Ebay 'Returns' is a joke!

[797_cc]

<sigh> Where do I start?

Bought a dress from a Melbourne seller and it arrived quickly - perfect. But when I held it up, I realised (without even having to try it on) that it was too small.

I sent a message to the seller advising as such, saying that I would even include a prepaid satchel for them to send back the correct size - my mistake, I pay, fair enough.

No response from seller. Waited 2 days, messaged again ... no response form seller. Okay, they may be busy.

Packed up the dress, included an explanatory note and the prepaid bag and sent it off to their listed PO box. Checked the tracking and it arrived the next day. Sent a message to the seller, letting them know it was there. No response ... waited 2 days, messaged again ... no response. Waited another day ... still no response. Checked the sellers listings - heaps of things had been purchased and sent out (happy feedback) - so he was at least around. 

Sent a message to remind him the dress was there ... no response. Checked his feedback ... $&&X@!&$!!. Seems no communication and ignoring returns is a common thing >:(.

Clicked 'request a return' and took the closest option, but mentioned that he had my $39.95 AND the dress AND a $14.65 return post bag ... requested my dress or, preferably, a full refund. Mentioned that the dress had been left ignored at the post office for around a week ... in theory, HE HAS IT. Got the usual '24 - 48 hours and we will respond' message from ebay.

It's now been 4 days and even after asking on day 3 (and getting a generic reply) ebay have done nothing. Tried to go over to Paypal to get it sorted, says I can't as a dispute has already been raised.

Ugh! What a mess! 😞

Am I ever going to win this one?

[phorum_junkie*]

I doubt it, sellers do not have to acccept returns and ebay's refund system does not cover a clothing item not fitting. If you are going to return something then you wait until you are told to by ebay and you return it to an address given you by ebay. You should not have included a prepaid satchel for another item, the seller has the right to refund you and doesn't have to send a replacement

[797_cc]

The seller is an a$$hole.

Ebay have just advised they have decided against me ... I am going to the ACCC. I tried to do the honest thing, and he has broken the law.

Getting proceedings started on Monday, just read up on the ACCC and I have a case. Ebay still have to operate within Australian trading laws and they haven't.

[i-love-my-sheep]

You should have read up on the why's and wherefores of the MBG before taking it upon yourself to just sending the dress back. There is a very good reason why there are procedures to follow in regards to returns. Any return/refund, you start the proceedings and then wait for instructions from eBay/PayPal before doing anything else. If you just send stuff back like you did, with no real proof, the seller only has to say "nope, never got it" and you're stuffed.

The case has been proven against you because it was effectively a change of mind return, which sellers don't have to accept. MBG doesn't cover change of mind, nor does PayPal. So now, you have lost your money and the dress. If you had waited and the case was proven against you, you wouldn't have got your money back, but you would have still had the dress which you would have been able to sell to recoup some of your money.

I highly doubt the ACCC will do anything because eBay hasn't done anything wrong. You didn't follow procedure for the MBG, so in reality, it's you that's done the wrong thing. Even the seller in this instance hasn't done anything wrong. He sent you what you bought and what was in the description.

[797_cc]

Ebay's 'Returns' is incorrectly worded and does not have the correct options. I should have simply gone straight to Paypal.

I have proof it was sent, the seller's feedback shows he has rorted the returns option before and, as per the ACCC, it is illegal for a merchant to hold both the saleable item and the consumers payment without return of one or the other - it doesn't matter how it was done, that is the law in Australia. I've just gotten this from the horses mouth.

The seller ignores all communication - not a great way to run a business.

The original item is still sitting at the PO, I can only hope he ignores it long enough for it to come back. If it doesn't come back (it's tracked and insured so I know exactly where it is) then I have legal recourse outside of ebay.

Anyway, I have researched my rights and made a phone call to a solicitor friend who knows how ebay works ... just have to wait now.

[crazyplacecostumes]

You've come across a bad egg which is a shame because for those of us who sell dresses it gives all of us a bad name. 😞

Have you requested their ebay contact details and tried to ring them? Are they a business who may have their own website and / or facebook where you can find their contact details?

[797_cc]

Spoken to ebay on the phone - they will look into it.

The Returns system needs the option of 'exchange', it's that simple. The returns system, as it stands, is as bad as the 'Resolve a Problem' that used to turn straight into a dispute ... unfair to the buyer.

[797_cc]

**Tried to edit my last message but it cut me off.

Ugh ... my only mistake was pressing the 'wrong' button, per ebay.

I've spoken to ebay on the phone and we spent 20 minutes going over the whole thing (luckily I documented it) - they will look into it and will contact the seller directly to try and resolve it. They can see that at no point am I trying to rip the seller off, he will never - at any point - be out of pocket in this. So much for trying to be honest 😞
If I had just raised a case after he had ignored all my messages (and not sent the dress back), he would have lost out all round and gotten a strike ... which is actually unfair to him - NOT my intention.

The Returns system needs the option of 'exchange', it's that simple.
The returns system, as it stands, is as bad as the 'Resolve a Problem' that used to turn straight into a dispute.

[amazonchicky]

Unfair to the seller too

We have had customers return items for exchange, be sent the correct items, and eBay refund them. 

An exchange upgrade is definitely needed!

[the_great_she_elephant]

Ebay's 'Returns' is incorrectly worded and does not have the correct options.

What you mean is "Returns" doesn't have the option I wanted.

There is a reason why there is not a simple "exchange" option. It is to stop buyers like you from putting sellers to unnecessary trouble and/or expense simply because  you have failed to read a listing properly or ordered  the wrong size.

Many sellers, out of the kindness of their hearts or as good business practice, will agree to an exchange, but there is no legal compulsion for them to do so.