Subject: Beware of Unreliable Sellers and Lack of Support on eBay
Summary: In a discussion about the challenges of buying on eBay, au.l624 expressed concerns about unreliable sellers and the lack of support. sandypebbles engaged with the topic, prompting multiple responses from au.l624. Additionally, countessalmirena and *casey* contributed to the conversation, indicating a shared sense of frustration with the platform's customer service and seller reliability.
Hello everyone,
I want to share a frustrating experience I had with a portable power station I purchased from a seller on eBay in December 2023. I didn't use the product until March 2024 when I went on a camping trip, only to discover that it was faulty and wouldn't switch on.
Naturally, I reached out to eBay for help, but since it was past their 30-day return window, they told me they couldn't assist and referred me to the seller directly, citing Australian Consumer Law which provides a 1-year warranty. I contacted the seller, and they asked me to return the product at my own expense, and they'd send a replacement. To add insult to injury, they expected me to pay for the postage of the replacement as well.
I refused to pay for the postage, so I decided to visit their factory in person, only to find out that it wasn't actually the seller but a processing center for multiple sellers, including this seller. I returned the item in person, so the seller has the power station, but they still refused to issue me a refund and insisted on sending another power station. I declined their offer because I couldn't trust the quality of the replacement.
eBay remained unhelpful throughout this ordeal.
EBAY kept directing me to the ACCC, who then referred me to Fair Trading. Despite providing all the necessary details and filling out forms, Fair Trading couldn't reach the seller as they didn't respond. My only option now is to escalate this to NCAT, but even that may not be effective if the seller remains unresponsive.
What's even more frustrating is eBay's stance on this. They say they'll contact the seller but refuse to give me any assurance or information about whether I can get my money back. When I asked for clarification, they cited "privacy reasons" and ended the chat without resolving my issue.
It's not just about the $350 I spent, but the principle. eBay needs to do better in protecting its buyers. If a seller refuses to honor the warranty or fails to provide proper support, eBay should hold them accountable by fining them, suspending their platform access, and refunding the buyer. This would restore confidence in purchasing through eBay.
I want to make sure other buyers are aware of these practices and don't fall victim to shady sellers who disregard Australian Consumer Law. Please be cautious and share your experiences so we can push for better safeguards on eBay.
Amazon returns policy is top notch, if something is not working, they will accepted, easy!!!
Thanks for reading.
*casey*
·1 year agoHave you opened a case for the phone you didn't receive ?
From the seller you last left negative feedback .
countessalmirena
·1 year agoAs said, we cannot name and shame on these boards.
I’m sorry you have had this experience and -sadly - now have no chance whatsoever of getting back your money.
It’s something of a cautionary tale, because (and I don’t enjoy pointing it out) you made mistakes all along the line. But if I do point out those mistakes, I hope it can help you with any future purchases online (and especially if you run into an issue).
• Buying anything electrical from a Chinese eBay seller is a very bad idea. (I’ll link to one of my posts going into detail about this. https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Seller-not-honouring-their-warranty/m-p/2262101#M105207)
• Buying anything for which you need a warranty means buying from an Authorised Australian dealer for that product. Even if you purchase from a quality legitimate overseas brand, they may tell you warranty is voided if it’s delivered to Australia.
• As sandy says, 30 days is 30 days. eBay are not obliged by law to offer the MBG, and they are certainly not obligated beyond that. So… don’t delay. On arrival, test the product and give yourself enough time if you find you do need to open a claim.
• If you pay by PayPal, you have 180 days of Buyer Protection (although you’ll be up for return postage).
• If all else fails, and you funded the purchase by credit or debit card, you can go down the chargeback route — but timeframes vary according to card issuer/bank and between different cards. None have a longer timeframe than six months and most are considerably shorter.
• Only ever EVER return an item as per the eBay returns/refund process under the Money Back Guarantee. Going in person to a logistics warehouse and leaving the thing there… What were you thinking???
• Never let a seller string you along. Follow the steps of the MBG to the letter and to the second. eBay’s refund process is entirely bot-driven and there isn’t any leeway as a general rule.
• Click onto a seller’s feedback percentage to see the country in which they are registered. (You may have to click again onto “about” or “all feedback”) Country of registration isn’t the same thing as item location. Item location is stated by the seller so this can be abused, and eBay’s acceptance of the “just in time” view means they don’t care (if it’s a Chinese seller saying their items are in Australia).
Good luck in future.
sandypebbles
·1 year ago30 days is 30 days
End of story
You are also not allowed to name and shame on the forum, which you agreed to the terms when posting
The seller you name is in China so Australian consumer law does not apply
And given their poor feedback, I would not buy from them in a pink fit
Let alone an electrical item that would not be up to Australian safety standards
And there is no warranty , and never was
They are not an Authorised seller and not registered in Australia. Both things that would need to be a case for there to be a warranty
The rest is just eBay bot replies
They are not going to help 8 months after you bought
Better to alert other buyers of these basic facts rather than expecting ACL will apply when buying from dodgy sellers in China , or insisting eBay should help you when it is 7 months too late
au.l624
OP1 year agoau.l624
OP1 year agoalso, we can provide negative feedback on the listing that everyone can see. So whats the difference of naming the seller here?
au.l624
OP1 year agocountessalmirena
·1 year ago