How do I appeal a decision about a request that was closed by eBay?

[heyjude1949]

On Aug 5th I opened a refund request for an item (purchased on July 16th) not received.  On Aug 7th the seller asked if they could resend, and I agreed  On Aug 16th they advised that it had been resent.  On Sep 5th eBay advised that they had closed this request since there's been no activity for 21 business days  ... this item is still NOT RECEIVED!  

eBay information states "If you don't agree with our decision after we've stepped in to help resolve an issue between you and a seller, you can appeal by providing new information within 30 days of case being closed."

HOW?  Following their instructions, I found my way into the "Case Details" - however, I was unable to "Select Send us an appeal" as there is NO OPTION to do so!!  (Simply got message "This request has been closed.  Unfortunately, once a request is closed, it can't be reopened").  

So HOW does one appeal a decision??  Obviously there is a glitch somewhere.

And perhaps before closing a request eBay should confirm that it has in fact been resolved!

Although the original item is now listed on my Purchase History under "Returns and Cancelled" if I try to select "Return this item" to initiate a refund, I get the message -"Unfortunately you're outside the seller's return window and your purchase is not eligible for Money Back Guarantee.  You can still send a return request to your seller and see if they can help".

As the seller advised on Aug 16th that the item had been resent, should not the "seller's return window" start again from then?  If not, buyers are at a huge disadvantage.

How do I contact someone at eBay about this?  

[4channel]

Hi, sorry to hear of your dilemma. It looks as if you've fallen into the trap that is used often by some sellers to delay things. You may now have to open a PayPal dispute.

[*tippy*toes*]

Open a PayPal dispute. Never accept the offer of an item being resent. Fact is, it won't be resent. It's a stalling tactic, especially by Asian sellers.

[4channel]

Very true! I once had a grossly incorrectly graded item from a seller in Europe. He said .... "I'll send you another from my personal collection". Due to other things in my life, normal day to day business etc., I forgot about it. It was later that I remembered I was supposed to get it. Well, by that time it was too late to do anything.

Another case was a US seller. A  seller with a rating of over 41,000 This was years ago that I bought what was supposed to be  hi-fi booklet in mint condition. What I received was well-read some pages pulled out of a magazine that had finger nail creases all over them. This seller R******** often sells items portrayed as posters with the description "Seldom seen, 11"x 14", BILLBOARD magazine record industry original promotional trade advertisement" etc..

Anyway, I wasn't going to pay for that garbage and the only way I could get my money back was to post the item back. Problem: The seller didn't refund on original postage or the return. This was going to cost me too much. Luckily PayPal stepped in and for a one-off gesture, the refunded me out of their own funds. I wanted to leave a neutral or negative feedback to warn others about this but my time to leave feedback ran out. Oh and the seller tried to get more funds out of me after I posted it. Can't remember how but this was an attempt.  Some sellers are deliberately misleading but they have a high turnover and they have it down pat to deflect / wear the flack in pursuit of the main goal which is profit. And the being misleading to a degree is one of the components of their profit.

[fixnwear]

4 channel, of course any business is about the profits!

The sole reason for it's existence - they only function it has is to make profit.

As for being deceitful  in pursuit of that profit, you probably mean like Mackers, where their pictures are showing one thing - but you get something that looks nothing like it! How many years have they been misrepresenting them? Like - forever!

I always allow some differences from the items listed to what I actually get - especially in second hand goods as we all look at things in a different way.

I can choose to be idiotic and picky and look for every minute detail - waste of time and also, more important, causing trouble for nothing for the poor seller!

It is their job to portray the item in the best possible light - isn't that what everyone does, real eastate, car industry, fashion industry - and get the best possible price for it!

This endless complaining for every little thing on Ebay is comical - and also even more comical is the fact that everyone takes is sooooo seriously, they are always traumatised, upset, their disappointment has no end, and neither is the moaning about it!

[4channel]

There's a difference fixnwear between a seller advertising an item as something but the buyer getting another thing that even though similar can't be resold as that. This particular seller R******** that I referred to often misleads. So,  a buyer buys something that they think is a stand alone poster. Just about everything in the auction leads them to believe they're getting that. They pay 30 bucks and 20 postage. What arrives in the mail is a large page that has been cut out by a razor blade from a magazine. If they want to re-sell it at some stage, they (If they are honest) will have to advertise it for what it really is.

 In my case the item I received was not mint. It was VG at the most. It wasn't a booklet, it was some pages lifted out of a magazine. If I decided to keep it and then later re-sell, I'd have to advertise it as a brochure which originally some pages noted out of a magazine. It wasn't even meant to be independent. The page numbers would indicate that. It was just a section of the mag.

I've been in the game for a long time. I know a lot of collectors. I have bought, traded, sold vinyl in the past for years and I'm spot on with my grading. Condition is everything! The amount of times I've had stuff graded as mint or mint minus arrive and I discover it's nothing of the sort is a fair amount. Just the other day I received something advertised as mint minus but in actual fact it was just VG. It's not being picky or idiotic, it's being realistic. I  saying that, I have learnt over the years that certain media that is obscure can attract mis-grading. There's a reason for this which I'll explain at another time.

[*tippy*toes*]

Agree with everything you say 4channel (yes, it happens sometimes LOL!). Several years ago I bought a coin that was listed as uncirculated. I also bought some paper bank notes that also said uncirculated. Same seller.

The coin was about the same as what you might find in a carpark where it's been kicked and run over for around 6 months. It was even worse than one that would be listed as poor condition. Dings, gouges and scratches all over it.

The bank notes weren't much better. They had clearly been in circulation at some point. Not only did they have nicks and tears, it appeared that the seller had tried to iron them to get the wrinkles and creases out of them. He failed.

So what, some might say (like fixnwear)? Well, like your vinyl and other collectables, you know that condition is everything. I paid premium price to get something that wasn' even worth face value. 

I was able to return for a refund. The seller didn't last much longer after that. The negs started piling up and I think eBay stepped in and shut them down.

Unlike clothing, the types of things we collect, condition is everything. While fixnwear might be happy to buy and wear something with the hem down a bit, if I buy something in mint condition, I expect it to be mint condition because I have paid a premium price for it.

I have bought Matchbox cars that were in poor condition, and listed as such, and paid accordingly for those. I bought them because they were either rare, or were something I had as a kid and I couldn't find it anywhere else. I knew exactly what I was getting.

[4channel]

LOL, I could just imagine that seller trying to iron out the bank notes to make them appear new. Sometimes what they wish for overtakes common sense. But I'd say in your case *tippy*toes* that seller was just being downright  and deliberately misleading. What a disappointment that would have been! Good to hear that you got your money back.

Yes, you know about condition value or vinyl and other collectibles and where it's all at. True too with the cars, you know what you're buying and even though in poor condition some of them, you were aware and there's no shock at the other end. And it's good when sellers are not afraid to advertise a certain item as being in fair or poor condition. Kudos to them.

[springyzone]

Yes, I think sellers need to be truthful & realistic when they advertise things, and that is especially so on ebay because a lot of things are being bought sight unseen except for the photos. Buyers are relying on the description being fairly accurate.

I agree with fixnwear that it is normal for sellers to try to show something in its best light. Of course. But that is completely different to misleading or telling downright lies.

[countessalmirena]

Ironing banknotes - again, you've given me something to smile over, tippy*toes.

(Would a money launderer iron out the money? Is it flat-out illegal? Or would it all even out in the end? If the scheme were discovered, would the perps be off like creased lightning?     I'm going to stop now.)

There's no denying that especially when one's a collector, condition is an aspect that determines whether to go ahead with the purchase, and if so, how much to spend.

I collect Georgian silver (I mean primarily English silver from the Georgian era, not silver objects made in Georgia). Sometimes one will find items listed as being made by such-and-such a silversmith (or with the maker not stated, but the maker's mark is a clear indication of the maker)... but upon closer inspection, the mark was struck later, over a removed previous mark.

It's not necessarily the seller at fault, because there are several silversmiths who were highly collectable very soon after their DOD. For example, Hester Bateman ... very collectable indeed. Her mark appears on far more pieces than she ever saw in her lifetime. Fraudulent use of silver spoons can cover up a multitude of sins.