Am I being unreasonable

[trudy66]

Bought leggings new with tags. Arrived without tags. Did a not as described ebay and communicated with seller.

Seller asked me to return item. I sent message prior asking her to refund my postage costs - no reply.I sent item back with tracking no. and signature on delivery plus bag - total $12.25 - did it promptly so she could get it relisted - never again be considerate.

Tonight she has refunded my inital buy amount with her postage but nothing for my return.

Ive asked for my return and even reduced the ask because I sent the item back in a larger bag as post office had run out of cheaper/smaller bags so said $10 will do.

She has replied saying I will get $8.25 and will have to wait 10 working days as her shipper has to refund her first. I replied saying I didnt want to go the neg feedback but sheesh = all this for a difference of $1.75. I am being insistent because it wasnt my fault and I had to use the car and time to go to the post office and return the damn thing. That and all the messaging time etc - well there's at least an hour out of my life. Am I being small minded?

[black*poppy]

OMG return postage thing is a huge stuff up as far as I'm concerned, as a buyer.  As a seller I would never make it this hard for buyers but wow it is possible to really screw buyers.  I have been sent absolute carp a few times from sellers that totally deserved to be returned or binned, so have learnt through a couple of cases. 

Apparently if the seller can't send a label then you have to agree a definite price in messages - this can be hard in itself - but then getting sellers to stick to it is another thing after the item has been returmed.

So after the item has been returned, you have been refunded and the case is closed, you don't get a refund for the returm post because the seller has to especiall log into paypal and do it manually.  So you call ebay.  CS staff will tell you a different thing on a different day, that it's between you and the seller and ebay don't get involved, that it's up to you to pay the return postage because if it was a shop then you would have to drive back!!! (do you work for paypal luv?), that you just need to keep communicating with the seller, blah blah blah hours wasted on the phone. ... One time ebay refunded me from their pocket because I had it in writing the amount we'd agreed but that took 3 phone calls.

There should be a labelling system for returns just as we get ebay postage labels on normal sales.  OR the returm post should be added to the seller's invoice, OR the seller should get an option to refund the returm postage for X amount which is added to their monthly invoice  Too easy??

The tag thing... yeah people like the tags for different reasons and I'm always aware that it might be a gift.  I've started to state the condition of the tags in my listings now, cos I'm a bit careless and sometimes they get creased.

Just to share, one recent purchase was a dress that had a blurry photograph of the label with tags attached, so New With Tags looks genuime.  Turms out that carpy seller had actually CUT the label off but photographed it in a way that looked like it was perfect new with tags.  I found the tags loose in the satchel.  Lucky I bought it for myself to wear but if I decide to resell I'm going to have to pay to get that sewn back on (I don't have a machine).  The dress was a bit pilled too so NOT new.  And I was NOT happy    😛

[trudy66]

Thx BP, yep whole lot wiser now - should have loooked on here a few weeks ago. Live and learn! I normally wouldnt buy a gift like that but not working because of health means limited funds these days. Of course this seller told me I was wrong and the tag had been sent but I think it was just attached like you said for the listing photos and then removed. Its a luluemon tag so not small. It is what it is I guess and mostly sellers are doing things the right way Ive found.

As yu point out there hs to be an easier way - surely just add on to refund on paypal. Problem solved. Cant believe a seller would risk her reputation for the sake of $1.75. Just noticed she hasnt left me feedback for the inital transaction.

[*tippy*toes*]

A lot of sellers don't leave feedback until the transaction is complete, which means the buyer has received the item and is happy with it. Some sellers don't leave feedback until the buyer leaves it first. That indicates they have received it and are happy. Some sellers don't leave feedback at all because feedback is voluntary.

We've all made mistakes during our eBay time, both buying and selling. As long as we learn from the mistakes, we're OK. That's one thing I love about these forums, you learn so much from the experienced members and can avoid so many mistakes before they happen.

[trudy66]

Yes TT - this resource is a huge learning curve and I am glad I found it. You've just taught me - I didnt know feedback is voluntary. Thx for that.

[*tippy*toes*]

While feedback is voluntary, eBay still do encourage both buyers and sellers to leave it. Stick around the forums to learn as much as you can. You don't need to actively participate, but definitely worth reading the threads. It's surprising how much you retain just by reading. Some might not mean much at the time, but down the track you might find yourself saying "ahhh, a problem, I know how to fix that". It's a good feeling when you know you could easily have made a mistake yet didn't because of the info you read on here.

Even if you don't stick around, come back whenever you need to know something. If there are ever any doubts about anything, this is the place to ask. Even if you want to ask about an item you're interested in, but aren't sure if it sounds OK. There are plenty of people here who know how to pick a bad listing and can tell you whether it's safe to buy it or not.

[trudy66]

thx TT, Iam about to sell for the first time - just personal stuff frm wardrobe etc. I need to be on the ball so your advice is timely and I have been looking through the threads and noting down bits and pieces. Definitely wrth looking at this regularly.

[*tippy*toes*]

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@ruthrcs wrote:

thx TT, Iam about to sell for the first time - just personal stuff frm wardrobe etc. I need to be on the ball so your advice is timely and I have been looking through the threads and noting down bits and pieces. Definitely wrth looking at this regularly.

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If you're going to sell pre loved clothing, you have to be more careful than most other categories. I have read some absolute horror stories on here regarding selling clothes. Take photos of every square inch. You don't have to post all the photos, but keep them for your own records. If there's a single loose thread, photograph it and mention it in the description. If the label is sewn on slightly crooked, mention it. If there are any stains, even something the size of a pin head, mention it.

Measure everything. Put all measurements in the description. Don't just say it's a size 12, because every brand is different, put in actual measurements. Over describe everything. Clothing buyers will find any fault not mentioned and claim not as described. You then run the risk of them winning a dispute where they keep the item and get a full refund.

You also have to be careful of the "wardrobers". They are the ones that will buy something to wear for an event, then have no further use for it, so will try and claim not as described to get a refund. As ebay tends to side with buyers 99% of the time, there's not a lot you can do about it. That's why it's essential to take photos of every square inch. Then when the buyer says it's not as described because there is a pulled thread in the hem, you can fight it and say it was fine when you posted it and here are all the photos to prove it.

There are lots of successful sellers of preloved clothing. As long as you are diligent, you should do just fine. The only other thing is, if you are going to run auctions, always start your auctions at the lowest price you are willing to accept. Never start them at 99c because most of your things will sell for that. By the time eBay and PayPal take their fees for the sale and the postage, you will be out of pocket. Also add enough on your postage costs to cover the fees on postage.

When the time comes to start selling, visit the sellers forum and ask plenty of questions. There are plenty of people more than willing to help you get started on the right track.

[lane-ends]

Always contact seller first withot going through returns request in first place. The returns triggers a defect and puts sellers offside. many would rather you just keep and refund then have to stuff around paying more to get something back that cant be resold if its faulty.

The not as described path is for when you have to force the issue.

[trudy66]

cant thank you enough for such a great rundown on the pitfalls - its amazing what people will do!! Its unbelievable what goes on!!

I buy clothing and apart from this one incident Ive had no probs so Ive been lucky in almost 3 years. Guess that is reassuring that there re mostly good people out there.

Totally agree about the too low starting point - Ive watched stuff over the months and seen that happen. I have much to learn before I feel ready to sell my first item. I trolled throught the Sellers forum yesterday and saved quite a few useful tips.

You are all so good to spend the time giving very useful tips - appreciated.

[trudy66]

Thx Lane - I did contact seller first as I dont want to give sellers problems. The reply I got was terse and she said the shipping co. told her the label was there when sent so it became her word against mine. Quite a nasty position to be in because I was being totally truthful. Anyway, its not so bad as I got a refund so this time was good for the education.