Seller has no choice but to pay for return of faulty or wrong item - if you open the dispute/request within the Money Back Guarantee timeframe.

Did you pay via PayPal? If so, open refund request under its Buyer Protection and call PayPal to politely ask for waiver on returning the item based upon return cost not being commensurate with item cost AND seller had been uncooperative on eBay and you didn’t know correct way to go about opening returns request on eBay.

If you didn’t use PayPal, hopefully you at least your credit card/debit card. Depending upon card issuer’s T&Cs, you could still be in time to ask bank to do a chargeback.

If you run into problems after you buy something-maybe it is defective or it isn't as described in the ad-then if you can go to the help section (which is on the bottom of my computer menu) and look for something that will cover your problem.

I just clicked on it and there is a section called "Return an item for a refund."

It has clickable links.

That would be one possible place to start.

Also, if you go into the 'My ebay 'section and look at the list of purchases, there is a drop down menu on the side. It was say eg leave feedback and 'More actions'. If you click that last one, up will come an option to return the item.

I have not clicked any further but I imagine you then have to choose a reason for wanting a return. Don't choose anything like 'Don't like it' or 'Found a better one elsewhere' (or whatever options they give).

Go for a reason that puts the blame on the item-that it is a defective item or not as described in the ad. Something like that. Open a claim.

You'll have to do it within 30 days of the estimated arrival date. ASAP after it arrives.

That should see you get a refund from ebay.

As for feedback. That is your secondary worry. Get the refund as a priority.

Most of the time, feedback will stay as long as it is factual and doesn't mention opening claims etc

If all you do is message a seller, then you might not get anywhere. You don't need a seller's permission to open an ebay claim & you should do so if a quick message to the seller gets you nowhere.

It's easy for experienced members to say that buyers should use the tools provided. Has it occurred to anyone that they may not know about these "tools"? I had been an ebay member for over 15 years before I had an issue and I was like, what the eff? What do I do? It's all well and good to say that everyone should read the buyer's guide, but the fact is, most don't, because they never encounter any issues, so have no need to go to the help pages. 

These forums are to help people that find themselves in a bind. Not berate them because they should have read the buyer's guide and be fully au fait with everything ebay. They come here because they are in a pickle. While factual answers are always appreciated, maybe telling them how they can get some resolution is a good idea too. If people were up to date with everything ebay, they wouldn't need to come here. Therefore, the forums would die a rapid death.

Berate me all you like, this is a factual reply.

Aliexpress?

Well, I will keep that in mind in the event that I want to stop buying from either Australian businesses (esp. Australian made and/or to Australian standards) or from European sellers who carry international brands or items or antiques that I have researched and trust and want…

The above is perhaps gently sarcastic, but not in a nasty way. (I don’t buy from Chinese sellers as a rule.)

Buying on eBay is quite safe in most cases. Of course, that doesn’t include the following:

 • ignoring the description

 • buying and then changing your mind

 • buying unbranded and expecting quality

 • buying absurdly cheap and expecting quality

 • not opening an INR request in time (within 30 days of the item’s not having arrived from the latest EDD - expected delivery date) if an item doesn’t turn up

 • opening an INR request if the WRONG item has arrived (as the correct request to open is SNAD/INAD - Significantly Not As Described / Item Not As Described case)

 • not opening a SNAD/INAD case within 30 days of item arriving

 • closing the case before situation is resolved (refund received, for instance)

 • accepting a dodgy seller’s offer to resend item (… I would rarely accept offer to resend unless it’s from an authorised Australian seller) instead of insisting on full refund

 • accepting a partial refund offer for INR or SNAD, since in both cases buyer is entitled to full refund under MBG

 • returning wrong/faulty item without having opened SNAD case and without having seller provide return postage label or in some other way covering return postage

 • returning wrong/faulty item without tracking

 • if seller doesn’t respond or doesn’t resolve or strings you along, fail to escalate the case within 21 days of opening the case (as cases will close automatically without resolution or refund after 21 days unless you ask eBay to step in or the seller refunds etc)

It is simple. Wrong or faulty - open returns case, return as instructed as per eBay’s MBG, get full refund. Never arrived - open INR case, get refund.

Never get into back and forth with seller. Open  the refund case and follow through. If an item turns up after refund, you can always repay seller.

When an item is “junk” and it wasn’t described as the junk it is, SNAD all the way. If the seller doesn’t want to pay for its return, fine — but you’re still entitled to full refund. I would only ever accept a partial refund if I could use the item in some way even though it’s not what I ordered and the seller doesn’t want it back. If I don’t see myself using the wrong or faulty item and I intend simply to throw it away, full refund. The last thing on my mind would be feedback… 

Buyers have ALL the support

How much more do you want?

So you want to contact eBay and abuse them?

Did you post abuse in your feedback?

IF you did, that is why it was removed

Contact for eBay is at the top of every single page

YOU, the buyer have ALL the tools

You could have opened a dispute but obviously you did'nt

Why not?

If you don't use all the tools you are given as a buyer, how will more tools help?

You have been on eBay since 2007

If you are clueless to the basics of buying by now, no amount of tools will help you

@Anonymous wrote:

 

So how do buyers ask ebay about what goes when there is an issue.

 

Scamming seems to be common these days so we buyers need more support.

 

You use the tools eBay provides for you, in particular their MBG - see the link below.

https://pages.ebay.com.au/ebay-money-back-guarantee/

Buyers have all the power in transactions, you simply need to use the tools they give you.