Paint on 'excellent condition' boots?

[Queen0fFlamingEverything]

I recently bought a pair of boots on Ebay - the photo wasn't brilliant and only showed one side of them, but the description clearly said they were in 'excellent condition' and 'hardly any wear'. They were £50, which is only a little less than they would cost new but they are not made anymore so it seemed a fair price.

They have arrived and whilst they have indeed have had very little wear, there is a large area on the side of one (the whole lower part of the boot) that has had bright green paint all over it. Its been wiped off but is still visible in all the seams, and in patches on the leather. It won't wipe off with a baby wipe so I assume it is not water based and I don't want to try and remove it with anything solvent based in case it damages the boots.

From reading up on this sort of thing it seems like they'd have to be returned for a full refund? But that will cost nearly £10 (they are mega heavy motorbike boots with metal bits) which I won't get back, plus I can live with the paint, it just isn't what I'd expect from boots described as 'excellent condition'. Is asking for a partial refund reasonable?

Many sellers won't do a partial refund - but I would not be happy paying that amount for some boots with paint on them.

If they weigh under 2kg you can send via Collect Plus for half that price

A good seller will also give you back your return postage costs too so it is worth asking them for that - you shouldn't be out of pocket because they lied I reckon

I'd quite like to keep them as they are hard to get hold of, being discontinued. But I know sellers don't like partial refunds, and they aren't obliged to so anymore than refund the original price are they? Hopefully they will agree to refund return costs but I guess there's no way of being certain they would stick to that?

no way of being certain they would stick to it at all

just email them and see what they say - they obv know the paint is on them, so pretty dishonest to not mention it!

Well the seller has replied saying they were listed as 'USED' (their caps, not mine!) and thus I should expect wear and marks, and that they consider the description was accurate and had not noticed any marks or they would have mentioned them.

They also said that under Ebay rules, return postage does not have to be refunded so they won't refund it.

Collect+ don't have an outlet for miles, and trackable postage will cost me a bomb due to the weight - they are 3kg and Special Delivery is coming up as £24.50

have you tried for a courier quote?

Am grr about your seller - get your eBay case opened and we will find you a cheap return option am sure.

this any good?

www.parcel2go.com/Quote-page.aspx?dest=214&col=214&p=%5e3%7c50%7c50%7c40

I would open a dispute. Yes they were used, but they are not as described, if the description doesn't state paint marks. Chances are ebay will find in your favour and you will get a full refund (if thats what you state you want)

I would open a dispute. I have never heard of this before I run an ebay shop and if someone is not happy with something I sent (which is unusual as everything is new) I always pay for postage back to me. I can post them for You for £5.50 If you are near me (lincs).

Thanks fergoose - can do it for about £11 now, but am going to open a dispute tbh and see where that gets me. Their tone was pretty snarky, they say that 'As we have offered a no quibble refund as per above we do not enter into any further discussion about the "issue" of not as described and therefore the item should be returned immediately by a trackable method as per EBAY rules' and told me that starting a dispute will 'only aggravate the sitaution and not achieve a more productive outcome'.

There is no way they didn't notice the paint - a picture of some of the marks should now be on my profile (the white is just the light), it runs along the bit where the leather joins the sole for most of one side, with fainter marks higher up the leather.

That's very noticable. Go for the dispute and see what happens?

ok - when you open the dispute tick the box marked other - then next to it write refund

you should be able to escalate to customer support in about a week - and eBay may well refund you without the need for you to return the boots. Not guaranteed, but it would save you the expense of a return

and starting a dispute will be a black mark against their account, plus with that tone of email you are not really going to want to leave them nice feedback and stars are you?

Daft seller, there really is no need to be so rude and nasty - it just upsets everyone and achieves nothing except bad feeling

Okay, doing it now - what should I say the sellers response was, seeing as 'being arsey' isn't an option?

is there an other box to tick? I would do that if I were you.

I ticked the 'other' box in the end and just wrote 'unacceptable' (they ask for details if you tick 'other')

Just seen your pic - that is totally unacceptable and I'd be amazed if they hadn't noticed it!

To give you another perspective - I sold a pair of worn once £120 boots for £30 and when packaging them noticed 2 tiny white marks on the suede. So I photo'd them and sent a mail to the buyer apologising that I hadn't seen them when listing and offering her either a full refund or £5 off if she still wanted them. She said she did but would not take the £5 as she felt she had already got a bargain and the marks were barely noticeable. This was all before I had even posted them - so shows you both sellers and buyers can be reasonable!!

Your seller is out of order big time!!

I agree - looking at the picture your seller is a disgrace & totally dishonest.

I have said in the dispute that I can send pictures - do Ebay ever take you up on that or is it all just down to who they believe?

I don't think you can add pics to eBay dispute - I think you could with Paypal. I think eBay will always side with the buyer so no worries there - just the cost of return postage tbh.

Oh FFS. Ebay have now responded saying I have to return them for a full refund of the purchase price plus original postage costs, but that the seller doesn't have to refund the cost of return postage. No shit, that's what I told them!

No mention of the fact that return postage will leave me out of pocket by over a tenner and that the seller lied

Just look at the 'respond' thingy and it won't let me do anything except provide a tracking number

That is shit Queen. Have been burned in this way before on ebay. Things do seem to be weighted unfairly towards seller. I don't buy off ebay anymore.

you may be able to escalate it in a few days - so wait a little before you return them

Oh I am not going to return them, I can't afford to and I can probably cover up the majority of the green with a good layer of black polish. I will just wait a few days to see if it gives any more options and then leave really bad feedback.

Its just outrageous that they can lie in the description and then the buyer is expected to pay for it!

Is there any point in ringing Ebay customer services? or are they no more use than the online help?

I would contact the seller again including a photo and point out that you are unhappy that the only resolution they will offer you will cost you more money and they will also be out of pocket in terms of having paid outward postage and that you would like a partial refund as the boots are not as described. Perhaps point out that otherwise you will be forced to leave negative feedback.