NAD - who pays return postage?

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

I won a buggy last week and the seller sent it by courier.

It's in a far worse state than was described so I've emailed to ask to return it. No response so far but just thinking ahead about what to do when I return it.

I recently sold an item that the buyer wanted to return and eBay forced me to pay the return postage. Is this the normal rule now? If so, does it cover couriers, too?

[princessvikki]

Normally it would be you as your choosing to return it. However I think with it being miss represented in the description I would argue for the seller to pay. EBay also have buyer protection, so if you get no luck with the seller report them to eBay and they will give you a refund. Good luck

[ragged]

Seller pays return postage if item is NAD & you open a formal case or if seller knows what's good for them & they want to avoid you opening a case.

[lavendersun]

I bought an antique magnifying glass in a leather case on eBay. The buyer failed to portray that the leather case was attached by a mere thread as the leather was ripped from end to end.

They gave me a refund, when I asked them to pay the return postage they told me to keep the item, it is still at the bottom of a box on one of the shelves in a pantry useless to me.

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Thanks for the replies. Seller hasn't replied yet. I'll give them another day or two then open a case.

Lavendersun - did you open a case or settle it just between you and the seller?

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Spoke too soon!! Seller has just replied and said he won't refund. Is it worth emailing again or just open a case?

[lavendersun]

Open a case Hiccup - I don't think I had to, my seller just held their hands up when I sent them a photo/email.

We stopped selling on e-bay personally a while back. DH sold a new rucksack, with tags, completely as described, photos of tag showing specifics and model no. He is a nice chap - shipped it to Spain even though he listed UK only (I wouldn't have bothered personally). Well, the buyer decided it wasn't as listed (it was 100%) and opened a case. Not quite sure what happened because DH had to refund him and he never returned the bag. So we lost £12 postage, £75 sale and the item. DH works away a lot and decided it wasn't worth his time trying to get it returned.

I am sure that eBay will find in your favour as they did in our dodgy buyer's case - take photographs.

[twistletonsmythe]

seller needs to pay for the return and they cannot refuse to refund either.

And lavender, normally you wait for the item to be returned before issuing a refund.

[lavendersun]

Not in our case twistle - it happened as told, we stopped selling after a double loss. We were incredulous tbh, had used it for years. Something went very wrong with the 'case' bit.

I mentioned it to DH - the guy told us it wasn't as described, but his case was opened on the basis of it not being received even though he had acknowledged receipt to us - much toing and fringe - the basis of it wasn't corrected and when DH scanned/e-mailed the postage receipt the system failed him somehow so it was never 'proved' as sent. E-bay didn't acknowledge this until after the cut off date, by which time it was too late. More toing and froing and eBay acknowledged the receipt was on the system pre cut off - dragged on and on. In the end DH gave up - the system can go wrong.

Actually I do still sell, very occasionally, big items only, pick up, cash on collection, like my horse trailer, a tent.

[BridgeDweller]

pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/item-not-as-described.html

This tells you pretty much all you need to know. The seller pays for the return postage. This is achieved by opening a case. The seller then prints out a returns label and sends/emails it to you.

If, as once happened to me, the seller gets funny about sending one, message customer service, use that link in your message and tell them that the customer is unwilling to send a label for you to return the item. CS should sort it out for you. Failing that, call them. I prefer to send messages as it gives an indisputable record of what's been said and because sometimes it's easier to communicate that way. I find that Ebay's staff are wonderfully polite but not having English as their first language some struggle with our turns of phrase and idiom so I don't always manage to put my point over very clearly.

[Bugsylugs]

We had a case opened against us as NAD, lots intact with eBay buyer not really engaged. Was as described but offered refund they said they returned it but never arrived and had no proof of postage. This was the point they opened the case eBay found against us but we had been on the phone and emailed before. eBay told us we had to pay the postage however there was no item. They refunded the buyer but we appealed and as we could do nothing as they had apparently sent back but not arrived. eBay over turned their original decision and refunded us.

But they told us we should have paid return postage but it must be tracked that's why we got the decision over turned

[twistletonsmythe]

lavender - your buyer committed fraud by claiming not received which is totally different to not as described. And you didn't have tracking to prove delivery? An email from the buyer confirming delivery is worthless. So nothing you can do. This is why I only sell in the uk and send everything tracked.

[lavendersun]

At some time twistle the having more money than time came into the equation. We did have a postage receipt. Decided to cut our losses after endless e-mails.

I wouldn't have sent it abroad - DH is much more accommodating.

[lavendersun]

At some point, not time.

[twistletonsmythe]

you had a proof of postage receipt which was worthless. You needed online proof of delivery.

[lavendersun]

I don't know what DH had tbh twistle so I am surprised that you do, eBay acknowledged that they had messed up after the event. I just know that we cut our losses.

[twistletonsmythe]

you have written that he had a postage receipt which is a certificate of postage. This is not online proof of delivery. That is what you have written - I don't have inside knowledge! If you didn't send fully tracked then that is your error hence the buyer lying about not receiving and getting a full refund.

[lavendersun]

Could have been a postage receipt with a tracking number for all I (and you) know Thistle. Am as bored of this thread as we were with the eBay dispute so I won't be returning.

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Ended up opening the case last night. No response from the seller so far.

I'll have a look at the link now to see what happens if they don't respond.

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Still no response from the seller. If they don't respond by ebay's deadline, what happens next? Will eBay tell me to return the item regardless and refund me?

I'm going away in a couple of weeks and really don't want this dragging on.

[twistletonsmythe]

you can escalate in 8 days - so on the 23rd. eBay will either ask you to return or may even give a no fault refund.

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Thanks for the reply and sorry to ask more questions but if they ask me to return, do I organise and pay for it? Because it's such a big item, it has to go with a courier and I think it's going to cost around £20. I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, I'll just have to pay it if it means I get the sale price and original postage refunded.