Returning a domestic sent (Au) item, seller provides international return address (China)??

[some.bloke]

Is this fair and acceptable? Paragraph 6.)  under Eligibility (https://pages.ebay.com.au/returns/) says both of us must be located in Australia?

The seller is one of those that advertises Aus Post and "AU STOCK" in bold type on their main product picture, and claims to be located/post from an Aus capital city (melb), yet I have a sneaking suspicion they posted from China and just claim to be domestic.

Seller has also only provided me with a Chinese return address, so assuming I have to cover return post cost. Its a heavy item, so this will be costly. I may have chosen 'change of mind' return, but reason I described was "does not perform at all as expected for 90kg person, advertises max weight 120kg".  I understand now I should have chosen anything BUT 'change of mind' and then I wouldnt be lumped with returns post cost. What options do I have? Thanks

[countessalmirena]

You can try contacting eBay via Live Chat and explain that the seller has not provided you with an Australian return address although the listing informed you that the item was located in Australia.

Also explain that the return postage cost to China would not be commensurate with the cost of the item.

I don’t know whether you’ll get anywhere, particularly as the seller is obviously in China. When you click onto the seller’s feedback percentage, it takes you to the seller’s feedback profile page which would show where he/she is registered. (Registered in China.) You really should be checking country of registration rather than looking at “item location”; sellers can put anything they want for item location as that is a customisable field, but they cannot change country of registration.

Just be prepared to wear this one; you can always try selling it yourself. I’d also never NEVER suggest falsely claiming that sn item is not as described in an effort to get the seller to pay return costs; that’s an abuse of the MBG and eBay do take action against buyers who make false claims.

It is possible that eBay might not require that you send back the item in this instance because the seller appears to have falsely claimed item location is Australia. (See https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/listing-policies/item-location-policy?id=4244) But… I don’t think it’s likely. Give it a try, though.

[sandypebbles]

As far as I am aware the warehouse/depots/whatever you want to call them sellers registered in China from cannot receive deliveries , only ship stuff out

There's no point quoting things to other members, that is just cherry picking bits to suit yourself

Buying from a seller in China with questionable feedback and then opening the wrong kind of return really does not leave any great option other than selling it yourself 

No need for a sneaking suspicion , it very clearly states that they are registered in China

Checking a seller's feedback avoids these issues entirely 

[springyzone]

No, I don't think it is fair and acceptable. If an item is listed as located in Australia, then ebay should keep the seller to that, in that returns should also have to go to an Australian address. I don't much care if their warehouses can only ship stuff out. If they list an item as here, returns should also have to be arranged here.

What a pity you listed as a change of mind. Big mistake, as you know.

I doubt there is going to be much you can do on ebay but give it a try. Go to chat, see if they can do anything.

Did you pay with paypal? If so & ebay fails, you could open a claim with them but use the reason that the item is not as described or faulty. Which it is, if it is not working properly.

[gutterpunkz05]

Hi springy,  third party shipping/distribution centres, are contracted  to store & ship goods only, they are not authorized, contracted, or designed  to accept returns, let alone decide if the buyer is entitled to a full refund.

Sure it would be nice if everything could be returned locally, but it is just not feasible.

[sugar249]

They could try the argument that it was ''sent'' from Australia.,  But at the end of the day change of mind is up to the buyer to pay.  And we don't even know if the seller has allowed change of mind.

But also it is only their opinion it is not suitable for a 90Kg person.  Very subjective.

[domino-710]

Given your choice - ie change of mind - your options are - nil.

[springyzone]

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@gutterpunkz05 wrote:

Hi springy,  third party shipping/distribution centres, are contracted  to store & ship goods only, they are not authorized, contracted, or designed  to accept returns, let alone decide if the buyer is entitled to a full refund.

Sure it would be nice if everything could be returned locally, but it is just not feasible.

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I understand that that is how it works at the moment & I can see that third parties aren't going to be in a position to make decisions, but I still feel that ideally, any seller who lists items as located in Australia should have to set up some system so that items can be returned to an address in Australia. Or else forfeited in a return case.

I think it would be a marvellous wake up call to those Chinese sellers who fraudently list items as being here.

I very strongly suspect that ebay has been tossing around ideas on how to stamp out some of the problems because a friend told me at one of the business breakfasts a couple  of years back, they were discussing the option that sellers of new stock might need to store that stock in ebay warehouses. Ebay staff would handle postage and returns, under CCTV type footage, so any disputes about getting the wrong item or faulty item etc could be easily settled as well as whether buyers were entitled to refunds.

I'm guessing they must realise that some of the buyer claims are fraudulent & see this as one way of stamping out a lot of problems.  Or maybe they are just worried about Amazon, I don't know.

As for this current case, I don't know if the problem is that item is just not working as it should and as it was advertised to, or if the quality is just not what was expected. If it is faulty in some way, then  an ebay claim along those lines would have been the way to go.

If it is just that the quality is disappointing, then neither ebay nor paypal cover that.