item not as described, but big and return cost high

[Cailleach1]

Hi,

Got a footstool described as leather off ebay and the postage was the same as the item cost. It is large and was delivered by courier.

It was described as leather, but is in reality some sort of rubber or plasticky synthetic material. The pong when I opened the box alerted me to it before I looked at the item.

I do not want some sort of rubbery/plasticky covered footstool which has a horrible chemical pong. I would not have bid for it if it wasn't described as leather. It wasn't even put as 'faux' leather.

I am really disappointed as it was to complete a matching piece of furniture. I am going to send a not as described. Thing is the return of the darn thing. It is too big for me to carry and ferry to a post office or anywhere. I would only be able to send it the way it came, a courier coming to my door and taking it away.

Does the seller (who advertised it as a different material) have to pay the return of the item the same way it was sent by them originally? I cannot cart it anywhere. What a pain. I'm annoyed the seller listed it as leather or I woudn't have bid on the darn thing and be in this position.

Anybody know what is usually done?

Request a return, not as described, seller will have to cover return cost, if it's that much they may just refund you

Email the seller, if they have any sense they'll agree to the return. If they don't have sense you'll have to open a not as described case with ebay. I think it takes a week until eBay will step in and force the seller to accept the return. You'll get a pre paid postage label but make sure it is enough to cover the cost.

I'd just open a case straight away.

You want to do everything by the book and make sure it's all logged with eBay.

The seller has to provide a pre paid returns label but this may be tricky if it's a large item as then default one that's they can issue thru eBay is for a max 2 kg weight and requires dropped off at a Post Office.

You can suggest they can purchase an appropriate label through the parcel monkey website and email it to you.

If they don't then you will want to call eBay ,explain the situation and ask how you should proceed.

I don't want this to cost me time, effort and money when the fault lies with someone else.

I don't see a phone number on the site for an item not as described or return for buyer.

I see their 'call me' link now. Thanks.

I opened a 'not as described case'. Vendor quite ugly, maintaining it is leather. It most certainly is not. You know a synthetic smell and feel. Like a rubber.

I can't exactly cut off a piece for a photo.

You don't need to provide a photo. If you're going round in circles with the seller, just ask eBay to "step in and help". If you check the case details it will tell you when you can do this, it's usually a week or so after you open the case.

EBay will then tell you to return it for a refund but as I explained earlier the seller must provide an appropriate returns label, as the default one eBay may give you won't do for an item over 2 kg.

If you have any problems with this, then phone eBay and ask them how you should proceed.

Ok. I raised the issue through ebay. Seller maintains it is leather. It doesn't feel or smell like leather. Very synthethic smell.

I was going to say I'd look at it again this evening and see if I could recover in a wool material I have. Trouble is when I clicked into a message from the vendor, the message was obscene. I'm not going to communicate with someone sending vile messages.

What the hell do I do now?

Don't panic......original advice still stands.

Don't respond to their messages. When you can, just ask eBay to step in and help.

In the mean time contact eBay and report the abusive messages.

Do you think maybe it's a bonded leather? So a mix of recycled leather and plastic. As above contact eBay.

It's completely inexcusable for people to be sending obscene messages in ebay transactions. It does happen - try not to let it upset you.

Press on with the return. The good thing is that now they have responded you have the option to escalate to ebay and they will see the messages sent via the ebay messaging system. Normally you will have the option to print a courier label at the seller's expense. For larger items this is usually Yodel/Collect+

If you have to return it yourself at your own expsne, then I'm afraid while the seller might be legally liable, it can be hard to enforce that. Using a service such as parcel2go will give you a range of courier options who will collect larger items from your home for around a tenner. Make sure you keep the tracking to upload to ebay as when it is scanned by the courier, that triggers your return.

dbrackin the OP won't have to return it at their own expense? Why would they?

Hi Lottie - there's a number of ways that the buyer might end up having to book their own courier with larger items like this. They don't note in the OP whether the seller is business or not and whether they stated that they accept returns or not. She may make an error in the returns process and so may the returns agent. The business may choose to send a paypal payment to cover postage rather than try to book an away collection with a courier. The buyer may miss the courier collection etc etc.

But then it's unclear how large the item is from the OP. Most foostools that I've sold would go with a standard box courier such ad Yodel or DPD.

Hope that helps

db I think you are a bit confused re this situation. it doesn't matter if the seller is private or business. They have no option whether to accept a return or not if the item has been misdecribed. The only time they can choose "not to accept returns" is if they are a private seller and the buyer requests a non fault return, which isn't applicable in this case.

In a situation like this, where the item is faulty / misdescribed then the seller must provide a pre paid, service with online tracking to return the item (the OP is under no obligation to accept a PayPal payment to cover return postage), if they don't then eventually eBay will simply refund the OP without the item being returned.

Hi Lottie -
I do appreciate that this is your forum and not mine so my apologies if you feel I'm not being helpful. I am just sharing my experience from having done a few of these in the hope it may be useful for the OP should her returns process not go along the theoretical path you describe.

I think that the private seller returns flow for freight items is different from the business seller returns flow, but it's a while since I spoke with the team and my experience is as a business seller.

I've certainly seen cases where all of the things I've described have occurred and it does a disservice to the OP to imagine that the returns process can only go one way. Ebay CS will accept proof of a paypal payment to the buyer to the value of carriage instead of a label and require a return - particularly if there are difficulties arranging an away collection. Furthermore the OP may prefer this to being told that she needs to wait in all day for Yodel to come and collect.

If OP wants to post up weight and dimensions of the footstool, I can help further on shipping options if that becomes necessary.

In the meantime, I agree with your advice that she should raise a Snad claim and escalate as soon as possible and see what ebay CS say.

HTH

dr yes private seller returns are different for "non fault returns", as in they are under no obligation to accept the return, but the same path has to be followed for faulty items whether the seller is private or business, this has been the case for about 3 years now.

If the OP wants to accept a payPal payment and arrange the postage herself instead of a returns label, then she can, but she is under no obligation to, and if I were in her shoes I certainly wouldn't...... why should she take on all that hassle when it's the sellers job to arrange the return of the faulty item? I certainly can't see it being a usefull option?