About to leave negative feedback - is it deserved.

[ekrabappel]

I recently purchased a used book as an accepted offer (From $28 to $17.50). The book I received was softcover in Ok condition yet the listing was for hard cover.  I contacted the seller and offered to keep the book if she would offer a $7.50 discount as I did not consider the book worth the price I paid since it was soft cover (This was a used first edition and I can purchase a new 2012 second edition from the UK for $25 including postage).  I recieved no response so I filed a paypal claim stating I was after a $7.50 refund. She sent a curt (no thank you, please etc) message escalating the dipute to a claim but I had to return the book. She originally sent the book in an unpadded recycled envelope (with labels over the previous names and addresses) with $1.20 postage.  So I  sent it back the same way (except I used a new envelope).  After dispatching it at the PO I went to fill in the Paypal response only to discover they need a tracking number. As I did not have one and Paypal wouldn't let me proceed without one I entered a random number.  Since then I recieved a message from paypal saying case closed as no item delivered and refund refused.  I have recieved no response from seller either who I am sure has received the item.  I am fuming. I have sent a message asking the seller if she has received the item and am waiting for a reply.  Having had a closer look at the feedback the lady has a record of not accurately describing goods and I'm sure she knows that people will be reluctant to spend $4-5 dollars to return a $17 item because of a mistake that she made. Negative feedback on the cooker and almost ready to serve. Is my willingness to neg deserved and have other readers had this problem with Paypal wanting tracking on cheap item returns?  Thanx

[putney32]

you have done everything wrong in this case ~ making up your own rules as you went along.

you should have contacted seller about the soft/hard cover and ASKED them what they were going to do about it, not made up a$ amount yourself

you didnt check the f/b Before bidding

you didnt follow paypal instructions about the return (they do state it must be returned with tracking)

Unfortunately you need to follow ebay / paypal guidelines to get the right outcome.

sure leave a neg. f/b if it makes you happy, it obviously does not impact on the seller in this case as you say she has similar bad fb which you ignored, maybe the next buyer will ignore yours too.

[iscrap76]

If you paid by credit card can you put a claim through your bank (maybe) to get your money back.

[***super_nova***]

When did you post it back?  The seller may still refund when she gets the book.  If she does not then I would leave FB saying something like:  Book not as described, sent back, no refund.

It is not the seller's fault that you entered fraudulent number, PP checked & cancelled the case.  What else would you expect?  PP will only refund IF you can prove the item was sent back.  If it was any other way scammers would be just claiming they sent items back and keeping them.

And NO you cannot claim on your CC; most only cover INR or if they do cover SNAD then they also require proof of the item being returned.

[ekrabappel]

OK - Seller made a mistake so I politely suggested a partial refund that I thought we might both be happy with in leiu of cancelling the whole transaction. Can you please state why this is wrong? Where does it say that I am not entitled to do that? I should also point out that at no point did the seller say, "Sorry" for their mistake. Even had they said something like "Sorry for the incorrect listing, but I would prefer the item returned instead of a partial refund" wouldn't be so bad yet I am in the wrong for politely asking?.

Secondly, the seller doesn't have a really bad feedback considering the number of sales so not the sort of thing I would usually check. Just that the limited neg feedback she has mostly relate to incorrect descriptions.

I had already sent the item when I realised Paypal needed tracking.  So you are telling me that if the seller confirms they recieved the item I still can't claim because it was not sent with expensive tracking options? I can see why tracking helps reduce scammers but it is also a great way for scam sellers to offload dodgy items for $4-6 knowing the return cost will outweigh the purchase cost and hence no need to refund.

And the item was returned nearly 2 weeks ago from Brisbane to Sydney so would have recieved by now.  I am going to keep an eye out for it as I am sure it will be re-listed by the seller in a few months.

[cherry7113]

Unfortunately because you went about it the wrong way you will not receive any refund and the seller will receive the book back and if they wish to sell it again they will and I have a hunch that they have put you on their blocked list so you won't be able to contact them again.

[chezzy]

Of course you will be told by some you are a naughty boy/naughty girl for not following the 'correct process' to a T. And anything outside that eg common sense or not knowing the 'rules' in fine detail is a bad bad thing. Hopefully you can sift out the helpful gems of information.

If seller has not received the package I (personally) would be inclined to use the post office receipt and put in a claim with Australia Post. They would need to see some proof of posting and may consider a discretionary refund for the item and postage. They can do this up to $50 even if the item hasn't been sent registered etc.

As for the feedback, I recently felt I needed to leave a neg and it is not something I take lightly. The item I received was wrong and I received no response from the seller when I sought advice. It was not viable to return item (cost be almost as much as the item or maybe more). I left the neg and then I ALSO put in a claim for a partial refund which I hoped to put towards getting alternations made so the item could be usable. Seller agreed to partial refund but hadn't even said sorry or responded to my message at that point. Now they want me to revise the feedback but seeing any alternations would cost more than the partial refund I don't know what to do. Am inclined to leave the negative - and apparently ebay like buyers to be honest and factual about their buying experience.

[iscrap76]

You did the correct thing in letting the seller know there was something wrong. I just received a neutral and item as described 1 star from a buyer who didn't let me know they was a problem with a book, the back of the book said it had a few pages of coloured pictures, so I listed it saying that it had some coloured pictures but unfortunately the book didn't have any coloured pictures, I don't look through my new books that I list never had this sort of problem before. I would have appreciate if they had of let me know and would have been happy to have given some refund if that is what they wanted. I had sold 2 more of this book with the wrong item description before I found out that they was a printing problem.

[patchoo78]

If seller has not received the package I (personally) would be inclined to use the post office receipt and put in a claim with Australia Post. They would need to see some proof of posting and may consider a discretionary refund for the item and postage. They can do this up to $50 even if the item hasn't been sent registered etc.

Australia Post won't do anything, it was PayPal who closed the dispute because the buyer entered in false information, which I'm sorry to say counts as fraud whether or not they knew.. 

The $50 cover only counts for items lost in the post and I think that only counts for items sent to the buyer..

Of course the seller would have received it by now, but what incentive do they have to give you the refund? They have the book, they haven't lost any money, and now you've gone and left a NEG so the seller definitely won't want to help you now.. On top of that, you're probably now on the sellers Blocked Bidders List, so have fun trying to contact them...

We are adults which means taking responsibility for our own mistakes, not having a whinge when you suffer the consequences for something you did wrong... 

If you want someone to hold your hand and say everything is ok, then perhaps ebay is not for you... Sorry to be so brutally honest but this is ebay not Kindy (although I can see sometimes why you might get the two confused) 

You probably would have had a better outcome had you just either contacted the seller beforehand, or opened a Not As Described dispute; in which case you probably would have had to send the book back anyway... 

[*sparklz*]

Wrong from both parties BUT the seller should have just refunded once they got the item back as that is now theft.

You can report the seller to the on line fraud police but it will not get your money back.

Keep an eye on the sellers listings and if you see it listed again tell the police or call paypal and ask them to look at the listing as proof they got it back.

None of the above may help but but worth a try if you want to.

And yes leave a neg as said earlier as the seller has now done the wrong thing by not being honest enough to refund.  Not as described, returned and no refund issued.