Returning item cost more than refund

[r1ngworld]

Fortunately this has not happened more than once before to me in all the years I have used ebay:

Recently purchased a 'Mini Flexible' computer keyboard. I've had one before - mini was about 25cm long. NO DIMENSIONS were given in description but  the price was comparable. But when I received it,  it was even larger than my existing rigid keyboard. As a result I didn't try to use it straight away, accepted that it wasn't an expensive item - not a problem. Finally decided to use it on my PC  - and found it wasn't compatible with my Windows and wouldn't work properly anyway. Still well within allowable return time, I contacted the seller who said I should have known the 'model' code for the keyboard meant it was full sized, and that the 'Mini' referred to the flexible nature of the keyboard not the size; but would accept a return as it didn't work with my computer. I had to pack it and return it before refund - that's ok. But the price of postage to return the keyboard was more than the cost of the keyboard in the first place. So in effect I paid out an amount of money more than the cost of the keyboard for something I don't have, and the seller paid for it once (which was probably a much lower cost than what I paid for it anyway), and received it back to sell again.  This seemed very unfair, I even mentioned that in an email contact to them, but the amount I received back was only the initial cost.They didn't pay any penalty for not describing the keyboard correctly after all, and I lost out instead.

Is there a different process I could have gone through to get at least 1/2 the return postage value back? Or are we totally at the whim of the seller?

Seems like as a buyer you lose out  if the seller accepts a return and refund for goods that are not damaged just not as described - and  they can always sell it again:  whereas either we cannot use the item or have to pay full return postage.

[kopenhagen5]

If you had opened a return case in eBay the seller would have had to provide a return postage label if they are in Australia.

Also with PayPal they will cover up to $45 return if you sign up for that policy before opening the case.

[brerrabbit585]

I would have done an item not described claim. I don't know how anyone could get away with claiming that mini doesn't relate to size. I don't know of any dictionary that says mini = flexible.

[cezm]

I definitely don't agree as I think the term 'mini' is misleading but a search of the internet shows quite a few (not all Ebay) that are labelled 'mini' due to fact they can be rolled up to fit in a small space - so maybe it is a translation issue.

Most of the listings I looked at have either the measurements of the keyboard (24cm) or the measurement of the keys (14mm). 14mm is the size of the keys on my 'normal' keyboard so nothing 'mini' about them! The ones with the keyboard easurements seem to have better descriptions - the others may just be riding on this 

[springyzone · Accepted solution]

I don't think buyers should necessarily be expected to know the model code for an item means full sized.

Quite possibibly if they did a google search etc they may discover that, but the information you need should be in the ad.

It should have had a measurement because a lot of people equate mini to mean small.

The moral of the story, unfortunately, is you would have been better going straight into a 'not as described' claim with ebay, rather than negotiating with the seller. You could have done that on the basis the item was described as mini, no measurement was given and it is larger than your normal keyboard so the ad was misleading.

Had you done that, he would probably have had to issue you with a return postage label, at his expense, as someone else mentioned. Then you would also have got your full refund.

So yes, that is the different process you should have gone through.