+ in import charges just to pick the item up from the post office.

I also explained that after 15 days, assuming I don't pick it up, it gets sent back under the old tracking number.

I've been waiting for the past 4 days for the refund team to review my case, and every time I contact them, they tell me to wait another 24-48 hours and to be patient.

I knew that they treat sellers like trash, but didn't expect it to happen as a buyer. This is the first time I had to return something, by the way.

[marnotom! · Accepted solution]

If you haven't picked the item up from the post office, you're not returning it.  Rather, you're refusing it.

Sales of items that are not delivered to the buyer because the buyer didn't pay customs charges aren't covered by eBay's Money Back Guarantee.  See the section entitled, "Exclusions and special coverage when the buyer doesn't receive an item":

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

You're either going to have to sort this out directly with the seller, or else you're going to have to pay the customs charges, collect the package, return it (at your own expense as this is a remorse return), and then apply to Canada Border Services for a refund of the customs charges.

Keep in mind that uncollected packages being returned to the sender are a low priority for the postal system and it will likely take some time for it to be returned to the seller.

Good luck.

[iwreckidiots]

I also read that in some cases the item doesn't go back to the seller, but becomes abandoned. Don't know if that applies to eBay specifically.

Also saw that upon receipt of the refused package, the seller isn't obligated to refund you and eBay won't step in. Guess I'd have to file a bank dispute to get my money back.

[marnotom!]

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@iwreckidiots wrote:

I also read that in some cases the item doesn't go back to the seller, but becomes abandoned. Don't know if that applies to eBay specifically.

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It depends on how the item was sent.  Items sent as Small Packets usually automatically get sent back.  It's been a while since I've dealt with anything sent as an international parcel (or EMS) but I think sellers have to check a box to indicate what is to be done with an undeliverable item: either have it returned at their expense or abandon it.

Did your seller ship this item out directly to you, or did it go through eBay's International Shipping service? 

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@iwreckidiots wrote:

Also saw that upon receipt of the refused package, the seller isn't obligated to refund you and eBay won't step in. Guess I'd have to file a bank dispute to get my money back.

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I'm not 100% sure you'd even be successful with that, to be honest.  I think you should scrape together funds to cover the customs charges and then work out a proper return of the item and seek a refund of the customs charges.  While I realize that doesn't make you whole, I don't think ethics should take a back seat to financial strain.

[reallynicestamps]

A Refused item is Undeliverable.

EBay will not require the seller to refund you anything.

Not.One.Red.Cent.

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

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

If you pay import fees (duty but mostly sales taces) you can apply to CBSA to have them refunded, eventually, with proof that the shipmnet was returned to seller.

[iwreckidiots]

Pretty sure a bank dispute with the transaction overrides everything. Someone I dealt with got their money back even after the return window had closed. Also got to keep the item. I don't want to go there, but I will if need be.

[reallynicestamps]

You know that because YOU ordered something YOU could not afford, the seller paid eBay fees of 15-20% on the total payment.

Which was  substantial if the import fees are $140. In the $1000 range possibly?

And also packaged and shipped, using time and money, YOUR purchase.

And will not be able to get the shipping cost or their labour back, because YOUR  eyes were bigger than YOUR stomach.

But that's okay. YOU can get a chargeback so YOU are okay.

Nothing else matters.

[iwreckidiots]

Actually, it was around $700, if you must know. I feel the import charge should've been around $100 based on past experience. You do realize he will be fully reimbursed if he submits an appeal, right? Packaging takes 20 min. Wow, so much effort. Spare me the moral lecture.

[nuvistors]

Hopefully the bank will not refund you because You refused the item.

[marnotom!]

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@iwreckidiots wrote:

Pretty sure a bank dispute with the transaction overrides everything. Someone I dealt with got their money back even after the return window had closed. Also got to keep the item. I don't want to go there, but I will if need be.

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Credit card disputes, or chargebacks, can generally be performed over a longer time frame than what eBay offers in its Money Back Guarantee.  Having said that, are the circumstances of the "someone [you] dealt with" the same as yours?  In your case, a chargeback for a not-received item likely would be considered "friendly fraud" because you had opportunity to collect the item.

One of the reasons eBay has its Money Back Guarantee in place is to head off chargebacks, actually, as they're costly and labour/time-intensive to process.  I don't know if eBay made the exemption on refused items because they're confident that a subsequent chargeback would be unsuccessful or if they just figured that the number of these chargebacks was small enough to write off on their end should the buyer go through eBay first.

The outcome will likely largely depend how diligent the bank is about doing its homework.

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@iwreckidiots wrote:

Actually, it was around $700, if you must know. I feel the import charge should've been around $100 based on past experience. You do realize he will be fully reimbursed if he submits an appeal, right?

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I have a feeling exchange rates were a bit more favourable when you made this earlier purchase.  US$700 converts to about C$1000 right now.  13% HST is $130.  Add the Canada Post processing fee of about ten bucks, et voila, C$140 in import charges.

You're likely correct that the seller will likely receive some sort of courtesy reimbursement or protection from eBay in the event of a chargeback if they prevailed in your MBG case.  However, you could end up putting them through a lot of unnecessary stress and angst while this all gets worked out.  It's transactions such as this one that really discourage US sellers from selling out of the country, and I can't blame them.

Have you been in touch with the seller about this sale at all?  Did the seller ship the item directly to you or did it go through eBay's International forwarding hub in Illinois?

[alacar-8]

Wow is right.  As sellers we are faced with many challenges.  Buyers remorse is one of those pains.  If you think that it takes 20 minutes to find an item, research it's value, list it, package it, take it to the facility that is going to ship it for you and then go home hoping that there is someone out there who is interested in purchasing it, then you are a more efficient seller than any of us. Wow.

[reallynicestamps]

Packaging takes 20 min.

Here in BC the minimum wage is 27c a minute or $5.41 for 20 minutes work.