Item from long ago that never showed up

[arc_1773]

Hey all, earlier in 2020 I purchased an item that was had never shown up. I contacted the seller about it and they said they would refund. I never got the refund and had since forgotten about it, is there anything I can do or am I out of luck for waiting so long?

[birch180]

your just one of many people who have been scammed on ebay i borough an item paid straight away it never showed up and it was never posted the postoffice told me, so looks like i lost my money too its to late now for you just warn every person you see not to buy off that seller

[repentatleisure1952]

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@birch180 wrote:

your just one of many people who have been scammed on ebay i borough an item paid straight away it never showed up and it was never posted the postoffice told me, so looks like i lost my money too its to late now for you just warn every person you see not to buy off that seller

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Have you or the OP considered reading/using the eBay Money Back Guarantee?

[jellybirddesigns]

Good grief.

Please, I beg you, read the guidelines for buying  on what to do in the event that an item doesn't show up or is not as described.

There are time limits for opening disputes.

Believing that a random seller is going to refund you without the formality of a dispute is naive at best.

You're waaaay out of luck on this one.

In the future:

Do your due diligence and check seller feedback to see what the seller is like in the event of an issue.

Open disputes within the time frame given and do not close them until you have you item or your money.

[sugar249]

No not out of luck at all.   Put it down to a life lesson, they are not luck, they are valuable.  Not sure how you can forget about something like this, then hope 18 month later you can do something.   Hopefully for you your life lesson was a cheap purchase.

[countessalmirena]

Oh dear... @arc_1773, please regard this as a flabbergasted, gentle, rather incredulous, but kind laugh...

There is no financial protection of which I'm aware that will extend back for more than a year if an item doesn't arrive and you don't seek a remedy within the required timeframe.

The timeframe is at most 6 months from the date of your purchase (through PayPal Buyer Protection), or 6 months at most through your credit/debit card if you funded your purchase via card (and some card providers offer less than 6 months - check the T&Cs), or 30 days from the latest EDD (Estimated Date of Delivery) through eBay's Money Back Guarantee.

NEXT TIME ...

• Act within 30 days of the EDD (which will show next to the item under your My eBay Purchase History).
• If you fail to do that, but it's still not been 120 days since you paid, then you should go through PayPal or your credit card provider.
• Never let it go for for than 6 months; I don't think I'd give more leeway than 3 months after I'd paid.
• Don't open multiple cases for the same transaction at the same time. For instance, if you open an eBay case, don't open a PayPal case until/unless the eBay case hasn't been successful, and ditto with a credit card chargeback or a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. If you do open a PayPal case while an eBay case is open, the eBay case will automatically and immediately close and you'll not be able to re-open it. And if you ask your bank for a chargeback while a PayPal case is open or eBay case is open, the cases will automatically close.

What you should have done - eBay Money Back Guarantee

(I've put this in "spoiler" tags as it's now far too late, but please read so that you'll know the process and timeframes if this happens again.)

Spoiler

You would need to open a request for refund on the basis of INR (Item Not Received)..

Most purchases on eBay include buyer protection, but there are some exceptions. There are also - as expected - terms and conditions, and a rigid timeframe for the required actions by the buyer. This protection is provided in the form of eBay’s Money Back Guarantee. I urge you to read the policy page to which I linked, and make yourself familiar with the T&Cs.

❝You’re covered under eBay Money Back Guarantee when:

• You don’t receive an item
• You receive an item that doesn’t match its listing
• You receive an item that’s broken or faulty
• The seller doesn’t fulfil their return policy as stated in the listing❞

Timeframes

You can’t open a return/refund request under eBay’s MBG any later than 30 days after the item’s Estimated Date of Delivery (if it fails to arrive).

Once the request has been opened, you have 21 business days to ask eBay to step in if the seller has not given a satisfactory solution. After 21 business days, the request will automatically close, no refund will be issued, and you will not be able to re-open it.❞

Don’t expect any leeway in the timeframes. eBay’s return/refund system is automated, bot-driven, and provides the money back guarantee only if an eBay member follows its T&Cs to the letter.

Action	Timeframe
Buyer opens a report that the item hasn't arrived.	The INR report cannot be opened before the EDD has passed (Estimated Date of Delivery). You can open the report from that date; you have no more than 30 calendar days from the EDD.
Seller is required to respond to the "report"/case.	The seller has 3 business days to respond and provide the buyer with a solution, such as the tracking information, a delivery update, or full refund.
If seller hasn't responded within 3 days, or the seller doesn't resolve the situation to your satisfaction (e.g., doesn't offer a refund or only offers a partial one), you can ask eBay to step in. (eBay's automatic processes to resolve the case will then kick in.)	You can ask eBay to step in once those 3 business days have passed. You have no more than 21 business days after the report to do this. If you don't act within that timeframe, your report/request/case will automatically time out and close without providing you with any remedy. You cannot re-open the case after it closes.
Once you ask eBay to step in, it's all automatic. If the seller does not/cannot provide "evidence of successful delivery to the address provided by the buyer at checkout", the buyer will be refunded.	No specific timeframe, but you should be refunded within a few days.

Re PayPal Buyer Protection - see this thread.

[papermoon.lady]

There are deadlines that have to be observed in order to open a case for a refund: 30 days since the last day of the estimated delivery for an eBay case and 180 days since the date of purchase for a PayPal case.

After some time (I am not sure how long) tracking numbers also become invalid (although postal companies have them for a bit longer, but not forever either).

[springyzone]

This is Nov 2021. You're talking about something that potentially you may have bought almost 2 years ago.

You sure are an optimist. Of course you're 'out of luck'.

I doubt you could contact any business after 18 months-2 years and expect action.

I don't think you can even cash a cheque after 12 months or so. There are time limits on most things.

I am presuming it was a small purchase or you would not have forgotten about it. But it must be niggling at your mind if you're asking about it all this time later. In future if you are awaiting a refund or poayment of any kind (from ebay or elsewhere), keep tabs on it and follow up promptly. The pity of it is you certainly could have had a full refund had you opened a claim in that first month. Never mind.