Bought an item but soon after, price had reduced. Can I ask for the difference?

[greenaliens]

Hi everyone, 1st post here 🙂

I wanted to know about the buying process and regulations here in eBay under my circumstances which I relate to my previous brick and mortar retail style purchases in the past under Australian Consumer Laws.

So I bought an Item using an official ebay promo/discount (percentage discount) code at the end of November, a week later (just 1-2 days after the item arrived into my hand), that same exact listing's price had been reduced (the separate ebay discount code was still the same).

In the mean time they sent me a wrong parts, so I had to fill a case report, but they were very extremely slow(3-5 days no reply) and often going back and forth (replying unrelated things, so I had to repeat) in the reply ultimately causing eBay's intervention and opening up ANOTHER case, which is still ongoing.

But I am just clarifying everything I don't know if that above would ALSO be related to my question... which is: that usually in retail stores and under Consumer's law I believe the customer is eligible for a refund of the PRICE DIFFERENCE if the item they purchased had price reduced within a specific time frame.. (30 Days?)

Oh and BTW this week (the 3rd week since my transaction, the Item is reduced a gain (but tthis time the eBay discount/promo code is different although the same percentage) <--- so this price is at the moment still valid and quite a bit cheaper than my initial purchase (about 20% price difference I believe)..

What can/should I do? Thank you!

[davewil1964]

No point asking me. I consider 8 cylinders to be the minimum acceptable, and anything with a blue oval is de facto unacceptable.

But I still research when I buy a, used, car. I've never bought a new one.

For example: the last car I bought from a dealer was from about the 15th I'd visited. The 'salesmen' disappeared at the first 14. I was looking for around 12-15k, Holden, so probably a 6 cylinder VN Commodore.

The 15th place had a VK Brock, so I bought it for 16k. Cash.

[brerrabbit585]

I didn't realise until now but I got you mixed up with Melina when I last posted.

I can live without reversing cameras and blind spot monitors but I really wish they'd make cars so you can see out of them. My car has rear headrests that block my view when reversing out of angle parking and I have to be really careful where I park.

[greenaliens]

That's ok I am asking to get clarification I never claim I am knowledgable in this area so I am open to any kind of input and learning. I am just trying to make sense of the things I had seen such as those price difference guarantees and that alot of times the consumers' law and other similar things got jumbled into it like a big mess confusing general consumers as to what is what and what is not etc.

So I'm gonna answer daydreams_12 questions a little bit here: It was my first to opening a case and I did try to select what I thought to be the appropriate selection but it did not work so I opened it up under the next best classification that I can think of which was "item not received". Because I did not get the right part. I have no clue it should be classified as "item not as described" as what you seem would've done. The item was the correct one (version/model/serial wise, etc) but the most essential part that defines its usage was wrong. Is there supposed to be a guide somewhere on how to classify all these types of incidents?

Later on after a week of no reply from the seller and my 3or 4 messages.. (I did not immediatelly call out ebay even when I could've done so - I always gave them a chance... even NOW).. ebay was called and they converted my case to another case automatically (this time becomes a "return request case") and eBay requested for me to process under this new case classification.

On this case (which at first I thought I was speaking directly to eBay) the seller replied (finally) after I requested for a full refund and no additional cost on my side as the item is an ebayplus and so was I.

In that 1st reply the store rep persuaded me for a replacement parts to be sent instead and asked for photos (which I actually initially proactivelly already offered in the very first message in the first opened case in which also asked about the instructions on how to do so so) but as we all know that 1st case went completely ignored.

Back to case 2... So after a 3 pics uploaded to describe that single part in multiple positions, packaging label, the problem... and lenghty message explaining my pictures (also re-stating the problem based on pics and also gave my proposed solution)... the rep replied... (without acknowledging/addressing/confirming a SINGLE thing from my lengthy out message just before that reply....) for me to see the product manual page 13! LOL really? instead of progressing we were going backwards to the manual (I am a manual freak FYI - I don't rush to open my products before completely reading the manual).

In fact page 13 contains the steps that can only be taken if I had not got the part problem in the first place! Had I followed her instruction to do the steps in pg 13. That part (or any other parts touching it) would be BROKEN.

So I sadfaced" knowing pg.13 is the number that signify a hard long road ahead...

I was right lol.... But let me continue that another day I need to catch some sleep. 🙂

Also Thanks everyone for the advice on how the price difference are normally applied... still reading through all that among other entertaining stuffs you guys mentioned haha

[brerrabbit585]

Hopefully someone else with more experience in returns/refunds will be along to help you soon. Just don't let the seller string you along, which some will do by promising to send a replacement but never do. Is your seller in Australia? Check their feedback page because it says there where they're registered. A lot of Chinese put the item location as Australia and send from China, and the Chinese are notorious for delaying tactics.

[digital*ghost]

---

@greenaliens wrote:

Is there supposed to be a guide somewhere on how to classify all these types of incidents?

---

No, but for future reference - item not received covers delivery of a package only, it does not deal with the contents of packages in any way at all.

Item not as described covers all disputes related to the contents of the package (or lack thereof, eg package arrives but there's an item missing). 

Item not as described requests or disputes are (in a nutshell) return for refund requests - there's very little room for negotiation or other options for the seller to provide, and most will not do anything except approve the request, which then means you have to return the item. If you would like to try to negoitiate replacement parts or other options, your best bet is to contact them directly though eBay messages, without opening a dispute. If that doesn't work out within the timeframe you've got, then open teh request and approach it with the mindset that you are now asking to return the item for a refund. 

As mentioned above, some sellers will try to use delaying tactics and get the dispute to time out, so at a certain point in time, if things are not happening, it's best to just move forward with the dispute and use it as it's meant to be - return for refund. (That's not possible with an INR case, of course, but if you contact eBay, they may be able to adjust the reason for the dispute; I know it can be done with PayPal disputes, but I'm not sure if it can with eBay ones). 

NB: Obviously, there are sellers who are happy to work with buyers to provide alternative options when disputes or requests are opened, so it's not a given that a seller who tries to work through a problem and offers replacements etc is trying to string the buyer along, but once you reach a point where you've made your case and points clear and things still don't seem to be moving forward with the seller, it's best to move on from that option. I'd also not recommend accepting replacement items from most international sellers where it can take weeks for the package to arrive, since it leaves you vulnerable. In those cases, it's generally better to resolve the case, and then re-purchase the item in a separate transaction. 

[greenaliens]

Hi Merry Xmas everyone 🙂

eBay has granted me a free return postage for the case! I'm planning to continue on my story in details so people can see and learn from my experience, but in the meantime I just wanted to quickly pass along this info I found regarding "Item not as Described". I found this in the following eBay information page:

https://pages2.ebay.com.au/eBay_Money_Back_Guarantee

• A “not as described” item should be significantly different from what the seller described in the item listing.  This includes:

  • different item or version;
  • wrong condition (e.g. the listing stated the item was "new" when it's clearly been used);
  • missing parts or components (e.g. a listing for a camera kit stated it would include a tripod, but it's missing);
  • defective during first use (e.g. TV didn't turn on);
  • counterfeit item;
  • missing major parts or features, and this wasn't mentioned in the listing; and/or
  • damaged during postage.What determines if an item is “not as described”?

  Hope everyone is having a good one!

[eranm]

Hi I totally agree with you that they have willingly signed up to the agreement in order to show consumers that they are vigilantly updating ticket prices in order not to over charge their customers. 

Having said that once they sign up to the agreement then they are legally obligated to give the first product free of charge and then they would proceed to charge the remaining products the correct price. 

[countessalmirena]

Please let this old thread be decently buried.

It dates back to December 2018, 4½ years ago. (You can see the date of the last post on the top right of the post itself.)

I suspect that a moderator will be along at some point to lock this thread due to its age, and because the question has long since been answered.