I have had a bad experience with an eBay seller. Please bear with me this is a bit of a saga. I purchased a perfume total cost with shipping was $72. The perfume was shipped in manufacturers packaging (thin cardboard) surrounded by bubble wrap and placed into a loose fitting satchel, wasn’t marked fragile. Not surprisingly the perfume arrived damaged. The box was squashed, the perfume lid dislodged, the nozzle damaged and the perfume had leaked approximately ¼ of the volume.
I emailed the seller immediately and she told me to return it. I did send photos to prove damage. I wasn’t sure about sending a leaking item through the post so I contacted Australia Post via phone for instructions eg. how to package and they said they would not knowingly accept a leaking item as it is contaminated furthermore they said perfumes are prohibited items (due to containing flammable ingredients) and can only be sent through the mail under certain conditions (must be a business that deals in fragrances then apply for approval, sent via eparcel post and road transport only). I am not eligible to post because I don’t meet the criteria and it turns out neither was the seller she sent registered post.
After many emails the seller suggested she have someone (I assume a friend or relative) come to my home to collect the perfume (we both live in different states) and get them to sign something to say I had returned the perfume. Firstly I wasn’t going to have a stranger come to my home and secondly I would have no recourse to get my money back.
Obviously as a buyer having brought an item that was supposed to be new and not getting what I received I want my money back. I don’t think I am an unreasonable person so I asked if the seller would be willing to compromise on a partial refund as I could not legally return the perfume to her, she offered a ridiculously low amount and then emailed saying she didn’t think she had done anything wrong and told me she contacted Australia Post herself and that they told her I could send it back. I then took the perfume to my local Australia Post shop, they refused to accept it and told me the same thing as the phone operator I spoke to so I feel she was dishonest about contacting Australia Post.
The seller stated she couldn’t be held responsible for anything damaged by Australia Post and refused to compromise reasonably so I filed a dispute and with the evidence I provided paypal found in my favour within a very short period of time and I was refunded.
The seller then proceeded to leave a very nasty false positive feedback comment calling me a liar etc. I contacted eBay and the sellers feedback was promptly removed. I left a negative for this seller and her reply comment is not very nice this was the reply comment “worst experience. got perfume for free and a refund wouldn't return it she lied” It’s not that I wouldn’t return it I couldn’t legally do so. Is there anything I can do about this follow up comment?
