Am I able to get a refund ? ? ?

[chet_vn]

Ok, this is a really frustrating situation. I've had like 25 e-mails and messages with eBay over the last 20 days and I start firmly believing that they simply lie.

Here's a summary of the case.

1. I am registered as a seller and operate on Ebay UK. The item in question was sold in South Africa. For some reason, I got response from Ebay Australia. Don't ask me why...
2. Item was sold on October 6th. On October 28th, the buyer opened a non-received case.
3. On November 8th, I asked eBay to step-in and resolve the case, because I wanted my money released. I was certain that they will do that, as I have shipped the item with tracking number and there was information that the item is waiting to be picked up by the buyer at the postal office. The same day (!!!) eBay closed the case in buyer's favor. No checks about the delivery status whatsoever.
4. The same day I appealed. After a short, but intensive communication with the support team, the appeal was granted and I got a message that eBay will manually process a refund to me, and that it will take up to 10 business days.
5. Up to today, there is no refund in my Paypal account. I have asked eBay many times what's going on, and every time they're saying more and more ridiculous explanation. The last one, from yesterday (November 28th) was that the refund was issued and processed, but, quote, "Paypal systems do not update themselves sometimes", so I should call Paypal and clear the things.
6. Another weird thing is that thie item sold was in a parcel with two other items, i.e. three items sold by me to the same customer and shipped together. However, a case was opened just for one of them and refund was paid for one of them. Weird how two items in the same package were received, and the third one was not, isn't it?

It is quite clear, that they're taking us, the sellers, for brainless morons. All of these are simple lies and there is not such thing as "Seller protection". Being a seller, you are guilty by presumption! They're answering like robots, not like humans, and the chance of explaining the situation and really being helped is close to zero.

I am not a native speaker, so sorry if  there are typos. I am really frustrated and **bleep** off by eBay's lack of respect and questionable  "protection" policy.

[jellybirddesigns]

If you operate on Ebay UK, you should also post your question there.

Ebay doesn't have a South African store, so I imagine your customer lives there but has registered on the Aussie site and uses the PP address to have orders sent to South Africa.

I don't have a specific answer for you, but one thing I can DEFINITELY advise you of is to take South Africa OFF your list of countries for posting.

They are notorious for mail/parcels going missing - theft and crime in South Africa is pretty rampant (you just have to read the news to see what I'm saying). If they are not stealing it, they are on strike, for up to 3 months at a time.

I'm an ex-South African who still has family there and what goes on with the mail system is horrendous.

Trust me it's not worth it.

Your parcels could be here:

http://www.fin24.com/Tech/Companies/Post-office-agony-worsens-with-mail-room-woes-20150320

[chet_vn]

Thank you for your answer.

However, the real issue here is not the quality of postal service, but the way eBay treats sellers.

Here are the facts:

1. They have granted the appeal and told me they will refund me.
2. They have told that the refund will take between 7 and 10 days (that was 20 days ago)
3. They have told me that the refund has been processed and it should appear in my Paypal account.
4. 4. They have told me that the problem I'm not seeing the refund is "Paypal sysmes not being updated", which is definitely ridiculous explanation
5. I have absolutely no control over who answers my e-mails, where the case was opened, no way of communicating with eBay other than the same e-mails we've been sharing for the last 20 days. It is quite obvious that someone at eBay support has done wrong, but they would not admit that.

That's it.

[jensmanchester-australia]

Are you looking for a separate Paypal entry for the refund or have you linked back to the original payment to see if the refund has been reversed.

[saarzi]

Lodge a complaint with the Office of Fair Trading - they are usually quick online forms.

Forward a copy, or screenshot and receipt number, of the receipt to Ebay and demand your refund, refer to the previous emails and their promises (make it short and to the point).

Then stop emailing them (stop doing something that is clearly not working) - CALL THEM, and insist on speaking to a supervisor. Refer the supervisor to your email history and the Comsumer complaint, and tell them the payment hasnt been processed, and you want a receipt, over the phone, to prove its been processed TODAY.

Dont get off the phone until youre satisfied. Get the name of every individual you speak to, the department their in, and record the time / date you spoke to them... that will encourage them to actually action it when they can be held personally responsible.

If you have any issues and still arent getting anywhere, follow up with the Office of Fair Trading about your complaint and let them look after it. It might take some weeks, but EBay will reply to them as there are repercussions if they dont.

Ive helped someone deal with OFT the last time I was working in the UK (last year) and they were pretty good.

[imastawka]

Really, saarzi????   Office of Fair Trading??

OP is in Bulgaria - registered in UK, but in Bulgaria

[clarry100]

My thoughts...

Regardless of where the OP is located the unstaisfactory responses he has received were sourced from Ebay.AU.

So I would think the complaint is about them (AU) and the way it was handled.

So perhaps the AU authorities are the ones to handle it.

Anyway if they think its outside their jusridiction they will tell you.

Since this is to do with funds (ie financial) I might also consider asking if the Financial Ombudsman Service will handle it too.

In any case I believe you have a right to be persistent with this one to get the outcome you so deserve.

[designers*n*more]

The one case I asked eBay to step and help was for an item buyer wanted to return which I agreed to. I posted the buyer a return paid postage label and buyer did not return the item after 6 weeks which was when I asked eBay to step in. Immediately eBay closed the dispute in favour of the buyer who got to keep the item and got a refund. After this and reading other sellers stories where eBay have stepped in, NEVER again will I ask eBay to "step in" and help resolve any issues. It seems that the minute you do they close the case in favour of the buyer. 

[*tippy*toes*]

I think it's disgusting that eBay actually encourages shoplifting and even assists with it. If you shoplifted from a B&M shop you'd be arrested. I wonder if eBay can be held accountable for being an accessory when they instantly refund the buyer and let them keep the item as well?

Did you get a refund for the postage label?

[chet_vn]

@jensmanchester-australia: I looked for both. No refund reversal. No new payment by eBay.
@saarzi: Being a subject of a different country (Bulgaria, EU), I'm not sure I can do that. I'm not sure what to do at all, because as I said I am registered and operate on eBay UK site (also in the EU), but the case and appeal came from eBay Australia. As I try to contact eBay UK, they say I need to contact eBay Australia, with which I don't have any relationship whatsoever.

Is it really acceptable that a corporation as large as eBay can most purely lie to it's customers? Because saying that they have granted the appeal and paid a refund cannot be called something else. It is a lie.

Thank you all guys for commenting this with me. I bet there are a lot of people everywhere in the same situation, being victims of the corporative lies.

It is not really a lot of money, but my sense of justice and dignity are being hurt here.