eBay closed claim, issued refund, now seller is asking for item back. What do I do?

[be-like-water]

I purchased an item which sadly arrived damaged due to terrible packaging, but on top of that the item, which was listed as 'in excellent condition' doesn't function at all. After much trouble trying to communicate with the seller (three weeks I tried to contact her and she didn't respond), I opened an eBay claim. The seller finally replied and negotiations began, but the seller only wanted to argue that the item was in perfect condition when's he sent it. Then I received a message from eBay saying that the case had been closed and a refund issued due to the item not matching the seller's description. I assumed it was all sorted but now, a week later, the seller has contacted me asking me to return the item.
What is the best way to handle this? I don't want to cause the seller any grief but this whole situation has been such a stress for weeks now. Am I obligated to send the item back after the case has been closed. I paid a fortune in postage which turned out to be terribly inadequate in protecting the item. I don't want to have to fork out more money after already being put through such a debacle.
How would you handle it?
Thanks a bunch 🙂

[kzb888]

I hope you can come to some agreement as you have the sellers item and the seller has your postage money,either way you both will need to do what it takes to have this resolved.

The seller needs to make the move of paying for the postage as you clearly want to give the item back,so if the seller in any way requests they want it back, as they have done so then as a seller they should clearly understand that they have to refund your postage before you can return it. 

[be-like-water]

I'm not quite understanding how that works, if I've done all I reasonably can to communicate with the seller. I am not withholding. I am doing everything I can to make this right, but it is incredibly one-sided when the seller isn't willing to negotiate a sale which she has fumbled. I can't do any more than I am doing and frankly if she is not willing to accept responsibility for all this unnecessary and completely avoidable grief, then I think that ultimately retaining an item worthy of my hard rubbish pile, when I have not had the courtesy of a reasonable solution offered, is mild compensation.

[lyndal1838]

The seller obviously issued the refund....if ebay had done it then you would have had the original postage refunded along with the item price.  The seller would then have been asked to provide you with a return postage label if they wanted the item returned.

[curraone]

I think so too.     How about a nice friendly email - just an email, not a dispute thing - and thank them for the refund;  and query what they want done with the item, as in if they want it back could they send a prepaid satchel for it, please.

[springyzone]

If I were in this situation, sent an item that was damaged & not working, and I had paid high postage costs as well, I would not be happy with being expected to pay return postage costs.

If a refund has been issued, is it for the cost of the item plus original postage cost? If so, then I would consider it the end of the matter.

If the seller wants the item back, they would need to send a postage satchel or pay for return postage in some way.

I don't consider it theft to keep a broken item. It is quite possible the seller won't want it back if they find out they are expected to pay return postage.

This is tough on a seller in a number of ways, I know that. But for me the botteom line is the item was not working. Not just that it was damaged in the post. It was not as described. It should be up to the seller to pay return post in those circumstances.

Ring ebay if in doubt. Ask them.

[be-like-water]

I completely agree with this approach and have been attempting to do this for weeks. It was only due to no response to any of my emails that I opened a dispute. As I said to the seller, I don't want to cause her any trouble. I'm not interested in causing a stir. I'm also not the sort of person who opens a dispute without being utterly pushed to my limits. In fact, this is the first time I've ever gone through the process and I'm hating every minute of it, thinking that I'm horrible for having to go this route, but it came to a point where no amount of reasonable communication was engaging the seller and the first time I heard from her was after an email I sent her following the opening of the dispute, to once again attempt to sort it out amicably amongst ourselves.

[be-like-water]

Thank you springyzone. I am awaiting a reply on my last email, in which I simply said that I am happy to return the item to the seller ASAP if the she can cover postage costs. Hopefully I'm finally on the home stretch 🙂

[curmu-curmu]

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@kuromusha1 wrote:
What? In paypal claims, You suppose to send the item back before you get a full refund.

Guess things are different with ebay claims.

Might as well throw the item in the bin unless the seller pays for the shipping since the seller have no leverage over you anyway.

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Sadly, your knowledge of consumer law is about on a par with your use of the English language!