Advice: expensive p&p, dreadful packaging

[tryingtocatchthewind]

Hi, could I ask for your expert advise.

I bought a Lego set on eBay.

The postage was £8 which I thought was expensive but figured Lego boxes are not easy to pack and the stated method was Royal Mail so I just sucked it up.

The listing said there were a few "inconsequential" bricks missing and a list could be provided. Fine by me. I asked for a list and it was only three so I ordered them separately. The seller was lovely and friendly about it.

The parcel arrived this morning via MyHermes in an old m&s carrier bag! Needless to say the box is battered and all of the pieces were scattered around inside the package.
I've built it and there's another 6 bits piecing so I'll have to place another order which means I'll pay more postage to the Lego spares place.

Now I do still want the item (if I can get the pieces) but I'd like a partial postal refund. £8 in a carrier bag!

But the seller was lovely and has great feedback. Shall I just contact them and ask? I hate conflict! I don't really want to escalate with eBay as they'll tell me to send it back I assume.

Sorry essay!

Yes, with ebay there is no middle ground - it'd be a refund for not as described and a return at the seller's expense.

Hmmmm I'll look and see if I can get the missing bits first

There's definitely middle ground. Contact the seller and explain it all to them. If they are good they should offer you a partial refund on the postage/item cost. If they say no then you can decide whether to involve eBay.

I meant there is no middle ground with ebay policies. You can ask the seller for a partial refund, open a case, or suck it up and leave negative feedback. I'd leave a neg anyway as the seller lied about the number of missing pieces.

Well I've grown a pair and asked for a part postage refund. It's the £8 for a carrier bag that really annoys.

Thankfully I've managed to find the other bits for all of 56p so that's not so bad

I know I have come into this late but well done you for asking for a refund,myhermes price for tracked postage would have been no more than £3.00 as that covers up to 2kgs and no way would your lego weigh that much,over the years I have learnt to be firm and direct when I think I am being ripped off by postage,I know we agree to it when bidding but when the seller changes the sorse of delivery and sends in rubbish packing I get on to them and complain,I hope you got a refund.