eBay closed my return and stopped me from contacting customer support

[sirtookie]

Hello I purchased a camera from overseas and it was dead on arrival, eBay encouraged me to return it and pay the $360 freight to send it back. I did all of this on time because we are dealing with an amount of around $5000, I tried to entre the DHL tracking into the eBay form and as I suspected it did not work. I contacted customer support and the guy said dont worry I will do it manually, I then tested the tracking myself and yes it worked so I sent a screen shot to eBay showing it worked. I also sent this to the customer all good I thought. Then eBay suddenly disconnected me from contacting customer support before the allocated time limit was up. Now today the closed the return case over the weekend. Now I have sent the $5000 camera back, eBay will not reimburs me for the freight and will not help me get my money back. I have all the copies and proof that ebay screwed up, I have no choice now but to take action to retrieve my money. I am a 100% feedback high rated buyer and seller. So if eBay treat me like this what are they doing to others.

[sirtookie]

Also eBay instantly cut off my right of apeal regarding this item. Will not allow an apeal because they closed the case. This in my view is because they dont want to pay the return freight of $360, or they dont want to upset the seller. This is very corrupt what has happened to me. I am a pensioner with a dissability and will fight this corruption to the last. Sorry Im very upset because I feel powerless to do much. I just cant loose that much money because of corrupt people that work for eBay.

[countessalmirena]

@sirtookie,

I suggest that you will need to speak to eBay on the phone again (using the Have Us Call You option).

Record the call if you can, and of course get the CS rep's permission. Then politely explain that the item was returned to the seller and that the tracking number showed this. (Did you perhaps not upload the screenshot in the dispute itself?)

Explain that the CS rep to whom you spoke at the time confirmed that the tracking showed that the item was returned.

Explain this as many times as you need to. Be patient and make sure you don't get upset or lose your temper.

Ask to speak to a supervisor if you sense you're getting nowhere.

Summarise the call at the end with notes.

If things do not work out - if eBay continue to refuse to refund you (and this should be the FULL AMOUNT including the cost of return postage to the seller) - then explain you will need to lodge a complaint with the FOS.

(You actually have the option either of the Financial Ombudsman Services OR to do a chargeback with your card provider. I am assuming that your purchase was paid via PayPal, funded by your credit card or debit card. Some people prefer to take the chargeback route; some people prefer the FOS.)

You should contact eBay first... and then PayPal... making sure you have recording with permission (otherwise detailed notes and make SURE you don't end the call without going through a summary). This is important for all future actions.

eBay's "Have us call you" option is by far the best way to get in touch with eBay. (Emails are useless, for a number of reasons, but primarily because the responses, when they are finally sent, are bot-generated.)

eBay say: We'll call you at the phone number registered to your account, or you can enter a different number.

We’re available from 8am to 10pm AET, 7 days a week.

Then PayPal:

Call PayPal Customer Service

1800 073 263 (toll free)
+61 2 8223 9500

Go to this page (https://www.paypal.com/au/smarthelp/contact-us) for your one-off passcode.
[You'll be asked to enter this unique code on the phone.)

Customer Service hours

6am to 10pm AEST Monday to Friday
8am to 7pm AEST Saturday and Sunday

And finally - lodge that dispute with the Financial Services Ombudsman if no resolution by eBay or PayPal - but don't launch into FOS territory unless you've done all you can with eBay and PayPal.

IMPORTANT: The reason why I suggest going through the communication route with eBay and PayPal is that you will want to demonstrate either to the FOS or to your card provider that you sought to resolve this issue via the resolution process with eBay and/or PayPal.

Please come back to the thread once you've got a response; I hope all works out well for you with a full refund.

Other replies in other threads that could be useful for you: Item showed as delivered but eBay didn't refund (reply/comment); the nitty-gritty of recording a call (and taking notes) (reply).

[foxette-in-sox]

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@sirtookie  I am a 100% feedback high rated buyer and seller.

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Not sure if you realise this but you don't have 100% as a buyer returned a faulty item to you, you

failed to refund and ebay had to refund the buyer......

If you're on a disability pension, no idea how you have $5,000 to spend but you obviously can afford it

or you wouldn't have bought the camera.

Anyway, the Countess has given you the correct advice.

[*tippy*toes*]

Disability and pensioner mentioned in the same sentence. That lost me. You can't be doing it real hard.

[audistarelectronics]

I'm more than a little lost also, I think the 5000 number would call for a visit to a B&M store wouldn't it? Even if it was looking like a bargain, I wouldn't have touched it wit a ZOOM lens.

[4channel]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

Disability and pensioner mentioned in the same sentence. That lost me. You can't be doing it real hard.

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*tippy*toes* , it's not up to us to judge or speculate on what this person does with their money or how they spend it. The situation is horrible and I feel for this or any other person having this nasty situation. Let's hope that sirtookie finds a way out of this.

[springyzone]

Follow countessa's advice to the letter, you're going to have to pursue this & it's going to be hard not to lose your temper so have a list in front of you of the main points you need to cover & have the transaction details at your fingertips, especially the tracking etc

$5000 is a huge amount of money to most people, pensioners or not. I don't know too many who wouldn't be seriously upset at losing such a sum. If you feel you want to mention to the ebay rep in passing that it's very serious to you because it represents a lot of money to you, fine. But don't dwell on it as it isn't the main issue. You don't deserve a refund because you're a pensioner or because you can't afford to lose the money, you deserve a refund because your item was faulty and you returned it with tracking as advised by ebay. So make sure you concentrate on those points.

[collect247]

What goes around comes around

[sirtookie]

Thank you so much you are so kind I will follow that to the letter feel a lot better, I took screen shots at the time too. the other thing the I found eBay stopped me printing the letters by a popup blocker that came up saying (Grrr you have a popup blocker that is not allowing you to print) but thanks I will try to contact eBay.