Bought locally now seller wants item returned to China

[sunnysmummy]

Hi,

I recently bought a iphone listed as NEW on eBay for my FIL (he chose it and gave me the link and asked me to buy it for him). The items location was listed as NSW and it was shipped from NSW. When I received it the packaging looked fake so I looked up the serial number and I found it was a preowned refurbised phone from the USA. I contacted Apple and they advised that it was first activated in December 2014. I tried to open a INAD despute but eBays procedures just directed me to the seller. The seller have reluctantly agreed on the return but have asked for me to ship it to China. I have come back to the seller and told them to given me an address in Australia. I am pretty sure they are doing this to be difficult. Can anybody please advise the next step to ensure that I get all my money back.

Thanks

[digital*ghost]

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@sunnysmummy wrote:

Not allowed: 

• Setting a return location in your return policy that is different to the original item’s location resulting in higher costs or confusion for buyers.

  Hopefully this means I shouldn't have to send it back to China! However I can't escalte this through eBay until Thursday, I am meant to negotiate with the seller until then. I haven't done a INAD for years and I want to ensure that I do it correctly to get my FIL money back.
  Regards

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This is covered in the MBG policies:

When an item isn't returned

In some instances, we may not require that an item be returned to the seller. For example, we may refund the buyer and seek reimbursement from the seller if:

The item location was misrepresented

It does say 'may', and I expect this would usually apply if the seller provided you the Chinese address rather than an Australian one in the dispute, not just via messages.

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/policies/money-back-guarantee.html#nad

Re: sending mobile phones via Aus Post. While there are requirements that need to be met in order to send them by mail, they are not prohibited goods - they do not even have to travel by road only, they can travel by road or air, and can be sent overseas (not suggesting you should be sending this one overseas, just trying to point out some facts that should be understood, since attempting to pass off a phone as prohibited will should not work, unless they are prohibited goods in the destination country). 

[sunnysmummy]

So the seller has agreed to the return and has provided me an address in Sydney. I can't open the dispute until Thursday as the seller took ages to send it to me and I only got it late Friday and I initiated the return on Saturday. Turns out you have to wait 3 business days until eBay get involved. I paid $20 postage to buy the phone and it will cost to send it back. I have opened a return as item not described but I can not escalate this until tomorrow. Do I need to open a formal dispute to get my postage back also or will this be automatically covered by eBays policies? I have read them and it is unclear. Thanks in advance.

[*tippy*toes*]

Open a formal item not as described dispute, although it sounds like you already have. DO NOT send the item back until the seller sends you a shipping label. As it's going to a Sydney address, they should send you a label. If they don't, don't send it or you'll never see the postage cost again. If they don't send a label, escalate the dispute to a claim when you can. Mention in the dispute that you are not posting back until they send you a label.