Money Back Guarantee - No item delivered, but eBay sides with seller?

[richard_a_phillips]

I've been a member of eBay since 2002 and have a 100% feedback for both buying and selling items. Recently I bought some batteries for my 'Neato" robotic vacuum. They cost AU$70 so we're not talking cheap. Anyhow, the batteries never arrived and the tracking info for them showed they never left the USA. I gave the seller the benefit of doubt and agreed to being sent a replacement set, but they also never arrived.

I raised a case with eBay about this, and I contacted them when the case was about to expire. They went off and have come back with the following:

_____________

eBay Customer Support has reviewed the case and made a final decision. We've considered the case carefully and decided not to issue you a refund. We're sorry this didn't work out.

Decision:
This case has been decided in the seller's favour.

_____________

I am confused as to why this case has been closed, let alone why it might not be covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee. I have bought an item but not received it. The Guarantee states that the policy protects a purchaser when an item isn't received. I followed all the required steps. Does anyone have any idea why this might have been closed? I have asked both eBay and the seller for further information but have heard nothing - perhaps the seller provided eBay tracking info showing it had been delivered somewhere? I simply don't know. All I know is I paid for something and never got it. And before anyone asks, I have all my packages delivered to my work mailroom where they get sigatures and record all deliveries so I *know* it never arrived.

At the moment all I can see from my perspective is the 'eBay Guarantee' means nothing. If anything, it is worse that that because it is giving people a false sense of security when making purchases on eBay. Not impressed.

[lyndal1838]

The ebay and paypal protection guarantees work very well if you follow the rules.   You allowed your seller to string the replacement process out beyond the time for a dispute.

At a guess I would say the seller was in China....they are experts at doing this.

Didn't your return item qualify for the paypal funded return or was it before this was in place?

[pauldem]

I didn't return it at all because I threw it out when the seller didn't want it returned, but that's not the point, Paypal were not going to pay for the return postage anyway even though I should have qualified . And yes, seller is in China, 'mwholesale'.

I've been a member since 2000 and have had hundreds of dealings with China, lots of hassles, the majority resolved to my satisfaction. But this one has really annoyed me to the point that I won't be using Ebay/Paypal as much as before. I just don't trust them anymore.

[*tippy*toes*]

Makes sense. Stop buying on eBay because you keep buying from shonky Chinese sellers. Good one. No doubt it was cheap and nasty stuff where you thought you were getting the bargain of a lifetime.

[pauldem]

The only reason I purchase from China is because I can't get the items easily here. Whether it is worth the effort is not the point, I was relying on Ebay/Paypal so called guarantee that they keep spruiking about, I knew the risks of dealing with China.

[davidc4430]

when doing a deal re replacement or refund with a seller take control, set a time limit for the seller to take action like 2 weeks before you begin an official action though ebay or paypal. make it clear if you dont see a replacement or refund in 2 weeks you will do that. dont get strung along for months.

we all like to pay the least for an item but we must also be aware of the pitfalls of the cheapest seller.

if your item is at a price that would hurt if you never recieved it or didnt work try to find the item from a reputable seller even if it costs more. better to have a working item for 50% more than a not working item and losing your money.

never rely on ebay or paypals refund policy.

[pauldem]

Agree with your comments 100%, this seller stooged me because I had ordered other items which arrived ok, so I tended to trust more than usual, but they won't get me again !

[richard_a_phillips]

An update. PayPal came through with a refund, which was great. Given the number of positive reviews for the seller, I am willing to assume that there was some sort of mixup somewhere. Maybe the goods will eventually turn up, in which case I'm happy to return the refund. I have bought (and sold) many items off ebay from people near and far, and have always been careful to make sure that the seller has a good reputation. This is the first time I've struck an issue.

To answer some of the responses:

• no, the batteries were not lithium so were not subject to import restrictions
• yes, the seller had an excellent reputation - some issues, but not many given the large number of transactions
• yes, I could buy batteries from a seller located in Australia but the batteries were of a lower specification, cost more, and in a couple of cases not only did the seller have a lower reputation but also the description was wrong eg one indicated the batteries were for an electric drill - which did not instill great confidence. Frankly, I have a lot of confidence and trust in purchasing from overseas businesses. Yes, there are some shonky operators out there, but the majority of sellers (near and far) are pretty honest I've found.

My main concern however was mainly with the stated eBay buyers protection - if it did not apply in my case, then I struggled to understand when it might ever apply. If I could be bothered, I'd raise it as a case of false advertising. eBay makes a big deal advertising this "insurance policy" and how you can be assured that you can buy from eBay with confidence. I paid for physical goods, I could prove that the goods never arrived (all goods sent to me go to a secure delivery room), the tracking info for the first package showed they never left the USA and there was no proof showing a replacement had been sent, but still eBay would not provide a refund.

Anyhow, thanks all for your comments/suggestions. It all turned out ok in the end, although I'm still without my batteries and my Neato is still sitting in a corner dead for now.

Cheers