Seller asking for item to be returned after SNAD case closed & refund issued

[metal-pie]

I recently opened a SNAD case for an item i received that was DOA  I received a message from eBay to say seller was unable to buy a return label & to contact them to arrange return postage, followed by another eBay message to say seller had refunded me in full...

Now, I am being asked by the seller to return the item.. they have offered to pay my return postage with cash upon return of the item & are now pestering me for a tracking number. 

What are my obligations.. I really don't feel comfortable sending the dead item back at my cost. Can somebody please advise how to respond to the seller?

[lyndal1838]

You have no option....the seller has refunded you and you are obliged to return the item if the seller requests it.

They have offered to refund the postage so just send it and give the seller the tracking number.

You cannot expect a refund and keep the item even if it is DOA.

[springyzone]

---

@lyndal1838 wrote:

You have no option....the seller has refunded you and you are obliged to return the item if the seller requests it.

They have offered to refund the postage so just send it and give the seller the tracking number.

You cannot expect a refund and keep the item even if it is DOA.

---

I understand what you are saying but I would be hesitant too.

This is for a not as described case, something totally unworkable when it arrived, is my understanding.

I've been in that exact same situation a couple of times in the past. Once with broken glass I did not have to return but the other, I was sent a label and details of where to drop it off. (This was not with ebay).

In no case did I ever have to pay upfront and wait for the seller to repay me.

What if this seller gets the item back then doesn't refund the return postage? Will ebay definitely refund it?

I wouldn't be paying for postage back unless I had a guarantee on that.

[black*poppy]

Agree a specific $ amount that they will reimburse you for the return post. That way if the seller doesnt follow through then eBay will reimburse you.

[padi*0409]

Is this the same seller that was originally refusing to accept a return?

[metal-pie]

Lyndal I'm happy to send the item back, what's concerning me, the seller was stringing me along with excuses prior to opening the SNAD case, what guarantee have I got that they will refund my return postage once they have the item back. There was no communication from the seller in the case history whilst the case was open. As soon as the case was closed, they were messaging me via eBay messaging..

[metal-pie]

---

This is for a not as described case, something totally unworkable when it arrived, is my understanding.

What if this seller gets the item back then doesn't refund the return postage? Will ebay definitely refund it?

I wouldn't be paying for postage back unless I had a guarantee on that.

---

Springyzone, this is exactly what i'm afraid of... the seller said they would send cash upon return of the item... who sends cash nowadays & how will eBay monitor whether they actually do reimburse me the return cost !! 

[metal-pie]

---

@black*poppy wrote:
Agree a specific $ amount that they will reimburse you for the return post. That way if the seller doesnt follow through then eBay will reimburse you.

---

Thanks  black*poppy, I haven't responded to the seller yet.. the item was sent in an Auspost 3kg satchel for $13.80. Even if the seller & I agree a price... I have a feeling the seller will try & wriggle out of refunding, & how will eBay force the seller to honour the refund ?

[black*poppy]

Sorry I wasn't clear before.

The way it works is that ebay guarantees that you will get your return post if you agree the cost of the return post with the seller prior to sending it back.  It has to be a specific amount like $8.60 or whatever.

If the seller won't communicate with you to agree an amount, then call ebay and let them know.  My experience as a buyer is that they will email you to say they will reimburse your postage, and will send you the amount funds as a one-off payment through paypal after the item shows as delivered.

If you do have an agreed amount from the seller, and then after the item has been returned they won't pay up, ebay will refund you the agreed amount from their coffers.   I have no idea if they then take the money from the seller after, I would never let it get that far myself as a seller 🙂

Either way, you need to have an agreement from either ebay or the seller how much they will reimburse for the return post before you send it back. 

[beautbots01]

Ask the seller to send you the 3kg satchel (shld fit into a small envelope).  That way you can return the item to them without having to wrangle over whether or not they wil refund you the cost of return postage.