MBG stuff around by eBay

[5kazam]

Long story very short.  Purchased an item in FEBRUARY, returned 2 weeks later (not as advertised, with lots of correspondence and photos in-between).  Item was ‘free post’, but seller agreed to refund postage as well as original cost.  Returned registered, tracking etc. as requested, and seller advised of cost.  After received back, seller wanted photos of stamps, registered sticker, which obviously I could not do, as they had the parcel.  That hadn’t been part of the seller's conditions of return.

Requested eBay to intervene, and it was agreed that seller had accepted to pay for return postage (all in messages).

So from March, I’ve been attempting to get eBay to honour their policy – if the seller doesn’t pay return postage, then eBay will reimburse, and get the money from the seller.  Agreed by eBay that is the policy.  ‘It will be in your PayPal account in 7-10 business days’.  Many 10 days calls later, I spoke to a supervisor tonight.  I think you are all going to love this – ‘The money has to come from a different eBay account and we have to wait for funds to be available.  We are processing so many returns, and yours was one that had to wait’.  (Not verbatim quote, but near enough).

When I did a little hop up and down about the money eBay receives in sellers fees, wait for this – I was told ‘that money is used to upgrade and maintain the eBay site’.  I suggested (politely of course) that with the amount of glitches and ‘improvements’ (?) on the site, the money wasn’t being well spent. 

If I get my postage refund in 7-10 days, that will be near enough to 2 months waiting.  Pretty pathetic. 

Oh! and it’s only $25.70, but it’s now definitely the principle of the matter : seller agreed to pay - reneged.  eBay agreed I was owed and they would pay - but procrastinating. 

[5kazam]

Padi, I can only emphasize with your position.  

The one thing I kept stressing to eBay was that it was their policy that the seller refunds the postage, and if the seller didn't, then eBay will, and invoice the seller.

The carp about 'seller didn't agree' is not  part of eBay's policy.  Tell the rep to read eBay's own policy.

Also tell them to re-read 29.4.15 - . issue resolved in my favour and I'm instructed to return the item and told by eBay the seller has agreed to refund return postage.

They are trying to do to you what they tried with me - pull the wool over the eyes.  

Keep going Padi, don't let eBay get away with reneging on their policy.

[padi*0409]

Finally kazam, eBay has refunded my return postage after many many callbacks from CS - only took them 7 weeks and heaps of grief.

Apparently there's a major stuff-up in the MBG system where if the seller doesn't categorically accept the return postage the whole lot goes into limbo - the CS supervisor told me there were a lot of buyers and sellers caught up in the fiasco.

Just goes to show the system was never thought out properly in the first place and IMHO should never have been implemented in the first place.......................GRRRRR.................

27th march when the case was found in my favour until now to get a final outcome, not good enough eBay....................... 

[5kazam]

Yeah!!  You FINALLY got your refund.  An extra four weeks since your last post!!!  But I'm so happy you dug your heels in till this was resolved.  I guess, like me, it became the principle of the matter more than the $'s.  

I agree about the major stuff up - maybe eBay should reword their policy that says if the seller doesn't refund the postage, eBay will and invoice the seller.   And it they don't change the wording, then eBay needs to honour its policy without all the hassle.  There shouldn't be any need for anyone to go through what you and I have to do, to get what eBay acknowledge we were entitled to.

Bad policy, badly managed.

It's certainly made me wary of buying anything on eBay, and if I do, I make sure it's able to be picked up.

[5kazam]

Forgot to say, I'm not going to tick this one off as 'SOLVED'.

Yes, you and I got a resolution, but until something is done about the MBG policy, there is no 'SOLVED'.

[designers*n*more]

Just on eBay credits, I cancelled a postage label, stupidly put in the wrong weight, cancelled it immediately and then straight away processed the correct label. That was 20th May. eBay states the credit will be posted within 25 days - well it's now been 36 days, still no credit, and no response to my last 2 emails on this! Me thinks eBay hopes people forget about cancelled postage labels, and the money stays in their pockets, which I'm sure does happen, I nearly forgot about because it had been so long!

[davewil1964]

I got my credit when I threatened them with being charged for theft. It seemed to focus their 'minds'.