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EBay Keeping Unsent Item
Hi. I’ll try keep this short.
I purchased a particular vintage (40 years old) Ni-Cd battery from overseas. It’s rare, very collectable and in new condition as this was, it is impossible to find another the same.
This is not a dangerous Lipo battery. It’s Ni-cd, small only 1200mah and about 16cm long by 5cm. These are sent all over the world everyday.
The seller sent item to EBay for them to take care of shipping.
I get a message a week later that item cannot be sent because of battery restrictions and I’m being refunded.
Turns out Seller got his payment and EBay are not sending the item back to the seller. It will be kept by EBay shipping.
I have a big problem with EBay doing this and not returning the item.
I know the seller. We wanted to keep this item ownership between us. Also, it is irreplaceable and we want it back.
I have contacted EBay and they will not send it back.
How do we know someone at EBay shipping didn’t fancy the item for themselves and simply marked it as not sendable?
looking for advice on what we can do.
kh-jean
·2 years agoHi everyone,
As users continued to violate our guidelines in spite of the warning previously issued here, this thread has been closed to further replies.
Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
countessalmirena
·2 years agoIl n’est pire aveugle que celui qui ne veut pas voir. I decline to argue with the OP; his view comforts him more than any supported refutation can.
roylo27
OP2 years agoHaha. Of course not. You have nothing and can’t admit when you were wrong.
padi*0409
·2 years agoI cannot for the life of me understand why you are still banging on about this.
All monies have been returned and the battery will have been disposed of one way or the other.
NOTHING you say here is going to change that, whether you are right or wrong in your suppositions.
roylo27
OP2 years agoIf you read what I have continually posted, this is unfair and wrong to do this to people.
An irreplaceable item is gone! How do you not understand that???
I know you don’t care, it doesn’t affect you this time, but something needs to be done to stop EBay doing this. Also, I question whether the item will be “disposed of”.
*sons_n_daughters*
·2 years agoWhile sending Ni-Cd batteries may not be restricted, for whatever reason, Pitney Bowes has decided they aren't going to send them. They may have restrictions on batteries, regardless of what type they are. All batteries. It saves having to sort through to see which ones can be sent and those that can't. They are a law unto themselves and it has nothing to do with ebay. Ebay may say it's OK. Aust Post may say it's OK. USPS may say it's OK. If PB say it's not, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. It may not be fair, but it's just the way it is.
They have restrictions on sending knives. Not just things like flick knives, or pocket knives, but anything that resembles a knife. That includes blunt butter knives, and plastic picnic knives. I even heard that a child's play set that contained a small play knife was seized.
Continually ranting here isn't going to change anything. The battery is gone. PB will either dispose of it, or they'll sell it. Regardless, you aren't getting it and the seller isn't getting it back. Even more so, because you've both been refunded.
Yes, I'm still here too, just enjoying watching you rant about the same thing ad nauseum, thinking it's going to change things.
springyzone
·2 years agosons n daughters has actually summed it up.
Pitney Bowes seems to be a law unto itself.
The way they operate may be wrong & you're not the first person to complain about confiscated items, but unless they face a legal challenge in the future, they will keep doing it because of the broad terms & conditions.
Unfortunately for you, this particular battery is gone.
It's disappointing, considering it was rare.
All you can do is take all the information on board for the future and avoid the GSP like the plague.
underbat
·2 years agoHello everyone,
this thread has become a little disrespectful in responses.
Please remember to post according to the guidelines and treat posters with respect and avoid insults
Thanks
domino-710
·2 years agoSent all over the world every day. ??
roylo27
OP2 years agoNothing you posted has anything to do with air transport of Ni-Cd batteries.
springyzone
·2 years agoPS there is also the possibility the item has already been destroyed if they deem it unable to be sent via any post at all.
springyzone
·2 years agoI think your problem is not with ebay itself. I could be wrong here but it sounds as if you may have bought from USA & the seller used the global shipping program, which isn't actually ebay as far as I know. I think it is a 3rd party where ebay outsources the postage.
GSP is notorious for being difficult to deal with. At least on these boards it is.
The fact your seller sent it to them doesn't mean they will post it back as according to them, they have deemed it an item that should not be posted internationally.
That may not actually be the case but you are unlikely to change their mind. Plus he has not lost any money.
Your seller may be able to arrange to collect it back in person. I have my doubts on that but if he lives anywhere close, he could try to arrange it. But I doubt he would want to. Yes, I can see this would be so frustrating if you had a valuable or rare item confiscated. The trouble is you have both been compensated. The seller was willing to sell and he has been allowed to keep his payment so this does not really affect him. He is probably disappointed you missed out, but otherwise it is case closed.
I think I did read here a while back that the GSP centre auctions confiscated items off. It might be worth you keeping an eye on their auctions or finding out when these are, although they may not be willing to sell to you if international postage is involved. If you know the seller well, maybe you could arrange to have it sent to him if it did come up for auction and then arrange for it to be posted privately to you.
roylo27
OP2 years agoHi. Thanks for your reply. Yes it was being sent from US to Australia.
Even if they deemed it not able to be sent internationally, which is questionable itself, it could still be sent back to the seller locally just as the seller sent it to them.
They should at least give the seller an option to pay for return shipping back to him.
Everyone makes mistakes. EBay simply keeping the item just seems wrong.
*sons_n_daughters*
·2 years agoSo what you're saying is, if someone tries to send drugs through the mail and they are confiscated, they should be sent back to the seller?
What part of this is NOT ebay don't you understand? It's Pitney Bowes rules. They have a very long list of items they refuse to ship, and you'd be surprised the amount of every day, not electric, musical instruments on there. Not to mention butter knifes, most cutlery in fact.
You can shake your head, wave your fist and roll your eyes as much as you like, but you aren't getting the batteries, nor is the seller getting them back. Period. Pitney Bowes will sell them, like they do all the other items they confiscate.
roylo27
OP2 years agoWow, so much anger why?
I think I’m done discussing here with responses like this.
sugar249
·2 years agoI couldnt see any anger in there from S_N_D, just a statement of fact.
I think the problem is you havent liked any of the answers provided,
It's simple really, when the seller signed up to GSP they agreed to their terms and conditions, just because you admit you didnt read the T&C's, doesnt suddenly make it that they have to bend to your way of thinking.
If you have a problem go back to the seller who used that postal method without reading the T&C's. Don't blame Ebay or other forum members, blame the seller. The power was and always will be in the buyer and sellers hands, if you read the T&C's. In particular in this case where you admit you had some cosy deal with the seller.
roylo27
OP2 years agoYou and a few others here continually state Ni-Cd batteries are restricted, it’s in their terms and conditions, I should have read it, I broke their rules being the importer so I am at fault.
I don’t see it anywhere in EBay terms and conditions. Do you have a link to where it states that, or anything to support your claim?
springyzone
·2 years agoYou may be right in that the type of battery you bought can in fact be sent to Australia. I wouldn't know for sure. Some items cannot be sent by air though. And there could also be further restrictions on how an item like this has to be wrapped etc.
The problem, as I see it, is you are subject to the interpretation of the rules by the individuals working at the GSP or for that matter, at a post office. Or those working in customs if an item like this came through.
Ebay would not have the item, it would have been confiscated at the GSP centre. If the people there have deemed it a prohibited item it seems they don't return these. I'd say that their opinion is it should not have been sent in the postal system to them in the first place, so they are not about to post it back, breaking their own rules.
At least you got a refund. Look on the bright side. Had it been seized by Australian customs, you may not have got anything. No item & no refund. That's because the ebay money back guarantee doesn't cover items that don't make it through customs.
sugar249
·2 years agoYou are aware that even Australia Post have strict guidelines for sending Dry cell and Ni Cad batteries internationally.
And based on the fact you seem to have only purchased the single battery, it may possibly have breached AP guidelines, the only problem is AP don't open packages and confiscate. Sadly
ratman0100
·2 years agoThe casual buyer is not a lawyer and does not read the fine print. What is obvious to some just may not be obvious to others. I have had all sorts of batteries sent through eBay. Example, power tool batteries, laptop batteries amongst others. Ni-cd are the safest so go figure?
roylo27
OP2 years agoWhatever the reason for not shipping, they should send the item back. This is a form of theft.
twyngwyn
·2 years agosorry, you don't......next time bypass eBay's shipping.....there are many ways to do this.....contact seller & ask if they will oblige
roylo27
OP2 years agoObviously I know that now. But this seems very wrong for EBay to keep and not send the item back. They refuse to search for or send item back.
twyngwyn
·2 years agothese are the restrictions:
Prohibited and restricted items | eBay
roylo27
OP2 years agoI don’t know why you posted the listing restrictions or what you’re implying but this battery item is not restricted from being listed on EBay.
You do not understand the issue here. Please don’t reply anymore.
countessalmirena
·2 years agotwyngwyn knows exactly what this issue is. It’s been experienced by quite a few other buyers, and it’s one of the most irritating aspects of the Global Shipping Program or eBay International Shipping.
The problem is my whether an item is prohibited on eBay; it’s whether it is prohibited from being sent through the GSP or eIS.
Read the T&Cs here: https://pages.ebay.com/internationalshippingprogram/buyer/terms/
Read carefully.
From experience, the regular posters on these boards lbw what sort of items will be eeemed prohibited or non-deliverable. Drums and butter knives are among the items inexplicably held back from their buyers.
countessalmirena
·2 years agoCorrections.
roylo27
OP2 years agoExactly. He listed what is prohibited from being listed on EBay. This item is not on that list. Just stay quiet.
padi*0409
·2 years agoThere is, or was, a way around it but after that remark I think I'll do just as you ask...............
sandypebbles
·2 years agoIf you don’t want other members to respond with factual answers, ask a mod to remove the thread
You do not get to dictate that other members stay quite
You posted on a member to member forum and don’t get to pick and choose who can and can’t reply to you
Nor are you going to be allowed to import your battery the way you attempted to