When a seller 'returns' your item and it goes missing. What are my options?

So a few months back a Buyer bought a camera lens off me. Just a few hundred dollars nothing huge. But they complained it was mouldy which I disputed and we were, I thought, in the middle of negotiating a settlement. Another buyer had disputed quality of a camera they bought and we'd amicably settled on a 50% refund. I'm not a monster. I try to be honest in my dealings. Anyway, I thought we were still talking but he took it to ebay and they gave him a refund.

 

But this happened while I was away working overseas in a country with very poor interent access and I certainly wasn't checking in on my ebay emails.

 

He sent the lens back to me as required - not that I was aware of this though. There was no explicit notification email from anyone that this was happening. One email mentions that a refund will be processed once tracking is supplied but I was not notified of any 'tracking'.

 

Anyway, the lens was tracked as not delivered because guess what, I was oveaseas! But by the time I got to the Post Office to claim it, it was two weeks past the period they hold things for it was already returned to the Seller.

 

The Seller has not answered one email or one text message about where it is and ebay have wiped there hands of it declaring the Returns Case closed. 

 

So I have no lens and no dicernible way to get satisfaction.

 

Any ideas?

Message 1 of 5
Latest reply
4 REPLIES 4

Re: When a seller 'returns' your item and it goes missing. What are my options?

If the PO knew you were away as you would have had your mail on hold then they should have held it for you OR if you had someone collecting your mail for you then why did they not get the parcel IF it had been carded for pickup?

 

Assume you mean it was returned to the BUYER as you are the seller?

 

Not a lot you can do really other than telling the buyer that they need to repay or return the item ASAP

 

 

Message 2 of 5
Latest reply

Re: When a seller 'returns' your item and it goes missing. What are my options?

Dear buyer, you have 24 hours to respond on whether you will return item or repay.

Otherwise I am reporting and giving all your details to ACORN.

 

And provide buyer with this link.

 

https://www.acorn.gov.au/

 

 

image host
Message 3 of 5
Latest reply

Re: When a seller 'returns' your item and it goes missing. What are my options?

i'd also be re-contacting ebay via phone and asking to speak with someone higher up and tell them that the return was never shown as being delivered (as it needs to be) and that they need to re-open the return case until the item is returned to you. it may be a case of you having to pay the postage this time around though (if you didnt last time) as it wasn't the buyer's fault that you were out of the country. 

Message 4 of 5
Latest reply

Re: When a seller 'returns' your item and it goes missing. What are my options?

I think OP is in trouble.

 

The buyer returned the item. The OP failed to collect it from the Post Office. Failure to collect annuls buyer protection, so it is not unreasonable to expect it would be the same for a seller.

 

If I was the buyer and it got RTS'd to me I'd be chucking it in the bin. I certainly wouldn't pay another lot of postage to return it. Again.

Message 5 of 5
Latest reply