Help! Bought item damaged in transit... not a regular ebayer, what should I do for the best?

[RoseC]

I bought a board game for DP's Christmas present a few days ago. It was delivered today by a postman in a hurry so I didn't get a chance to examine it until he was gone (regular 1st class post). The parcel was wrapped in brown paper and a corner has been completely rubbed/scuffed off. This has taken the corner off the box and the plastic wrap it was in (usual games shrink wrap, not something the seller has put on) so that the rough cardboard is showing underneath. The game was packed upside-down so although it's the base of the parcel it's on the front of the box and quite noticeable (about 1cm diameter all the way around). It now looks second-hand and I can't give it to DP as his main Christmas present in the current condition (not least because his fussy mother is staying and she will never let me hear the end of it).

The seller had 100% feedback on ebay. I think it is Royal Mail's fault but, OTOH, should it have been wrapped in protective packaging? I'm new to all this although have sold a couple of things over the Internet in the past and have wrapped them very well to avoid precisely this situation.

I can't afford to write it off (it was £10 - half my budget this year as I'm skint) and I'm not sure what to do for the best. Can anybody help me please? Fortunately DP is away until tomorrow lunchtime so I have time to have to out for pictures/spend time dealing with it.

Thank you for any advice you can give.

This doesn't sound like it can be the sellers fault. For this amount of damage to happen quite a bit of force must have been applied in order to make the parcel paper, the plastic protection on the box and the cardboard itself to break down.

If you bought from a professional seller, i.e. one with stock, they might be willing to send you a new box as a guesture of goodwill but if you bought off someone who just sold what they had lying around the house then they can't replace the box. Nor can they, in my opinion, be expected to take the financial loss of this damage. In other words I would not take the game in return if I were the seller. What I would do as a seller would be to make a claim for compensation on your behalf through the post office and provide you with the payment which was awarded by the post office. Speak to your seller and ask them if they can do this.

Thanks for your reply.

It's not a professional seller. I have sent them a message. I've been reading eBay's guidelines and they do recommend that items be wrapped protectively - the game is just wrapped in standard brown paper. As I wouldn't post an item without bubble wrap or some kind of protection (on the other site where I've sold items) I am annoyed that the buyer didn't do this (no mention in the listing about the type of packaging, maybe I should have asked?) as I would assume it was necessary, particularly in winter and with the amount of postage they were charging.

I have mentioned the guidelines on wrapping but left the solution open ended and just asked them what they would like to do to resolve the issue. I don't have the sort of money to buy things to add to the house and I can't give it as a present now so I have no use for it. I'm very happy for them to try and get the money back via Royal Mail. I have also offered to send them pictures if they would like to see proof (if I were in their position I would).

it is the sellers responsibility to get the item to you in one piece. It doesn't seem this seller used adequate packaging.

you can send it back, recorded delivery for proof, for a refund - a good seller will give you your return postage costs too. If you open a not as described dispute with eBay, they may refund you with a no fault refund without you needing to return it, or you may need to return at your expense before you get your money back.

by the way the seller may still be able to claim for damage with royal mail, so photos and keeping packaging may be a good idea for now.

Thank you. I have the packaging - it was well sellotaped so I tore it open at one end trying to get the box out. Thank goodness the damage is at the other end of the parcel and the wrapping there is intact (I slid the box out once one end was open). Luckily I also paid via paypal.

Quick bump to ask a follow-up question please:

I emailed Thursday night and ebay says wait two days for a reply. I haven't received a reply but the seller doesn't have anything listed at the minute and has only sold ten items in the past. They also took two days to post the item after I paid so I'm guessing they may not be a compulsive email/Internet checker like me (only saying this to support my supposition about them - taking two days to post is perfectly normal ).

With this in mind, should I request their real life contact details from ebay? I am reluctant to get them into any trouble but I do want to sort this out as soon as possible.

Sorry, a quick bump and a third question: I am reading the ebay forums and it mentions payments going back into paypal accounts. Does this mean that I will have paypal credit or will the payment go back onto my debit card (entered those details on the paypal site) please?

I have requested the seller's details but don't know whether to call them or wait another day. Unfortunately the only person I know with ebay experience is DP and it's his present!

Itll go back onto your paypal balance
hth

I would wait until after the weekend to phone to be honest, either that or open a not as described dispute with eBay

the refund would go back to where it came from via paypal, so back to your card and to your account.

Thank you :) I will wait until Monday morning.

Doesnt matter if it is the sellers fault or not, the item should be adequately packaged. File a claim for item not as described via eBay or PayPal if the seller does not offer a full refund upon return including return postage.

It is the sellers responsibility to get the item to you intact in one piece and in good condition. A good seller would refund in full including return postage, I would.

When you file the claim you just put damaged upon receipt.

If you had got this from any other online seller you would expect a refund, eBay is no different.

The first post on this thread talks twaddle.

The payment goes back to the funding source, so if you paid via PayPal funds or bank transfer i.e via bank funding it goes back to your PayPal account.

If you funded by card it goes back to the card. eBays refunds just go back to your PayPal account. It depends where you open the dispute.

Thanks Fabby :)

I'm afraid I have yet another question please...

I eventually called the seller Monday evening. He said he had sent me a reply on Sunday so I checked my emails and ebay account again (though had checked that morning) and nothing was there. I strongly suspect - from the way he sounded - that he didn't send anything. He was very affronted by the suggestion that (and I only mentioned this when he seemed reluctant to refund anything) the game would not have been damaged if it had been wrapped properly.

He wants it back (more than okay) but doesn't want to pay the postage. I don't have the money to let £4.40 go so I suggested that we split the return postage so that neither of us loses out. I made this suggestion over the phone, which he agreed with, then on Tuesday evening via ebay messages when I asked him for his email address so I could send him pictures of the damage. I said either I would wrap it in brown paper, exactly as he had, and take no responsibility (or polite words to that effect!) for how it arrived and we would split £4.40 or I would wrap it securely and we could pay £3 each (his original postage charge for the game was £6, which I feel is fair if it reflects materials used etc.).

My question is this: how would we go about doing this via ebay please? Does he refund me now and then pay me the postage when I confirm I have sent it and how would he make a payment outside the auction please?

I have emailed him again this evening to ask if he received the pictures (I sent them Tuesday evening and have, from our conversation on Monday, the impression he is online all the time). I just want this mess sorted out. I have tried to be polite and friendly and yet he is quite rude, which makes me wish it was all finalised!

I should add: I have not escalated it with ebay yet, just had private conversations with him over the ebay messaging system. Should I have reported it by now to ebay or do I need to do this to get a refund? I didn't want to take any action that would reflect badly upon him until I'd given him a chance to refund me.

Oooh, I'd report it to Ebay. Ebay are really good about making sure you get your refund and I am horrified that he packaged it so badly and then wasn't apologetic about it.

I would escalate it too

Unfortunately eBay will only give you back your original payment - for him to give you the rest to cover the return postage that has to be off his own back, he could paypal you the money or send a cheque - but I doubt he will to be honest in light of you saying he was rude, and he didn't reply to your email either.

Thank you for your replies. Unfortunately I am a bit desperate for money at the minute (who isn't? :) ) so I'll wait another day before I escalate it as if I pay the return postage the money will have to come out of my budget for DP's Christmas present.

I really appreciate all the advice that's been given, especially from fergoose, as I really don't have a clue and it's helped me realise what would be a reasonable outcome.

I've given up and opened a case with ebay. He has until 27th November to respond. Since ebay have written that they sometimes refund return postage I ticked 'other' and asked for a refund and half return postage costs. I also mentioned how annoyed I was that I was charged £1.20 more for postage than Royal Mail charged him yet it arrived in brown paper and sellotape.

oh, that is good. I have ticked that box and written other and not had to return the item, so hopefully you may receive a no fault refund from eBay and not have to return it at all - fingers crossed :)

And then you can leave appropriate feedback too.

I've just received a message to say I have a full refund via paypal and the case is closed :)

There was no other message from the seller. He only refunded the money I paid, not the 1/2 postage I asked for. I'm tempted to assume I can keep the game if I don't hear from him within a week. I'm so relieved! Thank you for your help. If I don't need to send it back then I will leave neutral rather than negative feedback.

that is good news :)

I would presume from that the seller has refunded you and does not expect the item to be returned.