Return Request

[teenjar]

Hi.
So I purchased a mobile phone on here and received it on Friday, only to find that I am unable to use it here.
The seller advertised it as being unlocked, but it is not.

On Saturday I issued a return request to the seller, but they have been sending me messages giving me possible solutions to solve the problem.
None of them have worked.

By my own research I discovered that the phone can't be unlocked.
So I told the seller straight out that I want to return the item and my money refunded.

They seem to be ignoring me.
Just want to know what is the next step in the process of trying to get my money back.
I can ask ebay to step in on the 1st of May.
As I have never had a problem with ebay, I just want to know what happens next.

Thanks.

[darry71]

The first thing you should do is leave negative feedback. Future customers of this seller need to know what they are doing.

[padi*0409]

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@darry71 wrote:

The first thing you should do is leave negative feedback. Future customers of this seller need to know what they are doing.

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No darry not until the dispute process is done and dusted, otherwise the seller will get their backs up and be as awkward as they possibly can be.....................

[lyndal1838]

It is the seller's choice whether to refund or replace....you cannot insist on a refund.

By the same token I would ask the seller to keep the offer within the dispute system and let the seller pay for the return postage.

[teenjar]

I just told the seller to keep all conversation within the request.

I again reiterated the point that I want a refund not a replacement.

Also mentioned the shipping time, no way would it take 1.5 weeks from point a to point b within Australia, even with Australia post.

It's obvious they want to send it back to HK.

But I made a point out of them having an office here, seeing as the item was listed as being in Australia.

I'll keep you guys updated when I know more.

[lyndal1838]

If the seller is arranging a courier to pick it up it could well take a week or more to go from one side of Australia to the other.....it must go by road, not airmail.

Again...you cannot insist on a refund if the seller chooses to replace.

[darry71]

You are right. In this case the seller is ignoring the buyer, so they will probably get their refund through Ebay or Paypal. If it is only a cheap item I leave feedback first. This is not the case here, as the item is expensive. From my experience some sellers in Hong Kong and China are purposely dumping dodgy products here, that they know full well are functioning as they describe them. Don't under estimate the power of feedback. It is the fastest way to get rid of these dodgy sellers.

[padi*0409]

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@darry71 wrote:

You are right. In this case the seller is ignoring the buyer, so they will probably get their refund through Ebay or Paypal. If it is only a cheap item I leave feedback first. This is not the case here, as the item is expensive. From my experience some sellers in Hong Kong and China are purposely dumping dodgy products here, that they know full well are functioning as they describe them. Don't under estimate the power of feedback. It is the fastest way to get rid of these dodgy sellers.

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Unfortunately darry that doesn't always work, a lot of sellers appear to be "protected" from eBay restricting them or shutting them down (unless they be small to medium sellers, in which case a few defects or neuts/negs is more than enough)

If you look at the feedback of Chinese sellers for example with huge amounts of negs (and revised feedback - read negs for those) they are still operating with impunity. There is also an Aussie machinery seller who's well-known to the regular boardies as being a very dodgy seller who's still selling after many many years of complaints, and who's feedback rivals some of the worst Chinese sellers.

These sellers are also very adept at using stalling tactics to run the buyer past the 60 day feedback limit, so that even totalling the negs and revised feedback doesn't give a true picture of the seller's performance at all.

[darry71]

Here is one I have just left feedback for. I brought a usb cable for my samsung galaxy that does not work at all. Here is the back and forth emails. They are dangling the refund like a carrot if I revise my feedback. 

[padi*0409]

Most experienced boardies here advise not to deal with high-volume sellers that have less than a 99.5% rating on feedback, this one of yours that has 99.1% with over 1100 neutrals, 845 negs and 242 revisions (so you can read over 1100 negs to begin with) should have rung alarm bells in the first place.

Have they actually refunded you yet? I'll guarantee if you revise before the refund you'll get nothing back from them.

TBH I would only buy a usb cable for a phone from a phone shop, ok you may pay a few dollars more but at least you'll know you'll have a cable that works and that will not damage your phone.

[bakeandfry]

Darry, why would you buy a $1 charger cable from china?
Then ask the seller to refund the whopping $1?