You ask "What can I do?"
You can start a dispute under the eBay Money Back Guarantee. (For the future; you can't do this now as you've let the timeframe for opening an eBay dispute lapse. As kopenhagen has said, open a PayPal dispute for this current $2.55 transaction.)
You will not be out of pocket for the return postage under eBay's MBG.
❝When an item isn't significantly as described
[...]
The cost of return postage is the seller's responsibility.
[...]
After confirming that the item was returned to the seller, we will refund the full cost of the item and original postage to the buyer. If the seller hasn't facilitated the return – for example by providing a return postage label – we will also refund any reasonable return postage costs.
[...]
In some instances, we may not require that an item be returned to the seller. For example, we may refund the buyer and seek reimbursement from the seller if:
- The seller chooses not to accept a return request for a not as described item
- The item location was misrepresented
- It's hazardous to send back the item
- The item no longer has a value.❞
A good way to handle a situation of this sort is to contact eBay via its "Have us call you" option. (Emails are useless, for a number of reasons, but primarily because the responses, when they are finally sent, are bot-generated.)
eBay say: We'll call you at the phone number registered to your account, or you can enter a different number.
We’re available from 8am to 10pm AET, 7 days a week.
Do this within the timeframe for an eBay dispute. Politely tell the CS rep that the item received is significantly not as described, being the wrong item entirely. Say that the cost of postage back to the seller in China would be [$xx.xx] - you should be able to check the price of international fully tracked postage for the item on the AP site. Politely point out that the cost of return postage is prohibitive in comparison with the item price, and ask if it would be possible to have the refund actioned without having to return the item which you promise to destroy.
If you're well prepared, and polite, it's likely that you will be successful.
(Tracked international standard satchel to China may be the best option. 500g satchel is $20.80; 1kg satchel is $33.10; 2kg satchel is $56.25. These are fully tracked. If you need to ensure the item gets there more quickly than 6+ days, opt for the express international satchel, starting at $38.10 for 500g satchel.)
If you do have to return the item, inform the seller in the dispute of the cost of return postage, and point out that the seller is responsible for tracked return postage under the eBay Money Back Guarantee which applies as you purchased on eBay.com.au. (I can't tell for certain if purchases made from ebay.cn are covered because the eBay 買家保障 applies; however, at the very least "eBay可能会就一项投诉做出对你不利的裁定。在这种情况下，eBay针对符合条件的投诉会退款给买家，并要求卖家补偿eBay的退款。")
If the seller is aware of the cost, and accepts the return, they are in effect accepting that they will be responsible for the cost of the return postage. But ALWAYS confirm this by phone with eBay, and have the CS rep email you with a confirmation that the return postage amount that you have quoted will be refunded to you, because it's not quite as straightforward as when one returns an item with an eBay return label.
Once the tracking shows that the item's been returned, you upload that information (or contact eBay via Have us call you to be sure that it goes smoothly, and provide the tracking number over the phone to prove that it's been returned). eBay should then refund you in full. eBay obtain the full payment from the seller.
Just to reiterate: it is likely (but not guaranteed) that you won't have to return a relatively low-cost item to China if it's significantly not as described, as long as you contact eBay via Have us call you. You are likely (but not guaranteed) to have the CS rep assist you by opening the dispute for you and closing it automatically in your favour. But don't absolutely count on this. What you can count on is that you should not be out the cost of return postage for a case of Significantly Not As Described.
