Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

ebay refund request - advice sought

28 replies

Holymoly64 · 25/06/2021 15:41

I sold a bit of music tech equipment on ebay about 2 months ago. I'd bought it a good while ago for my son who was too young to use it. It was opened but never used and I advertised it this way. As proof of this, the cable was still in it's original fastening showing it had never been uncoiled and hence never plugged in. A week after it was sold, I'd not been paid. I contacted the seller who said he'd forgotten about it and could I give him so time to get the money together (around £200). He also said that, I was also free to put it up for sale again if I didn't want to wait. I told him I'd wait and a week or so later I was paid. He then asked for it to be sent by tracked post even though he'd only paid for 2nd hand post. I agreed as I didn't want it to get damaged. That cost me £11. It took another couple of weeks for me to get paid, as he said there were problems with the postage. As it was a tracked, guaranteed delivery, I presumed he hadn't been in and had to taken him time to collect it from the depot. About 2-3 weeks after this, he then said he wanted a refund as one of the keys stuck on it. I wrote straight back saying that that was a pain as it was evident that no one had used it and that I'd already made over £30 to ebay. I gave him my mobile number to ask him to send me a little clip of him using it with the stuck key, not least because I wouldn't know how to describe it to the manufacturers (it's not a keyboard as such) which I intended to do when I got it back. I said that after I got this, and he had de-registered his name from the item with the manufacturers (it gets registered in your name when you buy it and I had to take my name off it so he could register it in his name) and when he returned it to me in the original packaging and tracked etc as I had sent it to him, I would then issue the return. I didn't get the clip or hear from him again. Just now though, about a month later, I've got an email via ebay in which he is saying that the item was clearly well used when I sold it to him due to obvious scratches on it (there weren't any and he had never mentioned this before) and saying that the fact that it had been registered in my name also was proof that it had been used before. I sent a message back saying that he was now being really out of order as he was now making stuff up and that I was going to take it up with ebay. Just wondering what people's thoughts were - AIBU in not just issuing a refund. I hardly sell anything on ebay - only the occasional bike so I'm not really bothered about him giving me a bad review. I just think he's being really underhand. The fact that he's making false allegations against me has really riled me. Finally, does anyone know how you take things up with ebay?

OP posts:
SwimBaby · 25/06/2021 15:46

I think you’ll have to issue a refund, ebay nearly always sides with purchaser.

Viviennemary · 25/06/2021 15:50

From what I've read Ebay always sides with the customer. Dont give a refund unless you get the item returned. Don't sell that type of thing on Ebay again. Seems to attract time wasters and chancers. But it's his word against yours. Hope it gets sorted but I wouldn't be hopeful. And he might end up with a refund from PayPal and keeping your item. Too annoying. Its still worth contacting Ebay.

Mairyhinge · 25/06/2021 15:51

@SwimBaby

I think you’ll have to issue a refund, ebay nearly always sides with purchaser.
Fuck that! I couldn't care less if eBay sided with the buyer, he's lying and trying it on. For that amount of money I would NOT refund. Not when you know he's lying. And if you think you ought to, wait until it's back in your possession before you do. And if it comes back in poor condition make sure you make eBay aware! He's a twat and he's a devious one too. If I had to id de register from eBay before I'd pay him back!
romdowa · 25/06/2021 15:53

Sadly this won't work. EBay will pay him back and then go after you for the money.

SwimBaby · 25/06/2021 15:56

Mairyhinge I got caught out with a lying, sneaky scum bag who did a similar thing and ended having to pay them even though I was 100% not at fault.

Brefugee · 25/06/2021 16:14

Did you take film/photos before you sent it? Unfortunately, scammers or not eBay pretty much always side with the buyer.
Also if you use them again:
Send photos to them by email and ask them to confirm they're OK with how it looks
Guve them a date by which to pay or you'll re-list
Anything over 20 quid gets sent by tracked/signed for mail
Photos of everything and email them to the recipient (including package and tracking detailsl

Frankly? Don't use eBay

Chloemol · 25/06/2021 16:33

I think you might have to refund, raise a formal complaint with ebay over it and thier assumption the purchaser is correct and skate the hell out of them on SM

Never use eBay

superduster · 25/06/2021 16:33

I don't put anything electrical on eBay.

DriveMeCrazy1974 · 25/06/2021 16:42

You're not being unreasonable - he's clearing trying to make a claim because he knows that eBay nearly always side with the buyer. I use eBay a lot and it's a nightmare for sellers now. I wouldn't sell anything over the value of £30 or £40 to be honest, right now.

I think you're probably going to have to refund - the problem is that eBay may allow him to still keep the goods, which means you're completely out of pocket.

I would also be taking a look at his other feedback to see if he's pulled this trick with other sellers, just in case that helps you in getting eBay to take you seriously.

AlmostAJillSandwich · 25/06/2021 16:43

Has he opened a return request?
he has 30 days from the last estimated delivery date to do so. If he has opened it within this 30 days, and hes opened it under item not as described category, you're pretty stuck. The case is dealt with by bots not humans, and ebay will find in his favour and require you to send a pre paid postage label for him to return the item. If you don't send the label, after 8 days ebay will either send him a label and charge you for it, or else they will refund him without requiring he return, and charge you.
This is their policy as they have no way to see the item sent was the one sold or if it was as described, so they try to reverse the sale so buyer gets money back, seller gets item back, but at sellers expense for postage costs.
Your only chance at keeping the money, is if they opened a return request after more than 30 days since estimated delivery has passed, as in this case ebay will not step in.

DriveMeCrazy1974 · 25/06/2021 16:43

Also, is there any way of checking it is actually your item if he returns it? It's not unheard of for people to buy something to replace a faulty item they already own and then put in a claim.

cupsofcoffee · 25/06/2021 16:43

Fuck that! I couldn't care less if eBay sided with the buyer, he's lying and trying it on. For that amount of money I would NOT refund.

eBay will just refund him themselves, and come after you for the money. You "de-registering" won't make the blindest bit of difference.

amylou8 · 25/06/2021 16:45

How long ago was it delivered to him? The timeline is a bit confusing. He has 30 days from the day tracking indicates it was delivered, after that you're under no obligation to refund. He can raise a dispute (eBay still allow this for communication purposes), but cannot escalate it. If you call eBay they will close it in your favour, and remove any feedback he leaves. If it was less than 30 days ago then you're screwed as eBay without fail side with the buyer.

Holymoly64 · 25/06/2021 17:59

Ebay say they're holding funds until the refund is sorted but I don't have any funds with them. At the moment, given that I rarely use ebay, I'm thinking of walking away , not engaging and never using ebay again. Would that work? They do have an option to making a complaint about buyers making false allegations so I've just sent a message about this. Surely they don't expect me to give him a refund AND let him keep the item???

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 25/06/2021 18:06

If you decide to give the refund the buyer will have to return the item to you first. Raise a dispute with Ebay before you do anything. Say everything you've said here. Delay in the buyer paying and so on. List all the points. Can't see a long established member would pull this trick. Check their feedback.

Viviennemary · 25/06/2021 18:09

Just adding perhaps if the item was unused for a long time and in storage the key did stick. But thats the chance you take buying of Ebay.

KarmaStar · 25/06/2021 18:10

No different advise,sorry but really feel for you and I can assure you that karma will bite him in the a*rse in due course.

rooarsome · 25/06/2021 18:25

I was stung by something similar. Sadly, after a HUGE battle, eBay sided with the buyer who was refunded and she also got to keep the item. This was a few years ago now and I haven't used it since.

cupsofcoffee · 25/06/2021 19:08

@Holymoly64

Ebay say they're holding funds until the refund is sorted but I don't have any funds with them. At the moment, given that I rarely use ebay, I'm thinking of walking away , not engaging and never using ebay again. Would that work? They do have an option to making a complaint about buyers making false allegations so I've just sent a message about this. Surely they don't expect me to give him a refund AND let him keep the item???
eBay could refund the buyer themselves and then pursue you for the costs. I'm not sure how likely that is to happen but they could do it.
19lottie82 · 25/06/2021 19:11

As already mentioned, he only has 30 days from the latest delivery date (this will be on the sales record) to open a return request. If he’s past this then tough luck to him. If it’s not passed this then eBay will force you to refund I’m afraid.

Whammyyammy · 25/06/2021 19:13

Ebay will side with the buyer, you'll lose your money and your item. That's how eBay rolls......

Whammyyammy · 25/06/2021 19:14

And its not ebay he will go through for refund, PayPal allow 180 days for a complaint

19lottie82 · 25/06/2021 19:15

Did you get paid with PayPal? If the buyer is within his 30 day window, then he will be refunded via PayPal. PayPal will then deduct the money from your funding source. If there isn’t a valid one linked to your account they will pass it onto their collections department.

They will prob hassle you for a while but ultimately, for £200, I doubt they will take it any further. But you won’t be able use PayPal again, for anything.

Personally if eBay forces you to refund I would do so then at least you’ll get the item back and can resell it. If you refuse and eBay have to force the refund it becomes harder to get your item back.

19lottie82 · 25/06/2021 19:16

PayPal allow 180 days for a complaint

If the OP received a PayPal payment. eBay is trying to move all sellers over to managed payments now. That is you give your bank details and they pay you directly. That removes the extra layer of PayPal protection for buyers.

pennylane83 · 25/06/2021 19:27

Ebay always side with the seller. I ended up out of pocket when a buyer claimed the item hadn't been delivered despite me providing eBay with proof of postage clearly showing the buyers correct address and the link from royal mail showing the date the item had been delivered.